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Posts tagged Jimmy Bain
Dio – Live at Donington UK (1983-87) (@256)
01 Jan 2012
(Review from bbc.co.uk)
When former Black Sabbath and Rainbow frontman Ronnie James Dio exploded out of the gate with a formidable new band and a simply awesome new album, he was an artist reborn. The year was 1983 and the band – simply christened Dio – were on fire, as the album – the immaculate, immortal Holy Diver – so ably attested. Rather than become jaded by acrimonious splits with both his former bands, Dio turned his trials into triumphs and when Dio the band arrived on UK shores for the first time, the setting simply couldn’t have been more magnificent.
The 1980s were the Monsters of Rock’s glory years, taking place in Doningtom. In 1983 Dio had their first taste of success. With just one ‘solo’ album to call upon, Dio delved into his illustrious past to assemble a set as replete with metal standards as it was with future classics. Today, Dio tunes such as Stand Up and Shout, Rainbow in the Dark and Holy Diver can hold their own alongside Sabbath’s epic Heaven and Hell or Rainbow’s jaw-dropping set piece Stargazer; in 83 Dio were really throwing down the gauntlet by daring to perform new, untested material back-to-back with songs that’d sold millions. As a result, the band’s Donington 83 set is simply electric.
Even if it hadn’t been a decidedly damp and miserable afternoon, their return to the Donington stage in 1987 was never likely to eclipse the sheer energy of their debut appearance. New numbers such as Dream Evil and Naked in the Rain show Dio holding steady rather than racing ahead. That said, the band – complete with new guitarist Craig Goldy on his maiden show – are as razor-sharp and rampant as four years previously, riding high on the huge successes of the intervening period.
This double-disc is a trip down memory lane, one disc recordings from 1983, the second from 1987. There’s a fair bit of track duplication between both recordings but, with Vivian Campbell strutting his stuff in 1983 and the aforementioned Goldy taking over in 1987, there’s also plenty of contrast.
Line-up:
- Ronnie James Dio / Vocals
- Vivian Campbell / Guitar (CD1)
- Craig Goldy / Guitar (CD2)
- Jimmy Bain / Bass
- Vinny Appice / Drums
- Claude Schnell / Keyboards
Track List:
CD1 (1983)
01. Stand Up And Shout – 3:49
02. Straight Through The Heart – 4:49
03. Children Of The Sea – 6:15
04. Rainbow In The Dark – 4:38
05. Holy Diver – 5:08
06. Drum Solo – 0:41
07. Stargazer – 1:42
08. Guitar Solo – 1:38
09. Heaven And Hell (Long Live Version) – 11:05
10. Man On The Silver Mountain – 3:32
11. Starstruck – 0:47
12. Man On The Silver Mountain (Reprise) – 2:29
CD2 (1987)
01. Dream Evil – 4:56
02. Neon Knights – 4:43
03. Naked In The Rain – 7:28
04. Rock And Roll Children – 2:46
05. Long Live Rock And Roll – 4:39
06. The Last In Line – 4:12
07. Children Of The Sea – 1:22
08. Holy Diver – 1:27
09. Heaven And Hell (Long Live Version) – 3:18
10. Man On The Silver Mountain – 4:28
11. All The Fools Sailed Away – 4:23
12. The Last In Line (Reprise) – 1:11
13. Rainbow In The Dark – 5:11
Link in comments.
Dio – Evil or Divine (Live 2002) (@256)
12 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from metal-archives.com)
“Evil or Divine” is a live album featuring Doug Aldrich on guitar, recorded in New York City in 2002. The entire band was spot on this night, and the recording quality was exceptional.
This album starts with “Killing The Dragon”, and as usual Dio’s voice is spot on for a man of so many years. Doug Aldrich’s guitar playing is even better than in the studio, especially with his killer guitar solo. You can really tell that he is influenced by guys like Hendrix and Tony Iommi as you listen to the things he plays.
During the concert, there are solid blocks of Dio classics. “Don’t Talk To Strangers” stands out among the others, namely because of Aldrich’s guitar solo. Vivian Campbell would’ve shed a tear over how tastefully done Aldrich did this solo in the same phrasing as he did oh so many years ago.
Notable is “Heaven and Hell” with it’s guitar solo and tempo change, as well as for the extra line of lyrics Dio adds in. But the show closes with an amazingly upbeat version of “We Rock” with a great guitar solo with some added “We Rock” and “You Rock” at the end that make it classic.
