~SACRED HEART~Discussion

[Holymagica]

Released August 1985
Cd Track Listing

King Of Rock And Roll
Sacred Heart
Another Lie
Rock 'N' Roll Children
Hungry For Heaven
Like The Beat Of A Heart
Just Another Day
Fallen Angels
Shoot Shoot

Band
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Vivian Campbell – Guitar
Jimmy Bain – Bass
Claude Schnell – Keyboards
Vinny Appice – Drums

[olivious the drummer]

This album will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the frist Dio band album I bought, I had the Rainbow and Sabbath stuff but this was my first introduction to a full Dio band album.

I had heard live shows on the radio and wanted to get the other albums but at the time my home town was very limited - yet Sacred Heart was available so I grabbed it!!! I played it to death, still have the album and have it on CD now. Geniunely love every track on this album. I dont think the production was as good as Holy Diver or Last in Line but its a great album!

Cant pick a fav track - love them all!
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Stand up and Shout!!!!!

[metalgod77]

If I had to pick some favs they'd be Sacred Heart, Another Lie and Like The Beat Of A Heart.

[Angelic Storm]

For me, this album is definitely the weakest of DIO's 80's albums. Songs like "Fallen Angels" and "Shoot Shoot" are very dull to me, and badly let the album down. "Like The Beat Of A Heart" is another weak one, and "Another Lie" is decent, but it's shown up by the album's best tracks.

Now with the negatives out of the way, I'll get to the high points of the album. The album's centrepiece for me is "Rock N' Roll Children". Many people may not like the over commercial sound of it, but to me it sounds very powerful, and Ronnie's voice just soars over the more melodious material. I also really love the much maligned "Hungry For Heaven". Again, I think the softer material enabled Ronnie's voice to take centre stage, and it truly shone brighter than ever on songs like these. The opener "King Of Rock N' Roll'' is a great, full force opener (though Ive always hated the fake crowd noise in it, I wish it wasnt there!) in keeping with the band's tradition of opening albums with furious paced rock tracks. The title track is also great, and "Just Another Day" is a very underrated and awesome song.

Although I do think this album was overall a weak effort compared to DIO's very best albums, I love the more commercial moments on it, which is the main reason why most people who dislike the album do dislike it. There's quite a bit of filler on here, but the killer slightly outweighs it, and it still contains a good few songs which I would consider as DIO classics. Not a classic album by any means, but there is definitely some classic gems to be found here for sure! <3

[Holymagica]

One of the things, I like about this cd is the writing, Ronnie James Dio lyrics are so good.The vocals are also the very best, there is many memorable parts that are 100% Ronnie James Dio.
Maybe the arrangements could have been different, I won't use the word better becoz, the cd is just short of being genius.
How do you follow on from Holy Diver and Last in Line and not worry if this has to be on par with the rest.
And lets just go back to 1980 and follow the DIO's path in the studio to this cd-
Heaven and Hell
Mob Rules
Holy Diver
Last in Line
Sacred Heart
There is not many artists out there that can keep to this great form.
This is perfection in my eyes and I did not even mention Rainbow.
Pure genius if you ask me

[metalgod77]

Is this out of print in the States?
You can't find it anywhere and it's not on itunes or amazon's mp3 site.
Glad I still have mine.

[fiddlequeen07]

This is my 2nd-favorite DIO album, I think. It has a wonderful mystical quality that the previous albums did not really have. Holy Diver and The Last in Line are more driving, more powerful, and more "real"...but Sacred Heart is like a fantasy; it's a trip to a land of wizards and dragons and rainbows and magic...but all these things are illusion covering a darker reality. (Maybe I analyze it too much, or my mind is just too imaginative.)

Anyway, this album has wonderful music with powerful lyrics. I think it is more inspiring (lyrically, at least) than the previous two DIO albums.

Favorite tracks: Sacred Heart, Hungry for Heaven, Just Another Day
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"You'll never make me be like you. I'm Master of the Moon!"

[DioInfinitum]

Holy Moly, this album is listing at 80 bucks on Amazon!

Wow!

This was not my favorite album, but I honestly enjoyed much of the lyrics.

