Holy Diver [Import]

Holy Diver [Import]

Track Listings

1. Stand Up & Shout

2. Holy Diver

3. Gypsy

4. Caught In The Middle

5. Dont Talk To Strangers

6. Straight Through The Heart

7. Invisible

8. Rainbow In The Dark

9. Shame On The Night

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese 24-bit remastered reissue of 1983 album. Vertigo. 2002.

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

Music With MEANING.......2007-07-30

[Written by son of "Pleasantonian"]

I read a couple of the 1-star reviews just to amuse myself (because I loved this album) and was surprised to find someone who disliked the "fourth grader lyrics" about "dragons and wizards..." First of all, I do not believe the word 'wizard' or anything in relation to a wizard appears in the album, and secondly, you must understand that the music contains uses of something known as metaphor.
And also, someone quoted the song "Rainbow in the Dark," commenting on how un-heavy the lyrics are... You cannot judge whether the lyrics are heavy by showing ONE line from ONE song-- ironically, however, the line he chose did contain meaning, it wasn't just filler.

Great album, heavy lyrics, I'm more of a jazz person --not so much metal-- but I loved this-- I'm surprised it doesn't have a five-star average rating.

duh dee-do-duh dee-do-duh do-dee duh dee-do-deh dee-do-dee-duh.......2007-05-30

Ah, "Holy Diver" is a friggin metal classic, and you gotta get it if you don't have it. Dio's two albums with Black Sabbath were quite excellent, and "Holy Diver" is a nice follow up to them. Course, it's a different band, but it's not overwhelmingly different from a musical standpoint. It's mostly just a bit faster and more energetic, particularly since Campbell is a much sharper, piercing guitarist than the great Iommi, and the rhythm section tends to be a bit more frantic this time around. Still, I assume Dio was courting precisely the same audience when he put out this album, and no doubt he won it over. Dio himself is in top form, and I think he benefits from the more consistently energetic setting.

"Holy Diver" isn't overloaded with musical variety, but it's short on filler and mixes up the tempos pretty well. The two openning tracks are total classics and severely archetypal metal songs, with "Stand Up and Shout" being one of the ultimate fist-pumping, speed-metal anthem and "Holy Diver" working the crushing, mid-paced groove to perfection. Two completely great songs, though "Holy Diver" could do w/o the intro.

"Holy Diver" can't top those openers, but it's got plenty of other cool tracks. ("Invisible" is definitely the weakest track, but it's still not weak enough that it needs to be cut. It's just not as good as everything else.) "Caught in the Middle" is perhaps the best of them, and one of the more overtly poppy songs on the album. There's nothing wrong with that if you can pull it off and still be metal, which is precisely what "Caught in the Middle" does. Damn it's catchy. "Straight through the Heart" is another particularly anthemic track and another stand out, as is "Rainbow in the Dark", which has another tour de force vocal performance from Dio and some delightfully basic keyboard work. "Shame on the Night" didn't make too big of an impression on me initially, but it's definitely grown on me over time. It's a bit slower and atmospheric than some of the other tracks, which allow to Dio to get even more theatrical than usual. Cool stuff, and it manages to be an appropriately epic closer.

Anyway, "Holy Diver" is pretty thoroughly representative of the good side of commerical 80's metal. Get it.

One of the best rock albums ever.......2007-05-13

This album should belong in every metal fan's collection.
Every song is good, and Holy Diver is simply powerful.
Ronny James Dio is one of the best frontmen of our generation.

Career-defining metal masterpiece; 10 out of 10.......2007-05-11

The 1983 release Holy Diver was the first album by Dio, a band formed by legendary singer Ronnie James Dio immediately following his abrupt departure from Black Sabbath the previous year. An immediate multi-platinum success, it is an album that has stood the test of time and is now recognized as a classic metal masterpiece.