This is a great live album to hear how good the band is in action.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Jimmy Bain – bass
* Simon Wright – drums
* Doug Aldrich – guitar
* Scott Warren – keyboards
Track List:
01. Killing The Dragon – 5:06
02. Egypt – Children Of The Sea – 7:56
03. Push – 3:53
04. Stand Up And Shout – 3:36
05. Rock And Roll – 5:11
06. Don’t Talk To Strangers – 5:48
07. Man On The Silver Mountain – 2:24
08. Guitar Solo – 9:06
09. Long Live Rock And Roll – 4:15
10. Fever Dreams – 4:08
11. Holy Diver – 5:06
12. Heaven And Hell – 6:38
13. The Last In Line – 5:44
14. Rainbow In The Dark – 5:04
15. We Rock – 5:15
Links in comments.
Dio – Killing the Dragon (2002) (@256)
11 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon, metal-archives.com)
Sword-and-sorcery maven Ronnie James Dio keeps trucking in the D&D themes with “Killing the Dragon”, his ninth solo studio album. Craig Goldy is out the door again, Doug Aldrich fills in guitars.
Although it’s easy to dismiss Dio the lyricist as some guy who tends to write about rainbows, spells and other fantasy-linked matter, this particular outing has him penning allegories firmly rooted in the 21st century. The galloping title track alludes to electronic serfdom and digital dreams while taking aim at the grip computers and the internet have on society. “Rock & Roll” addresses the knee-jerk self-censorship some radio stations perpetuated immediately following 9/11′s events.
The longtime supporter of the charity “Children of the Night” enlisted the aid of the King’s Harbor Church Children’s Choir to deliver the poignant-but-heavy “Throw Away Children”. The rocking “Push” features an Aldrich guitar solo that cleaves closely to predecessor Vivian Campbell’s penchant for tossing in Middle Eastern-flavoured flourishes, while Scott Warren’s keyboard runs on “Before The Fall” bring to mind Deep Purple’s great Jon Lord.
The overall sense of this album is one of nostalgia. Most of the songs on here are highly similar to Dio’s past work either with Rainbow, Sabbath, or on his own. Songs like “Better in the Dark”, “Throw Away Children”, and “Along came a Spider” have extremely spooky and doom-like intros. The lyrics are especially dark on “Throw Away Children”, which is essentially a song describing the rather detestable condition that some children often find themselves in when their parents abandon them.
Mid-tempo rockers like “Scream” and “Guilty” are heavily similar to his earlier 80s material, particularly tracks like “Eat your heart out” and “Breathless” off of the Last in Line. The album’s most well-known track “Push” has a highly memorable main riff, spearheaded by a more positive and uplifting message in the lyrics. “Cold Feet” sounds like Dio’s Sabbath era music, the song that it probably bears most comparison to is “Walk Away” off the Heaven and Hell album. “Before the Fall” is a bit similar to Ronnie James Dio’s more rocking work with Rainbow, and includes a rather intricant organ solo courtesy of his current keyboardist Scott Warren.
There are also bonus live tracks, Ronnie James Dio singing two Dio classics with Deep Purple.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Doug Aldrich – guitar
* Jimmy Bain – bass, keyboards
* Simon Wright – drums
with
* Scott Warren – keyboards (9)
* King Harbour Children’s Choir – chorus (8)
Track List:
01. Killing The Dragon – 4:26
02. Along Comes A Spider – 3:33
03. Scream – 5:02
04. Better In The Dark – 3:42
05. Rock & Roll – 6:13
06. Push – 4:08
07. Guilty – 4:26
08. Throw Away Children – 5:35
09. Before The Fall – 3:48
10. Cold Feet – 4:13
11. Fever Dreams (Bonus Live w. Deep Purple) – 4:24
12. Rainbow In The Dark (Bonus Live w. Deep Purple) – 4:50
Links in comments.
Dio – Magica (2000) (@256)
10 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon, metal-archives.com, wikipedia)
In the 90s, few expected to ever hear from Ronnie James Dio again. Yet, he adapted and managed to survive. His dislike for his own solo work in the 90s was growing and he asked Craig Goldy to return in June 1999. Reportedly, Tracy G was asked to stay as a rhythm guitarist, but declined. Craig Goldy’s return facilitated the release of Dio’s eighth studio album in 2000, Magica. It featured the return not only of Goldy but also the band’s old guns — Simon Wright and Jimmy Bain.
