Ελληνικά
Rainbow – Difficult to Cure: When the rainbow changed color
Genre: Hard Rock
Country: United Kingdom
Company: Polydor
Year: 1981
There are albums that just continue a course and there are those that change the very orientation of a band. Difficult to Cure clearly belongs to the second category. Released in February 1981, it marked the arrival of Joe Lynn Turner in place of Graham Bonnet and simultaneously at the same time the definitive departure of Rainbow from the epic, dark hard rock of the Ronnie James Dio era.
The new line-up—Ritchie Blackmore, Joe Lynn Turner, Roger Glover, Don Airey, and Bobby Rondinelli—doesn’t attempt to hide this change. Difficult to Cure is more polished, more radio-friendly, and decidedly more American-market-oriented. Where once there were castles, wizards, and epic narratives, there are now shorter choruses, direct hooks, and a production that screams early ’80s.
The opener “I Surrender” is perhaps the best possible example. Written by Russ Ballard, it features a huge chorus, a flawless Turner and a Blackmore solo that turns an otherwise purebred melodic hard rock song into Rainbow. It’s also the moment where it clearly shows why Turner was so well-suited in the new direction: less theatrical than Dio, less explosive than Bonnet, but excellent at delivering melody and drama without exaggeration.
Immediately after, however, “Spotlight Kid” reminds us that Blackmore had no intention of fully surrendering his weapons to FM radio. The riff is sharp, Airey’s keyboards respond aggressively and the solo is one of the most characteristic of the Turner-era period. “No Release” continues heavier and darker, while “Magic” moves dangerously close to the pop side of the band. It is well written, but also indicative of the main problem of the album: at some moments Rainbow seems to consciously chase success instead of letting it arise.
The instrumental “Maybe das nächste Mal (Maybe Next Time)” acts as a necessary breath and gives space to Blackmore and Airey to remind how strong the chemistry between them was. Beyond that, “Can’t Happen Here” is one of the peak tracks of the album. Harsh, with an excellent chorus and a Turner that sounds much more convincing when the material takes on a darker tone.
“Freedom Fighter” and “Midtown Tunnel Vision” are more uneven. The first one has energy and a good chorus; the second one brings out a more jam character and presents a band that finally lets the studio polish give way a little. This is exactly where the power of the new drummer Bobby Rondinelli is visible, who gives more volume and naturalness to the base of the band.
And then comes the self-titled “Difficult to Cure”, the adaptation of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It could easily end up being a pompous caricature. Instead, it works because Blackmore and Airey have the skill and necessary humor to keep the balance. The result is over-the-top, theatrical, and utterly Rainbow.
Commercially, the new direction paid off: the album reached No. 3 of the British charts and remained in the Top 100 for a total of 22 weeks. And yet, its reception remains divisive to this day. There are fans who consider the Turner-era too commercial, but there are also many who see here one of the band’s most enjoyable periods, singling out songs such as “Spotlight Kid”, “Can’t Happen Here” and “No Release”.
Difficult to Cure is not Rainbow’s best album. It lacks the epic heaviness of Rising, the dark magic of Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll and perhaps the coherence of Down to Earth. But it’s a very good transitional record, full of a superb Blackmore, a Turner that established himself immediately and several songs that stood the test of time.
The main thing is that it doesn’t pretend that the past continues unchanged. Rainbows change color, but not identity. And if the “cure” turns out to be “difficult”, the medicine remains strong.
Joe Lynn Turner is coming to Greece on September 26th & 27th! The legendary voice that was much adored through his collaborations with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force and Deep Purple, will perform the hits of his great career, as well as classic rock favorites.
JLT’s impressive musical career spans five decades. He founded Fandango in 1977 and sang on four albums. At the invitation of Ritchie Blackmore, he joined Rainbow. His vocals propelled the seminal album Difficult to Cure which went gold in the UK in 1981. A year later, he excelled in Straight Between the Eyes and is behind the top singles: “I Surrender”, “Can’t Let You Go”, “Death Alley Driver”, “Stone Cold”, “Street of Dreams” etc. In 1988 he released the album Odyssey together with the famous virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen for the Rising Force project. Then, he collaborated again with Blackmore on the album Slaves and Masters by Deep Purple. Furthermore, he has released 11 personal albums, while he has collaborated on the recordings of many artists (Cher, Billy Joel, Riot, Bonnie Tyler, etc.).
Save the Dates: September 26, 2026 in Larissa @ Circus Entertainment Hub | September 27, 2026 in Athens @ Gagarin 205.
Don’t miss it!
Tickets are on sale from www.more.com, Public stores and the rest of the More network.
