In May 2010 the worlds of hard rock and heavy metal lost one of their most gifted and fervent ambassadors, with the passing of Ronnie James Dio. In his position as lead vocalist for rock giants such as Rainbow and Black Sabbath, as well as fronting his own eponymous band for nearly three decades, Dio created some of the genres most defining and respected works. Albums such as Holy Diver, Sacred Heart and Last in Line all stand as towering monuments of sheer class and brilliance in the rock pantheon. Dio was also to pave the way in regards to performing live, as few equalled him. With his incredible vocal range, Dio was to preside over countless memorable rock shows, enthralling his millions of fans worldwide. As well as the original CD being re-mastered, these reissues each feature a bonus CD containing an expanded booklet with notes from Malcolm Dome and have been endorsed by Ronnie’s widow Wendy Dio.
Holy Diver was the debut album from Dio, released 25th May, 1983. It was hailed by critics as some of his best work and in January 1986 it was awarded Silver certification. The upbeat sounding Rainbow in the Dark was to catch MTV’s attention, with the title track also standing out.
The Last in Line was the second Dio studio album. It was released on 13th July, 1984 and was the first album from Dio to reach Platinum status as well as number 4 in the UK charts. This new album showcased the anthemic tracks We Rock and I Speed at Night as well as the seven-minute epic, Egypt ( The Chains are On).
Released in October 1985 Sacred Heart was released as the third studio album from Dio. The album reached number 4 in the UK charts and was to go on to be certified Gold. This was to become Dio’s most well known album and contained the tracks Rock N’ Roll Children and Hungry for Heaven. The stage show that was to accompany this album was hailed as a spectacle, involving a mechanised dragon as well as laser’s. Ronnie and his band were to refer to the dragon as Denzil. This was the last studio album to be released by Dio that included guitarist Vivian Campbell.
Holy Diver - Disc one
Stand Up And Shout
Holy Diver
Gypsy
Caught In The Middle
Don't Talk To Strangers
Straight Through The Heart
Invisible
Rainbow In The Dark
Shame On The Night
Disc two
Evil Eyes
Stand Up And Shout
Straight Through The Heart
Stand Up And Shout
Shame On The Night
Children Of The Sea
Holy Diver
Rainbow In The Dark
Man On The Silver Mountain
Last In Line - Disc one
We Rock
The Last In Line
Breathless
I Speed at Night
One Night In The City
Evil Eyes
Mystery
Eat Your Heart Out
Egypt (The Chains Are On)
Disc two
Stand Up And Shout - Live - B-Side Last In Line
Straight Through The Heart - Live - B-Side Last In Line
Eat Your Heart Out - Live - Mystery
Don't Talk To Strangers - Live - Mystery
Holy Diver - Live - B-Side We Rock
Rainbow In The Dark - Live - B-Side We Rock
One Night In The City - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
We Rock - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Holy Diver - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Stargazer - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Heaven And Hell - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Rainbow In The Dark - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Man On The Silver Mountain - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Don't Talk To Strangers - Pinkpop Festival, Geleen
Sacred Heart - Disc one
King Of Rock N 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
Disc Two
Hide In The Rainbow - Dio EP
We Rock - Live - B-Side Rock N Roll Children
Last In Line - Live - B-Side Rock N Roll Children
Like the Beat Of A Heart - Live - B-Side Hungry For Heaven
King Of Rock N Roll – Intermission
Rainbow In The Dark – Intermission
Sacred Heart - Intermission
Time To Burn – Intermission
Rock N Roll Children - Intermission
Long Live Rock N Roll – Intermission
Man On The Silver Mountain – Intermission
We Rock - Intermission