The mark of the new decade also marked Dio a change in the sound with a revamped line-up. Not a funk-metal hybrid, and with nary a pair of baggy shorts to be seen, Dio’s Magica is all big-hair, big guitars and leather trousers: old-school metal (if such a thing exists).
A concept album about the “Book Of Magica”, this is good-and-evil, swords-and-sorcery stuff, the musical equivalent of a game of Dungeons and Dragons — and likely to share the same fans. With its guitar solos, stadium anthems and lyrics about wizards and demons, the album is hailed as a return to form.
An intricant blend of classic rock/blues riffs giving way to some really impressive shredding that can challenge the likes of Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. For too long guitar solos were either something to be avoided as unneccesary or meant nearly as a break for the singer to catch his breath, on “Magica” they function as they should, an independent voice that speaks in ways that a vocalist can’t.
The balance of instruments is as clean as can be without sounding processed, there is no clashing of guitars with synths, no overly muddy bass tracks, the drums have enough reverb and there are some nice innovations with orchestral timbres and synths.
No fast stuff here, the songs are more in the “Heaven and Hell”, “Holy Diver”, “Children Of The Sea”, “Shame On The Night” style. Standout tracks include “Feverdreams”, “Feed My Head”, “Eriel”, and “As Long As Its Not About Love”.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Craig Goldy – guitars
* Jimmy Bain – bass
* Scott Warren – keyboards
* Simon Wright – drums
Track List:
01. Discovery – 0:54
02. Magic Theme – 1:16
03. Lord Of The Last Day – 1:43
04. Fever Dreams – 4:37
05. Turn To Stone – 5:19
06. Feed My Head – 5:39
07. Eriel – 7:22
08. Challis – 4:25
09. As Long As It’s Not About Love – 6:04
10. Losing My Insanity – 5:04
11. Otherworld – 4:56
12. Magic (Reprise) – 1:53
13. Lord Of The Last Day (Reprise) – 1:43
14. Magica Story – 18:26
Links in comments.
Dio – Dream Evil (1987) (@256)
06 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from allmusic, metal-archives.com)
Dream Evil is by no means a departure from the Dio formula that was so successful for his first three solo albums. All of the elements that made them so successful are yet again retained here.
However, what makes things different this time around is that Dio has more of a melodious side to him, which he puts use here rather than relying on the riffs and delivery he learned at the school of Sabbath. He even touches on the power ballad (a sure sign that the style had fully infiltrated metal) with “All the Fool Sailed Away”, managing to be emotional without being sappy.
“Night People” is infectious speed metal and “Overlove” features a catchy main riff that will be stuck in your head for days. The title track is in the tradition of past Dio title tracks… ominous, heavy, and awesome. “Sunset Superman” also proved to be two of Dio’s most well-known, and most loved songs in his massive catalog.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Craig Goldy – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
with
* Mitchell Singing Boys – chorus (4)
Track List:
01. Night People – 4:08
02. Dream Evil – 4:25
03. Sunset Superman – 5:48
04. All The Fools Sailed Away – 7:14
05. Naked In The Rain – 5:13
06. Overlove – 3:47
07. I Could Have Been A Dreamer – 4:47
08. Faces In The Window – 3:52
09. When A Woman Cries – 4:42
Link in comments.
Dio – Intermission (Live 1986) (@256)
04 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon, wikipedia)
Intermission is an EP the band released in 1986. The live songs were recorded with Vivian Campbell during the first leg of the Sacred Heart tour. Craig Goldy replaced Campbell, and the band wanted something to represent the new lineup, so they recorded “Time to Burn” with him in studio, and it was added to the album.
All 5 live recordings sound great and are of very high quality. The Rock ‘N’ Roll Children Medley is the most awesome, as it contains Man on the Silver Mountain, a classic tune from Dio’s “Rainbow” days done faster and up to date (for the 1986 that is).
“Time To Burn” is an excellent surprise, a new studio track stuck in the middle of all the live tracks.
Fans who had been hoping for a double-live album were somewhat disappointed with this release, especially as the guitar-parts of the now-departed Campbell seem low in the mix. Though, “Intermission” was popular at its time, because it was the only to get some live Dio.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar Solos
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
* Craig Goldy – Guitar (4) & over-dubbed rhythm guitar (1-3,5,6)
Track List:
01. King Of Rock And Roll – 3:41
02. Rainbow In The Dark – 4:42
03. Sacred Heart – 6:23
04. Time To Burn (Studio) – 4:26
05. Rock ‘n’ Roll Children – 9:40
06. We Rock – 4:55
Link in comments.
