Difficult to Cure
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Difficult to Cure
| type = studio
| artist = Rainbow
| cover = Difficult to cure.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| caption = Cover design by Hipgnosis
| released = 9 February 1981{{cite magazine|date=17 January 1981|title=News|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/80s/81/Record-Mirror-1981-01-17-OCR.pdf|magazine=Record Mirror|page=2|access-date=23 August 2022}}
| recorded =
| studio = {{ubl|Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark|Kingdom Sound Studios, Long Island, New York}}
| genre = Hard rock
| length = 42:53
| label = Polydor
| producer = Roger Glover
| prev_title = Down to Earth
| prev_year = 1979
| next_title = Jealous Lover
| next_year = 1981
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Difficult to Cure
| type = studio
| single1 = I Surrender
| single1date = {{start date|1981|1|23|df=yes}}{{cite journal|title=News|journal=Record Mirror|date=17 January 1981|page=2|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/49796420166/in/album-72157713964078301/|via=flickr.com|access-date=14 December 2020}}
| single2 = Can't Happen Here
| single2date = 12 June 1981{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1981/Music-Week-1981-06-13.pdf|title=Music Week}}
| single3 = Magic
| single3date = 1981 (Japan)
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/difficult-to-cure-mw0000191534 | title = Rainbow Difficult to Cure review | access-date = 2013-12-11 | last = Erlewine | first = Stephen Thomas | author-link = Stephen Thomas Erlewine | work = AllMusic | publisher = All Media Network}}
| rev2 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev2Score = 6/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = November 1, 2005 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1-894959-31-5 | page=279}}
| noprose = yes
}}
Difficult to Cure is the fifth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow, and it was released in 1981. It was the first album to feature drummer Bobby Rondinelli and vocalist Joe Lynn Turner after the departures of Cozy Powell and Graham Bonnet respectively, following the tour in support of Down to Earth. The album marked the continuing commercialization of the band's sound, with Ritchie Blackmore once describing at the time his appreciation of the band Foreigner.{{cite journal | title = Hotter Than July | journal = Sounds | date = 25 July 1981 | first = Pete | last = Makowski | pages = 14, 15, 48| url = http://ritchieblackmoresrainbow.wordpress.com/sounds-july-25-1981/ | access-date = 2013-12-11}} It became the band's highest-charting album on the UK Albums Chart, where it peaked at number three.
Recording
Writing of the album's material was begun with singer Graham Bonnet still in the band, progressing as far as recording an early version of "I Surrender", before Bonnet left the band due to his dissatisfaction over the material, and numerous fallouts with Blackmore. American singer Joe Lynn Turner, formerly of Fandango was recruited and sang over already completed musical tracks. Turner stated that, because of this, he was singing in higher keys than he would do normally (and would do subsequently).{{cite journal |title=The Rainbow Story Pt. 2 |journal=Kerrang! |date=6 May 1982 |first=Dante |last=Bonutto |issue=15 |pages=22 |url=http://ritchieblackmoresrainbow.wordpress.com/kerrang-no-15-may-6-19-1982/ |access-date=2013-12-11}}
Release
Allegedly, the album's cover (designed by Hipgnosis) had originally been proposed for use on Black Sabbath's 1978 release Never Say Die!.{{cite web |title=Ozzy – The Real Story: The Album Covers (Mojo 2005) |url=http://www.gilmourdesign.co.uk/services/liner-notes/ozzy-osbourne-the-real-story-the-album-covers-mojo-2005/ |website=gilmourdesign.co.uk/ |access-date=2021-01-13}}
"I Surrender" would be the band's highest charting single in the UK, reaching No. 3.{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/rainbow/ |title=Rainbow Official Charts |access-date=2013-11-26 |publisher=Official Charts Company}}
The original 1981 LP and cassette releases had the title of the fifth track as "Vielleicht das Nachster Zeit (Maybe Next Time)". This was a mistranslation from the German, which was corrected on later releases. However, the "corrected" version still is not perfectly grammatical, as the correct German for "Maybe Next Time" is "Vielleicht beim nächsten Mal".