THE PACKAGING: The first thing you'll notice when you pick up Holy Diver is the terrific cover art featuring a demon (nicknamed Murray) drowning a priest. This created a great deal of controversy when it appeared in 1983, a time when concern over alleged satanism in rock music was beginning to run rampant. Murray would go on to be featured on a number of other Dio album jackets. The liner notes are pretty much just bare essentials, including a tracklist, credits, and a printing of the introductory lyrics to the song "Invisible".

THE BAND: To record Holy Diver Dio enlisted a group of stellar performers, including several he had worked with in the past. Virtuoso drummer Vinnie Appice came over from Black Sabbath with him, and bassist Jimmy Bain had been a member of the incredible lineup that recorded Rainbow's Rising. The lineup was rounded out by a young guitarist named Vivian Campbell, previously of an Irish hard rock band called Sweet Savage.

THE SOUND: If you're familiar with RJD's previous work you'll notice right off that this doesn't sound much like the music he recorded with Black Sabbath or Rainbow. It lacks the dark, brooding heaviness of the Sabbath recordings and the thoughtful classicism of early Rainbow. This album is characterized by energy and vitality, due in large part to the contributions of Vivian Campbell. Campbell's playing on this album is pure fire and passion, augmented by a great sense of melody. The rhythm section is equally impressive, featuring virtuoso drumming courtesy of skinsman Vinnie Appice and tight, in-the-pocket bass provided by Jimmy Bain. RJD is as wailing strong as ever, turning in a vocal performance both passionate and powerful. Keyboards are featured in a few places, played reasonably well by Bain and RJD. RJD himself produced the album with remarkable results for a first attempt. Although slightly lacking in bottom, the recording is very crisp with every instrument clearly audible and there's a certain shimmer to the top end that augments the album's aura of vitality. The vocals and guitars in particular are very well recorded. A lot of reviewers seem to think a remaster would be a great idea, but I really don't see what they think is wrong. All a remaster is going to do is increase the levels and squash all the dynamic range out of the recording. Why would you want to do that?

THE SONGS: The album kicks off in rip-roaring fashion with the scorching rocker "Stand Up And Shout". This is followed by the atmospheric title track which I believe is a carefully veiled attack on organized religion, nicely in keeping with the jacket art. This tune has gone on to become one of Dio's great classics and a concert standard. "Gypsy" is next, and although my least favorite track on the record is STILL a great tune, a hard rocker that's lyrically reminicent of "Lady Evil" from the Black Sabbath days. After this comes two of my personal favorites, first the melodic rocker "Caught In The Middle" and then "Don't Talk To Strangers", which starts out like a ballad before kicking into overdrive. Two great heavy rock tunes are next, "Straight Through The Heart" and Invisible". Then comes arguably the most identifiable Dio song, the timeless "Rainbow In the Dark" with it's insistent keyboard melody and catchy chorus. The album closes with the slow, stately "Shame On The Night", another of my favorites from this album.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Ten of ten... this album has absolutely no weak spots and stands today as one of Ronnie James Dio's finest moments. If you like heavy metal, get this album. If you don't like heavy metal, get this album anyway.

Really greatly done, great ROCK album.......2007-05-05

This album is just great, if you wanna Rock, you can't go wrong with this one. Just very good Rock song and one of the best voice in Rock'n'Roll music. Greatly done Ronnie !

Average customer rating:

\m/ HOLY DIO \m/
Dio's legendary album!