Dio – Sacred Heart (1985) (@256)
04 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon)
Sure, you could argue that Dio’s style has remained fairly constant and he does not have a tendency to “grow” stylistically. But one thing for sure: this is one guy who knows how to rock. On Sacred Heart, he cranks out 9 great tunes, and he makes it seem easy. The truth is, while these songs do not shock you with stunning originality, they still rock you to the core. This music is not emotionally moving, but that’s not the point!! The point is that it is hard rock, and it does just that: it rocks hard.
The best song on the album is definitely the title track, “Sacred Heart.” It is in the vein of the title tracks of his two previous albums, “Holy Diver” and “Last in Line”. It is a slower, more epic composition, and it dominates. Other highlights are “King of Rock and Roll” and “Another Lie”.
The band is in top form, as usual. The new keyboardist, Claude Schnell, is pretty cool; his sounds add a whole new element to the band’s music. Sometimes they sound downright evil: check out the main riff to “Like the Beat of a Heart.” And of course, Vivian Campbell tears it up on guitar.
Dio is one of the great voices of hard rock. Although he has more popular albums than “Sacred Heart”, it still seems that he can do no wrong.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
Track List:
01. King of Rock and Roll – 3:43
02. Sacred Heart – 6:27
03. Another Lie – 3:49
04. Rock’n'Roll Children – 4:32
05. Hungry For Heaven – 4:11
06. Like The Beat Of A Heart – 4:20
07. Just Another Day – 3:21
08. Fallen Angels – 3:58
09. Shoot Shoot – 4:16
Link in comments.
Dio – Last in Line (1984) (@256)
02 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man In Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon)
Holy Diver was an excellent debut from Dio, and this album, just a year later, continued to show Dio at full glory.
The album kicks off with one of heavy metal’s top ever openers – “We Rock”. And indeed it rocks. This is the classic type of metal opener you’d imagine: fast, furious and it rocks! The title track is next, and is the highlight of the album. “Breathless” is next and is a good metal song, quite fast, decent chorus, and strong solos. “I Speed At Night” has some great solos, and has an extemely cool riff.
“One Night In The City” is a mid-tempo song with some strong riffs, that would best be compared to ‘Shame On The Night’
from the previous album (nothing to do with the ‘night’ though). “Evil Eyes” is another short and fast rocker, sort of like “Gypsy”, with strong lines throughout, very good. “Mystery” is a ballad, with some good keyboard work by Dio himself. Its slow but manages to stay solid. It reminds you a little of “Rainbow In The Dark”. “Eat Your Heart Out” is a nice mid-tempo song, with nice solos by Vivian Campbell, once again.
The closing song is Dio’s soon-to-be famous ballad – Egypt (The Chains Are On). It’s a slow song, but has excellent crunching riffs, great lyrics, and is a real classic.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Vinny Appice – Drums
with
* Claude Schnell – Keyboards
Track List:
01. We Rock – 4:35
02. The Last In Line – 5:47
03. Breathless – 4:09
04. I Speed At Night – 3:22
05. One Night In The City – 5:16
06. Evil Eyes – 3:38
07. Mystery – 3:58
08. Eat Your Heart Out – 3:50
09. Egypt (The Chains Are On) – 6:57
Link in comments.
Rainbow – Live in Germany (1976) (@256)
26 Jul 2007
(Review from seaoftranquility.org, amazon)
For most die-hard Rainbow fans, “On Stage” is the definitive live Rainbow album. “Live in Germany” album is a great companion piece to the “On Stage” record recorded from the same tour, although that recording was taken mostly from shows in Japan.
The set lists from the two albums are fairly similar, but this one is more complete, and contains lengthier jams. Many thought the omission of the legendary “Stargazer” from the On Stage album to be sheer blasphemy, but thankfully this set has it, as well as “Do You Close Your Eyes”. The rest of the set list is the same. Here, songs like “Mistreated”, “Catch the Rainbow”, and “Man on a Silver Mountain” take on even more epic proportions (take one look at the bloated song lengths below!) , with lengthy guitar jams from Blackmore, lots of keyboard noodling from Carey, as well as pyrotechnic drum explorations from Powell. Dio of course, was the man back then as well no matter how you look at it.
So, if you want to hear a band just discovering the peak of their powers, definitely check this set out, even if you already have Rainbow’s On Stage. The only downside is that this live album isn’t as well produced as “On Stage”. Sadly, this line-up would change after this tour, with both Carey and Bain getting the boot from the band.
