The tragic news this morning, May 16, 2010, is that Ronnie James Dio, the legendary, iconic vocalist for Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Rainbow, Elf, and his own self-named band Dio, lost his battle with cancer at the age of 67. His long and amazingly productive career helped shaped the direction of heavy metal with not only his distinctive singing style, but his enigmatic stage presence and imaginative lyrics.

In this special edition, we shall take a look at the stellar career of the man who gave us such songs as "Rainbow In the Dark", "Heaven and Hell", "The Last In Line", and--

the Horns. :rock: :rock:

The man who would become Dio was born Ronnie James Padanova in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on July 10, 1942. As an only child, he was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, with which he was frustrated and uncomfortable, and attended a Roman Catholic school.

Ronnie first learned to play the trumpet as a child until he became hooked on the pull of early rock and roll. He joined his first rockabilly bands in 1957, such as The Vegas Kings, where he played bass, and fronted such rockabilly and doo-wop bands as Ronnie & The Rumblers and Ronnie & The Red Caps. He released a few singles while with these bands, such as "Lover", where he sang background vocals, with "Conquest" on the B-side, which featured Ronnie on trumpet. The flipside song was in the style of such surf-rock bands as The Ventures, who were popular at the time.

Ronnie graduated from Cortland City School in 1960, and attended the University of Buffalo, majoring in pharmacy. He was also offered a scholarship at Julliard School of Music, but declined due to his growing interest in rock music. Though never trained in vocals, he credits his unique singing ability due to breathing techniques he implemented while learning to play the French horn. Ronnie changed his last name to Ronnie Dio after the famous Mafioso Johnny Dio. During this time, he also formed the band, Ronnie Dio and The Prophets, which lasted several years. They released one album and several singles.

Ronnie Dio & The Red Caps--'An Angel Is Missing':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmbuHKuyDRc

Ronnie Dio & The Prophets--'Love Pains'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ3OjffJ1w0&NR=1

Ronnie Dio & The Prophets--'Gonna Make It Alone':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlRJJ65sqbI&feature=related

Ronnie Dio & The Prophets--'The Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nZcezjz8_8&feature=related

Here are a few photos of Ronnie James Dio with his band Ronnie Dio and the Prophets in the early-mid-60's, and a photo of Ronnie & The Red Caps at bottom:

By 1967, Ronnie Dio & The Prophets had broken up. Ronnie and Prophets guitarist Nick Pantas decided to form a new band called Electric Elves, eventually becoming The Elves, and finally Elf in 1969. Tragically, Pantas lost his life in a car accident in 1970. The band continued on for the next few years, with Ronnie playing bass as well as vocals. The band opened for rising metal band Deep Purple on one of their first tours of America, and Ronnie's soaring vocals caught the attention of Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The band's music is a kind of heavy boogie blues-rock that was popular in the early 70's.

The lineup included:

Ronnie James Dio, 1967-1975, lead vocals, bass
David "Rock" Feinstein, 1967-1973, lead guitar
Doug Thaler, 1967-1972, keyboards
Nick Pantas, 1967-1970, guitar
Gary Driscoll, 1967-1975, drums
Micky Lee Soule, 1970-1975, keyboards, backing vocals
Steve Edwards, 1973-1975, lead guitar
Craig Gruber, 1973-1975, bass
Mark Nauseef, 1975, percussion

Doug Thaler went on to co-manage Motley Crue in 1983, and other acts such as as Art Garfunkel, Bruce Hornsby & Ratdog.

David Feinstein went on to form the moderately successful late 70's/early 80's metal act The Rods, which toured with Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Metallica.

Elf released their self-titled debut album in 1972, which featured such tracks as "Hootchie Kootchie Lady", "First Avenue", and "Never More". Other albums followed including Carolina County Ball, which featured the popular track "Ain't It All Amusing", and Trying To Burn the Sun in 1975, which included such songs as "Black Swampy Water", "When She Smiles", and "Good Time Music", among others.

Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover asked Ronnie to appear on his solo album, 'The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast'. Ronnie's singing style
soon piqued the interest of Purple guitarist Blackmore, and he asked Ronnie
to sing for his own solo project, which was to be named Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. To this end, Blackmore summoned all the musicians in Elf with the exception of guitarist Steve Edwards, which spelled the end of Elf.

Elf--'Happy'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJNJElKUxH0&a=35xy1MvnGS4&playnext_from=ML

Elf--'Ain't It All Amusing'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbZ4iMRIayA&feature=related

Elf--Rocking Chair Rocking Blues'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRQOa_r6gOQ&feature=related

Elf--'Gambler, Gambler'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuqcbxcPlc0&feature=related

Elf--'Hootchie Kootchie Lady'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCVyVznt3KY&feature=related

This is a great tribute to a great legend.

The Ronnie & Prophets/Red Caps stuff is mind-blowing! He sounds so young. You can tell it's him, but it's a long way from demons and wizards, that's for sure.

Thanks for posting these clips!

Ronnie graduated from Cortland City School in 1960, and attended the University of Buffalo, majoring in pharmacy.

Can you imagine going to CVS or Walgreens and seeing him behind the pharmacy counter in a white lab coat??:lol:

Here are a few photos of Ronnie James Dio with his band Ronnie Dio and the Prophets in the early-mid-60's, and a photo of Ronnie & The Red Caps at bottom:

I'm getting such a kick out of those photos. I certainly wouldn't recognize it was him from just looking at them!

:music: :rock:

Can you imagine going to CVS or Walgreens and seeing him behind the pharmacy counter in a white lab coat??:lol:

http://cloudworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/ronnie-james-dio.jpg

"Now, Mrs. Wilson, don't take more than the prescribed dosage of this medication, because if you do...LOOK OUT!!!"

In 1975, as Elf dissolved, Ronnie James Dio entered the new phase of his musical career as the frontman for former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's new band, Rainbow. Elf members keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, bassist Craig Gruber, and drummer Gary Driscoll all joined the band. Blackmore was frustrated with the funk direction of Deep Purple at this point, and was impressed with Dio's vocals that he decided to form his own band. Blackmore named the new band after the familiar L.A. hangout spot for rockers, the Rainbow Bar and Grill. Blackmore and Dio formed a tight-knit musical rapport that they wrote a number of songs together to complete an album. While Elf was technically a boogie-based band, Blackmore wanted Rainbow to be more influenced by classical and medieval music.

The album included such tracks as the hugely popular "Man On the Silver Mountain", "Black Sheep Of the Family", a cover by Quartermass which Deep Purple refused to feature on their 1974 'Stormbringer' album, "Catch the Rainbow", "The Temple Of the King", "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", and a Yardbirds cover, "Still I'm Sad".

Man On the Silver Mountain

I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel
I can roll, I can feel
And you can't stop me turning

Cause I'm the sun, I'm the sun
I can move, I can run
But you'll never stop me burning

Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again

I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain

I'm the day, I'm the day
I can show you the way
And look, I'm right beside you

I'm the night, I'm the night
I'm the dark and the light
With eyes that see inside you

Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again

I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain

Come down with fire
And lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again

Well, I can help you, you know I can

I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain

Just look at me and listen
I'm the man, the man, give you my hand
I'm the man on the silver mountain

Come down with fire
And lift your spirit higher
I'm the man on the mountain
The man on the silver mountain
I'm the night, the light
The black and the white
The man on the silver mountain


Black Sheep Of the Family

I've got nothing in my head
Got a floor for a bed
The future's at the bottom of a tea cup

I got a half a pair of shoes
And no time to lose
I'm wondering when I'm going to wise up

So, fortune shine your light on me and my clothes
Cause we need some security
You get a little bad luck
And it grows and it grows
I'm the black sheep of the family

I've got half a pound of rice
A beard full of lice
A mission called retrogression

I've got pocket full of dust
And eating is a must
You want to make a good impression

So, fortune shine your light on me and my dog
Cause we need some security
While all the folks are living high up the hill
I'm the black sheep of the family

Don't talk to me about society
You got to pay the rules
Or pay the penalty

Because there's nothing to choose
Between a handful of blues
Double indemnity

The hour was wrong
And my shadow's getting long
My real life's a song, don't need much
But I've got an ache in my head
I wanna go to bed
Tomorrow I don't have to wake up, no

So wisdom shine your light on me and my knees
Cause it's true what they say about familiarity
There's nothing good this way
And it's true they say
I'm the black sheep of the family

Oh, my wisdom shine your light on me and my knees
It's true what they say about familiarity
There's nothing good this way
And it's true they say
I'm the black sheep of the family
Yeah, yeah

I'm the black sheep of the family
Just me and my dog, yeah, yeah
I'm the black sheep of the family
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm the black sheep of the family
You've got me on my knees
I'm the black sheep of the family
Yeah, yeah, yeah


Catch the Rainbow

When evening falls
She'll run to me
Like whispered dreams
Your eyes can't see

Soft and warm
She'll touch my face
A bed of straw
Against the lace

We believed we'd catch the rainbow
Ride the wind to the sun
Sail away on ships of wonder

But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me

Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn

We believed we'd catch the rainbow
Ride the wind to the sun
And sail away on ships of wonder

But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me, oh bless me, bless me

Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow' was definitely Dio's first full-on foray into medieval and fantasy themes in rock, a motif that he would continue in the remainder of his career.

The Temple Of the King

One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell

One day in the year of the fox
When the bell began to ring
Meant the time had cometh
For one to go
To the temple of the king

There in the middle of the circle he stands
Searching, seeking
With just one touch of his trembling hand
The answer will be found

Daylight waits while the old man sings
Heaven help me
And then like the rush of a thousand wings
It shines upon the one
And the day had just begun

One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell

One day in the year of the fox
When the bell began to sing
It meant the time had cometh
For one to go
To the temple of the king

There in the middle of the people
He stands
Seeing, feeling
With just a wave of a strong right hand
He's gone
To the temple of the king

Far from the circle at the edge of the world
He's hoping, wondering
Thinking back from the stories he's heard
Of what he's going to see

There in middle of the circle it lies
Heaven help me
Then all could see by the shine in his eyes
The answer had been found

Back with the people in the circle
He stands
Giving, feeling
With just one touch of a strong right hand
They know
Of the temple and the king


If You Don't Like Rock and Roll

You'd never know there was some music playin'
Until you talked your way inside the door

And then a sound like rollin' thunder
Begins to push you right thru the floor

And there's a great white sign
With big black letters
That just about explains it all

If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well, if you don't like rock 'n' roll
If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Then it's too late now
Well it's too late now

Hey hey
Of course there was the usual lady
And she was dressed the way the stories tell

So bein' cool I made a move to grab her
But you could see she read story well

And then she whipped out a card
With big black letters

That just about explained it all
Well if you don't like rock 'n' roll
If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well if you don't like rock 'n' roll
Then you're too late now
Then you're too late now

Well, if you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well, if you don't like rock 'n' roll, yeah
If you don't like rock 'n' roll
Well it's too late nown
You're too late now

If you don't like rock 'n' roll
If you don't like my rock 'n' roll
Then you're too late now
Then you're too late now
Then you're too late, too late now


Sixteenth Century Greensleeves

It's only been an hour
Since he locked her in the tower
The time has come
He must be undone
By the morning

Many times before
The tyrant's opened up the door
Then someone cries
Still we close our eyes
Not again

Meet me when the sun is in the western skies
The fighting must begin before another someone dies
Cross bows in the fire light
Green sleeves waving
Madmen raving
Through the shattered night
Yeah yeah yeah

Flames are getting higher
Make it leap unto the spire
Draw bridge down
Cut it to the ground
We shall dance around the fire

No more night
We have seen the light
Let it shine on bright
Hang him higher, higher

Draw bridge down
Cut it to the ground
We shall dance all around the fire, around the fire

No more night
we've seen the light
let it shine on bright

Hang him higher, higher
Put the man on the fire

Draw bridge down
Cut it to the ground
We gotta dance around the fire, the fire, the fire

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Man On the Silver Mountain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9nfVrusSMg&feature=related

Sixteenth Century Greensleeves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP2gGuP62-c&feature=related

The Temple Of the King:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj3mKYASycg&feature=related

Catch the Rainbow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZFKw3BhveI&feature=related

For the next album, Ritchie Blackmore fired all members of his current lineup of Rainbow, due to frustration with the band's funk-rock leanings, which he attempted to avoid with Deep Purple. The only member he kept was Ronnie. Blackmore summoned Cozy Powell, Jeff Beck's drummer, as well as bassist Jimmy Bain, and American keyboard player Tony Carey for the new lineup of Rainbow which would go on to record their followup, Rising, in 1976.

