LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MAY 25, 2019…36 YEARS AGO DIO RELEASED THE ALBUM ‘HOLY DIVER’
IT WAS THE DEBUT STUDIO ALBUM FOR THE BAND DIO. RONNIE JAMES DIO HAD JUST LEFT BLACK SABBATH ( FOR THE FIRST TIME) AND PUT THE BAND DIO TOGETHER WITH VINNIE APPICE (WHO ALSO LEFT BLACK SABBATH TO FORM THE BAND DIO).
THE GROUP WAS ROUNDED OUT BY JIMMY BAIN ON BASS ( WHO PLAYED WITH DIO IN RAINBOW), AND A YOUNG VIVIAN CAMPBELL, WHO LATER WOULD GO ON TO HUGE FAME IN DEF LEPPARD.
THIS IS A KILLER ALBUM. ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE RANKED IT AS 16TH ON THEIR LIST ON THE “100 GREATEST METAL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME”
HOLY DIVER TRIVIA:
-Ronnie James Dio wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album and produced it as well.
-The album cover features the band’s devil-looking mascot, Murray, whipping a chain at a priest who is bound by chains. However, Ronnie once pointed out that appearances are misleading and the cover could just as well depict a priest killing a devil.
-Following the September 11th attacks, “Holy Diver” was placed on a list of tracks with inappropriate titles.
-The lyrics of “Holy Diver” are about Revelations 12:9, which describes Satan being cast to the earth.
-“Rainbow in the Dark,” the second single from the album, is about an inability to release tremendous potential, and Dio once said it was inspired by his time fronting Black Sabbath.
-RJD wanted to cut “Rainbow in the Dark” from the album, thinking it was too poppy and didn’t belong on the album. The rest of the band persuaded him that wasn’t the case.
-The original vinyl release had a photo montage in the liner. It included pictures of Dio during his time with both Rainbow and Black Sabbath.
-The album was certified Gold for sales over 500,000 in 1984, then Platinum for sales over one-million copies in 1989.
HERE’S DIO LIVE FROM THE EDGE IN PALO ALTO !