Line-up:
* Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
* Tony Carey – Keyboards
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Cozy Powell – Drums
Track List:
CD1
01. Kill the King – 5:25
02. Mistreated – 16:00
03. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – 7:50
04. Catch the Rainbow – 14:50
CD2
01. Man on the Silver Mountain – 13:37
02. Stargazer – 17:10
03. Still I’m Sad – 15:00
04. Do You Close Your Eyes – 9:45
Links in comments.
Rainbow – On Stage (1976) (@256)
25 Jul 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
This is how a live album, indeed a live performance should be. It was perhaps a fortunate quirk of fate that with an at the time very limited repertoire to chose from, Blackmore and his new colleagues decided to significantly elongate the tracks they selected for live rendition.
Most of the material here is taken from the first album when the band was called Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. Once the marketing people had ensured their public was aware of the legendary guitarist’s prime place in the band, the name was quickly abbreviated.
The highlight of the set is the 15+ minute version of “Catch the Rainbow”, which affords Blackmore space to extend his input to the track significantly. To his credit, he does not attempt to add blistering licks, but maintains the integrity of this beautifully melodic piece. Ronnie James Dio takes to opportunity to encourage some crowd participation, but even this is done tastefully.
Blackmore also lays claim to the Coverdale/Hughes era Deep Purple song “Mistreated” from the “Burn” album. Once again, the song is significantly extended to 13 minutes. The piece suits Dio’s vocal style well, while Blackmore develops what was in any case one of his finest solos while a member of DP.
Both “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” and the cover of Jeff Beck and the Yardbirds’ “Still I’m sad” are considerably longer than their studio counterparts. The latter also regains the vocal refrain omitted from the first Rainbow album.
There have been further live offerings from Rainbow since this early release, and while they are of a consistently high standard, none has managed to recapture the power and excitement of “On Stage”.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
* Tony Carey – Keyboards
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Cozy Powell – Drums
Track List:
01. Kill the King – 5:32
02. Medley: Man On The Silver Mountain/Blues/Starstruck – 11:12
03. Catch The Rainbow – 15:35
04. Mistreated – 13:03
05. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – 7:36
06. Still I’m Sad – 11:01
Links in comments.
Philip Lynott – The Philip Lynott Album (1982) (@256)
18 Jul 2007
(Review from amazon)
In 1982 Lynott’s second solo album (again recorded with a lot of guest stars) was released.
“Old Town” is the major single off this record for good reason. It has that wistfulness that the best of Thin Lizzy is known for — a song about lost love, longing and rememberence. “Little bit of water” , “Cathleen” , and “Together” are other highlights. The album also included the “Top of the Pops” theme song version of “Yellow Pearl”.
Coupled with “Solo in Soho” this album is a good taste of Philip Lynott for the Thin Lizzy fan and people who have a passing interest in this fabulous songwriter.
Lynott also did some solo touring in support of his album.
Track List:
01. Fatalistic Attitude (4:31)
02. The Man’s A Fool (2:58)
03. Old Town (3:27)
04. Cathleen (3:34)
05. Growing Up (5:00)
06. Yellow Pearl (Top of the Pops Version) (2:58)
07. Together (3:39)
08. Little Bit of Water (3:35)
09. Ode to Liberty (The Protest Song) (5:48)
10. Gino (4:10)
11. Don’t Talk About Me Baby (4:30)
Link in comments.
Philip Lynott – Solo in Soho (1980) (@256)
16 Jul 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Philip Lynott had already guided Thin Lizzy for over a decade and nine studio albums before embarking on his first solo effort, Solo in Soho, in 1980.
Always the life of any party, Lynott would hold court in the studio, preaching an open-house policy which led to collaborations with countless fellow musicians and party animals (Huey Lewis, Gary Moore, Ultravox’s Midge Ure, etc.) and which led to a star-studded solo debut.
Recorded by the regular band without any outside guests, opener “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts” is the great, lost Thin Lizzy track — a Lynott masterpiece — from its immaculate songwriting, to its innocently romantic tell-tale lyrics. “King’s Call” is slightly less inspired, but benefits from a laid-back vibe and typically fluid guitar solo from Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler. From here on out, Lynott introduces a wild assortment of new sounds and styles, including the gorgeous string overkill of “A Child’s Lullaby”; the saxophone and synthesizer-led pop of “Tattoo” and “Girls,” respectively; the reggae swing of the title track (a shameless re-write of Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives”); the Spanish guitar of “Jamaican Run”; and even the full-on electronic dance music of “Yellow Pearl”. The darker “Ode to a Black Man” revisits more familiar hard rock turf (and even shares some lyrics with “Didn’t I” from Lizzy’s Chinatown album of the same year), while “Talk in 79″ brings the album to a close with a muscular bassline, topped with Lynott’s husky voice delivering free-form poetry.