The album featured such tracks as the popular track "Stargazer", "Tarot Woman", "Do You Close Your Eyes", and the epic "A Light In the Black". The album hit #48 on the U.S. charts.

Stargazer


High noon, oh I'd sell my soul for water
Nine years worth of breakin' my back
There's no sun in the shadow of the wizard
See how he glides, why he's lighter than air?
Oh I see his face!

Where is your star?
Is it far, is it far, is it far?
When do we leave?
I believe, yes, I believe

In the heat and the rain
With whips and chains
To see him fly
So many die
We build a tower of stone
With our flesh and bone
Just to see him fly
But don't know why
Now where do we go?

Hot wind, moving fast across the desert
We feel that our time has arrived
The world spins, while we put his dream together
A tower of stone to take him straight to the sky
Oh I see his face!

Where is your star?
Is it far, is it far, is it far?
When do we leave?
Hey, I believe, I believe

In the heat and the rain
With whips and chains
Just to see him fly
Too many die
We build a tower of stone
With our flesh and bone
To see him fly
But we don't know why
Ooh, now where do we go

All eyes see the figure of the wizard
As he climbs to the top of the world
No sound, as he falls instead of rising
Time standing still, then there's blood on the sand
Oh I see his face!

Where was your star?
Was it far, was it far
When did we leave?
We believed, we believed, we believed

In heat and rain
With the whips and chains
To see him fly
So many died
We built a tower of stone
With our flesh and bone
To see him fly

But why
In all the rain
With all the chains
Did so many die
Just to see him fly

Look at my flesh and bone
Now, look, look, look, look,
Look at his tower of stone
I see a rainbow rising
Look there, on the horizon
And I'm coming home, I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Time is standing still
He gave back my will
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Going home
I'm going home

My eyes are bleeding
And my heart is leaving here
But it's not home
But it's not home
Ooh

Take me back
He gave me back my will
Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Going home
I'm going home

My eyes are bleeding
And my heart is leaving here
But it's not home
But it's not home
Ooh

Take me back, take me back
Back to my home ooh, ooh, ooh


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Stargazer (long studio version):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6IPBN6ARkE

Do You Close Your Eyes

Oh na na na na
Mystery to me is something I can't see
But I see you very well
You're slinky, cool, nobody's fool
But there's something inside I can tell

I know a poor man, a rich man
I know I can talk to a king
But nobody here is gonna tell me
I can't find out one thing

I see a glow around you
Open your arms 'cause I'm walking to you, coming straight or through
Maybe I'm wrong but I know it won't take long to see
Do you close your eyes
Do you close your eyes
Do you close your eyes when you making love, yeah, yeah
Making sweet love to me, yeah

The logical trend has said I'll know in the end
The things that make you smile
So right from the start, I take an aim at your heart
and know that all the while

I know a rich man, a poor man
I know I can talk to a king, yeah
So nobody here is gonna make me believe
I can't find out one thing

I see a glow around you
Open your arms 'cause I'm coming, running, straight on through
I could be wrong but I know it won't take long to see
Do you close your eyes
Do you close your eyes
Do you close your eyes when you making love, yeah

Do you close your eyes
Do you close your eyes, I've gotta know
Do you close your eyes when you making love


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Tarot Woman

I don't wanna go
Something tells me no, no, no, no
But traces in the sand
The lines that set my hand
Say go, go, go

Beware of a place
A smile of a bright shining face

I'll never return, how do you know?
Tarot woman
I don't know
I don't know

She can take you there
The entrance to the fair
Mine, mine, mine

Ride the carousel
And cast a magic spell
You can fly, fly

Beware of a place
A smile of a brigh shining face

I'll never return, how do you know?
Tarot woman, well I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know

Something in the air
Tells me to beware, no, no, no
Her love is like a knife
She'll carve away your life
So go, go, go

Beware of a place
A smile of a bright shining face

I'll never return, how do you know?
Tarot woman, I don't know
I don't know
I don't know
Hey, I don't know


Light In the Black

Can't forget his face
What a lonely place
Has he really let us go?

All the time that's lost
What's the final cost
Will I really get away?

All my life it seems
Just a crazy dream
Reaching for somebody's star

Can't believe it all
Did he really fall
What to do now I don't know

Something's called me back
There's a light in the black
Am I ready to go?
I'm coming home

Breathed the air before
Heard the thunder roar
Never knew it was for me

Always looking down
Lost and never found
Eyes that look but not to see

All my life it seems
Just a crazy dream
Reaching for somebody's star

Like an open door
That you've passed before
But you've never had the key

Something's calling me back
There's a light in the black
Am I ready to go?

I'm coming home, I'm coming home, yeah
I'm going back to my home

I'm going home, home, home
Going home, home, home
I'm coming back

Don't forget his face
What a lonely place
Did he really let us go

All the time that's lost
What's the final cost
Will I really get away?

All my life it seems
Just a crazy dream
Reaching for somebody's star

Can't believe it all
Did he really fall
What to do now, well I don't know

Something's calling me back
Like a light in the black
Yes, I?m ready to go
I'm coming home, home, yeah

I've got my way back home
To the sky
There in the sky
I see your star

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

The tempermental, mercurial Ritchie Blackmore decided that bassist Jimmy Bain was not up to par for the band and dismissed him. After going through a few bassists Blackmore decided to play bass himself on most of the new album, titled Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, released in 1978. The album included such tracks as the concert staple "Kill the King", "Lady Of the Lake", "L.A. Connection",
"Sensitive To Light", and the anthemic title track.

The inner sleeve concert picture, amazingly, is actually a crowd photo from a Rush concert, with the Rush logo on a banner airbrushed over, and superimposed with the Rainbow logo, and and Rush t-shirts designs blacked out! :eek:

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll

At the end of a dream
If you know where I mean
When the mist just starts to clear

In a similar way
At the end of today
I could feel the sound of writing on the wall
It cries for you
It's the least that you can do

Like a syren on the wind
I can hear it screamin' in my mind
Long live Rock and Roll
Long live Rock 'n' Roll
Long live Rock and Roll

in a different time
When the words didn't rhyme
You could never quite be sure
Then on with the change
It was simple but strange
And you knew the feeling seemed to say it all
It cries for you
It's the least that you can do
Like a syren on the wind
I can hear it screamin' in my mind
Long live Rock and Roll
Long live Rock 'n' Roll
Long live Rock and Roll

If you suddenly see
What has happened to me
You should spread the word around

And tell everyone here
That it's perfectly clear
They can sail above it all on what they've found
It cries for you
It's the best that you can do
Like a sound that's everywhere
I can hear it screaming through the air
Long live Rock and Roll
Long live Rock 'n' Roll
Long live Rock and Roll

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

The tempermental, mercurial Ritchie Blackmore decided that bassist Jimmy Bain was not up to par for the band and dismissed him. After going through a few bassists Blackmore decided to play bass himself on most of the new album, titled Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, released in 1978. The album included such tracks as the concert staple "Kill the King", "Lady Of the Lake",
"L.A. Connection", "Sensitive To Light", and the anthemic title track.

The inner sleeve concert picture, amazingly, is actually a crowd photo from a Rush concert, with the Rush logo on a banner airbrushed over, and superimposed with the Rainbow logo, and and Rush t-shirts designs blacked out! :eek:

That makes no sense whatsoever -- I'm sure there were plenty of shots from Rainbow shows. Maybe it was done in haste and they had to meet a deadline.

Rush should sue Ritchie Blackmore for royalties.:D

Lady Of the Lake

There's a magical sound slidin' over the ground
Makin' it shiver and shake
And a permanent cry fallin' out of the sky
Slippery and sly like a snake

With a delicate move kind of shifty and smooth
A shadow has covered the light
Then a beam in the shade from a silvery blade
Has shattered the edge of the night

I know she waits below
Only to rise on command
When she comes for me
She's got my life in her hands

When a movement behind hit the side of my mind
I trembled and shook it away
Then another assault and I started to faulter
Fibres of steel turned to clay

With a bubbly turn now the water should churn
And push it way from the core
And a lady in white will bring sun to the night
Brighter than ever before

I know she waits below
Only to rise on command
When she comes for me
She's got my life in her hands
Lady of the lake

There's a magical sound slidin' over the ground
Makin' it shiver and shake
And a permanent cry fallin' out of the sky
Slippery and sly like a snake

With a delicate move kind of shifty and smooth
A shadow has covered the light
Then a beam in the shade from a slivery blade
Has shattered the edge of the night

Straight down I'm swirling around
Blinded and bruised by the strain
There must be some way to see
Diamonds out of the rain

I know she waits below
Only to rise on command
When she comes for me
She's got my life in her hands
Lady of the lake

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

This was a popular track from the album for a while, as well as a staple briefly from the album's live set:

L.A. Connection

Oh, carry home my broken bones and lay me down to rest
Forty days of cries and moans I guess I've failed to pass the test
I've been sent away not a thing to say
I'm banished from the fold
I'm a fallen angel who's lost his wings and left out in the cold

Ooooh L.A. connection
Oh L.A. connection
L.A. connection, yeah

Operator place a call keep secret but it through
Investigator knows it all he's at the window I wonder who
I've got to cut the line and let me drift find a haven in the storm
I got no time I need a lift to where it's sweet and close and warm

I say
Ooooh L.A. connection
Oh L.A. connection
L.A. connection

Hey, carry home my broken bones and lay me down to rest
Forty days of cries and moans well I've just failed the test
Feel I'm balanced on the brim should I lean another way
Like a flame that's going on the dim needs blessing from the day, oh

Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Oh take me away I got nothing to say
It's got to be an L.A. connection, oh
Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection

Ooooh, L.A., L.A., L.A., L.A., L.A. connection
Connection, oh

Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Oh L.A., oh, L.A. connection
L.A., L.A. inspection
Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection

Oh I'm down, oh I'm down
I can't take a rejection
L.A., need an L.A. connection
L.A., yeah, oh L.A. connection
L.A. connection
I'm flying away
Take me back home, I gotta get home to L.A.
L.A., L.A. connection, L.A.
Oh, L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Ooooh, ooooh, L.A. connection, L.A.

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Here is the alleged "Rainbow concert crowd" shot which has the title of the album superimposed.
And the shirts are blacked out--which would otherwise cause suspicion among viewers. Unless
they knew better, they would not have suspected that this was actually from a Rush concert photo:

This was one of the most popular tracks on the album, and a major live staple which was played at every show:

Kill the King

Danger, danger the Queen's about to kill
There's a stranger, stranger and life about to spill
Oh no, move me out of harm
I need a spell and a charm
Fly like the wind
I'm no pawn, so be gone, speed on and on
Kill the King
Tear him down
Kill the King
Strike him down

Power, power it happens every day
Power, devour all along the way
Oh no, move me out of harm
I need a spell and a charm
Fly like the wind
I'm no pawn, so be gone, speed on and on
Kill the King

Treason, treason, the specter looms again
Treason, treason, the realm is safe and then
Oh no, move me out of harm
I need a spell and a charm
Fly like the rainbow
I'm no pawn, so be gone, speed on and on

Kill the King
Tear him down
Kill the King
Got to take his crown

Kill the King
He'll rule no more
Strike him dead

He'll rule no more
Strike him dead
The people roar
Kill the King
Take his head
Down, down, down, down
Oh, kill
Oh, kill
Oh, oh

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:


Here is the full original photo of the Rush concert crowd and the notorious doctored photo
promoting Rainbow, along with the story behind it: :eek: ohno:

I saw Rush in concert in Seattle during that tour in 1977. :cool:

Unfortunately, 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll' would be the last Rainbow album on which Dio would appear. Blackmore had tired of the whole "demons and wizards" lore and image in his music, so he decided to pull together a whole new band for a more commercial, "radio-friendly" appeal. He brought in vocalist Graham Bonnet and others, and fired his current lineup, including Ronnie. The pint-sized singer with the enormous vocal talent was left without a country, and needed to find a new band soon.

