by Ronnie James Dio would have turned 74 years old yesterday, July 10th. It’s with him in mind, and his massive heavy metal legacy, that I wanted to bring you A Special from the Spectrum. This concert was shot in 1984, at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
I’ll be honest here, I’ve never really been into Dio, or Ronnie. There’s no particular reason; I like his vocals and I like his music. I do disagree with the claim that he “invented” the metal horns, but I’ll attribute that to my obsession with KISS, and thus give that credit to Gene Simmons.
I do have Dream Evil on vinyl, and I think it’s great, but it’s not exactly the first thing I grab when I want a shot of old-school metal. Odd, right?
But after reading up on the man, and, from my assessment, how close he came to becoming a session musician/vocalist if not for his perseverance and vision, he’s totally inspiring. And he’s totally gotten me interested in his career, posthumously… obviously.
Anyway, check out this amazing concert video and rock your Friday hard, motherfuckers!
A Special From The Spectrum (1984) Track List:
1. “Stand Up and Shout”
2. “Don’t Talk to Strangers”
3. “Mystery”
4. “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”
5. “Heaven and Hell”
6. Guitar solo by Vivian Campbell
7. “Heaven and Hell”
8. “The Last in Line”
9. “Rainbow in the Dark”
10. “The Mob Rules”
11. “We Rock”
The Lineup:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Vivian Campbell – Guitar
Jimmy Bain – Bass
Vinny Appice – Drums
Claude Schnell – Keyboards
Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.
Rock Hard \m/
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