Holy Diver
Dio
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Heaven And Hell
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We Rock
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ASIN: B000A3OWU6
Release Date: 2005-10-03

Tracks:

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
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]
Ronnie James Dio Audio Interview (2005) (Continued) [*]

Album Description

This 2005 import remastered edition features the original 9 tracks, plus an interview with Dio. Recorded at Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, California. Despite recording two hit studio albums with Black Sabbath (1980's Heaven And Hell and 1981's The Mob Rules) and playing throughout the world to huge crowds, Ronnie James Dio left the band in 1982, the year of his final release with Sabbath, the in-concert Live Evil. As soon as the announcement of his departure was made official, Dio began to put together his first solo project. Joining him were former Rainbow bandmate Jimmy Bain on bass, former Sabbath bandmate Vinny Appice on drums, ex-Sweet Savage guitar hero Vivian Campbell, and newcomer Claude Schnell on keyboards. Holy Diver, Dio's band debut, was originally issued in 1983. The album quickly became a favorite among headbangers worldwide and eventually earned the group platinum certification. The somewhat upbeat sounding 'Rainbow in the Dark' was an MTV favorite, while the plodding title track proved to be another standout. Other album highlights include the opening anthem 'Stand Up And Shout', 'Invisible', and 'Don't Talk to Strangers'. Holy Diver proved that Dio's departure from Black Sabbath had not affected his spirits. In fact, he sounds most inspired here, aided by his new, hungry backing bandDio's classic album from 1983 has been completely remastered and boasts a new interview with Ronnie James Dio conducted by Paul Suter at Ronnie's home studio in July 2005. Universal.

Album Details

Dio's Classic Album from 1983 Has Been Completely Remastered and Boasts a New Interview with Ronnie James Dio Conducted by Paul Suter at Ronnie's Home Studio in July 2005. There Aren't Many Singers who Can Claim to have Been Involved with a Classic Album; Ronnie James Dio Has Put his Stamp on Three! Between 1976-1983, the Year that "Holy Diver" Hit the Fan, He Found Himself at the Mic. For Some of the Finest Moments in Hard Rock History; First There was Rainbow's "Rising" Album (1976) the Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell" (1980), Then "Holy Diver" (1983), the Latter Showing that When it Came to the Epic SWEEP, the Grand Musical Gesture, Dio Really was the Man (On the Silver Mountain).

Customer Reviews:

\m/ HOLY DIO \m/.......2007-04-28

I'll freely admit to being a born-again member of the Church of Dio. With the possible additions of Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio is THE archetypical heavy metal vocalist. He is a true icon whose very name is synonymous with metal, and his music has and will continue to shape the nature of metal for generations to come.

1983's Holy Diver was the first solo album from Dio, and you can tell that this is what he had been aiming for, for quite some time. As wild and fantasy-oriented as his work with both Rainbow and Black Sabbath was, Holy Diver showcases a completely unfettered Dio. With no Ritchie Blackmore or Tony Iommi to keep him in check, Dio could write exactly the kind of dragon and rainbow-obsessed songs he wanted; the result of course was an album full of some of the greatest (and yes, the cheesiest) metal anthems ever. If songs like Stand Up and Shout, Don't Talk to Strangers, Straight through the Heart, Rainbow in the Dark, Shame on the Night, and of course Holy Diver don't have you banging your head and raising the horns, nothing will.

Holy Diver is THE classic Dio album, and this was the classic Dio lineup. With Jimmy Bain (ex-Rainbow), Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath), and Vivian Campbell* on board, Dio created one of the all-time greatest heavy metal albums. Holy Diver was the logical succession of the music Dio created in Rainbow and Black Sabbath (Shame on the Night in particular would have been right at home on Mob Rules), and it played a key role in defining the American metal and power metal sound. Look at the big names in (real) metal today, and you're likely to find at least one Dio cover in their catalogs.

What more can I say? Holy Diver is one of the all-time greatest heavy metal albums, and one that every self-proclaimed metal fan should own. I know there is a generation of kids out there who only know the modern metal sound of bands like Opeth, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Dragonforce, and (shudder) Slipknot, and to them Holy Diver will no doubt seem a bit silly. Still, I stand by my statement. If you listen to Holy Diver, and I mean really listen to it, you will hear Dio's influence in many of today's metal bands.

