So not only had Dio been involved in composing and recording some of the best albums of that age, he and his bandmates kept finding ways to follow up great albums with another great album. And following the amazing success of “Holy Diver”, it was exactly where the band Dio found themselves once again – charged with the task of trying to come up with a follow up to an album that, like those other albums, appeared impossible to follow. “Holy Diver” had sold and performed extraordinarily well, on the back of relentless touring from the new band, and many of the tracks on that album had already become classics. To then come out a year later and release an album that would be as remotely well received as it had been was quite a task.
One of the things that boded well for the band was that they had now been together for over a year, touring together and being able to gel on the stage, such that the quartet – which had now added a member in touring keyboardist Claude Schnell – knew everything that the others were capable of. They had ideas that were born of their touring time together and could now see that bear fruit in regard to the writing of stronger and more focused songs on the back of it.
There's not much you can say about the opening two tracks of “The Last in Line” that hasn't been said somewhere else a thousand times. "We Rock" opens the album in brilliant style, and became one of Dio's anthems and often the closing song of the live set, drawing the band and audience together through the lyrics and making you feel a part of the legacy. There aren’t many album opening tracks that you can say have opened an album brilliantly but can also act as a concert closer, but “We Rock” is definitely one of them. From the outset, Dio grabs you and pulls you along for the ride. This is followed by the masterpiece that is "The Last in Line" - heavy, loud, melodic, booming. Ronnie's vocals power the song along, Vinnie Appice's heavy-handed drumming, beats down hard, along with Jimmy Bain's gutteral bass guitar, and topped off by Vivian Campbell's squealing guitar licks. And that guitar solo in the middle – my word, just amazing. Still an absolute classic forty years later. And the film clip that went with it, as the first single released from the album, is still as 1980’s cheesy brilliant as it was back in the day playing on video shows all over the planet. When Ronnie cries “We’re off to the witch, we may never never never come home!” you are ready to charge off with the band wherever they want to take you.
Just as awesome as these opening tracks are the follow ups. "Breathless" is dominated by Vivian's guitaring, and despite all of the brilliant songs on this album, this remains my absolute favourite. I love Ronnie's vocals here, and the rhythm ties it all together magnificently. Jimmy’s bass line is terrific, and though I am woeful on that instrument it is my favourite song to play on the bass. This is followed by "I Speed at Night", which runs along at a speed that is worthy of the title. This is a terrific example of the best that Dio can produce. While the band (and most of Dio's work in general) don't usually dabble in such fast-paced songs, this is a beauty, and one of my only regrets with Dio's discography of songs is that he, and the band, didn't do more fast songs like this. Completing side one is "One Night in the City", a more typical tempo song of the band after the frantic opening, but still a great one that brings the heavier drum and guitar riff out to compensate for that, and a song that eventually hung around set lists for some years.
Just like “Holy Diver”, the strength of this album is not just in the songs that everyone knows and of the singles that were released from it, it is in the heart of the album, the songs that mightn't have been heard by casual listeners of the band's work. Not every song on an album has to be an epic. It doesn't have to be that you try and fit nine songs as memorable as "We Rock" on an album. Not every song has to be absolutely unforgettable or considered a timeless song in the anthology of the band. The strength of any album should always be judged by the songs that aren’t as well known, or aren’t as well publicised or played in the live environment. Those are the songs that make a truly great album, because if they can hold their own away from the spotlight, then the album can also do so away from its hit songs. And here on “The Last in Line”, that is certainly the case, in my opinion at least. Songs such as those mentioned - “Breathless”, “I Speed at Night”, “One Night in the City” - certainly have that. "Evil Eyes" and even the closing track on the album, the enduring and epic "Egypt (The Chains Are On)" may not be the first songs you think of when it comes to Dio's best, but they help to make this album as great as it is, because they meld into the fabric of the track list, and become enmeshed in the whole listening experience. What's more, if these songs happen to come up on a random mix at home or at a party, they immediately stand out to you, because although you may not think of them often especially in the framework of listening to the album from first track to last, when you hear them on their own out of that environment you absolutely appreciate them. I love them both.
"Mystery" was one of the singles from the album and was often slated as one that was written directly for the commercial market, some believe as an attempt to create the same success as “Rainbow in the Dark” from the previous album. Whether or not this is true I don't know, but while it is the less heavy song on the album, I have always loved and still love it. As a retaliator, listen to Ronnie's vocals on "Eat Your Heart Out". Heavy lyrics, which Ronnie spits out with emotion. He really dishes it out on this song especially, in a fashion like those of the two opening tracks. It is the brilliance of both Dio and his band, that they are able to mould so many different aspects into their music without losing the focus and drive of each track.
