That's on Rising.
\m/ DIO \m/
- Thread starter MrKnickerbocker
- Start date
That's on Rising.
MrKnickerbocker
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Gates of Babylon is basically one of the greatest songs ever written. I think it's the template for the first 5-6 Symphony X albums.
MrKnickerbocker
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On the discussion of Holy Diver VS. Last in Line:
Both are very good albums, but HD is solid the entire way through. LIL hits a pretty mediocre patch in the middle.
- One Night in the City has a cool groove, but pretty lame lyrics and ultimately doesn't go anywhere incredible.
- Evil Eyes is cool, but again: pretty average for Dio.
- Mystery has that lame keyboard and major chorus that just feel...so lame.
- Eat Your Heart Out is alright, but still feels a little forced.
Luckily, the first four songs are good and it ends spectacularly with Egypt, but overall I think Holy Diver is a more consistently good album.
Both are very good albums, but HD is solid the entire way through. LIL hits a pretty mediocre patch in the middle.
- One Night in the City has a cool groove, but pretty lame lyrics and ultimately doesn't go anywhere incredible.
- Evil Eyes is cool, but again: pretty average for Dio.
- Mystery has that lame keyboard and major chorus that just feel...so lame.
- Eat Your Heart Out is alright, but still feels a little forced.
Luckily, the first four songs are good and it ends spectacularly with Egypt, but overall I think Holy Diver is a more consistently good album.
MrKnickerbocker
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I prefer the raw, more 70's vibe that kind of trailed from Dio's Rainbow and Sabbath years onto HD. By the time LiL hits, it's full-on 80's sounding.
In hindsight, I knew Dio from the song Mob Rules, which I had on a mixed tape.
But I didn't really know him.
That happened when I heard a radio bit talking about his new solo album. I was, I think, in Grade 9 and just discovering heavy music.
The song they played was Caught In The Middle, and I was stunned. That voice over that sequence of power chords mesmerized me.
I went to the record store. The cover repelled and entranced at the same time, and when I got it home and put it on I was floored. It was that good and that feeling has never left. Definitely one of the defining albums for my life.
But I didn't really know him.
That happened when I heard a radio bit talking about his new solo album. I was, I think, in Grade 9 and just discovering heavy music.
The song they played was Caught In The Middle, and I was stunned. That voice over that sequence of power chords mesmerized me.
I went to the record store. The cover repelled and entranced at the same time, and when I got it home and put it on I was floored. It was that good and that feeling has never left. Definitely one of the defining albums for my life.
No, it also has Push and Rock and Roll.
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
For me, it's not even close. Holy Diver by a mile. Knick is right, LiL has some plodding moments, whereas Holy Diver smokes throughout.
I am also perhaps in the minority because I LOVE Mob Rules. The title track is face-melting (the demo used on the Heavy Metal motion picture soundtrack is even better). RJD's vocal performance on "Sign of the Southern Cross" is truly epic. And Side 2 is criminally underrated: "Country Girl" and "Falling Off the Edge of the World" are just awesome. ("Country Girl" is a top-5 Iommi riff for me.) Mob Rules sits aside H&H among my favorite metal albums ever.
At this point I also want to strongly recommend Live at Hammersmith Odeon, which is a better live album (and a much better mix) than Live Evil. The Mob Rules Deluxe Edition has this as disc 2, and it also has the Heavy Metal demo of the title track, making it one of the best CD reissue values I've ever seen.
Enjoy:
MrKnickerbocker
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I also love Mob Rules. It's not as good as Heaven and Hell, but only misses by a hair. Sign of the Southern Cross is brilliant, as is Falling Off the Edge of the World. And maybe it's just our mutual raising as cornfed hicks, but I absolutely love Country Girl! I normally don't love songs where the vocals mimic the guitar riff, but that one is just so damn good. One of my favorite Sabbath songs, for sure.
CFH and I tend to agree on a lot of things, but Dio isn't one of them. 
I will agree that Mob Rules at its best is just as good as H&H. Country Girl is a good one. When it comes to comparing classic albums like that, it really comes down to which has the best "filler" or deep cuts or whatever for me. In the case of the two Sabbath albums, H&H wins and it isn't even a contest.
Holy Diver and LiL are a bit closer. I just finished listening to them back to back and it was a lot closer than I remembered. I still gravitate toward LiL, I really like One Night In the City. I will agree that Evil Eyes and Eat Your Heart Out are a bit on the meh side, but I love every other track. Holy Diver on the other hand has Invisible, which drags seemingly endlessly. Also, my controversial Dio opinion is that I'm not really into Don't Talk To Strangers. Both are excellent albums though so it barely matters.
I will agree that Mob Rules at its best is just as good as H&H. Country Girl is a good one. When it comes to comparing classic albums like that, it really comes down to which has the best "filler" or deep cuts or whatever for me. In the case of the two Sabbath albums, H&H wins and it isn't even a contest. Holy Diver and LiL are a bit closer. I just finished listening to them back to back and it was a lot closer than I remembered. I still gravitate toward LiL, I really like One Night In the City. I will agree that Evil Eyes and Eat Your Heart Out are a bit on the meh side, but I love every other track. Holy Diver on the other hand has Invisible, which drags seemingly endlessly. Also, my controversial Dio opinion is that I'm not really into Don't Talk To Strangers. Both are excellent albums though so it barely matters.
MrKnickerbocker
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That's the thing, we're splitting hairs. It's all good. I think it's hard for anyone to deny the fact that the five greatest albums Dio ever recorded are probably:
- Rainbow Rising
- Heaven and Hell
- Mob Rules
- Holy Diver
- Last in Line
There might be some people who prefer another Rainbow album or maybe another Dio album to one of those five, but it doesn't matter much because the overall quality is so damn high.
- Rainbow Rising
- Heaven and Hell
- Mob Rules
- Holy Diver
- Last in Line
There might be some people who prefer another Rainbow album or maybe another Dio album to one of those five, but it doesn't matter much because the overall quality is so damn high.
Count me among those who think Mob Rules stands near the top of my favourites list.
Not among my top 10 albums ever, but probably in the next tier.
All-time favourite Dio songs, in order of release:
Temple of the King
Stargazer
Gates of Babylon
Neon Knights
Children of the Sea
Heaven and Hell
Die Young
Sign of the Southern Cross
Falling Off the Edge of the World
Holy Diver
Caught in the Middle
Last in Line
And before Knick launched this thread I was thinking we were due for a Dio survivor.
Should I go for it?
Not among my top 10 albums ever, but probably in the next tier.
All-time favourite Dio songs, in order of release:
Temple of the King
Stargazer
Gates of Babylon
Neon Knights
Children of the Sea
Heaven and Hell
Die Young
Sign of the Southern Cross
Falling Off the Edge of the World
Holy Diver
Caught in the Middle
Last in Line
And before Knick launched this thread I was thinking we were due for a Dio survivor.
Should I go for it?
MrKnickerbocker
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PLEASE
Include all of the Elf albums, the first 3 Rainbow, all of the Dio Sabbath/H&H material, and all solo Dio. I'm literally doing an in-depth listen as I type this. I couldn't be more prepared.