We live in a world where the terms ‘World
Class’, for sportspersons such as Nadal, Vettel and Messi are common place and sometimes overused; ‘Blue
Chip’ for companies such as BP, DuPont etc are the norm; but it's a rare thing
indeed for a musician to be named in such a similar manner. However, the
relative ‘giant’ of a vocalist called Ronnie James Dio, the term 'World Class' was destined to be used to describe this Metal God.
Many bands have one great album, a small few
have more than one, yet a certain Ronnie James Padavona, has made what I feel are 4
(maybe more) World Class Albums in 3 different guises in bands such as Rainbow,
Sabbath, and Dio (Rising, LLRNR, Heaven and Hell, and Holy Diver).
Dream Evil is Dio's fourth album, released on
July 21, 1987. It features former Rough Cutt members Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell, and includes
the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been a
Dreamer". Dream Evil was Dio's last album to feature drummer Vinny
Appice
This new 2-cd deluxe edition comes with a
bonus disc containing amounts other tracks the bands triumphant gig at Monsters
of Rock. An expanded booklet with notes by Malcolm Dome endorsed by Ronnie’s
widow Wendy makes this the next in line of ultimate Dio reissues.
It was for me a bit of a forgotten masterpiece,
as during the late 80s I was getting a bit disillusioned with the great man
himself (How dare I !). Anyway, in the recent years since his untimely passing
I have been rediscovering some of his extensive output. The more I think of it,
'Dream Evil' is one of his forgotten greats. It follows the same formula as the
first two Dio albums....
....Rip roaring opener? ('Night People'), Check!
Second track = Album Title, Check! Epic Ballad ('All The Fools Sailed Away'),
double check! And so on, putting 'Dream Evil' into my Top 5 Dio/Rainbow/Sabbath albums. It didn’t
just stop with these few songs either. 'Sunset Superman' and 'I Could Have Been A
Dreamer' proved that there was life after Vivian Campbell, as Craig Goldy’s riffs
and playing are probably the finest of his career. It was the third Dio album
in a row to make the UK Top Ten (how 'Holy Diver' never did is a travesty).
With the Deluxe version, Universal once
again have come up trumps – a couple of bonus tracks, and the Dio set from
1987’s Monsters Of Rock at Donnington where Dio was in his element, playing
live with a voice that was powered by a blast furnace
If you’ve not come across this great man before,
'Dream Evil' will whet the appetite. For existing fans, its another great reason
to buy the Deluxe version. So, there you have it, Ronnie James Dio, often imitated, never, ever bettered!!
90/100
Tracklisting
Disc One
Night People
Dream Evil
Sunset Superman
All The Fools Sailed Away
Naked In The Rain
Overlove
I Could Have Been A Dreamer
Faces In A Window
When A Woman Cries
Disc Two Hide In The Rainbow (Dio EP)
I Could Have Been A
Dreamer (Single Edit)
Dream Evil (Donnington - 22/08/87
Neon Nights
Naked In The
Rain
Rock N Roll
Children
Long Live Rock N Roll
The Last In Line
Holy Diver
Heaven And Hell
Man On The Silver
Mountain
All The Fools Sailed
Away
The Last In Line
(Reprise)
Rainbow
In The Dark
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