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Posts tagged Rudy Sarzo
Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990 (@256)
15 Dec 2011
Thanks to OzOz for the review contribution.
(Review from hardrockhaven.net)
Recorded during the tour in support of Slip of the Tongue, Live at Donington 1990 showcases the band at the end of their decade of huge popularity, celebrating the glitz and glamor that was eighties metal. Add to that the fact that this tour boasted the insane guitar pairing of Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg, and the result is a great live Whitesnake release.
The set list covers everything one would expect from a mid-period Whitesnake show. In addition to the then-new album material, we get the pre-metal, sex-heavy classics (“Slide It In,” and “Slow and Easy”) the band’s first major UK hit (“Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”) and of course, MTV favorites “Is This Love”, “Here I Go Again” and “Still of the Night”. While fans of the first two Coverdale solo LPs and bluesy early Whitesnake may feel the set is a bit too 1980s heavy, considering the impact both the self-titled record and their latest album had, it’s still a great celebration of the band at its popularity peak.
Musically, there is nothing to complain about. Vai and Vandenberg both exemplify 1980s shred excess, but both also understand the need to pull things back at times. Even the more blues-influenced songs retain their original vibes, which is surprising.
This album just proves that even as the musicians get older, good music truly doesn’t age.
Line-up:
- David Coverdale / vocals
- Steve Vai / guitar
- Adrian Vandenberg / guitar
- Rudy Sarzo / bass
- Tommy Aldridge / drums
Track List:
CD1
01. Slip Of The Tongue – 6:52
02. Slide It In – 5:02
03. Judgement Day – 5:55
04. Slow & Easy – 8:11
05. Kittens Got Claws – 4:58
06. Adagio For Strato – 3:00
07. Flying Dutchman Boogie – 3:53
08. Is This Love – 4:45
09. Chaep & Nasty – 4:20
10. Crying In The Rain – 13:27
CD2
01. Fool For Your Loving – 6:01
02. For The Love Of God – 5:12
03. The Audience Is Listening – 3:01
04. Here I Go Again – 5:42
05. Bad Boys – 6:16
06. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City – 8:26
07. Still Of The Night – 7:59
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Dio – Holy Diver Live (2006) (@256)
15 Nov 2008
Thanks to Man in Silence for the review contribution.
(Review from amazon, allmusic)
Captured live in front of a sold-out London crowd, Ronnie James Dio delivers a truly memorable performance on this truly memorable night. Dio has been hailed as one of the finest voices in rock for over 30 years now and for good reason. Due to his stints in Rainbow, Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, Dio is one of the few people in the history of music that can honestly say they have played on three classic albums, each under a different moniker.
“Holy Diver Live” features the classic “Holy Diver” album in its entirety, from start to finish, recorded live for the very first time. It also features, among others, “Heaven & Hell”, “Sign of the Southern Cross” and “Mob Rules” from his Black Sabbath days, “Tarot Woman”, “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” from the Rainbow days and “We Rock” from his solo career.
Most of the songs that you want in a Dio collection are here on this album and they are all performed superbly (for a guy that’s been pumping out screaming for nearly 40 years). Headbangers worldwide have to be happy whenever the woefully underrated Dio/Sabbath-era gem “Sign of the Southern Cross” gets an airing on-stage. Despite guitarist Craig Goldy not performing on this night (due to an arm injury, Doug Aldrich took his place), “Holy Diver Live” is a fine live album — from both a performance and set-list standpoint.
Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Doug Aldrich – guitar
* Scott Warren – keyboards
* Rudy Sarzo – bass
* Simon Wright – drums
Track List:
CD1
01. Stand Up And Shout – 4:33
02. Holy Diver – 4:46
03. Gypsy – 9:46
04. Caught In The Middle – 4:51
05. Don’t Talk To Strangers – 5:11
06. Straight Through The Heart – 4:37
07. Invisible – 5:17
08. Rainbow In The Dark – 4:46
09. Shame On The Night – 16:52
CD2
01. Tarot Woman – 6:53
02. Sign Of The Southern Cross – 3:21
03. One Night In The City – 6:10
04. The Gates Of Babylon – 8:23
05. Heaven And Hell – 11:25
06. Man On The Silver Mountain – 4:14
07. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll – 6:14
08. We Rock – 6:21
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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
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Ozzy Osbourne – Speak of the Devil (Live 1982) (@256)
22 Oct 2008
(Review from allmusic)
Immediately following the death of Ozzy Osbourne’s dear friend and collaborator Randy Rhoads, tentative plans for a live recording from the Rhoads tours were quickly scrapped (though recordings later surfaced in the “Tribute” album).
Instead, the deeply troubled singer opted for a pair of one-offs at New York City’s Ritz club. No one had any idea what Ozzy would do, and an evening of Black Sabbath covers was the furthest thing from everyone’s mind. Ozzy had been portrayed as a washed-up, vocally challenged frontman by his ex-bandmates, and the perception was that Ozzy could no longer sing the original Sabbath material.
Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis fills in for the late Randy Rhoads. The show itself took on an ominous tone with a chair visibly propped up on the edge of the stage; upon it rested a spiral notebook containing the lyrics to all the Sabbath songs of the evening, from which Ozzy read throughout the show.
Still, Speak of the Devil is strengthened by the classic combo of Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge on bass and drums, undoubtedly one the best rhythm sections of Ozzy’s solo career. And immediately, it becomes obvious that Brad Gillis was the right man for the gig. Playing Iommi to a tee, Gillis effortlessly leads the band through some of the best of the Sabbath catalog; Speak of the Devil ends up solid throughout, if somewhat unremarkable at times.
Following the recording, due to the uncertainty surrounding the Ozzy camp, Gillis would jump ship and rejoin the ranks of Night Ranger.