Bob Daisley, who played bass on 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll', went on to play with Ozzy Osbourne.

Sensitive To Light

I was feelin' rather good
Should've touched some wood
Here she comes again
Reachin' out to bend my ear

She's worth another look
All the time it took
Pleasin' to the eye
How can I just disappear, oh
It ain't clear, no
She's a bright and shining star
But I just must be sensitive to light
Oh I just might, yeah

I could have let her in
Give her just a spin
Let her think it's love
Better rise above it all

She's knockin' at the door
Seems to want some more
Never gets the clue
What am I to do she'll fall
And she might call, oh no
She's a bright and shining star
But I just must be sensitive to light
Oh, I just know

She could do me well
I can always tell
She's ready for the kill
But I think that I will go, no

Sure I'm gonna see
Something just for me
Till it comes along
When it's feelin' wrong I'll know
Gotta take it slow, yeah

She's a bright and shining star
But I just must be sensitive to light
Oh, I might, yeah

She's a bright and blazing star
But I just must be sensitive to light, yeah
Sensitive to light, Ooooh

:rock:

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDT_uqM1iqI

Stepping back for a moment to 1977, Rainbow released a double-live album,
On Stage, featuring concert tracks recorded during their 1976 tour.
The album opened with the movie clip from 'Wizard Of Oz' where Dorothy says to Toto, "Toto: I've a feeling we're
not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!", which segues into the band playing a brief piece of
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow". The band then breaks into the opening song, "Kill the King".

"Kill the King" was featured on this album before it was officially released in studio form on 'Long Live Rock 'n' Roll'.

Other songs on the album included:

"Medley: Man on the Silver Mountain(Dio, Blackmore)/Blues(Blackmore)/Starstruck(Dio, Blackmore)" – 11:12
"Blues" (Blackmore) (Vinyl)
"Starstruck" (Blackmore/Dio) (Vinyl)
[edit] Side two
"Catch the Rainbow" (Dio, Blackmore)– 15:35
[edit] Side three
"Mistreated" (David Coverdale, Blackmore) – 13:03
[edit] Side four
"Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" (Dio, Blackmore) – 7:36
"Still I'm Sad" (Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty) – 11:01


Kill the King:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkSHHK7WlAw

Summer, 1979. It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.

For legendary band Black Sabbath, the flagship group of all things metal, the band was facing quickly impending disintegration. The band had just celebrated their tenth anniversary with a barely stitched-together album, the ironically titled 'Never Say Die', whose standout song was the title hit track while the remaining cuts were fluffy forays into pop, prog, and jazz, a severely misguided move from a band that had indeed lost their focus. The band's 1978 tour saw their opening act, deadly and dynamic newcomers Van Halen mop the floor with them every night in concert, while the Sabbs acted and sounded completely spent and burned out. And to add insult to injury, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne became deeply awash in a self-destructive sea of substance abuse and alcohol addiction. He could no longer function, nor cared much to perform with the band. He had left the band briefly in 1977 and was replaced by Dave Walker of Savoy Brown, but then returned. However, he was completely uninterested in participating in singing the new songs had been working on. Ozzy was appalled at the jazzy flourishes that guitarist Tony Iommi had been incorporating in their sound. He finally left the recording studio, refusing to sing the final song on the album, "Swinging the Chain", leaving it to drummer Bill Ward to provide vocals.

The band had decided it had enough. In the spring of 1979, the members decided it was time to give the constantly drunk and stoned Ozzy, who could barely complete a sentence let alone finish a song, his official walking papers. Bill Ward confronted Ozzy and told him, "Tony wants to fire you." In fact, the entire band wanted him out, but Tony Iommi was not the instigating party behind his dismissal.
The thoroughly dejected Ozzy took his leave of the band. It was clearly his fault, but he was sure that no one was capable of filling his place in the mighty band.

After Ozzy's departure, the band began to fall apart. The chemistry was no longer there. With Ozzy, it was difficult dealing with a dysfunctional dipsomaniac dealing with various issues (the death of his father, substance abuse, legal woes with former management, wavering sanity), but without Ozzy, their focal point, their future remained uncertain. Bassist Geezer Butler decided to leave the band, and Bill Ward had his own personal substance abuse issues to sort out. This left Tony Iommi in a quandary. Should he give up Sabbath and start anew? These were very difficult questions that remained insurmountable. Black Sabbath seemed finished once and for all.


Enter Ronnie James Dio.

Tony and Ronnie ran across each other and began discussing their careers. They found they had a shared musical interest and mutual occupational need: Tony's band was without a singer, and Dio was a singer without a band. After collaborating with each other, Tony Iommi realized he had found a missing piece in his musical puzzle. Dio came up with intriguing musical and lyrical ideas that sounded fresh and inspiring, mystical and mysterious. His songwriting was top-notch, and fit Black Sabbath's musical motif, the "gloom and doom" themes that dominated their early career, but with a difference--
there was something rather sophisticated and unique about Dio's writing style. Fantasy themes, and a sort of intriguing set of riddles throughout the lyrics--and above all, Dio had not only a superb singing voice, but he was completely focused and devoted to his cause, unlike Ozzy who could barely be roused to contribute much of anything in a timely manner.

Tony called Geezer and told him about his new find, his new replacement for Ozzy. When Geezer heard Dio's work, he was deeply impressed, and even relieved that he didn't have to write lyrics this time, as the bassist was the band's songwriter for years. With the new lineup intact, Black Sabbath returned to the studio to record what would become yet another magnum opus in the band's catalogue: Heaven and Hell. The band's new album, released in the spring of 1980, featured an illustration by a familiar rock cover artist--Lynn Curlee, who had illustrated the cover for Blue Oyster Cult's 'Agents Of Fortune' album in 1976, with the well-dressed figure waving a hand of Tarot cards. Curlee would later do the cover art of Van Halen's '1984' with the "smoking baby angel" (a play on the recurring caption in George Orwell's dystopian fiction classic '1984' with "Big Brother Is Watching You").

But even though the band was fully confident of their new music, what would the buying and listening public think of the new singer that was no longer the previous, more familiar, one behind the mic?
Would it sink or sail?

The opening track to 'Heaven and Hell' gave assurance that Black Sabbath were indeed back in business. From the pummelling power chord riffs which started the song to the soaring singing courtesy of Ronnie, "Neon Knights" indicated that this was a leaner, meaner Sabbath. Not one wallowing in artsy jazz noodling or the half-baked attempts to go "pop", Sabbath was certainly invigorated by Ronnie James Dio's induction into the band. He brought a new attitude and approach to the band's music. It fit perfectly, and listeners were blown away by the aggression and ambition of the new Sabbath. Why had it taken so long? No matter--Sabbath were back!

The lyrics to "Neon Knights" were basically an exploration of fantasy and medieval lore, with no deep meaning behind it, simply a plunge into Ronnie's signature style of escapist songwriting. Black Sabbath was definitely finding itself within its element: While ten years before the band was writing anthems of gloom and doom with the sludgy sound of proto-metal, 1980 saw the band penning lyrics of battle and valor, with more than a hint of dark forces dueling with the powers of light and virtue. The supernatural theme of the band was ever present in the song, but improved and upgraded for the new decade, the glory years of metal.

The song, while remaining the first to appear on the album, was the last to be written. The song was a staple of the band's concerts, often opening the set, while in later years would be used as an encore. The song was even later covered by Queensryche, whose vocalist Geoff Tate claimed that the Dio era of Black Sabbath was one of his favorite groups of all time.

Neon Knights

Oh no, here it comes again
Can't remember when we came so close to love before
Hold on, good things never last
Nothing's in the past, it always seems to come again
Again and again and again

Cry out to legions of the brave
Time again to save us from the jackals of the street
Ride out, protectors of the realm
Captains at the helm, sail across the sea of lights
Circles and rings, dragons and kings
Weaving a charm and a spell
Blessed by the night, holy and bright
Called by the toll of the bell

Bloodied angels fast descending
Moving on a never-bending light
Phantom figures free forever
Out of shadows, shining ever-bright
Neon Knights!
Neon Knights! All right!

Cry out to legions of the brave
Time again to save us from the jackals of the street
Ride out, protectors of the realm
Captains at the helm, sail across the sea of lights
Again and again, again and again and again
Neon Knights!
Neon Knights!
All right!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Neon Knights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhe1SuBGkiA

http://www.mtv.com/videos/black-sabbath/152187/neon-knights.jhtml

While opening track "Neon Knights" was the final song actually written for the album, the next song, "Children Of the Sea", was in fact the first song written by both Ronnie and Tony Iommi. The song opened with a superb acoustic melody before launching into crunchier, electric riffs, clearly showing Black Sabbath's uncanny versatility while losing none of its heaviness. The fantasy lyrics implied a plea to save the dying oceans and its denizens.

Interestingly, on Bruce Dickinson's BBC radio show, the Iron Maiden singer explained that their own song, "Children Of the Damned", from 'The Number Of the Beast', was in fact inspired by "Children Of the Sea".

Children Of the Sea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJQQWbr4cXM

Children Of the Sea (live):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVoIN4HYGbo&feature=related


Children Of the Sea

In the misty morning, on the edge of time
We've lost the rising sun, a final sign
As the misty morning rolls away to die
Reaching for the stars, we blind the sky
We sailed across the air before we learned to fly

We thought that it could never end
We'd glide above the ground before we learned to run, run
Now it seems our world has come undone

Oh they say that it's over
And it just had to be
Ooh they say that it's over
We're lost children of the sea, oh

We made the mountains shake with laughter as we played
Hiding in our corner of the world
Then we did the demon dance and rushed to nevermore

Threw away the key and locked the door
Oh they say that it's over, yeah
And it just had to be
Yes they say that it's over
We're lost children of the sea

In the misty morning, on the edge of time
We've lost the rising sun, a final sign
As the misty morning rolls away to die
Reaching for the stars, we blind the sky

Oh they say that it's over, yeah
And it just had to be
Oh they say that it's over
Poor lost children of the sea, yeah
LOOK OUT! The sky is falling down!
LOOK OUT! The world is spinning round and round and round!
LOOK OUT! The sun is going black, black
LOOK OUT! It's never never never coming back, LOOK OUT!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:


An early photo of the Black Sabbath lineup with Dio, with Bill Ward on the right, followed by Tony, Ronnie, and Geezer. While the other members' feet remain hidden from view, Ronnie stands on the ledge, as he was a man of rather short physical stature:

But he had the stage presence and voice of someone ten feet tall.

Very few singers these days have stage presence.

Ronnie James Dio was one of the last of a generation of frontmen who were in command on stage.

But he had the stage presence and voice of someone ten feet tall.

Very few singers these days have stage presence.

Ronnie James Dio was one of the last of a generation of frontmen who were in command on stage.
Oh, definitely!!

When I saw him with Heaven & Hell last summer, he commanded the stage, not only verbally but physically. :rock:

I think it's like when you happen to meet your favorite t.v. star, and you say, "You know, you look bigger on television!" :lol:

This is one of the most popular album tracks, though not a single, it did open with Geezer's thundering bass line and Tony's guitar howl. Ronnie, of course, was belting out his excellent magical lyrics:

Lady Evil

There's a place just south of Witches' Valley
Where they say the wind won't blow
And they only speak in whispers of her name
There's a lady they say who feeds the darkness
It eats right from her hand
With a crying shout she'll search you out
And freeze you where you stand

Lady Evil, evil
She's a magical, mystical woman
Lady Evil, evil in my mind
She's queen of the night
All right!

