Rainbow Ends is the fifth and final studio album by Emitt Rhodes. It was released on 26 February 2016, some 43 years after his previous album, Farewell to Paradise.[2]

Rainbow Ends
Studio album by
Released26 February 2016
GenreSoft rock, pop rock
LabelOmnivore Recordings
ProducerChris Price
Emitt Rhodes chronology
Farewell to Paradise
(1973)
Rainbow Ends
(2016)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

Background edit

Album produced by Chris Price.[3] It features contributions from Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., Jason Falkner, Nels Cline, Aimee Mann, Jon Brion, Richard Thompson, Susanna Hoffs, Bleu and members of Brian Wilson’s band.[2]

The first single, "Dog on a Chain", featuring harmonies by Mann and a solo by Brion was premiered by The Wall Street Journal's blog Speakeasy in November 2015.[4]

Track listing edit

All songs composed by Emitt Rhodes except when otherwise indicated.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dog on a Chain"  
2."If I Knew Then"  
3."Isn't It So"  
4."This Wall Between Us"Rhodes, Dan Mayer, Matt Malley, Jim Rolfe 
5."Someone Else"Rhodes, Chris Price 
6."I Can't Tell My Heart"  
7."Put Some Rhythm to It"  
8."It's All Behind Us Now"  
9."What’s a Man to Do"Rhodes, Mayer, Malley, Rolfe 
10."Friday’s Love"  
11."Rainbow Ends"  

Release and reception edit

Rainbow Ends has received positive reviews. On the aggregate website Metacritic, the album has received a score of 81 out of a possible 100 with five reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[5] Mark Deming of AllMusic says it is "a mature, introspective work from a man looking for answers to the questions of life and love, and it's a brave and genuinely impressive return to the spotlight from a major talent."[1] Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter wrote that the songs on the album are "just a notch below Rhodes’ earlier work and may yet become as well-regarded as those songs."[6] In a 7 out of 10 review for Uncut, Rob Hughes writes that the album "Rainbow Ends is an intensely personal vision. Indeed, it feels more like a companion piece to his great ’70s work than it does a postscript ..... if it occasionally lapses into self-pity, there’s also a confessional aspect that feels unnervingly candid."[7]

Rainbow Ends debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 150 for the week of March 19, 2016. It also placed at number 27 on the Independent Albums chart and number 46 on the Top Internet Albums chart. It is Rhodes' first charting album since 1971's Mirror, as his following album, 1973's Farewell To Paradise, never charted.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Rainbow Ends - Emitt Rhodes | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Press Release: Emitt Rhodes Rainbow Ends". Omnivore Recordings. 12 November 2015. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "Emitt Rhodes". Mojo4music.com. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "Emitt Rhodes Returns After Four Decades With 'Dog on a Chain' (Exclusive Song)". Blogs.wsj.com. 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  5. ^ "Rainbow Ends by Emitt Rhodes". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Emitt Rhodes: Rainbow Ends". Americansongwriter.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Emitt Rhodes – Rainbow Ends – Uncut". Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  8. ^ "Rainbow Ends | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2016-03-11.