Dio/Sweden 1984

“THE LAST IN LINE TOUR” was the pinnacle of Ronnie James Dio’s glorious career. The best live album that revives the scene is a new discovery. This work includes “October 12, 1984 Gothenburg performance”. This is the best audience recording. First of all, let’s check the show’s position from the tour overview to see how fulfilling the golden age “THE LAST IN LINE TOUR” was. ●1984/June 11: Appearance at PINKPOP FESTIVAL [“THE LAST IN LINE” released on July 2]/July 17-August 25: North America #1 (32 performances)/August 30-10 January 30th: Europe (44 performances) ←★Here★・November 4th – December 31st: North America #2a (30 performances) ●January 2nd – 27th, 1985: North America #2b (18 performances) This is the whole picture of the heyday tour. Excluding PINKPOP FESTIVAL, which was a warm-up event, there were 124 performances in about 6 months (194 days), an extremely fast pace with an average of 2 performances in 3 days. Of course, the reason why such a schedule was set up was because of the demand. You can also feel from the schedule how it was at its peak at the time. And this work is in the middle of such a tour. This was the 31st concert of the “Europe” leg. This work, which records such a show, is truly the best. The recording of this show has been known for a long time, but this work is different. This is the 1st Gene Master that has recently appeared, and has become a hot topic as “DIO’s first great recording in a while!” In fact, the sound is beautiful and powerful. It must be an audience recording that slightly sucked in the venue acoustics, but the performance sound that arrives straight is full of plenty of response, and Ronnie’s singing voice is also very powerful. And delicate. Vivian Campbell’s machine gun guitar plays each rapid-fire shot, and Vinnie Appice’s sharp tom rotation dances with each stroke clearly defined. The bass, which tends to be the weak point of the audience, is also wonderful, and Jimmy Bain’s unique bass sound is also pleasant. What’s more than that is Ronnie’s vocals. The way the kobushi sways is clear, not just a single word but even a single syllable in the lyrics. Another important point that is often overlooked is stability. In the early 1980s, it was not uncommon for HR/HM systems, which aimed at high volume, to become extremely enthusiastic or explosive, or for the sound quality to fluctuate due to incorrect settings. However, this work does not have that. Of course, the enthusiasm at its peak is absorbed, but it maintains a balance that is much smaller than the performance, yet vast. It is a famous recording that will be an honor student of audience recording. The show at its peak drawn with that sound is amazing. As mentioned above, it was a very intense tour schedule, but Ronnie’s vocalization is glossy and rich. In later years, Ronnie gained a reputation for not fading with age, but at this time he was already 42 years old. Even a young man in his 20s would be amazed by his perfect singing style while performing a concentrated schedule that would make him sing. Of course, the set is the golden rule of RAINBOW + BLACK SABBATH + “HOLY DIVER” + “THE LAST IN LINE”. It’s the usual group of famous songs, but on the other hand, the overwhelming purity with no unnecessary songs is the ultimate. Among them, “Mystery” can be said to be rare. It is a number that was only played on this tour in DIO’s long history, and along with “Rainbow In The Dark”, the pop song is accented. It’s more colorful than the aggressively pushed “HOLY DIVER TOUR,” and tighter than the overly elaborate medley “SACRED HEART TOUR.” This is a live album that allows you to experience 100% of the show filled with the brilliance of the Golden Age with the finest sound. A masterpiece that combines the three elements of good songs, good sound, and good performance at an extremely high level. DIO strikes right in the middle on all fronts. Live at Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden 12th October 1984 TRULY PERFECT SOUND Disc 1(33:13) 1. Intro 2. Stand Up And Shout 3. One Night In The City 4. Don’t Talk To Strangers 5. Mystery 6. Egypt (The Chains Are On) 7. Holy Diver 8. Drum Solo Disc 2(53:42) 1. Heaven And Hell incl. The Last In Line 2. Rainbow In The Dark 3. Man On The Silver Mountain incl. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll 4. We Rock 5. The Mob Rules Ronnie James Dio – Vocals Vivian Campbell – Guitar Jimmy Bain – Bass Vinny Appice – Drums Claude Schnell – Keyboards