In a place just south of Witches' Valley
Where they say the rain won't fall
Thunder cracks the sky, it makes you bleed, yeah
There's a lady they say who needs the darkness
She can't face the light
With an awful shout, she'll find you out
And have you for the night

Lady Evil, evil
She's a magical, mystical woman
Lady Evil, evil on my mind
She's queen of the night

So if you ever get to Witches' Valley
Don't dream or close your eyes
And never trust your shadow in the dark
'Cause there's a lady I know who takes your vision
And turns it all around.
The things you see are what to be, lost and never found

Lady Evil, evil
She's a magical, mystical woman
Lady Evil, evil on my mind
She's queen of the night
She's the queen of sin
Look out, she'll pull you in!
Lady wonder!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Lady Evil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THXzzoK7Mp4

"Lady Evil" also bears somewhat of a musical resemblance to Cliff Richard's "Devil Woman," probably subconsciously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7ilisAGj0

"Lady Evil" also bears somewhat of a musical resemblance to Cliff Richard's "Devil Woman," probably subconsciously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7ilisAGj0
That's interesting, because one of Tony Iommi's guitar influences was Hank Marvin of The Shadows, an early 60's instrumental "surf-rock" band. Hank Marvin also played with Cliff Richard back in the early days, so it's possible that Iommi followed Cliff Richard even after he parted ways with Hank Marvin.
Cliff Richard was, and is, a huge figure in British pop music. And he's a Christian, which explains the lyrical them of "Devil Woman", it was a warning against messing with the occult.

Someone made the Cliff Richard comparison years ago about "Lady Evil." You can hear it in the middle section of the song during the instrumental break. It's quick, but it's definitely there.

I doubt it was deliberate. There are countless examples of unconscious or subconscious plagiarism. There are only so many chords and so many riffs out there.

There hasn't been such a thing as an original song since...well before last century, probably!

The album's title track has become a legendary classic in the same way that "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "War Pigs", "N.I.B.", "Sweet Leaf", and "Children Of the Grave" had become in the catalog of Black Sabbath songs. The song was haunting, with its doomy, creeping bass line, as well as the powerful guitar riff. The song was personally Dio's favorite track that he had ever written, with
poignant lyrics sung in a very dramatic fashion.

The song opens and continues in a marching beat throughout, very suspenseful, before breaking into a fast tempo to close out the track. In concert, the song was extended by Dio's monologue and vocal ad libs, as well as Tony Iommi's guitar improvisations. The lyrics are among the most intriguing in rock, with Dio explaining that heaven and hell were within us all, and that we had the capacity to determine which path to choose--but look out! The right choices were sometimes cloaked in deception, and often, what seemed to be correct choices were destructive ones indeed.

"Heaven and Hell" remains one of the band's biggest anthems.


Heaven and Hell

Sing me a song, you're a singer
Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil
The Devil is never a maker
The less that you give, you're a taker
So it's on and on and on, it's Heaven and Hell, oh well

The lover of life's not a sinner
The ending is just a beginning
The closer you get to the meaning
the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming
So it's on and on and on, oh it's on and on and on
It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell
I can tell, fool, fool!

Well if it seems to be real, it's illusion
For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life
Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer
And it's on and on, on and on and on....

They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
The world is full of Kings and Queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's Heaven and Hell, oh well
And they'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night
And when you walk in golden halls
You get to keep the gold that falls
It's Heaven and Hell, oh no!
Fool, fool!
You've got to bleed for the dancer!
Fool, fool!
Look for the answer!
Fool, fool, fool!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

A live photo of Black Sabbath in concert in 1980:

http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/feb08/images/RonnieJamesDio_05_BlackSabbath.jpg

So what is the meaning behind Ronnie James Dio's classic signature song with Black Sabbath, "Heaven and Hell"? Like "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "American Pie" by Don McLean, it is an intriguing work full of deep meaning. This is not something that most critics give metal credit for doing, but of course, music critics generally look for the "highbrow", "socially acceptable" genres of music--completely ignoring the fact that metal has truly been a music of the people, and that much genius has arisen from music by the common crowd--and Dio was a lyrical genius for the people.

Here is the interpretation behind "Heaven and Hell":

Sing me a song, you're a singer
Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil

To be a singer is to create and fill the world with beauty and joy, and truth, to bring a gift. To sin or act against another person is to erase that beauty and joy, and to distort truth. A wrongdoing is not simply a "mistake", it is a act of harm, to cause pain and hurt, to exploit.

The Devil is never a maker
The less that you give, you're a taker

The common Christian understanding is that the Devil, or Satan, the enemy or opposite of God (at least in purpose, not in size or rank), is a destroyer, a person who corrupted. Since God is The Creator, Satan only has the power to take the created things and twist them around to things that are bad.
In the second line, if you do not give more out of kindness, you are a thief.

So it's on and on and on, it's Heaven and Hell, oh well

On and on and on, it's a never-ending cycle of good and bad, truth and deception.

The lover of life's not a sinner

It may be surprising to many that the opposite of sin is not simply "righteousness" or "doing good", but to love. Sin, according to
the Christian definition, is "missing the mark" of perfection, inadequacy, wrong actions to bring about well-intended solutions. In love, there is perfection, at least, as Scriptures indicate, "love covers a multitude of sins", it makes up for what the love object lacks and therefore makes perfect.
The one who loves life rejects the imperfect, the "inadequate", that which leads to corruption.

The ending is just a beginning

Here in the above line is where Dio gets into the ambiguity of "absolute" meanings in the song, as is evidenced by the next line:

The closer you get to the meaning
the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming

We search for the truth, or what we think is the truth--something may seem or feel so right, that it "must be", because we wish for it to be so, or because we take it on someone else's authority and others believe so, or because we have not looked beneath the surface to see what's inside. You may think you have the answer, but it is cloaked in confusion often.

So it's on and on and on, oh it's on and on and on
It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell
I can tell, fool, fool!

He contiues to reinforce this point in the bridge lyric:

Well if it seems to be real, it's illusion
For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life

Dio then follows with a surprising observation:

Love can be seen as the answer, but nobody bleeds for the dancer
And it's on and on, on and on and on....

What is the meaning of this? Love is often touted as the great be-all and end-all solution, all wonderful and positive, very Beatle-esque, of course ("Love Is All You Need", etc.), but the next seemingly morbid line corrects this notion: What does it mean to "bleed for the dancer"? No one wants to suffer for the sake of true beauty, true love, true joy, the real truth, the Muse. People want it easy, the painless way out, the comfortable "feel-good"
way, the "loving" way, but not enough to endure the pain and hardship for what is truly important to make life worth living and meaningful.

They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well

A carousel, or Merry-go-round, seems full of fun and hilarity, but it is a crazy
ride where you need to hold on tight in order not to be thrown off, as in life.

The world is full of Kings and Queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's Heaven and Hell, oh well

Royalty figures exude an air of dignity and splendor, of awe, but their wealth and glory has come from stealing what little you have in order to build their palaces and kingdoms. They will blind you with their glitter, but their power and riches come from plundering the common man. They care little for your dreams and goals and aspirations as much as they can use it to further their empires.

And they'll tell you black is really white
The moon is just the sun at night

Scripture warns of woe on those who call good "evil" and "evil" good, where one thing is actually its opposite.

And when you walk in golden halls
You get to keep the gold that falls

You may walk in a palace laiden with gold covering every surface, a stunning
sight to see, indicating incomparable wealth and splendor--but as gold is one of the heaviest minerals, it will fall from ceilings and walls upon you and bury you alive. If you survive, you will heap on yourself immeasurable treasures, but a price may most likely be paid. This is a warning against wishing too much wealth for oneself. A danger is inherent in it.

It's Heaven and Hell, oh no!
Fool, fool!
You've got to bleed for the dancer!
Fool, fool!
Look for the answer!
Fool, fool, fool!

You must suffer for the Muse, the artist, the bringer of true joy and beauty, rather than pay lip service with merely high-minded talk of love. Above all, seek for the true meaning behind it all amidst the deception, but be careful!

All in all, the song served as a warning about deception. Things weren't always what they appeared to be, what seemed beautiful and "right" could be a dangerous trap, however, that what seemed "bad"
and menacing could actually be beneficial and lifesaving. This would be an ongoing theme in Ronnie James Dio's lyrics, the interchangeable appearance of good and evil, as we shall see, and a constant admonishment to be on one's guard to investigate the truth.

The tour behind 'Heaven and Hell' was, in a word, turbulent. On the one hand, it re-established Black Sabbath as a major concert attraction, but a few fateful events marked the occasion. In spite of a few cancellations on the European wing of the tour, one incident truly indicated just how big the band had gotten, and how out of hand things were becoming: In Milwaukee, the band had to cancel the show after only two songs--some rowdy buffoon in the crowd threw a bottle at Geezer and hit him in the head, knocking him out! :eek: As Geezer recalls, someone had also thrown a large heavy cross at him, which sliced through his thick bass strings and just missed his face. But as the bottle landed him to the floor, blood began flowing from the bassist and he had to be taken to the hospital. Once the audience was told that the concert was over, the fans began to riot. For this reason, Black Sabbath has refused to play Milwaukee to this day. Fortunately, fans showed up at the hospital to show their support and to wish Geezer well.

Events like this were almost becoming a recurring problem. At one summer date in July 1980, at Seattle's Memorial Stadium, where Sabbath co-headlined with Blue Oyster Cult, with openers Molly Hatchet and Riot (the early 80's band who did "Road Racin'", and "Born In America", not the L.A. band who did "Metal Health") fans got out of hand during the show and caused trouble with the police. But regardless, the tour was extremely successful and made Sabbath a major draw, in spite of the fact that often they were not the main headliners. Fans had no problem with the new singer that was not Ozzy, it was a breath of fresh air to hear and see the reinvigorated, heavier Sabbath with Dio--and of course, Sabbath fans could have the best of both worlds, as Ozzy was becoming hugely successful with his new guitarist, the phenomenally talented Randy Rhoads on the new album,
'Blizzard Of Ozz'.

Unfortunately, not all was well in the Sabbath camp. Drummer Bill Ward was undergoing severe problems involving alcohol and drugs. He was becoming quickly disenchanted with the new sound of Black Sabbath, and did not like having to adapt to new drumming techniques for the current album that deviated from his more familiar style. And as much as he liked Dio, he found it difficult to adjust to the new band chemistry without Ozzy. He realized that the magic had gone out of the band for him, and his enthusiasm had dissipated completely. "I was sinking very quickly", Ward later said. "I was an unbelievable drunk, I was drunk twenty-four hours a day. When I went on stage, the stage wasn't so bright. It felt like I was dying inside. The live show seemed so bare, Ron was out there doing his thing and I just went 'It's gone'. I like Ronnie, but musically, he just wasn't for me."

As with Ozzy the year before, the band had to make the decision to fire Bill Ward, for similar circumstances which led to Ozzy's dismissal. This occurred while on tour that summer, and Ward wouldn't have had so much of a problem with it if he had only been told well in advance that he had a replacement. He found to his chagrin that his drumkit was now occupied by Vinnie Appice,
brother of famed drummer Carmen Appice, an American who was extremely capable behind the skins. Still, it hurt Ward that he was not properly informed, but regardless, he had to leave and take care of his health.

In a bizarre, darkly amusing side note, Bill Ward was also the victim of one of Tony Iommi's fiendish pranks that could have turned seriously tragic: During the recording sessions for 'Heaven and Hell', Iommi asked Bill if he would like to be set on fire. Bill put off this twisted request, saying, "Not now, not now." Eventually, he stepped up to Tony and asked, "Well, are you going to set me on fire now?"
So Tony picked up a can of gasoline, doused Bill with it, and lit a match! Bill went up in flames "like a
Christmas tree", as Tony recalls, and immediately dropped to the floor, screaming and rolling around and writhing. Tony was unable to help him because he was laughing so hard! :eek: ohno:
Bill's burns turned out to be rather serious. His nylon socks melted onto his legs, and he suffered third degree burns over a wide extent of his body. Bill Ward's mother, infuriated, shrieked at him, "You barmy bastard! It's about time you grow up. Our Bill's about to have his leg off now!" She was hysterical, and Tony felt terrible about it, but fortunately, Bill recovered and healed. But, as Tony explained, this kind of silliness was an ongoing occurrence with Bill. He was the band's target for pranks and jokes, the one the band liked to pick on. Seems that this is quite common with many drummers in bands. :drummer: :brent:

http://www.derekerdman.com/ilovemilkshakes/november2006/RIOT/black_sabbath_riot_ok.htm

Black Sabbath riot, Milwaukee, 1980:

Which brings us to the story behind--the horns.