Track List:
01. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts – 4:11
02. King’s Call – 3:40
03. A Child’s Lullaby – 2:43
04. Tattoo (Giving It All Up for Love) – 3:21
05. Solo in Soho – 4:15
06. Girls – 4:00
07. Yellow Pearl – 4:06
08. Ode to a Black Man – 4:06
09. Jamaican Rum – 2:43
10. Talk in ’79 – 3:00
Link in comments.
Dio – Holy Diver (1983) (@320)
24 Jun 2007
(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)
After participating in five classic studio albums (three with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and two with Black Sabbath) in the late ’70s and early ’80s, legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio formed a band bearing his own name in 1983. Dio states that he never intended to begin a solo career. His intention was to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial standpoint, as the name was already well-known at that time.
With the release of his self-monickered band’s debut album, Holy Diver, in 1983, Dio struck gold once again by injecting catchy melodies into the classic metal riffery of his previous groups. Besides Dio’s inspired songwriting, the album’s consistency owes a lot to his carefully chosen bandmates, including veteran bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Vinny Appice, and a phenomenal find in young guitarist Vivian Campbell, whose creativity and technique are quite astounding. The album opens in full-tilt metal mode with the frenetic “Stand Up and Shout,” which segues into the epic title track, an album highlight thanks to it’s hypnotic, mid-paced riff. Dio himself plays keyboards (badly) on the hit single “Rainbow in the Dark,” and the remaining cuts range from further stabs at pop-metal (“Gypsy,” “Caught in the Middle”) to blatant metal anthems (“Straight Through the Heart,” “Invisible”). These two facets find a perfect balance on the excellent “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” arguably the album’s high point.
Dio quickly became one of the world’s top heavy-metal acts. In the late ’80s, lineup changes unsettled the group, but the tenacious frontman persevered, leading Dio into the 21st century still waving its classic headbanging flag high.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals, Keyboards
* Vivian Campbell – Guitar
* Jimmy Bain – Bass, Keyboards
* Vinny Appice – Drums
Track List:
01. Stand Up and Shout (Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain) – 3:06
02. Holy Diver (Dio) – 5:51
03. Gypsy (Dio, Vivian Campbell) – 3:39
04. Caught in the Middle (Dio, Vinny Appice, Campbell) – 4:14
05. Don’t Talk to Strangers (Dio) – 4:53
06. Straight Through the Heart (Dio, Bain) – 4:31
07. Invisible (Dio, Appice, Campbell) – 5:24
08. Rainbow in the Dark (Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell) – 4:21
09. Shame on the Night (Dio, Appice, Bain, Campbell) – 5:20
Link in comments.
Rainbow – Rising (1976) (@256)
11 Jan 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
The brainchild of former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Rainbow quickly developed into one of the ’70s most successful heavy metal bands behind charismatic front man Ronnie James Dio. Together, the duo would produce a string of acclaimed albums which are still considered classics of the genre.
On their second release, Rainbow not only avoid the sophomore jinx; they hit a home run. After replacing the entire band (except Ronnie James Dio) immediately following the recording of the first album, Ritchie Blackmore and the Rising lineup (Blackmore; Dio; Tony Carey, keys; Jimmy Bain, Bass; and the late, great Cozy Powell, drums) had plenty of time on the road touring the first album to get the chops and material together for their second. In particular, “Stargazer” really came together on the 1975 tour and featured stunning keyboard work from Carey. The material is uniformly strong, with “Starstruck” and “A Light in the Black” standing out in particular. Ronnie Dio turns in a great vocal on the stunningly direct (under three minutes!) “Do You Close Your Eyes.” All six songs on the album are up there with anything the band has done, before or since. The playing has a very tight, colorful feel to it, which was lacking a bit on the first record. This album can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as classic Deep Purple.
Line-up:
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Jimmy Bain – bass
* Tony Carey – keyboards
* Cozy Powell – drums
Track List:
01. Tarot Woman (5:58)
02. Run With the Wolf (3:48)
03. Starstruck (4:06)
04. Do You Close Your Eyes (2:58)
05. Stargazer (8:26)
06. A Light in the Black (8:12)
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