Everyone on this album again stands up and performs their part brilliantly. Ronnie’s vocals are supreme once again, not only soaring when they need to but also being forceful and cutting when the mood of the song requires it. I am biased but he truly is a vocal God. Jimmy Bain’s bass lines again on this album are terrific, filling out the songs and giving them a real depth in the way Geezer Butler and John Deacon do for their bands, perhaps without the undeniable brilliance of those two performers. Vinny Appice’s drumming again is spot on for the way the songs are written, his drum fills and timings again sometimes get missed by those not paying enough attention. And Vivian Campbell reigns over all again, now not an apprentice but a true master of his instrument, playing riffs and solos that capture the imagination of all, and again prove how important he was to this band in the era of these albums.
Just as awesome as these opening tracks are the follow ups. "Breathless" is dominated by Vivian's guitaring, and despite all of the brilliant songs on this album, this remains my absolute favourite. I love Ronnie's vocals here, and the rhythm ties it all together magnificently. Jimmy’s bass line is terrific, and though I am woeful on that instrument it is my favourite song to play on the bass. This is followed by "I Speed at Night", which runs along at a speed that is worthy of the title. This is a terrific example of the best that Dio can produce. While the band (and most of Dio's work in general) don't usually dabble in such fast-paced songs, this is a beauty, and one of my only regrets with Dio's discography of songs is that he, and the band, didn't do more fast songs like this. Completing side one is "One Night in the City", a more typical tempo song of the band after the frantic opening, but still a great one that brings the heavier drum and guitar riff out to compensate for that, and a song that eventually hung around set lists for some years.
Just like “Holy Diver”, the strength of this album is not just in the songs that everyone knows and of the singles that were released from it, it is in the heart of the album, the songs that mightn't have been heard by casual listeners of the band's work. Not every song on an album has to be an epic. It doesn't have to be that you try and fit nine songs as memorable as "We Rock" on an album. Not every song has to be absolutely unforgettable or considered a timeless song in the anthology of the band. The strength of any album should always be judged by the songs that aren’t as well known, or aren’t as well publicised or played in the live environment. Those are the songs that make a truly great album, because if they can hold their own away from the spotlight, then the album can also do so away from its hit songs. And here on “The Last in Line”, that is certainly the case, in my opinion at least. Songs such as those mentioned - “Breathless”, “I Speed at Night”, “One Night in the City” - certainly have that. "Evil Eyes" and even the closing track on the album, the enduring and epic "Egypt (The Chains Are On)" may not be the first songs you think of when it comes to Dio's best, but they help to make this album as great as it is, because they meld into the fabric of the track list, and become enmeshed in the whole listening experience. What's more, if these songs happen to come up on a random mix at home or at a party, they immediately stand out to you, because although you may not think of them often especially in the framework of listening to the album from first track to last, when you hear them on their own out of that environment you absolutely appreciate them. I love them both.
"Mystery" was one of the singles from the album and was often slated as one that was written directly for the commercial market, some believe as an attempt to create the same success as “Rainbow in the Dark” from the previous album. Whether or not this is true I don't know, but while it is the less heavy song on the album, I have always loved and still love it. As a retaliator, listen to Ronnie's vocals on "Eat Your Heart Out". Heavy lyrics, which Ronnie spits out with emotion. He really dishes it out on this song especially, in a fashion like those of the two opening tracks. It is the brilliance of both Dio and his band, that they are able to mould so many different aspects into their music without losing the focus and drive of each track.
Everyone on this album again stands up and performs their part brilliantly. Ronnie’s vocals are supreme once again, not only soaring when they need to but also being forceful and cutting when the mood of the song requires it. I am biased but he truly is a vocal God. Jimmy Bain’s bass lines again on this album are terrific, filling out the songs and giving them a real depth in the way Geezer Butler and John Deacon do for their bands, perhaps without the undeniable brilliance of those two performers. Vinny Appice’s drumming again is spot on for the way the songs are written, his drum fills and timings again sometimes get missed by those not paying enough attention. And Vivian Campbell reigns over all again, now not an apprentice but a true master of his instrument, playing riffs and solos that capture the imagination of all, and again prove how important he was to this band in the era of these albums.
Back in Year 11 in high school, about six months after my friend group went from having a couple of people who had listened to heavy metal music before, to our entire cavalry being on board, we had an exchange student from the US turn up for a few months. Fortunately for us, Steve arrived bearing cassettes of his favourite bands and albums. Amongst them we were first introduced to bands such as Night Ranger and Ratt. And also the band Dio through the two cassettes he brought with him, “Holy Diver” and “The Last in Line”. And after we had ALL gotten copies of these albums on cassettes of our own, the joy and obsession with the band Dio began. For me, at least. And it is a love that has continued to grow over the almost 40 years since, and an obsession that has never died.
