Best Dio LP After "Dream Evil"

I totally agree with Lari.

I like Master of the Moon. I didn't like it when I first got the CD near the time it came out, but it really grew on me.

He is the Master of the Moon, and the man who would be king!    

Killing the dragon followed by Magica. I like them all. Killing the dragon had some fire that pushed it to the top of the list for me. I didn't get the albums when they were released and only recently back filled the catalog. My last real time Dio release was Dream Evil.

I chose 'Strange Highways'....such a thick, heavy record...almost a nod to his Sabbath days. 'Angry Machines' is also strong.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I chose 'Strange Highways'....such a thick, heavy record...almost a nod to his Sabbath days. 'Angry Machines' is also strong.

It's funny, I heard nothing but bad things about Angry Machines so I avoided it until it was the last one I needed. I got it free at the used shop (buy 3 get 1 free) figuring I wasn't losing anything getting it that way. Turns out it was much better than expected. Maybe because my expectations were so low, but I enjoy it regardless.

007 wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I chose 'Strange Highways'....such a thick, heavy record...almost a nod to his Sabbath days. 'Angry Machines' is also strong.

It's funny, I heard nothing but bad things about Angry Machines so I avoided it until it was the last one I needed. I got it free at the used shop (buy 3 get 1 free) figuring I wasn't losing anything getting it that way. Turns out it was much better than expected. Maybe because my expectations were so low, but I enjoy it regardless.

Yeah, it's a really good album...got a bad rap back in the day, but I always enjoyed it. Those 2 (AM and SH) w/ Tracy G were his darkest, heaviest, most Sabbath-like albums, IMO...I liked them both...especially SH.

Temple of Blood wrote:

"Strange Highways" is his best solo album.

I agree, I think that this album is better than Holy Diver and Last in Line.

Angry Machines is my fave Dio.

You people are all doped up!   

I went with Lock Up the Wolves...but I don't really see that as being separate from his 80s stuff, other than by being released one year too late to be in the 80s. It's got the same feel to me.

I dig SW and AM. I couldn't get into Ktd or Magicia when they came out. Never listened to Master.

I saw Dio on the Angry Machines tour. He was great as always, but Tracy G made no attempt to play Viv's or Goldy's solos. His style just didn't fit the older material at all.

Witchfinder wrote:

I saw Dio on the Angry Machines tour.  He was great as always, but Tracy G made no attempt to play Viv's or Goldy's solos.  His style just didn't fit the older material at all.  

See, that would be my preference, I wouldn't want to hear someone else copy solos, I'd rather they did their own thing. Very similar to Steve Morse in Deep Purple who will occasionally quote little Blackmore licks but mainly just re-wrote his own solos for that material.

I didn't like "Angry Machines" when I first heard it but spun it not long ago and couldn't figure out why I didn't like it. I guess it wasn't what I wanted to hear at the time.

I used to have Strange Highways on CD. Never could get into it as a whole, but "Bring Down The Rain" is excellent. It is worth it to own for a while just for that song and the powerful "Give Her The Gun."

While love can be a whisper...

I'd rather a new take as a whole if a lead player just isn't a similar enough personality to be very faithful to the recording. It's nice sometimes if it can be pulled off, but when you try too hard you try too hard and it really shows live. The best case is when a new player can still pull something new out of a song.

"Cat Scratch Challis!"

"Back in Black for the End of the World!"

Temple of Blood wrote:

I didn't like "Angry Machines" when I first heard it but spun it not long ago and couldn't figure out why I didn't like it.  I guess it wasn't what I wanted to hear at the time.

Funny enough, I had the same reaction as you did. I did not care for it a first then, gave it fresh spin months and months later, and know I love the album