I appreciate Rock and Roll Children more than any other track on this album. I guess my main disliking of the album is due to sort of a 'cheese 80s' tone, however I don't consider Ronnie's voice as sounding bad, quite the contrary of course.

I have also always been attracted to Ronnie's music because of the medieval themes. Ronnie practically was a soundtrack for the entire idea of wizards and sorcerers to me. Sacred Heart is substantial with medieval imagery/fantasy.

I ought to give Sacred Heart another listen. It has been many years since I listened.

[adiszul]

extremely underrated, maybe little to commercial but it is still a classic, title track is one of the 5 best Dio tracks imo

there are parts of Sacred Heart when we can hear a keybord orgy and i dont like them, my rate of the album 9/10
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So live for today
Tomorrow never comes

[richierich]

I'm with obliviousthedrummer on this one, it was my first Dio album too! I saw a very brief clip of the "Rock n Roll Children" video on tv, and thought it sounded ok, so gave the album a try, and loved it!

I love all th tracks with the exception of "Shoot Shoot", which is ok but a bit meh.

Love Viv's playing on this one, and there's some underrated gems on here like "Another Lie" (wicked riff) and "Just Another Day", alongside the better known songs.
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"Whenever you dream you're holding the key, it opens the door to let you be free" - RJD 1985

[PowerKnight]

Again it`s not an album I like much, three great tracks but I find the rest of it lacking in consistency. Second least favoured Dio album for me! PowerKnight
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Joust With Thee
For I The PowerKnight Hath Taken
Escaped From The Castle
A Damsel Distressed Unto Thee
The PowerKnight Legacy
A Dio Disciple And A Blackmore Knight

[neon knight pete]

O.k. maybe Sacred Heart was not such a big classic as the first two Dio albums - Holy Diver & The Last In Line , but i think its still got some great songs on this album , such as -

King Of Rock N Roll :
Like A Beat of A Heart :
Sacred Heart :
Hungry For Heaven :
Rock N Roll Children :
Shoot Shoot :
Just Another Day :

To me i will always like this album anyway , mainly because it was also the very first time i ever see Dio play (Live) actually on the Sacred Heart Tour at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1986 , & i was blown away by his performance & the special stage effects & Lighting he had on that actual tour , + not forgetting Denzil The Dragon roaring above the stage set , o.k. to some people may think its just a another case of Spinal Tap again with stone henge , but this is what Dio mainly sang about & was famous for anyway - Dungeons & Dragons , Kings & Queens , Mediaeval Times , if you didn,t like it , then get the hell off Dio,s boat folks , dont get me wrong , but each to thier own anyway , i will always Love the Sacred Heart album because it holds a great memory for me folks .
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PEsneesby

[Jeffrey]

Yes, it is too bad this album gets overlooked over the years. It is a very good listen. There were a lot of new metal bands trying to make it big around this time. Dio tried to hold on the fans he had before and attract some new ones at the same time. How did he do? Well, I am still here after all of these years.

Rock and Roll children was especially personal to me and my sister, as we knew the prejudices that went with being rock kids.

Sacred Heart is an excellent song, Another Lie, Shoot Shoot. I can't think of a song I didn't like.

Jeffrey
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Ronnie James Dio is a legend

[PinkLedRushDio]

Great album from top to bottom, but in the natural 80's stylings that some may consider more commercial, but I just think it's more DIO! Very good album and the last from the first classic lineup. And supposedly the tour was insane. Gotta get the Sacred Heart DVD
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So if a stranger sees you
Don't look in his eyes, 'cause he's

Voodoo!

[StargazerGeisha]

I love this album. It's my second favorite Dio album (the first being Dream Evil.

I love this album because it's so transitional. You can really hear that Dio is taking a new direction musically, and it kind of hints at what the future direction it's going to be.

To explain it better, I kind of loosely compare it to the Beatles albums Rubber Soul and Revolver. Those albums are getting away from the be-boppy Love Me Do kind of stuff, and it's before they got all trippy. A more serious Beatles you might say.

Sacred Heart, for me anyway, was beginning to usher in a new direction for the Dio band.

I know....I'm full of it...