Retired Dio Fan Needs Advice

SonOfGod · Joined: 12 Dec 2007 Posts: 2

I'm old school from way back and have been rocking out to Dio since my brother introduced me to him in 1983 with the release of Holy Diver.

I consumed his music up and until Dream Evil and I love all of the early work.

After Lock up the Wolves, I became disenfranchised, and I don't even know if I gave Strange Highways a full listen.

That said, I hear Majica was Dio's 'come back' album.

Let me ask it simply: Should I pick up anything he's done in the new century or just continue listening to Dream Evil and earlier (including Dio Sabbath)?
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Jesus is the way the truth and the life.

jpjohn · Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 29 Location: The Last In Line

Might want to try Killing the Dragon. I tend to rank that up on my Dio list - I like Doug's guitar work better than the others (except for Vivian). Magica is also good, although a bit slower, but probably Craig's best work.

Bobby66 · Guest

...Holy Diver Old school?...you are aware of Elf, Rainbow & Sabbath I assume?... Anyway..."Lock Up the Wolves" is a Favorite of mine...18 yr. old Rowan Robertson on Guitar & his only album with DIO...

Rhonda Ross · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 1070 Location: Los Banos,Ca

SonOfGod · Joined: 12 Dec 2007 Posts: 2

Rhonda Ross · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 1070 Location: Los Banos,Ca

2handband · Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 44

Buy everything except Strange Highways and Angry Machines. Magica, MOTM, and Dehumanizer are your best bets for starters. Ignore the people that tell you KTD is the be-all and end-all. They seem to like it mostly because it's fast-paced and they like Aldrichs guitar playing. They ignore the fact that the songwriting needs help and Aldrich is unnecessarily noodly.

Bobby66 · Guest

...Strange Highways & Angry Machines are Both Great Albums...Tracy G was taking the band in a different direction for a minute but we ended up with some Great DIO songs like Give Her the Gun & Hunter of the Heart...Fact is, you cannot go wrong with ANY album that RJD is part of... Wink

Holymagica · Guest

Magica Dragon · Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 626 Location: England

Well I can't comment on Strange Highways and Angry Machines but personally don't think you can go wrong with the latest three; Magica, Killing The Dragon and Master Of The Moon (my favourite of the three). The best to start with would probably be Magica, it's a favourite with a lot of people and great if you love concept albums.

Jack24 · Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 54 Location: Northamptonshire-UK

I think on the whole Magica was giving the best reaction by critics, but all three post-2000 albums are worth listening to, it's worth buying Master of the Moon just for 'One More For The Road' in my opinion.
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Rest in peace Ronnie James Dio

matt v. of half-cocked · Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 11 Location: cleveland, ohio

i think the three new tracks on the Dio Years ~
had some real punchiness to them. yanno.
three of the best tunes for a while.
nice Poe-esque imagery, etc.
well, that's just my opinion.

truthfully the last two Dio albums pretty much seem to
return to the '83 era sound.
Killing the Dragon, and Master of the Moon.

Still... Holy Diver and Last in Line are
always going to be the dynamic duo. Smile

))
(would Ronnie like that statement or despise it...?)
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first in line to listen to last in line

Serpens Mercurialis · Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Romania

There are awesome songs on the new albums and Magica has some strong fans (me being one of them). Ronnie rocks at any age and even Angry Machines is worth listening again and again. Master of the Moon is also great. I personally think Killing the Dragon is somewhat boring, but that album also has some strong fans! So... you never know which one you'll enjoy most. Holy Diver certainly has that genius touch and it's still Dio's best album, but the others are close. Anyway, Dio is hugely creative, one of the most creative people on this planet and his imagination is just huge, so you shouldn't miss what this guy has to say in the music industry.

Captain Spliffy© · Guest

during dream evil i was kind of like you, vivian campbell, the edge to the music of dio, left for whitesnake then def leppard to play crap, and craig goldie isnt that great, even when i saw that tour. lock up the wolves was a good debut album for the kid but it just draaaaagggsss on and on, the music is slow, i rarely listen to it. strange highways is a good album, but think of it as a 'strange highway', dio going off in a direction that you didnt expect so it might take a few listens to get used to it. angry machines......well, it doesnt suck but its not his best work put it that way. magica seems to be dio getting into the D&D thing pretty heavy, i never have listened to it all, sort of like angry machines. killing the dragon is by far his best work since strange highways or even the vivian campbell era. the guitar work on the album, someone here said is 'noodly'; i hear a resemblance of the style of V.C. from Last In Line. He's no vivian but this guy he has rocks loose with an edge and keeps it in control. makes me wonder if they would rather have Dio back on a rocketsled to the dumper like when craig goldie or the kid played for him. Twisted Evil