Rainbow "Straight Between The Eyes (2008 Reissue, Universal Music K.K., Japan, SHM-CD, Remastered)"

Straight Between the Eyes is the sixth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow, released in 1982. A remastered CD reissue, with packaging duplicating the original vinyl release, was released in May 1999.

The band line-up was the same as had recorded the previous year's Difficult to Cure album, with the exception of David Rosenthal, who replaced Don Airey on keyboards.

The title allegedly came from a phrase from Jeff Beck, describing Jimi Hendrix to Blackmore.

The sleeve-art is by British artist Jeff Cummins and Hipgnosis. The original vinyl issue had the lyrics printed on the inner sleeve.

In an April 1982 interview with British rock magazine Kerrang!, Blackmore stated of "MISS Mistreated", "Well it's to avoid confusion that the 'Miss' is written three times bigger than the 'mistreated' but I expect we'll have someone who shall remain nameless coming up to us saying 'I wrote that song'!" That someone being David Coverdale, with whom Blackmore had co-written "Mistreated" for the 1974 Deep Purple album Burn. Blackmore had this issue with Coverdale previously when a rendition of "Mistreated" was included on the Rainbow live album On Stage.

Videos were shot for the songs "Stone Cold" and "Death Alley Driver", which featured Sega's video game Turbo. They were occasionally still aired on VH1's Metal Mania program, but have not been aired since 2005, they can be found on YouTube or on the bands "Final Cut" 1985 home video.

The tour featured a giant pair of moving mechanical eyes as part of the stageset, with spotlights shining from the pupils. This is captured on the video release Live Between the Eyes. The tour, although extensive, did not include the UK, which rankled with British fans.

In 2022, Straight Between the Eyes was named #5 of 'The 25 greatest rock guitar albums of 1982' list in Guitar World.

Tracklist:

1. Death Alley Driver 04:36   
2. Stone Cold 05:15   
3. Bring On the Night (Dream Chaser) 04:02   
4. Tite Squeeze 03:15
5. Tearin' Out My Heart 04:00   
6. Power 04:23   
7. Miss Mistreated 04:25
8. Rock Fever 03:40
9. Eyes of Fire 06:41

Time:   40:17

Made in Japan. Marketed and distributed by Universal Music K.K.

Recording information:

Recorded at Le Studio, Morin Heights, Canada.

Mastered at Sterling Studios, New York.

Engineered by Nick Blagona (assisted by Robbie Whelan)

Digital mixing by Roger Glover and Nick Blagona

Digital mastering by Greg Calbi, Sterling Sound, New York