Artist: DIO
Album: THE LAST IN LINE (CD)

Release date: 1984
EAN/UPS: 0042282236623
Media type: CD

Ronnie James Dio is a man blessed of a quite awesome vocal talent and as such as remained at the very pinnacle of esteem bestowed upon him by the Rock community for three decades and counting. Dio has fronted some of the biggest names in the business most notably BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW with many citing both bands as enjoying renaissance periods whilst Dio was at the helm.

Dio has always imbued his projects with unfettered medieval romanticism with such familiar, some might say overly familiar, imagery such as dragons and rainbows. This trademark lyrical content has been delivered with a majestic vocal range and tone that has made Dio one of the true Rock greats.

Born of Italian descent as Ronald James Padovana in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the singer was raised through his early years in Cortland, New York. The first acts to feel the DIO touch were school outfits such as THE VEGAS KINGS in 1957, RONNIE AND THE RUMBLERS and RONNIE AND THE RED CAPS. These bands issued a stream of 7" singles. Having graduated, Ronnie assembled THE PROPHETS but in the Autumn of 1967 a fresh project, THE ELECTRIC ELVES (subsequently THE ELVES, then simply ELF) was forged as Dio broke away from the Rock n' Roll format and began his journey into the realms of Hard Rock. Somewhere in the mix of these formative acts, Padovana assumed the stagename Dio, less than humbly translated into Italian as "God". ELF's adopted Country, Blues flavoured Rock style won favour with DEEP PURPLE's ROGER GLOVER and Ian Paice at a showcase gig for Columbia Records in January of 1972, the famous British band recognising Dio's talent and promptly securing a record deal for his band. Signed to DEEP PURPLE's own imprint Purple Records ELF, together with Glover and Paice acting as producers, entered Studio One in Atlanta, Georgia during April to lay down the opening album simply titled 'Elf'. Once again seeing ROGER GLOVER as producer the sophomore outing emerged as 'Carolina County Ball'. A third ELF album, 'Trying To Burn The Sun', was recorded before the close of the year.

Dio began to break into the big league supporting DEEP PURPLE and issuing consistently better albums. Dio's relationship with DEEP PURPLE guitarist RITCHIE BLACKMORE eventually resulted in Dio's all conquering stint with RAINBOW before an equally lucrative if fraught sojourn with the mighty BLACK SABBATH which included the titanic albums 'Heaven and Hell' and 'Mob Rules', both records indelibly stamped with Dio's quite staggering vision and succeeding in not only breathing new life into BLACK SABBATH but placing them firmly in renaissance. The BLACK SABBATH tenure was, however to disintegrate in a vicious public airing of grievances and vilifications.

Constructing his new solo vehicle in October of 1982, the singer, keeping his partnership with ex-BLACK SABBATH drummer Vinnie Appice intact, initially requested the services of erstwhile RAINBOW bassist Bob Daisley, although the four-stringer was then still contracted with Dio’s arch rival OZZY OSBOURNE. An auditioning process held in London eventually pulled in hotshot Irishman, former SWEET SAVAGE guitarist VIVIAN CAMPBELL, suggested, along with the rising star of TYGERS OF PAN TANG and THIN LIZZY’s JOHN SYKES, by another RAINBOW colleague, bassist Jimmy Bain.

Dio's inaugural post BLACK SABBATH outing the glorious 'Holy Diver' album, hewn out at Sound City studios in Los Angeles and surfacing in May 1983, was a sharp statement of intent and an album of such magnitude it succeeded in carrying many BLACK SABBATH fans along with the new project. Indeed, 'Holy Diver' would be seen by many as more of an example as to the natural evolvement of BLACK SABBATH had Dio stayed the course than BLACK SABBATH's own follow up 'Born Again'. As well as delivering an album of world class proportions, DIO also aided their cause enormously with an electrifying performance at the annual Donington 'Monster Of Rock' festival, ranked alongside headliners WHITESNAKE with ZZ TOP, MEAT LOAF, TWISTED SISTER and DIAMOND HEAD.

Prior to this European inauguration, DIO , the band had put in its first public performance on July 23rd 1983 at the Concert Barn in Antioch. The group then burned up the road throughout July opening for a flagging AEROSMITH. Back on US soil, DIO took out QUEENSRYCHE and Y&T as support for nationwide dates that winter. So rabid was support for the band that October 5th and 7th sold out concerts in San Jose and Santa Monica, California spilled over into double headers as matinee performances were added to cope with ticket demand. With UK fans having put 'Holy Diver' into the upper reaches of the charts, a British tour, with WAYSTED as guests, was scheduled in for November, extending into Scandinavian and European legs. 1983 closed out with Dio, bolstered by Y&T and ROUGH CUTT, hitting North American stages again in December. On the road keyboards were supplied by ex-MAGIC and ROUGH CUTT member Claude Schnell. In his previous outfit Schnell had adopted the stage name of Claude Steel but reverted to his birth name for DIO.

These shows, illustrating a pattern throughout DIO's career, paid equal homage to Dio's liaisons with BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW as well as fresher material. These dates also gave an indication of future extravagances with a stage set of mountains based on the album cover. 'Holy Diver'’s artwork, a chain-whip wielding demon lashing out at a drowning priest, certainly made a lasting impact. Also making an impression would be the sales figures for 'Holy Diver'. By the close of the year DIO had sold over one million copies of his debut in the USA.

During 1984 Ronnie James Dio also added backing vocals to the Australian act HEAVEN's 'Where Angels Fear To Tread' album although for contractual reasons the man was credited simply as "Evil Eyes".

The fans, the label and the band were keen for a quick-fire follow up and DIO delivered with 'The Last In Line', if anything seeing ambitions stretched even further into some epic subject matter, the second album witnessed new heady peaks in Dio's songwriting ability. The world tour found the band backed by an Egyptian theme echoing the album artwork.

DIO opened up their second world tour sandwiched between an eclectic cast of artists at the ‘Pinkpop’ festival in Geleen, Holland on June 11th 1984. The summer months were allocated for nationwide US touring, firstly packaged with WHITESNAKE and BLACK N' BLUE then headlining over TWISTED SISTER stretching through into August. Back on the European continent, DIO played the AC/DC topped German ‘Monsters Of Rock’ events before undertaking UK shows in September backed up again by QUEENSRYCHE. Not only was this British run twice as long as the first trek, but DIO easily sold out a three night stand at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. QUEENSRYCHE remained running mates into Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Holland and Germany. A second US campaign in November would find DOKKEN as warm up band until the tour finale in January 1985.

TRACKLIST:

1. We Rock
2. The Last In Line
3. Breathless
4. I Speed At Night
5. One Night In The City
6. Evil Eyes
7. Mystery
8. Eat Your Heart Out
9. Egypt (The Chains Are On)

LINE-UP:

Ronnie James Dio (vocals)
Vivian Cambell (guitar)
Jimmy Bain (bass)
Vinnie Appice (drums)