And here’s in exclusive at another volume from the very good “Alive The Live” series, a CD release only available in Japan (disc manufactured in Taiwan by King Records) featuring the unique Ronnie James DIO at his peak.
“DIO – Super Rock ’85 In Japan” features a very good recording of the band appearance in Tokyo at the Super Rock Festival in 1985 during the ‘Sacred Heart Tour’, performing songs from the album as well as previous Holy Diver and The Last In Line, with highlights from his tenure in Black Sabbath and Rainbow in front of a 25,000 people crowd. This has been professionally remastered from the original broadcast with background liners and timeline photos.
Back in 1985, DIO was taking his latest album ‘Sacred Heart’ out on the road for what was his biggest touring venture at the time. Ronnie: “We took the Sacred Heart show twice to Europe, twice to Japan and four times in America over two years and it was very, very expensive. We had about nine to ten trucks and seven to eight buses and about seventy-five people on the road but it was wonderful at the end of the day. But all that counts is the reaction from the people, that’s all that matters.”
Dio’s principal aim was always to entertain and give the fans what they needed: Rock. His work ethics could never be brought into doubt, but he desired an equal amount of feedback from his fans. A classic and humorous example of this is in Heaven and Hell performed here in Tokyo in 1985 where Ronnie invites the 25,000 rockers to sing the line, ‘On and on, on and on, it’s Heaven and Hell,’ The audience isn’t exactly forthcoming, prompting Ronnie to vent over the mic: “Oh bollocks, I can’t hear you at all!’
A similar episode comes with Rainbow’s classic ‘Long Live Rock and Roll’ where Ronnie approaches the crowd midway through the song and says, “You know this song right?’ Hardly any response, so he goes over to former fellow Rainbow band mate Jimmy Bain and says, ‘You know this song right?’ Jimmy says, ‘Yeah!’ – Ronnie says, I’m glad someone bloody does!’
Fun, but the set list deserves the full attention of everyone here with five cuts from ‘Sacred Heart’ and a generous helping of classics from the DIO, RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH eras. Naturally, Holy Diver serves as the essential ingredient in any DIO show and Ronnie selects four highlights for the delight of the audience.
Highly Recommended
01 – King Of Rock And Roll (Live)
02 – Like The Beat Of The Heart (Live)
03 – Don’t Talk To Strangers (Live)
04 – Hungry For Heaven (Live)
05 – Last In Line (Live)
06 – Holy Diver (Live)
07 – Last In Line Pt 2 (Live)
08 – Heaven And Hell (Live)
09 – Sacred Heart (Live)
10 – Rock And Roll Children (Live)
11 – Long Live Rock N’ Roll (Live)
12 – Man On The Silver Mountain (Live)
13 – Rock N’ Roll CHildren Pt. 2 (Live)
14 – Rainbow In The Dark (Live)
15 – Stand Up And Shout (Live)
BONUS TRACKS: San Jose Civic Auditorium, CA 5th Oct. 1983
16 – Rainbow In The Dark
17 – Man On The Silver Mountain / Starstruck
Ronnie James Dio: Vocals
Craig Goldy: Guitar
Jimmy Bain: Bass, keyboards, and backing vocals
Vinny Appice: Drums and percussion
Claude Schnell: Keyboards