Ronnie James Dio did a few albums with the band ELF in the early 1970's. Then he spent four years with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow before taking the lead singer job in Black Sabbath. Dio did two studio albums and a double live album in Sabbath and the band was very much alive again. However in 1982 he decided to set out on his own. He took Sabbath drummer Vinnie Appice with him. He added bassist Jimmy Bain as the two had played together in Rainbow years before. Then he added a young guitarist named Vivian Campbell and the band was rounded out by keyboardist Claude Schnell. Warner Brothers obviously knew the impact he had made with Sabbath as they gave him a contract. Dio's debut Holy Diver was released in 1983 and I think is was very much a case of right time, right place for this band. The pace of the music isn't all that much different from the two albums he did with Sabbath. However both "Heaven and Hell" and "the Mob Rules" each had a weak song or two, but there are no clunkers on Holy Diver. The band sounds fresh and Ronnie sounds as sharp as ever on his solo debut.
The lyrics are about the same kinds of topics he had always been singing about, mainly fantasy type subject matter. There always seems to be some dragons, rainbows, wishing wells and an evil woman or two in Dio's songs. Rainbow in the dark and the title track both received some radio airplay and both were videos that got shown fairly often. Some of my other favorite tracks are Stand up and shout, Gypsy and Don't talk to strangers. I would say this is one of Dio's two best albums along with the follow-up "The last in line". This is very outstanding album and it has held up well over the years. By 1983, Ronnie James Dio had already done more than most people in the hard rock/metal field. Yet he was just getting started and now 23 years later he is still going strong and highly respected in his field.
This album is a Metal Mark must have.
Ronnie James hit a home run with this release. I had it on cassette, but lost it several years ago. When I'm a little more flush, I just might go out and find thisz one again. Thanks for the reminder, Mark.
ReplyDeleteI had the album, Rainbow in the Dark was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteHave to say, as a catholic school girl in the south, having an album with a cover like that was considered very sinful - but I swear, I never played it backwards...*that* would've been a sin. :)
I've always liked The Last in Line a bit more, but that may be because I discovered it first. Both are holding up well over time, unlike much of the early 80s stuff.
ReplyDelete-- david
I had this on cassette too. But like much of my cassettes it was destroyed by spilled beer. I do not know why I haven't replaced it. I will remedy that. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteNext week will see the release of Holy Diver Live. It's a two cd set with the first cd being the entire Holy Diver album recorded live. The second disc is live and it has a number of Dio era Sabbath songs, Rainbow songs and a couple of songs from The last in line. It was recorded on his most recent tour I believe. I think it is supposed to be out on dvd at some point, but I have not heard a release date on that one.
ReplyDeleteRonnie James Dio is singing as Dr. X on Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime II.
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