One particular product of Black Sabbath's first tour with Dio that made a lasting impression was the use of Dio's infamous "horns" gesture. How did this come about to quickly become a traditional trademark of metal? Was it, as many claimed, a symbol of evil? As a matter of fact, the invention of the horns gesture goes back quite a way. To begin with, in the 70's, while Ozzy was with the band, in concert, the Ozzman would wave peace signs to the crowd (as is evidenced on 'Black Sabbath Vol. 4' and in its inner photo). Dio decided to continue with a gesture of his own, one that had its roots in Italian superstition. He recalled that as a child, he would be walking with his Italian grandmother, who, when noticing a stranger give her or her grandson a menacing look, or "The Evil Eye", she would wave a pair of horns, with index and pinkie upraised with both middle and ring finger clasped by the thumb, at the offender. This was meant to ward off "The Evil Eye", and could even be used back against the visual predator!

The actual meaning was lost on critics, religious and otherwise, who simply looked at the supposed
"devil-horns" in the finger gesture as some sort of "satanic" salute, an endorsement of occultic or demonic activity, when in fact, "The Malloich" (sp.?) as it was known, was a gesture of protection from evil forces. The gesture, also known as Il Cornuto, was a hit among metal fans and was used to indicate support of metal, as well as a sign of good times at any rock show. :rock: The gesture, while resembling a devil or goat (also known as "throwing the goat"), gave metal fans a new sense of identity, they were participating in something with their gestures that few outside of metal circles knew much about, it added to mystery, a mystique, something empowering since the ignorant outsiders criticized and feared over what they did not know or understand. It was either a sign of "evil", in that it either supported it or "invoked" it. It was neither, but it gave fans an upper (horned) hand against those who hated and feared metal. Of course, this, as well as Dio's status as the new frontman for Black Sabbath, gave fuel to the ignorant masses' claims that the singer was "in league with the Devil". As the 80's wore on, Dio would become a pariah and scapegoat, along with Ozzy and others, for everything that was wrong and evil about music and metal.

This remains one of the album's most finest tracks, though was not in regular airplay on the radio:

Wishing Well

Throw me a penny and I'll make you a dream
You find that life's not always what it seems, no no
Then think of a rainbow and I'll make it come real
Roll me, I'm a never ending wheel
I'll give you a star

So you know just where you are
Don't you know that I might be
Your wishing well
Your wishing well

Look in the water, tell me what do you see
Reflections of the love you give to me
Love isn't money, it's not something you buy
So let me fill myself with tears you cry, why?
Time is a never ending journey
Love is a never ending smile
Give me a sign to build a dream on
Dream on...

Yeah, Throw me a penny and I'll make you a dream
You find that life's not always what it seems, no no
Love isn't money, it's not something you buy
So let me fill myself with tears you cry
I'll give you a star

So you know just where you are
Someday, some way, you'll feel the things I say
Dream for a while
Of the things that make you smile
'Cause you know
Don't you know
Oh, you know
That I'm your wishing well
Your wishing well
Your wishing well
I wish you well
I'm your wishing well

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

The next song on the album remained one of the band's most popular tracks, which was played continuously in concert. "Die Young" may have seemed like one of those dark songs which raised the ire of conservative Christians in those days over its apparent "self-destructive" content, much in the way that Ozzy's "Suicide Solution" allegedly was to many, but upon closer examination, the song takes the position that one must not wait around for years for to make one's big mark in life, live for the here and now, there is no tomorrow, it may come too late. Everything we think we know about life may be an illusion, and we are held slave to that illusion. We must break free and really find what's truly important.

The song is also one of the few songs by Black Sabbath to noticeably feature synthesizers.

Die Young

Gather the wind, though the wind won't help you fly at all
Your back's to the wall
Chain the sun, and it tears away and it breaks you as you run,
You run, you run!
Behind the smile, there's danger and a promise to be told:
You'll never get old - ha!
Life's fantasy - to be locked away and still to think you're free
You're free, you're free!

So live for today
Tomorrow never comes

Die young, die young
Can't you see the writing on the wall?
Die young, gonna die young
Someone stopped the fall

Gather the wind, though the wind won't help you fly at all
Your back's to the wall
Chain the sun, and it tears away and it breaks you as you run,
You run, you run!
So live for today
Tomorrow never comes

Die young, young!
Die young, die young!
Die young, die young, young!
Die young, die young, die young, die young, die young!!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Interesting note about the lineup of Black Sabbath during the recording of 'Heaven and Hell': When the band headed for the studio in the fall of 1979 to put down tracks for the new album, Geezer Butler had already left shortly before and was replaced by the band's keyboardist/"second" guitarist (unofficially), Geoff Nichols. He was not a full member of the band and had over the years supplemented the band in the studio and in concert with extra musical accompaniment, though he was not fully seen on stage, but only designated to play from the side or in back. During the recording of the album, Nichols switched to bass in Geezer's absence, though Butler did return to the band on January 1, 1980.

Walk Away

Lord she's handsome as she flows across the floor
Nothing I've seen in my life has ever pleased me more
She's got the look of freedom, and it makes you think she's wild
But I can see right through it all, it's the way to have a child

Oh, walk away
She's looking to love you
There's nothing to say
Just turn your head and walk away
Walk away, walk on

She moves in sunlight, never seen the night at all
Like a star in the midnight sky, burns before it falls
I've never been lonely, and I can't imagine why
Maybe she could be the one to tell me, I guess it's do or die

Can't see her fire
But I can feel her heat, all right!
It's rising higher
I'm walking the wire
Walk on by!
Oh! Walk away!
She's looking to love you
There's nothing to say
Just turn your head and walk away
Oh, walk on by, walk away!
Walk on!
You'll feel her fire, she'll lift you higher
But don't be fooled! Just turn your head and walk away!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Dio backstage 1980:

The album finishes off with this very decent song:

Lonely Is the Word

It's a long way to nowhere
And I'm leaving very soon
On the way we pass so close
To the back side of the moon
Hey join the traveler if you got nowhere to go
Hang your head and take my hand
It's the only road I know

Oh! Lonely is the word, yeah yeah yeah!
I've been higher than stardust
I've been seen upon the sun
I used to count in millions then
But now I only count in one
Come on, join the traveler
If you got nowhere to go
Hang your head and take my hand
It's the only road I know

Yeah, Lonely is the word
Got to be the saddest song I ever heard
Yeah, Lonely is the name
Maybe life's a losing game


'Wishing Well':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5-8BbWYdWE

'Die Young':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frtJQFe9apw

'Walk Away':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bffo84vxYz0

'Lonely Is the Word':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbxcNZiFGB0

Black Sabbath had finally done it. They successfully made the transition from one lead singer to another, and greatly improved their image in the music and metal community, as well as their sound. Times had been great with Ozzy, and their was no questioning of their initial impact ten years before with "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "War Pigs", "N.I.B.", "Sweet Leaf", and "Children Of the Grave", but things had changed--Ronnie James Dio had saved the band from imminent implosion and dissolution. In the process, he had invigorated the band's sound to something bolder, heavier, and more dramatic, a far cry from the band's two previous tepid albums with Ozzy. Dio had rescued the band from obsolescence: The rest of the metal world, which was on its last legs two years before with disco and new wave dominating the airwaves, languished with no new fresh blood to rouse the masses. The Ozzy version of Sabbath, which sparked the Big Bang of metal in 1970 with their debut album, became flaccid and stale by decade's end with newcomer heroes Van Halen outshining them onstage each night. Bands such as Sabbath, Deep Purple, and even Led Zeppelin, the so-called holy trinity of metal in the early
70's, were considered unimportant and flatulent by the end of the decade.
Rock stars were they, though bloated, mired in substance abuse and personal problems, living in the largesse of their careers and incapable of setting the world on fire with new music. hense the appeal of punk rock and new wave, which seemed to contain more spit and firepower than the usual rock royalty.

But not all was lost on the horizon. In the aftermath of punk's eventual self-immolation in 1978 and early 1979, a new breed of young metal upstarts grabbed the attention of England that year: The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, a set of musicians who kept the metal flame alive and infused it with punk's energy, yet making it completely metal. Such bands as Iron Maiden,
Motorhead, Saxon, Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Girlschool, and others blazed across the island and made a more lasting impression on British youth than the trendy, skinny-tie New Wavers kissing up to the press. The anger and frustration was there, and this set off a re-awakening of metal on both sides of the Atlantic. Disco met a much-needed death at Chicago's Comiskey Park on Disco Demolition Night in 1979, and this signalled the return of hard rock and metal. AC/DC emerged, as did Van Halen and Rush. Judas Priest became one of the top names of metal at that time, as did The Scorpions. Iron Maiden released their stellar self-titled debut, and Motorhead scored with 'Ace Of Spades', a hint of things to come.
And of course, Black Sabbath had rose to the challenge and fully re-invented itself for the new era of metal with stunning results. Out with the old, and in with the new. Ozzy certainly wasn't suffering with the excellent debut of his new solo project, either.

So how did the Ozzman react to his replacement in Sabbath? Not very well, apparently. Dio was a physically short man, and Ozzy didn't think Ronnie would have the same kind of stage presence he himself had. And when it came to singing Sabbath classics? Forget it. "Let's see Ronnie try to sing
'War Pigs' and 'Iron Man'!" He knew Ronnie had quite a different vocal style than his own. Ozzy was understandably jealous that he had been replaced. Regardless, Ronnie did quite well, it was a rather unique change of pace, but fans didn't mind. This was the year of the new Sabbath, and fans ate it up in droves. 'Heaven and Hell' had become the new Sabbath classic, one of their finest albums, according to critics and fans alike. It was also their highest charting album, at #28, since 1975's 'Sabotage'. So what would they do to repeat that success?

The next year, 1981, saw Black Sabbath in the studio recording their followup, Mob Rules. This was the first
to feature Vinnie Appice on the record, and would continue in the band's rejuvenated, heavy sound as initiated on
the first album. The new record, released in the fall of that year, was produced by veteran producer Martin Birch.
While the album pleased fans immensely, critics were rather put off by the latest release. As is often the case with
so-called "sophomore" albums, the material was not considered as strong as 'Heaven and Hell'. It was memorable for
the most part, but something was lacking. Tony Iommi admitted in a Guitar World interview later that the lack of
strength on the new album was most likely due to the usual culprits--drugs and the typical lack of focus, among
other factors. Sometimes lightning did not strike twice for the band. Regardless, it was a very memorable effort
with outstanding tracks that have been added to the growing canon of metal.

The album's intriguing cover was once again created by another famed artist, this time by fantasy illustrator Greg Hildebrandt. The very effective image of menacing beings shrouded in frayed cloths while surrounding a fiendish
torture device remained one of Sabbath's most arresting cover art images of their career. However, a little
controversy ensued when allegedly a message reading "Kill Ozzy" was cryptically embedded in the artwork!
:eek: :confused: If this is true, one has to look high and low for it, and it is unlikely such a disturbing message would
be intentionally inserted in the artwork, since the illustration was created in the early 70's and licensed for use by the
band and therefore not originally intended for the album cover.

I get strange looks sometimes when I say this, but I prefer Mob Rules over Heaven And Hell. It's a heavier sounding, darker and more moody album, somewhere between the faster paced Heaven And Hell and the classic Sabbath sound.

Unfortunately, it would be the last Sab album with Dio for another decade.

There's some great stuff here, though I think the original version of "The Mob Rules" (the one that appeared on the Heavy Metal soundtrack album) is better than the album version.

"Voodoo," "Sign Of The Southern Cross," "Falling Off The Edge Of The World" -- all great cuts.

Vinnie Appice really hits hard on his debut Sabbath album -- too bad it would be another decade before we'd hear the follow-up.

I get strange looks sometimes when I say this, but I prefer Mob Rules over Heaven And Hell. It's a heavier sounding, darker and more moody album, somewhere between the faster paced Heaven And Hell and the classic Sabbath sound.

Unfortunately, it would be the last Sab album with Dio for another decade.

