I can totally dig Jack Black's adulation of Ronnie James Dio, as showcased in his albums with Tenacious D and the "Pick Of Destiny" movie. Before him, RJD had always been a bit of a guilty pleasure. OK, heavy metal in general is a guilty pleasure if you're over 18, but the likes of Metallica invite less ridicule than Dio and his sword-and-sorcery imagery. His grandstanding on stage also made for a comical contrast to his dwarf-like stature and age - 40 when this, his solo debut, was released. I know technically Dio were a band and not a solo act but they've always been Ronnie and whoever. This album features the best Dio line-up ever: RJD's former colleagues Jimmy Bain (from his Rainbow days) on bass and Vinnie Appice (Black Sabbath) on drums plus the young and talented Vivian Campbell on guitar. Few people knew then that Dio existed before Metal - he actually cut his first record in 1958, just three years after Elvis. His Italian-American family were opera fans and, unlike other kids, Ronnie (real name:Padavona) did not abandon his early influences for rock'n'roll. He instead remained an opera fan, something that shows in his singing. Although he wasn't -as is often wrongly mentioned- classically trained, the power and range of his voice are unmatched in rock and metal music. His singing style and lyrical preoccupations were evident in previous work with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, but this time the voice takes center stage. No more lengthy Blackmore guitar solos and heavy Iommi riffs to steal the show; instead of the doom laden Sabbath music, Dio's is uplifting and anthemic, setting the blueprint for power metal. Opener "Stand Up And Shout" is a perfect power metal anthem, drums setting a breakneck pace, Campbell delivering his solos with supersonic speed and RJD screaming his rebellious empowerment message to young metal fans. "Holy Diver"'s iconic riff reminds me of Dio's work with Sabbath. "Gypsy" and "Invisible" are mid-tempo tracks closer to Deep Purple, while "Caught In The Middle" has a commercial AOR feel. "Don't Talk To Strangers" may be Dio's best vocal performance ever, starting off as a fragile ballad and abruptly turning into an epic metal piece with incredibly powerful, even menacing, vocals. A trick he had previously employed on Black Sabbath's Sign of the Southern Cross. "Straight Through The Heart" could have come straight from the seminal Rainbow Rising album. "Rainbow In The Dark" introduces itself with a cheesy keyboard part (played by Ronnie himself), but Dio's fantasy lyrics and epic vocal leave no doubt: this is still heavy metal. Thanks to the radio-friendly keyboard part and catchy chorus it was Dio's biggest crossover hit. Ironically, they kept their most cheerful melody for the most pessimistic lyrics: "There's no sign of the morning coming/ You've been left on your own/ Like a rainbow in the dark...". The album closer "Shame On The Night" is a typically theatrical metal number, introduced with the sound of a howling wolf and fading out with a satanic laughter. Today "Holy Diver" stands not only as Dio's finest achievement but as one of Heavy Metal's most emblematic records, both for its powerful music and its lyrical context. The album cover was almost as iconic as the music. It seemed to picture a demon (actually Dio's mascot, nicknamed Murray) whipping a drowning priest with an iron chain. RJD denied this explanation but that didn't do much to deter the ensuing moral outrage and accusations of satanism.
My copy of the album is the 2012 Deluxe edition containing a second CD with B-sides and Live tracks. This opens with "Evil Eyes", a driving song too good for a B-side, which is why the band re-recorded it for their next album "The Last in Line". It's followed by two rough and ready live versions of "Stand Up And Shout" and "Straight Through The Heart" originally released as B-sides to "Rainbow In The Dark". The rest of the bonus tracks come from a contemporary live performance professionally recorded for radio's "King Biscuit Flower Hour". The band is in smokin' form playing their own songs ("Stand Up And Shout", "Shame On The Night", "Holy Diver" and "Rainbow In The Dark") as well as some from RJD's previous bands. Their live attempts on Sabbath's "Children Of The Sea" and Rainbow's "Man On The Silver Mountain/Lady Starstruck" are interesting and nice to have, but let's face it: comparisons to Tony Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore aren't about to be favourable for any guitarist, let alone a 20-year old kid from Belfast in his first big tour. Which is not to undermine his considerable ability: even at that age he was among the best heavy metal guitarists. He left Dio in '86 and has since played in some of the genre's top groups, including Whitesnake and Def Leppard. Bain and Appice also came and went, as the band never had a stable line-up: 17 musicians have at various times been members. A large number, sure, but still far behind The Fall's 66 (at last count!)
My copy of the album is the 2012 Deluxe edition containing a second CD with B-sides and Live tracks. This opens with "Evil Eyes", a driving song too good for a B-side, which is why the band re-recorded it for their next album "The Last in Line". It's followed by two rough and ready live versions of "Stand Up And Shout" and "Straight Through The Heart" originally released as B-sides to "Rainbow In The Dark". The rest of the bonus tracks come from a contemporary live performance professionally recorded for radio's "King Biscuit Flower Hour". The band is in smokin' form playing their own songs ("Stand Up And Shout", "Shame On The Night", "Holy Diver" and "Rainbow In The Dark") as well as some from RJD's previous bands. Their live attempts on Sabbath's "Children Of The Sea" and Rainbow's "Man On The Silver Mountain/Lady Starstruck" are interesting and nice to have, but let's face it: comparisons to Tony Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore aren't about to be favourable for any guitarist, let alone a 20-year old kid from Belfast in his first big tour. Which is not to undermine his considerable ability: even at that age he was among the best heavy metal guitarists. He left Dio in '86 and has since played in some of the genre's top groups, including Whitesnake and Def Leppard. Bain and Appice also came and went, as the band never had a stable line-up: 17 musicians have at various times been members. A large number, sure, but still far behind The Fall's 66 (at last count!)
***** for Stand Up And Shout, Holy Diver, Don't Talk To Strangers, Rainbow In The Dark
**** for Gypsy, Straight Through The Heart, Evil Eyes, Stand Up And Shout (Live), Holy Diver (Live), Rainbow In The Dark (Live)
*** for Caught In The Middle, Invisible, Shame On The Night, Stand Up And Shout (Live B-Side), Straight Through The Heart (Live), Shame On The Night (Live), Children Of The Sea (Live), Man On The Silver Mountain (Live, incorporating "Lady Starstruck")
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