NOTE: In 2005, Rock Candy issued a remastered (YES!!!) version of Holy Diver. The digitally remastered sound treatment was long overdue for this classic album, and adding a 30+ minute interview with Ronnie James Dio as bonus material was an especially nice touch. Hopefully they will turn their attention to Dream Evil, The Last In Line, and other Dio classics before too long.

* Vivian Campbell would eventually go on to join Def Leppard, play a large role in watering down their already sterile sound, trash Dio on a regular basis, and generally bemoan the fact that he was ever associated with anything as pedestrian as this fine metal album. Normally I'd pray that karma comes around hardcore on this tool, but he already has to play "Pour Some Sugar On Me" on a regular basis, so perhaps he's already being punished by the universe.

Dio's legendary album!.......2006-11-20

After having payed his dues with Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath, Dio struck out out on his own with a very ambitious album that would became a rock milestone. The Rock Candy version here reviewed presents all the original tracks in remastered form plus a 2005 interview with the King of Rock'n'Roll himself. Any serious fan of this legendary musician should have a complete and updated version of the album.

Average customer rating:

This CD Kicked my butt
Dio Forever!!!!!
Disappointed!!!!
Great set list!
Nice concept that comes up a bit short

Holy Diver Live
Dio
Manufacturer: Eagle Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000EQ5QGS
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Tracks:

Stand Up and Shout
Holy Diver
Gypsy
Caught in the Middle
Dont Talk to Strangers
Straight Through the Heart
Invisible
Rainbow in the Dark
Shame on the Night

Tracks:

Tarot Woman
Sign of the Southern Cross
One Night in the City
Gates of Babylon
Heaven & Hell
Man on the Silver Mountain
Long Live Rock N Roll
We Rock

Album Description

Captured live in front of a sold-out London crowd, Ronnie James Dio delivers a truly memorable performance on this truly memorable night. Dio has been hailed as one of the finest voices in Heavy Metal for over 30 years now and for good reason. Due to his stints in Rainbow, Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, Dio is one of the few people in the history of music that can honestly say they have played on three classic albums, each under a different moniker. "Holy Diver Live" features the classic "Holy Diver" album in its entirety, from start to finish, recorded live for the very first time. It also features, among others, Heaven & Hell, Sign of the Southern Cross and Mob Rules from his Black Sabbath days, Tarot Woman, Man on the Silver Mountain and Long Live Rock `N' Roll from the Rainbow days and We Rock from his solo career.

Customer Reviews:

This CD Kicked my butt.......2007-01-13

This is amazing, the DIO band kills on all these classic songs! Way to go, it sounds as fresh as Holy Diver! The sound is so clean for a live show that makes it so special. A must for Dio fans and guitar lovers. Dio has a voice that makes this look so easy!
CJ

Dio Forever!!!!!.......2006-07-25

I find Dio now with same power he had since I first heard about him with Black Sabbath 25 years ago!!!, I believe he keeps all his energy even after all this years and you can tell that on this great live cd which I recommend, 100% quality rock and roll.
I just saw Dio live last July 22nd at Costa Rica concert where he played as on this Cd most of Holy Diver album, and he sung as at the old times, people got crazy with this King of Rock and Roll, can't believe I was just 10 steps away from this Genius .
Highly recommended.
Oscar, Fan from Grecia, Costa Rica

Disappointed!!!!.......2006-07-18

This came in with a 7 cd order, so I pop this cd in and literally took it out to make sure I had the right one in...
I am disappointed in this one...the vocals are ok but not excellent and the song Holy Diver is awful here. Although a few songs here do sound Good and stand out I don't think it is worth the price unless you can find used.
Too bad ...I had high hopes for a great Dio album. Luckily Grave Diggers "25 to live" came in with this one and it is a great live Heavy Metal 2 disc set.

Great set list!.......2006-07-17

Very happy to see "Tarot Woman", which is my favorite Rainbow song of all time. The band sounds great, and so does RJD, though they are playing these songs in lower kets to accomodate his aging voice. If you are a Dio fan, this will not disappoint.

Nice concept that comes up a bit short.......2006-07-09

As other reviewers have noted, Holy Diver Live shows good firepower and enthusiam however falls short of the mark mainly because of Ronnie's vocals. I have seen RJD live several times in 2000 and 2001 and can honestly say he is capable of giving a much better performance than can be found on HD Live. It's pretty obvious that he has sang himself hoarse leading up to this show, and can barely muster the vibrato that he's become so famous for. Having said that, it is kinda cool to hear HD being rerecorded live in its entirety. Best songs are the ones coming across most forceful: Gypsy, Don't Talk to Strangers and especially (and perhaps surprisingly) Invisible! Also, from the "bonus disc," it is great to hear some of the lesser played Rainbow faves like Long Live Rock and Roll and Gates of Babylon (with awesome, true-to-original keyboard intro). To sum this one up: interesting, hard-hitting in spots and flat in others. Ultimately good fun but less than urgent.

Average customer rating:

Great album, but this version is obsolete

Holy Diver

Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006JOPW
Release Date: 2002-12-17

Tracks:

Stand Up & Shout
Holy Diver
Gypsy
Caught In The Middle
Dont Talk To Strangers
Straight Through The Heart
Invisible
Rainbow In The Dark
Shame On The Night

Album Description

Japanese 24-bit remastered reissue of 1983 album. Vertigo. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Great album, but this version is obsolete.......2007-04-28

I'll freely admit to being a born-again member of the Church of Dio. With the possible additions of Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio is THE archetypical heavy metal vocalist. He is a true icon whose very name is synonymous with metal, and his music has and will continue to shape the nature of metal for generations to come.

1983's Holy Diver was the first solo album from Dio, and you can tell that this is what he had been aiming for, for quite some time. As wild and fantasy-oriented as his work with both Rainbow and Black Sabbath was, Holy Diver showcases a completely unfettered Dio. With no Ritchie Blackmore or Tony Iommi to keep him in check, Dio could write exactly the kind of dragon and rainbow-obsessed songs he wanted; the result of course was an album full of some of the greatest (and yes, the cheesiest) metal anthems ever. If songs like Stand Up and Shout, Don't Talk to Strangers, Straight through the Heart, Rainbow in the Dark, Shame on the Night, and of course Holy Diver don't have you banging your head and raising the horns, nothing will.

Holy Diver is THE classic Dio album, and this was the classic Dio lineup. With Jimmy Bain (ex-Rainbow), Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath), and Vivian Campbell* on board, Dio created one of the all-time greatest heavy metal albums. Holy Diver was the logical succession of the music Dio created in Rainbow and Black Sabbath (Shame on the Night in particular would have been right at home on Mob Rules), and it played a key role in defining the American metal and power metal sound. Look at the big names in (real) metal today, and you're likely to find at least one Dio cover in their catalogs.

What more can I say? Holy Diver is one of the all-time greatest heavy metal albums, and one that every self-proclaimed metal fan should own. I know there is a generation of kids out there who only know the modern metal sound of bands like Opeth, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Dragonforce, and (shudder) Slipknot, and to them Holy Diver will no doubt seem a bit silly. Still, I stand by my statement. If you listen to Holy Diver, and I mean really listen to it, you will hear Dio's influence in many of today's metal bands.

NOTE: For a while, this expensive Japanese import was the only way to get a remastered Holy Diver, but in 2005 Rock Candy issued a far less expensive remastered version of Holy Diver with a lengthy bonus interview with the man himself.

* Vivian Campbell would eventually go on to join Def Leppard, play a large role in watering down their already sterile sound, trash Dio on a regular basis, and generally bemoan the fact that he was ever associated with anything as pedestrian as this fine metal album. Normally I'd pray that karma comes around hardcore on this tool, but he already has to play "Pour Some Sugar On Me" on a regular basis, so perhaps he's already being punished by the universe.