There's some great stuff here, though I think the original version of "The Mob Rules" (the one that appeared on the Heavy Metal soundtrack album) is better than the album version.

"Voodoo," "Sign Of The Southern Cross," "Falling Off The Edge Of The World" -- all great cuts.

Vinnie Appice really hits hard on his debut Sabbath album -- too bad it would be another decade before we'd hear the follow-up.
I agree, I actually caused a debate with a few people on the Tony Iommi site when I said that 'Mob Rules' was their better album of the two. I was so into songs like "Voodoo", "Sign Of the Southern Cross", and the title track that I couldn't really give in so readily to the opinion that 'Heaven and Hell' was the better album. It was a heavier album, darker, and intense. And "E5150" was
an awesome segue. :cool:

I should check out the 'Heavy Metal' version of "The Mob Rules", I love that movie.

The album opened with "Turn Up the Night", which also was the first single from the record. It hit #37 in Britain and #24 in the U.S.

"Turn Up the Night" was a scorcher, an uptempo number that served perfectly the band's purpose, to make any evening go up to 11 on the volume knob (Okay, so 'This Is Spinal Tap' hadn't come out yet).
The track featured Dio's soaring vocals and mysterious, magical lyrics, but the refrain spelled it all out, Turn up the night--it feels so right!!

I think when I first heard this song, it didn't grab me as much as it later would. It's total prime Sabbath, dark, churning, and pummelling. A killer cut.
Sometimes it takes a while to feel the devastation to your face after the fist blows into it. :rock: :boxing:

Turn Up the Night

A rumble of thunder, I'm suddenly under your spell
No rhyme or reason, or time of the season, but oh well
The darkened deliver, I shake and I shiver down your soul
You know what to cover, I think for another it's a story told
So get a good hold, yeah

Regiment fooled you, you thought that you knew who you are
A simple equation, that's the relation, but that's gone too far
A time of suspicion, a special condition that we all know
So let it all go!

Turn up the night!
Turn up the night!
Turn up the night, it feels so right!

Nighttitme sorrow, taken like a pain
Black will not become a white, it's all the same
Evil lurks in twilight, dances in the dark
Makes you need the movement, like a fire needs a spark to burn!

A rumble of thunder, I'm suddenly under your spell
No rhyme or reason, or time of the season, but oh well
The darkened deliver, I shake and I shiver down your soul
So get a good hold, yeah

Turn up the night!
Turn up the night!
Turn up the night, it feels so right!
Turn up the night!
Turn up the night!
If it feels right
turn off the light!
Turn up the night!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Turn Up the Night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngVVAGw9MI8

I agree, I actually caused a debate with a few people on the Tony Iommi site when I said that 'Mob Rules' was their better album of the two. I was so into songs like "Voodoo", "Sign Of the Southern Cross", and the title track that I couldn't really give in so readily to the opinion that 'Heaven and Hell' was the better album. It was a heavier album, darker, and intense. And "E5150" was
an awesome segue. :cool:

I should check out the 'Heavy Metal' version of "The Mob Rules", I love that movie.

You haven't heard the Heavy Metal version???:eek: It's not that different from the album version, but the guitar solo is better and overall, I like it better. It's actually a demo that the band submitted to the movie producers, who liked it and slapped it on the album as is.

It's also now on the Deluxe edition of Mob Rules that just came out in the UK. I advise getting that one and the Heaven and Hell deluxe. If you order direct from amazon.co.uk, you get them for roughly $17 each. And they're two disc sets with b-sides, single mixes and live cuts.

Heaven And Hell is a great album, but it's kind of light sounding for a metal album. It's very polished. I love it, but Mob Rules...well, I already gave my reasons for liking that one.

You haven't heard the Heavy Metal version???:eek: It's not that different from the album version, but the guitar solo is better and overall, I like it better. It's actually a demo that the band submitted to the movie producers, who liked it and slapped it on the album as is.

It's also now on the Deluxe edition of Mob Rules that just came out in the UK. I advise getting that one and the Heaven and Hell deluxe. If you order direct from amazon.co.uk, you get them for roughly $17 each. And they're two disc sets with b-sides, single mixes and live cuts.

Heaven And Hell is a great album, but it's kind of light sounding for a metal album. It's very polished. I love it, but Mob Rules...well, I already gave my reasons for liking that one.
Yeah, that's why I personally prefer 'Mob Rules' over 'Heaven and Hell'. It's darker and heavier. It's the sound of the band finding itself with Dio. It's like what Tony Iommi said after the release of 'The Devil You Know', there were tons of other songs they were about to release on their followup that showed they were getting even better.

I think the only times I've heard the 'Heavy Metal' version of "The Mob Rules" was when I actually saw the movie twice years ago! :rock: Great times.

The next song, "Voodoo", was one of the most popular tracks on the album. It featured a steady beat accentuated by Geezer's bass and Vinnie's drums, much like a sinister rythmic ritual by an old jungle witch doctor and his mesmerized followers. Interesting, their arch nemesis, Ozzy, released his own song about voodoo on his 'Diary Of a Madman' album that same year, "Little Dolls".

And speaking of which, how was Ozzy dealing with his replacement? Aside from the fact that, as mentioned earlier, he found Ronnie to an inadequate substitute to be singing old Sabbath classics, he also allegedly took time to take pot-shots at the heavily non-Anglo Saxon percentage of members in the band, claiming that Black Sabbath was just "Geezer with three W*ps", injecting a crude politically incorrect slur against the number of bandmates of Italian background in the band. In concert, Ozzy sported a hooded midget servant dubbed Ronnie, a clear reference to his replacement's short physical stature, who would come out on stage and bring him drinks. Ozzy's rancor toward Dio was so great that he said that his favorite Sabbath album since his departure was 1983's 'Born Again', the first Sabbath record to not feature Ronnie, as we shall see.

Voodoo

Say you don't know me, you'll burn
you can refuse, but you'll lose, it's by me
Say you don't want me, you'll learn
nothin you do will be new, 'cause I'm through

Call me a liar, you knew
you were a fool, but that's cool, it's all right
Call me the Devil, it's true
some can't accept but I crept inside you

So if a stranger calls you
Don't let him whisper his name
'Cause it's Voodoo, oh!

Fade into shadow, you'll burn
your fortune is free, I can see it's no good
Never look back, never turn
It's a question of time 'till your mine and you learn

So if a stranger sees you
Don't look in his eyes
'Cause he's Voodoo!

Say you don't know me, you'll burn
you can refuse, but you'll lose, it's by me
Say you don't want me, you'll learn
nothin you do will be new, 'cause I'm through

Voodoo!

Bring me your children, they'll burn!
Never look back, never turn!
Cry me a river, you'll learn Voodoo!!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Voodoo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAhFQKV-7vI

Ozzy and Dio meet!! One can imagine the conversation between the two legends.

Ozzy and Dio meet!! One can imagine the conversation between the two legends.

They probably trashed Tony Iommi.;)

The next song, "The Sign Of the Southern Cross", was one of the two epic tracks on the album. The song opened innocently enough on an acoustic passage with a softly sung intro before launching into a full-on sonic assault in typically excellent Sabbath style. The Southern Cross is an asterism of stars formed by the constellation of Crux, which is surrounded by the constellations of Centaurus, Toliman, Circinus, and the Musca Car. In the center, Crux appears to be a small crucifix or cross. This constellation can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere south of the Equator, and has been seen as a guiding reference point for sailors for centuries, in much the same way that the North Star, or Polaris, has been used in the Northern Hemisphere.

Interestingly, the use of the name of the constellation is significant not only because of its mystical nature, but because, also in familiar Sabbath tradition, the combination of a cross and anything referring to the South indicates an inversion of the Christian symbol. To point north is the correct direction of the cross, of course, but for the cross to point south is the reversal of its intended meaning. This does not make Sabbath "satanic" or occultic, but that the symbolism adds to mystery and tension, things out of harmony. This may not have been the band's intention (but who knows what Dio was thinking?), but it is an excellent poetic metaphor. Regardless, it remains one of the band's heaviest songs. The drums were pummelling, as well as the thundering guitar and bass work.

The Sign Of the Southern Cross

If there isn't light when no one sees
then how can I know what you might believe?
A story told that can't be real
somehow must reflect the truth we feel, yeah

Fade away, fade away
vanish into small
Fade away, fade away
break the crystal ball - OH!

It's the sign
feels like the time!

On a small world, west of wonder
somwhere, nowhere all
There's a rainbow that will shimmer
when the summer falls
If an echo doesn't answer
when it hears a certain song
Then the beast is free to wander
but never is seen around

And it's the Sign of the Southern Cross
it's the Sign of the Southern Cross
all right
sail away
to the sign
ohh

From the book, the word is spoken
whispers from forgotten psalms
Gather all around the young ones
they will make us strong
Reach above your dreams of pleasure
given life to those who died
Look beyond your own horizons
sail the ship of signs

And it's the Sign of the Southern Cross
it's the Sign of the Southern Cross
Fade away, fade away
break the crystal ball
Fade away, fade away
I can't accept it anymore

On a real world, west of wonder
somwhere, nowhere all
There's a rainbow, see it shimmer
when the summer falls
From the book, the word is spoken
whispers from forgotten psalms
Gather all around the young ones
they will make us strong!

It's the Sign of the Southern Cross
It's the Sign of the Southern Cross

Don't live for pleasure
make life your treasure
Fade away!
Eight miles high, about to fall
and no one there to catch you
look for the sign, the time
the Sign of the Southern Cross, yeah

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: rock:

As "The Sign Of the Southern Cross" faded out, it segued into"E5150", a bass instrumental which featured a series of two repeated droning notes drawn out with haunting, doomy effect. The song was punctuated by the sound of raking, which is created by dragging the pick over the ridges of the bass string, causing a scratchy sound. In this case, the sound created evoked an eerie, macabre effect of what seemed like demons shrieking. The name seems to come from the model number of Geezer's bass, but the name has also had some sort of cryptic translation of the word "evil", depening on how the word is written out.

Interestingly, prior to the recording of the 'Heaven and Hell' album, during Geezer's absence, Dio did practice and perform bass parts with Tony Iommi, as Ronnie did have extensive knowledge of playing other instruments, and was a gifted bassist as well.

At the end of the segment, Iommi's guitar enters in, followed by brief keyboard effects, which then launched suddenly into the album's title track, "The Mob Rules". This ranks as one of Black Sabbath's heaviest tracks, with its torching riff and hammering drums. Dio's vocals and lyrics were top-notch, as usual, as the new lineup created one of its finest anthems in the album's catalogue. Even more than the first album with Ronnie, Sabbath wrote a song darker and heavier than anything the band had ever created, even heavier than their work with Ozzy.

Regardless, many critics, as usual, took their pot shots at Sabbath, ragging on the new album. Rolling Stone critic J.D. Considine gave the album a one-star review, saying that the album "finds the band flatulent and dull-witted as ever." :eek: :mad: Not surprising for a hip, trendy music magazine which was so out of touch with metal, and even dismissed Led Zeppelin as a "bloated", unimportant rock act in those years. Over time, both Sabbath, and Zeppelin, would have kinder reviews by the magazine and the press, perhaps due to the raves by Seattle grunge bands who gave Sabbath their props as a major influence. The Dio era seemed ignored by the grunge scene, as the rawer, Ozzy-based 70's Sabbath was enshrined in the sound of the alternative 90's.

As mentioned earlier, a different version of "The Mob Rules" was included in the soundtrack to the popular 1981 animated film 'Heavy Metal', based on the successful mature fantasy comic magazine. The storyline of the movie revolved around the cryptic influence of a mystical gem which caused such incidents as superhuman strength in nerds (as the one voiced by the late comedian actor John Candy from 'SCTV') and destructive results in other characters. Other artists who appeared in the soundtrack included Sammy Hagar, who wrote one of the popular theme songs which received constant airplay on the radio, as well as Don Felder's excellent track of the same name, "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)", as well as Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Nazareth, Journey, and even DEVO.

It was only fitting that Black Sabbath would be included in the movie, as they were credited with being the band that invented the genre of music known as heavy metal. The song was actually recorded at John Lennon's home in England.