The laughter at the end of the last track is a sample of Oliver Hardy. On the original LP, the laughter is an endless loop as it plays in the run-out groove, while on CD it loops a few times before fading out.
A remastered CD reissue was released in May 1999, with packaging duplicating the original vinyl release.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = I Surrender
| length1 = 4:01
| writer1 = Russ Ballard
| title2 = Spotlight Kid
| length2 = 4:54
| writer2 = Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover
| title3 = No Release
| length3 = 5:33
| writer3 = Blackmore, Glover, Don Airey
| title4 = Magic
| length4 = 4:07
| writer4 = Brian Moran
| title5 = Vielleicht Das Nächste Mal (Maybe Next Time)
| note5 = instrumental
| length5 = 3:17
| writer5 = Blackmore, Airey
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title6 = Can't Happen Here
| length6 = 4:57
| writer6 = Blackmore, Glover
| title7 = Freedom Fighter
| length7 = 4:21
| writer7 = Blackmore, Glover, Joe Lynn Turner
| title8 = Midtown Tunnel Vision
| length8 = 4:31
| writer8 = Blackmore, Glover, Turner
| title9 = Difficult to Cure (Beethoven's Ninth)
| note9 = instrumental
| length9 = 5:57
| writer9 = Ludwig van Beethoven, arr. by Blackmore, Glover, Airey
}}
Personnel
;Rainbow
- Ritchie Blackmore – guitars
- Roger Glover – bass, producer
- Don Airey – keyboards
- Bobby Rondinelli – drums
- Joe Lynn Turner – vocals
;Production
- Flemming Rasmussen – engineer
- Thomas Brekling, Clay Hutchinson – assistant engineers
- Greg Calbi – mastering
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| Chart (1981)
! Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |edition=illustrated |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=St Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
| align="center"|77 |
| {{Album chart |Netherlands |14 |artist=Rainbow |album=Difficult to Cure |rowheader=true |access-date=2023-10-17}} |
| scope="row"|Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts){{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |edition=1st |publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |location=Helsinki |year=2006 |isbn=978-951-1-21053-5 |page=166 |language=fi}}
| align="center"|1 |
| {{Album chart |Germany4 |13 |id=16842 |artist=Rainbow |album=Difficult to Cure |rowheader=true |access-date=
2023-10-17}} |
| scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite book |title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 |publisher=Oricon Entertainment |location=Roppongi, Tokyo |year=2006 |isbn=4-87131-077-9 |language=ja}}
| align="center"|12 |
| {{Album chart |Norway |17 |artist=Rainbow |album=Difficult to Cure |rowheader=true |access-date=2023-10-17}} |
| {{Album chart |Sweden |9 |artist=Rainbow |album=Difficult to Cure |rowheader=true |access-date=2023-10-17}} |
| {{Album chart |UK2 |3 |date=1981-02-22 |rowheader=true |access-date=2023-10-17}} |
| {{Album chart |Billboard200 |50 |artist=Rainbow |rowheader=true |access-date=2023-10-17}} |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry | region=Finland | title=Difficult to Cure | artist=Rainbow | award=Gold| type=album| access-date=13 January 2021| relyear=1981|salesamount=25,000}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1981|region=Japan|artist=Rainbow|title=Difficult to Cure |certyear=1981|award=Gold|certref={{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/joelynnturnerofficial/posts/10156027448003486|date=20 December 2020|title=Rainbow presented with a gold disk in Tokyo, Japan for Difficult to Cure (3rd February 1981)|website=Facebook }}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1981|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|certyear=1981|artist=Rainbow|title= Difficult to Cure|id=1798-513-2|access-date=4 February 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rainbow (rock band)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Rainbow (rock band) albums
Category:Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis