Dio - At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987

November 14, 2010

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

Release Date: November 9, 2010
Label: Niji Entertainment Group

TRACK LISTING

Disc 1:
1.  Stand Up and Shout
2.  Straight Though the Heart
3.  Children of the Sea
4.  Rainbow in the Dark
5.  Holy Diver
6.  Drum Solo
7.  Stargazer
8.  Guitar Solo
9.  Heaven and Hell
10.  Man on the Silver Mountain
11.  Starstruck
12.  Man on the Silver Mountain
       (Reprise)

Disc 2:
1.  Dream Evil
2.  Neon Knights
3.  Naked in the Rain
4.  Rock n’ Roll Children
5.  Long Live Rock n’ Roll
6.  The Last in Line
7.  Children of the Sea
8.  Holy Diver
9.  Heaven and Hell
10.  Man on the Silver Mountain
11.  All the Fools Sailed Away
12.  The Last in Line (Reprise)
13.  Rainbow in the Dark

Total playing time:  97:01

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*Comments:

Why weren’t these recordings released years ago?  At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 marks the fourth live set and first posthumous release from legendary Metal frontman Ronnie James Dio.  It is a shame to have this release come after his untimely passing, but thankfully these recordings have finally been made available to Dio’s loyal (and still mourning) fan base.

The 1983 show is quick.  Armed with a new band, featuring then former Rainbow bandmate Jimmy Bain on bass, then former Black Sabbath bandmate Vinny Appice on drums, Vivian Campbell on guitars and keyboardist Claude Schnell, Dio was hell-bent on making an impact and driving home the recently released Holy Diver record. Right off the bat Dio and the boys prove their point with a scorching rendition of “Stand Up and Shout.”  Dio, who handled the keyboards on the debut album, lets Schnell take over to allow the frontman to command the stage.  And this recording proves he did just that.  Dio sounds fresh, fierce and fantastic.  The guitars have a great sound, the drums are powerful and the keyboards tight.  Only Bain’s bass is low in the mix.  But for being an almost 30-year old recording, it’s got great quality.

But there is a bit of a complaint.  Looking at the track-listing, it would appear that you get full songs.  That isn’t really the case as Appice’s drum solo, “Stargazer” and with Campbell’s solo clock in for a total of 3-minutes.  It was a medley that warmed up things up before a hefty rendition of “Heaven and Hell.”  “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Starstruck” are also brief and instead of being three tracks, they should be one as the songs combine for closing jam.  The show obviously was quick, but the track-list is a bit misleading.  Dio’s fault? No. The band was jamming in as much quality as possible and 1983 show has it.

Like the 1983 gig, the 1987 show is also quick.  Some of the songs actually seem to be just a smidge faster than their studio originals.  Dio wasn’t the headliner, but still the band manages to bring quality and quantity. The only line-up change between discs is the 1987 show features Craig Goldy on guitar.  Dio was now four albums into a solo career and the set manages to hit those albums and even staples from his time in Black Sabbath and Rainbow.

The Dream Evil material sounds fantastic and this version of “Rock n’ Roll Children” has much more energy than the studio version.  Again the track listing is misleading as here “Holy Diver,” “Children of the Sea” and “Heaven and Hell” form a medley.  Also, “Long Live Rock n’ Roll” is jammed in the middle of “Rock ‘n Roll Children.” Just like the 1983 show, Dio was pressed for time.  But that didn’t stop Dio from giving the audience as much music as they could jam in their allotted stage time.

There you have it.  Two quick and totally killer shows from Dio.  So far, At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 is the only live collection to feature material from Dream Evil.  That alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.  But what makes At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 so special is here Dio is not the headliner.  The band puts on one hell of a show for being a support act and the quality of the performances proves this man was a headliner no matter the stage time.   Whether blowing away the crowd before Twisted Sister, ZZ Top, Meat Loaf and Whitesnake in 1983 or dominating before Bon Jovi in 1987, these recording prove Dio was one of Metal’s finest. Most headliners don’t have this much tenacity.

At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 is essential Dio.  The production is spectacular given the age of the recordings.  Also, there is ferocity in the performances that doesn’t appear on previous Dio live releases to make this one a must. However, those unfamiliar with Dio in a live setting may want to start with the more roomy Evil or Divine - Live in NYC or Inferno: Last in Live discs that have a bigger set list before catching these blazing performances. But any fan of the first four Dio discs needs this collection.

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