E5150/The Mob Rules live with Heaven and Hell (sorry, wasn't able to find an older Black Sabbath clip):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG-RrtnV-64

(and of course, the quality of the camera work is lame, but is shown to give the sound of the music)

Studio version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts6YTeSEv0Y

The Mob Rules

Close the city and tell the people that something's coming to call
Death and darkness are rushing forward to take a bite from the wall, oh

You've nothing to say
They're breaking away
If you listen to fools...
The Mob Rules
The Mob Rules

Kill the spirit and you'll be blinded, the end is always the same
Play with fire, you burn your fingers and lose your hold of the flame, oh

It's over, it's done
the end is begun
If you listen to fools...
The Mob Rules

You've nothing to say
Oh, They're breaking away
If you listen to fools...

Break the circle and stop the movement, the wheel is thrown to the ground
Just remember it might start rolling and take you right back around

You're all fools!
The Mob Rules!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

The next song is a sort of change of pace, with a theme similar to that of
"Lady Evil". The song starts off in rather folky fashion.


Country Girl

Fell in love with a country girl, morning sunshine
She was up from a nether world, just to bust another soul
Her eyes were an endless flame, holy lightning
Desire with a special name, made to snatch your soul away, yeah

We sailed away on a crimson tide, gone forever
Left my heart on the other side, all to break it into bits
Her smile was a winter song, a Sabbath ending
Don't sleep or you'll find me gone, just an image in the air

In dreams I think of you
I don't know what to do with myself
Time has let me down
She brings broken dreams, fallen stars,
the endless search for where you are
(sail on, sail on)

Fell in love with a country girl, morning sunshine
She was up from a nether world, just to bust another soul
Her eyes were an endless flame, unholy lady
Desire with a special name, made to snatch your soul away, oh!

Don't sail away on a crimson tide!
Don't leave your heart on the other side!
Her eyes are an endless flame
Desire with a special name
Don't ever fall in love!
Don't give your heart away!
No never, never fall in love with a country girl!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Country Girl live with Heaven and Hell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnQJ0FmLe30


A baseball jersey from that tour in 1981/82:

This is one of the overlooked tracks on the album:

Slipping Away

Slipping away, just a heartbeat from disaster
Nothing could make me stay, close your eyes and I'll be gone
Turn the page, yeah, time to start another story
Slipping away, slipping away, time to move along

No reason to stay
oh, when I'm slipping away

Take a look at yourself, you've been running in a circle
Round and round you go, you're a start without an end
Start a new life, yeah, from the city of the gypsies
Running away, slipping away, right behind the plow

Slipping away
Slipping away
Nobody to pay
look out, 'cause I'm slipping away

Rockin' the glass, I won't leave you my reflection
A future without a past, no more road to take me back
Come if you will, just don't question my direction
Running away, slipping away, we can find the sun

Slipping away
Slipping away
got nobody to pay
and you're slippin' away

No more running in a circle
it's time to move along
round, round, round we go
a start without an end
so I'm slipping away
Slipping away

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:


Here is a poster that I saw back in 1982 which was very popular:

The next song, another sort of epic, was revived in later years on tour. Many fans, including several bands such as Slayer, requested it in droves to be played.

Falling Off the Edge Of the World

I think about closing the door
and lately I think of it more
I'm living well out of my time
I feel like i'm losing my mind

I should be at the table round
a servant of the crown
the keeper of the sign
to sparkle and to shine

Never, no never again!
listen to me and believe what I say if you can
Never, this is the end
you know I've seen the faces of doom and I'm only a man
Help me, tell me I'm sane
I feel a change in the earth, in the wind and the rain
Save me, take me away
you know I've seen some creatures from hell and I've heard what they say!

I've got to be strong
oh, I'm falling off the edge of the world
think you're safe, but you're wrong!
We are falling off the edge of the world!

Look out! there's danger! no where to run!
It seems like desperate measures but sometimes it has to be done
Over, it's over at last
There's a message inside as we build a new life from the past

We're falling off the edge of the world!
Yes, the edge of the world!
It's the end of the world!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

During the recording and touring behind 'Mob Rules', Ronnie James Dio had clearly made himself a fully ingrained member of Black Sabbath. He wasn't merely taking cues and orders from Tony Iommi, he was very much his own person had much to offer. But when you had two persons with very strong personalities and definite ideas as to what should be done, there was tendency often to butt heads and not see eye to eye. It got to a point where visible problems were coming to the surface. In fact, the two camps
in the band noted by nationality became a little polarized. The two Brits of the band, Iommi and Geezer Butler, gravitated to one side in their travels, while the two American members, Dio and Vinnie Appice, gravitated to their own side and often not see the others until the next show or whatever event that required their complete involvement. Was there some kind of trouble brewing in the Sabbath camp?

Here is the final song of the 'Mob Rules' album:

Over and Over

Sometimes I feel like I'm dying at dawn
and sometimes I'm warm as fire
But lately I feel like I'm just gonna rain
and it goes over, and over, and over again, yeah

Too many flames, with too much to burn
and life's only made of paper
Oh, how I need to be free of this pain
but it goes over, and over, and over, and over again

Yeah, sometimes I cry for the lost and alone
and for their dreams that will all be ashes
But lately I feel like I'm just gonna rain
and it goes over, and over, and over, and over again

(Over)
(Over)

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Black Sabbath was not Ronnie James Dio's only musical venture in 1981, he also made a guest appearance on Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren's solo album, Seeds Of Change. What made this particularly unique was that this was Livgren's first album of Christian material, which reflected his newfound faith in Christ. Livgren had gone through a number of years of Eastern religions until he experienced a born again epiphany and was deeply convinced of the reality of Christianity. Dio, who was considered an anomaly because of his fronting a rather controversial rock and metal band due to its dark subject matter, was chosen to sing on two tracks, "Mask Of the Great Deceiver" and "To Live For the King", because Livgren felt Ronnie's vocals were best suited for the songs. But Livgren explained in his autobiography that he knew that Dio was not a "Satanist", as many misinformed Christians had claimed. Strangely, one's association with Black Sabbath somehow made one a worshipper of the Dark Lord of the Underworld, in their eyes, but Livgren and others knew better.

Ronnie James Dio's experiences in his youth with Catholic school and church turned him off deeply to many things in that faith--he was not impressed with Catholic obsession with guilt, shame, and fear of eternal punishment in Hell forever for sins and transgressions. His song "Heaven and Hell" indicated that such eternal rewards or punishments were lived out here and now in this life--our lives were either heaven or hell, choose wisely!! Avoid deception. In spiritual matters, Dio later explained that he felt more aligned with Eastern philosophies such as Taoism, where the nature of good and evil was rather interrelated. Some things looked good and noble, but there was an element of bad things as well--watch out! By that same token, some things which seemed "evil" and bad may have elements of something good and worthwhile. This philosophy would be used greatly on one of Dio's upcoming releases, as we shall see.

Mask Of the Great Deceiver

Well he's the prince of the world
His work is never complete
Though he promises all
You'll lie a slave at his feet, oh
Don't you know the world is his dominion
Can't you see that you're bound in his chains
The time is short so take your strength in what remains
Oh

He will fill up your ears
And he'll dazzle your eyes
But don't believe what he's saying
'Cause he's the father of lies, oh
In your heart, don't you know that he'll betray you
And in the end he will drag you away
Till all the world is cryin' for the judgement day

And he's fallen, how he's fallen
From the height of the morning star
Though his light's still shining brightly
It's the mask of the great deceiver
The great deceiver

Though the truth has walked among us
And the words that he spoke will remain
There's a heartbreakin' blindness upon us
All our efforts to be free are in vain
Without the gift of love
We're lost without the love

Well, he never will rest
Until his evil is done
And he don't want you to know
Your freedom's already won

Don't you know the world is his dominion
Can't you see, he keeps it in chains, oh
Time is short, so take your strength in what remains

And he's fallen, how he's fallen
From the height of the morning star
Though his light's still shining brightly
It's the mask of the great deceiver
The mask of the great deceiver
He's gonna make you a believer
He'll tell you lies
He'll betray your eyes
The great deceiver


To Live For the King

Oh
The rising of the sun
Is seen by everyone
And no-one can deny that it's real
And when you hear the call
Come crashing through the wall
You just can't doubt the things that you feel

So lift me up, the time has come to sing
And give up everything
Oh
Live for the king

Though we fight against the rule
The genius and the fool
Are bound to labor under under the law, yeah
Before each man's a choice
Reject it or rejoice
The vision that the prophets are

So lift me up, the time has come we'll sing
And give up everything
Oh
Live for the king, oh

Living for the king, living for the king, yeah
Living for the king, look with the king, hey, talk with the king
Living for the king, something greater than you and I is the king
Living for the king, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, it's rejoice
Living for the king, the time has come to sing
We're going to walk, walk with the king
Living for the king, open your eyes, open your eyes
Writings on the wall, don't you be denied
Living for the king, injected of rejoice, before it's meant a choice


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

While the 'Mob Rules' tour was successful, the album to document the event was a disaster. The polarized Sabbath even became moreso when suspicions arose between the two halves of the band--Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler learned of unfounded rumors that Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice were sneaking around behind their backs, secretly adjusting the mix to make the vocals louder over Iommi's guitars. None of this was true, as they later learned, but the damage had been done. Both had argued and pointed fingers at each other, as the lineup which started out on such excellent terms, dissolved into acrimony. Geezer, in frustration, accused the "controlling" Dio of being a "Little Hitler". Dio was a member of Black Sabbath, but Tony Iommi outranked him in band leadership. The two strong personalities within the band had clashed for the last time, but this time, Iommi set his foot down. It was time for Dio to go. No problem, Dio had his bags packed--and he was taking Vinnie Appice with him. It was the end of what was once a brilliant partnership, all gone too soon. There was a deep friendship, but now it ended over what both would later realize was petty quibbling over nothing.

The album which documented the 'Mob Rules' tour, the cleverly palindromic Live Evil, was recorded at several dates on that tour in the spring of 1982, in Seattle, San Antonio, and Dallas. The album was released in December of 1982, well after Dio and Appice had left the band. The album sleeve featured a number of figures from Black Sabbath songs included on the two-record set, including a neon knight, a witch doctor performing voodoo, a pig dressed in a military uniform and gun (for "War Pigs"), a metallic strongman ("Iron Man"), and a pair of youths paddling a coffin (both for "Children Of the Sea" and "Children Of the Grave"), among other characters. Some of the highlights included an extended version of "Heaven and Hell", as well as a guitar solo. The enthusiasm over the release was tempered over the departure of Dio and Appice that fall, as well as over the controversy of the alleged finagling of the mixing. The album topped the charts at #37, and critics were rather mixed in their assessment of the release.

Side one

"E5150" (Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler) – 2:21
"Neon Knights" (Dio, Iommi, Butler, Bill Ward) – 4:36
"N.I.B." (Ozzy Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 5:09
"Children of the Sea" (Dio, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 6:05
"Voodoo" (Dio, Butler, Iommi) – 6:07

Side two

"Black Sabbath" (Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 8:39
"War Pigs" (Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 9:19
"Iron Man" (Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 7:29

Side three

"The Mob Rules" (Dio, Iommi, Butler) – 4:10
"Heaven and Hell" (Dio, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 12:04

Side four

"The Sign of the Southern Cross/Heaven and Hell (Continued)" (Dio, Butler, Iommi/Dio, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 7:15
"Paranoid" (Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 3:46
"Children of the Grave" (Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward) – 5:25
"Fluff" (Iommi) – 0:59


After this unfortunate debacle, the two original remaining members of Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, began a slow, lasting descent into ever-shifting lineup changes, beginning with 1983's
'Born Again' album, where Ronnie was briefly replaced by Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, with Bill Ward temporarily returning on drums (though he would be replaced once more by ELO drummer Bev Bevan).
'Born Again', for all its best intentions, would not be one of Black Sabbath's proudest moments, compared to their past two stellar albums, while Dio and Appice, on the other hand.........

After all these years of fronting others' bands, Ronnie James Dio felt it was time to form his own band and call his own shots. He had the experience after all this time, and certainly the talent. He and Vinnie Appice decided to call their new band simply under his own last name:

DIO.