Line-up:
* Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
* Brad Gillis – guitar
* Rudy Sarzo – bass
* Tommy Aldridge – drums
Track List:
01. Symptom Of The Universe – 5:41
02. Snowblind – 4:55
03. Black Sabbath – 6:04
04. Fairies Wear Boots – 6:32
05. War Pigs – 8:35
06. The Wizard – 4:42
07. N.I.B – 5:35
08. Sweet Leaf (Bonus) – 5:54
09. Never Say Die – 4:18
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – 5:34
11. Iron Man – Children Of The Grave – 9:11
12. Paranoid – 3:10
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Ozzy Osbourne – Randy Rhoads Tribute (Live 1981) (@256)
21 Oct 2008
(Review from amazon)
Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist Randy Rhoads was a technical genius on his instrument, but that’s only half the story. Rhoads shaped the direction of Osbourne’s first two post-Sabbath recordings, Diary of a Madman and Blizzard of Ozz, which still stand as his best solo studio albums. Rhoads also was capable of pulling the best out of Osbourne onstage, a notable accomplishment in itself.
In this live set Osbourne and company run through the Blizzard album in its entirety, adding a few tunes from Diary, and the Sabbath classics “Iron Man”, “Children of the Grave” and “Paranoid”.
The album/concert begins with “I Don’t Know”, which features a fast, running guitar lead and a great, several parted solo. Next comes the world-renowned “Crazy Train”. It’s executed without a flaw, and includes careening guitar work (Randy’s fret board must be smoking by the time this song is over!) The next two songs, “Believer” and “Mr. Crowley,” are both highlighted by more great, long, technical, classical-sounding guitar solos. Track six, “Revelation (Mother Earth),” is a power ballad with soft strumming and even a piano. “Steal Away (The Night)” is very catchy, and ends with an extended, everything but the kitchen sink drum solo. “Suicide Solution” has a guitar solo, where Rhoads switches between lightning fast pentatonic and harmonic minor shredding to dimished scale runs and classically influenced arpeggio bits.
Any fan of Rhoads-era Ozzy needs this album, as well as guitar players looking for inspiration, or just amazing playing.
Line-up:
- Tommy Aldridge / Drums
- Ozzy Osbourne / Vocals
- Randy Rhoads / Guitar
- Rudy Sarzo / Bass
Track List:
01. I Don’t Know – 5:40
02. Crazy Train – 5:19
03. Believer – 5:08
04. Mr. Crowley – 5:37
05. Flying High Again – 4:17
06. Revelation (Mother Earth) – 5:58
07. Steal Away (The Night) with Drum Solo – 8:04
08. Suicide Solution with Guitar Solo – 7:46
09. Iron Man – 2:50
10. Children Of The Grave – 5:57
11. Paranoid – 2:59
12. Goodbye To Romance – 5:33
13. No Bone Movies – 4:08
14. Dee (Studio Out-Take) – 4:22
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Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (1989) (@256)
18 May 2008
(Review from amazon, rollingstone.com, wikipedia)
Following the success of 1987, Adrian Vandenburg became a permanent member of Whitesnake. He and Coverdale co-wrote most of the songs of the upcoming successor album. Unfortunately Vandenberg suffered a debilitating hand injury related to isometric exercises and was unable to participate in the album sessions. With all of the foundation tracks completed, guitarist Steve Vai was called in to record all the guitar parts. The rock world and guitar fans everywhere waited with batedbreath for the result of this union.
The problem with Vai is that he always tries to sound like himself, because he’s a very authentic player. In doing this, he tries to avoid using blues and pentatonic-based licks. Instead of playing standard metal cliches, he overplays with his killer (but rather progressive) chops, going for unexplored avenues. The result is that, in a band like Whitesnake, he frequently moves away from the main song’s focus.
Unlike any Whitesnake album, there’s a lack of deep emotion all along this album — like the proverbial Ice Queen. Not passionate enough to evoke pleasure, not rude enough to spark contempt, it is an album that shies from both ends of the emotional spectrum.
Nevertheless, the re-recording of the earlier hit from “Ready An’ Willing” album, “Fool For Your Loving”, became an MTV favourite; while such raunchy rockers as the album-opening title track, “Cheap An’ Nasty”, and “Kittens Got Claws” fitted in well with the then-thriving party/glam metal climate. Even core fans found comfort in hard rockers like “Judgement Day” and “Wings of the Storm”.
A world tour of “Slip of the Tongue” was followed by a period of inactivity. It was no secret that Coverdale wanted out of the business at that point. He’d grown uncomfortable with the corporate, image-driven entity he felt Whitesnake had become. In a candid period interview, Coverdale sums it up in one sentence: “It got louder and louder, and so did I, to the point now where I have to get dressed up as a ‘girly man’ and tease ones questionable pants or hair and it’s all getting a bit … boring”.
Whitesnake officially went on hiatus in 1991.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Steve Vai – Guitars
* Rudy Sarzo – bass
* Tommy Aldridge – drums
with
* Glenn Hughes – back vocals
* Tommy Funderburk – back vocals
* Richard Page – back vocals (4)
* Don Airey – keyboards
* David Rosenthal – keyboards
Track List:
01. Slip Of The Tongue – 5:20
02. Cheap An’ Nasty – 3:28
03. Fool For Your Loving (1990 version) – 4:11
04. Now You’re Gone – 4:12
05. Kitten’s Got Claws – 5:02
06. Wings Of The Storm – 5:01
07. The Deeper The Love – 4:22
08. Judgment Day – 5:16
09. Slow Poke Music – 3:59
10. Sailing Ships – 6:03
Link in comments.