I can’t tell you how much I listened to this cassette, over and over again. It was a time in my life that I had so much going on in regard to school and sport, and the amount of music that was flooding my existence as a result of discovering heavy metal was immense. It was overload. Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy, Sabbath, Megadeth, Purple. And yet Dio still kept up with all of them, constantly on rotation in the car once I had my drivers licence, or at home in my bedroom on my portable tape deck. This and “Holy Diver” just kept being played. And I never got sick of them. I knew every note, every word, every nuance of this album, singing along on the invisible microphone, playing guitar alongside Vivian on my cricket bat. Man I loved this album. Wait... what I mean is... man, I LOVE this album.
It has been there through awful times. This album, without fail, I can put on when I feel lost in the dark or at an emotional crossroad, and it fixes everything. It never fails to lighten or brighten my mood. It can bring me to tears whether I am joyous or sad, all for the right reasons. These days it is usually the song “Mystery” that does it to me. My lovely wife and I struggled to fall pregnant for many years, and at one point we felt we may never get to have children. Fortunately, through the miracle that is IVF, we were able to have our eldest daughter Jessica 21 years ago this month. And when she was young, and I was trying to send her off to sleep either by bouncing her on my knee or rocking her in my arms, I used to sing “Mystery” to her, because the lyrics spoke to me about the miracle of her conception, and the mystery of why and how she came to be with us. The result is that I listen to that song now and it still drags out tears, of just how lucky we are.
Ronnie's vocals here are at their peak, soaring at velocity. Vivian's guitaring too is just brilliant, driving the songs and taking over during the solo breaks. Those that only know him through his work with Def Leppard would not believe he could be this good. He is just brilliant on this album, unbelievably excellent. And, though you may not necessarily notice them between these two legends, Vinny's drumming and Jimmy's bass are as solid as ever here, providing the foundations for the other two to work their magic.
On first glance, when balancing the worth of the tracks on the first two Dio albums, most would probably say that “Holy Diver” is the better album, hands down. On closer inspection and listening, there is really not that much between the two of them. “The Last in Line” is a creeper, because the balance of the less famous songs stands up pretty well against those of the debut album. When push comes to shove, I find it very difficult to separate the two when it comes to choosing a favourite. Suffice to say that I still think this is a brilliant and, perhaps in many instances, underrated album. And this song is one of the best ever written.
I can’t tell you how much I listened to this cassette, over and over again. It was a time in my life that I had so much going on in regard to school and sport, and the amount of music that was flooding my existence as a result of discovering heavy metal was immense. It was overload. Maiden, Metallica, Ozzy, Sabbath, Megadeth, Purple. And yet Dio still kept up with all of them, constantly on rotation in the car once I had my drivers licence, or at home in my bedroom on my portable tape deck. This and “Holy Diver” just kept being played. And I never got sick of them. I knew every note, every word, every nuance of this album, singing along on the invisible microphone, playing guitar alongside Vivian on my cricket bat. Man I loved this album. Wait... what I mean is... man, I LOVE this album.
It has been there through awful times. This album, without fail, I can put on when I feel lost in the dark or at an emotional crossroad, and it fixes everything. It never fails to lighten or brighten my mood. It can bring me to tears whether I am joyous or sad, all for the right reasons. These days it is usually the song “Mystery” that does it to me. My lovely wife and I struggled to fall pregnant for many years, and at one point we felt we may never get to have children. Fortunately, through the miracle that is IVF, we were able to have our eldest daughter Jessica 21 years ago this month. And when she was young, and I was trying to send her off to sleep either by bouncing her on my knee or rocking her in my arms, I used to sing “Mystery” to her, because the lyrics spoke to me about the miracle of her conception, and the mystery of why and how she came to be with us. The result is that I listen to that song now and it still drags out tears, of just how lucky we are.
Ronnie's vocals here are at their peak, soaring at velocity. Vivian's guitaring too is just brilliant, driving the songs and taking over during the solo breaks. Those that only know him through his work with Def Leppard would not believe he could be this good. He is just brilliant on this album, unbelievably excellent. And, though you may not necessarily notice them between these two legends, Vinny's drumming and Jimmy's bass are as solid as ever here, providing the foundations for the other two to work their magic.
On first glance, when balancing the worth of the tracks on the first two Dio albums, most would probably say that “Holy Diver” is the better album, hands down. On closer inspection and listening, there is really not that much between the two of them. “The Last in Line” is a creeper, because the balance of the less famous songs stands up pretty well against those of the debut album. When push comes to shove, I find it very difficult to separate the two when it comes to choosing a favourite. Suffice to say that I still think this is a brilliant and, perhaps in many instances, underrated album. And this song is one of the best ever written.
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