The band formed immediately after Ronnie's departure from Black Sabbath in the fall of 1982 and recruited guitarist Vivian Campbell and keyboardist Jimmy Bain. The new band set to work on Dio's debut album, which would be called Holy Diver. Released on May 25, 1983, the album became an instant classic, as well as one of the most iconic recordings in metal, with two signature anthems, "Rainbow In the Dark" and the title track. The album was regarded as the best work ever to come from Dio.

The album exploded with the strong opening track, "Stand Up and Shout", which remains one of Dio's most memorable songs.

Stand Up and Shout

It's the same old song you gotta be somewhere at sometime
and they never let you fly
It's like broken glass you get cut before you see it
so open up your eyes
You've got desire so let it out you've got the power
stand up and shout
shout shout stand up and shout

You got wings of steel but they never really move you
you only seem to crawl
You've been nailed to the wheel but never really turning
you know you've got to want it all
You've got desire so let it out you've got the power stand up and shout shout stand up and shout let it out

You are the strongest chain and not just some reflection
so never hide again
You are the driver you own the road you are the fire go on explode
You've got desire so let it out you've got the power stand up and shout
hoy
Stand up and shout let it out stand up and shout

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

I don't know if I'd class Live Evil as a disaster. It's not what it could have been, as evidenced later on by the superior Live At Hammersmith from the same tour, but Live Evil has its moments.

Don't ask me why, but I've always liked the live version of "N.I.B." on here. I love the way Dio shouts "Geezer Butler" right before the bass intro. Classic metal drama.

On the other hand, Dio doesn't sing the song "Black Sabbath" so much as he does a dramatic reading of it.

I don't know if I'd class Live Evil as a disaster. It's not what it could have been, as evidenced later on by the superior Live At Hammersmith from the same tour, but Live Evil has its moments.

Don't ask me why, but I've always liked the live version of "N.I.B." on here. I love the way Dio shouts "Geezer Butler" right before the bass intro. Classic metal drama.

On the other hand, Dio doesn't sing the song "Black Sabbath" so much as he does a dramatic reading of it.
Actually, I should have clarified what I meant by disaster, not that the album itself was a disaster, but that the aftermath of the recording was a professional disaster. I imagine that in spite of the bizarre politics, 'Live Evil' was worth many listens. I'd like to hear it. :cool: I think I only heard parts of it back in 1982. I wanted to go see their concert that spring in Seattle where it was recorded, but
of course I had no money. :wallbang


'Live Evil' most likely was a lot better than Ozzy's 'Speak Of the Devil' album released the next spring.
A fiasco with rushed Sabbath covers. ohno:

Up next on the album was the amazing, anthemic title track, "Holy Diver". The song began with an eerie keyboard intro hinting a doom-filled, haunting event approaching the listener, with bizarre sounds approaching. The song launched into riffs which were reminescent of "Heaven and Hell". Oddly, I did not care for the song back then when I first heard it, I thought it was a "rip-off" or a bad take on "Heaven and Hell". Those spooky sounds before the song didn't cut it for me either--but over time I began to realize the greatness of the song, it's awesome to play on guitar! :rock: :guitar: It's a song so awesome that Killswitch Engage's cover of it could hardly do it justice. ohno:

So what exactly is a "holy diver"? Well, if we look at the album cover, we see a few controversial images which apparently bothered many Christians and religious people, affirming the worst about rock and metal in the early 80's. A demon or malevolent-looking gargoyle figure (which, as I heard Ronnie on the radio explain, was named Murray, his mascot reminescent of Iron Maiden's Eddy or Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead) lurks over a chained priest plunging into a pool of water. Christians were disturbed that the demon appeared "victorious" over the priest about to drown. Was this simply the triumph of good over evil? In Dio's view, it was not as simple as that.

According to Dio, the priest could be killing the demon. How could that be? :confused: Of course, to understand Dio, one had to take into account his non-absolutist view of reality--things were not all black and white, things had elements of good and bad interrelated. In this case, we had to look behind the surface, which was part of Dio's appeal. Things were not all as they seemed. One way to look at it was that, according to Christian belief, as well as other belief systems, a good figure (such as Christ) would "kill" evil by allowing his life to be sacrificed for a greater good. Such was the case with the drowning priest. That was one possibility. Upon closer examination, the drowning priest could kill the demon by starving it of its target, its prey--evil needs good in order to thrive, it needs to parasitically feed off of it. With the priest out of the way, the demon has nothing left to attack. It will go hungry and die.

Another way of looking at it is that the priest is not necessarily a good or benevolent character.
Dio later pointed out that in recent years, such things as the child molestation cases by Catholic clergy represented the dark side of religion. The priest would indicate external, corrupting religion that was imposed on others (such as his experiences as a child being berated and punished by nuns in Catholic school). Did this necessarily make the priest a "saintly" character? Not likely. By that same token, did the demon figure necessarily represent evil? Perhaps it was not a demon so much as an inner spirit of self-will, self-determination, an entity representing the resistance to external, controlling forces. According to Christian belief, such attitudes by the "natural", "spiritually unregenerate" man were forces to be opposed, because they were not reined in by the Holy Spirit. A
religious figure was needed to shepherd the wayward soul. But these things of our "baser nature",
the will to self-protection, to self-preservation, things such as lust--to perpetuate the species, hunger
--to protect the body and perpetuate the body--are not bad things. The Catholic church for
centuries continued the belief that the body and its desires were "sinful". According to Dio, who was the real sinner here?

Of course, this possibility was completely lost on many anti-rock preachers. One notorious figure,
Bob Larson, who had a successful radio "ministry" during the 80's with his show "Talkback", thrived
on sensationalism and hysteria over deliberately misinterpreted rock lyrics and artwork. In 1986, on one "special" broadcast, he harangued on a young female fan of Dio who had called in. He proceeded
to lecture the girl and tell her the demon was "winning" on the 'Holy Diver' album cover. Of course, Dio, like Ozzy, another Black Sabbath alumnus, was the personification of evil according to many Christians, not only for his association with the legendary band, but for provocative album covers such as this. The true power of the album and the music was in what it did not overtly explain, what it shrouded in metaphorical mystery.

Simply put, Dio explained that people "should not judge a book by its cover." There was much more going on in the illustration than the obvious.

Actually, I should have clarified what I meant by disaster, not that the album itself was a disaster, but that the aftermath of the recording was a professional disaster. I imagine that in spite of the bizarre politics, 'Live Evil' was worth many listens. I'd like to hear it. :cool: I think I only heard parts of it back in 1982. I wanted to go see their concert that spring in Seattle where it was recorded, but
of course I had no money. :wallbang


'Live Evil' most likely was a lot better than Ozzy's 'Speak Of the Devil' album released the next spring.
A fiasco with rushed Sabbath covers. ohno:

ABlaircan Pie, I hate to correct you, but Speak Of The Devil was actually released first.

However...there is a story behind it.

In the summer of 1982, Sabbath announced that they were going to release a live album from the Mob Rules tour. Also around that time, Ronnie James Dio announced he was going to do a solo album called Heavenly Diver. I actually remember reading this in Hit Parader at that time. Dio stressed that while he was doing the solo album, he was still in Sabbath and the band wasn't breaking up.

In the early fall of 1982, Ozzy hastily arranged to do a couple of all-Sabbath shows at the Ritz in NY for a live album to fullfill a contractual obligation and end his association with his then-father-in-law Don Arden's Jet Records.

Of course, Ozzy then ripped Sabbath, saying they were ripping him off.

Although Live Evil has a copyright date of 1982, it really didn't hit stores until January, 1983.

And yes, the fallout from that album was a disaster, with Dio leaving, Ozzy accusing Sabbath of recording an album of "my songs" and the future of Sabbath uncertain for a short while.

Holy Diver

Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm yeah yeah

Holy diver you've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh what's becoming of me
Ride the tiger you can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh don't you see what I mean
Gotta get away

holy diver yeah
Got shiny diamonds like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue
Something is coming for you look out
Race for the morning you can hide in the sun 'till you see the light
Oh we will pray it's all right
Gotta get away get away

Between the velvet lies there's a truth that's hard as steel yeah
The vision never dies
life's a never ending wheel say

Holy diver you're the star of the masquerade
no need to look so afraid jump jump
Jump on the tiger you can feel his heart but you know he's mean
Some light can never be seen yeah
Holy diver you've been down too long in the midnight sea
Ooh what's becoming of me no no
Ride the tiger you can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh don't you see what I mean
Gotta get away get away gotta get away get away

Holy diver sole survivor your honour's clean
Holy diver holy diver never cut in the middle comin' after you holy diver
Oh holy diver yeah alright get away get away get away
Holy diver holy diver whoa holy diver hmm hmm hmm hmm

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:



Holy Diver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64coD-rx9sk

'Stand Up And Shout' live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zixIuxzCCvs

Pic from the 'Holy Diver' video:

Here was another excellent track from the album:

Gypsy

She was straight from Hell
But you never could tell
Cause you were blinded by her light
She could crack your brain
With magic pain
And turn a paler shade of white

(Well) I was on the free
Just me and me
And just about to sail

When I heard the voice
Said you got a choice
The hammer or the nail

You'll be ridin'
You'll be ridin' on the gypsy

Well I rolled the bones
To see who'd own
My mind and what's within

And it's a given rule
That we're all fools
And need to have a little sin

So I'm ridin'
I've been ridin' on the gypsy
On the gypsy queen

She was straight from Hell
But you never could tell
Cause you were blinded by the light

So she cracked my brain
With magic pain
And turned my left around to right, right

So I'm ridin'
Yes I'm ridin'
I'm still ridin' on the gypsy
On the gypsy queen

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Gypsy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwMAMDzmQcI

Here is another hidden gem on the album, with some tasteful guitar work from Vivian Campbell:

Caught In the Middle

Looking inside of yourself
You might see someone you don't know
Maybe it's just what you need
Letting the river in you flow

You can sail away to the sun
And let it burn you while you can
Or walk a long bloody road
Like the hero who never ran

You'll feel it
You'll feel it
You'll feel the rush of it all

Flying away int the clouds
You know you're loosing your control
Finding you way in the dark
Like some poor forgotten soul

You'll feel it
You'll see it
You'll feel the rush of the city lights
You'll fell it
I see it in your eyes, you're

Caught in the middle
Just like the way you've always been
Caught in the middle
Helpless again

Looking inside of yourself
You might see someone you don't know
Maybe it's just what you need
Letting the river I know that's in you flow

You'll feel it
You'll see it
You'll feel the rush of thunder
You'll feel it
I see it in your eyes, you're

Caught in the middle
Just like the way you've always been
Caught in the middle
Helpless again

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Caught In the Middle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZp35xKPkBI

This next song remains one of the most popular tracks on the album, as one of his most familiar of his career. It continues Dio's theme of warning against
deception and danger:

Don't Talk To Strangers

Don't talk to strangers
Mmmmh

Don't talk to strangers
'Cause they're only there to do you harm
Don't write in starlight
'Cause the words may come out real

Don't hide in doorways
You may find the key that opens up your soul
Don't go to heaven
'Cause it's really only hell

Don't smell the flowers
They're an evil drug to make you lose your mind
Don't dream of women
'Cause they only bring you down

Hey you, you know me, you've touched me, I'm real
I'm forever the one that lets you look and see and
Feel me
I'm danger - I'm the stranger

And I, I'm darkness, I'm anger, I'm pain
I am master
The evil song you sing inside your brain
Drive you insane
Don't talk

Don't let them inside your mind, yeah
Run away, run away, go!

No - no

Don't let them in your mind
Protect your soul

Don't dance in darkness
You may stumble and you're sure to fall
Don't write in starlight
'Cause the words may come out real

Don't talk to strangers [Don't talk to strangers]
'Cause they're only there to make you sad
Don't dream of women
'Cause they'll only bring you down
Yeah

Run, run, run, run away!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Video (live):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwX8yF8k0ls

Ronnie and Jimmy Bain live:

Here is another hidden gem on the album, with some tasteful guitar work from Vivian Campbell:

Caught In the Middlethat's my favorite song on the album