Album Vs Album: The Dio Final Four

Some people will say Metallica's first records are the best stretch in rock/metal history, some will say Led Zeppelin deserves those honors, others Iron Maiden in the 80s. Those are the most common names that pop up, but there is one that I feel trumps them all, if we allow for a bit of latitude in what qualifies. Ronnie James Dio managed the feat of putting together an astounding run, but with three different bands.

Rainbow came first, with both "Rising" and "Long Live Rock 'N Roll" establishing his stature, and enduring as classics to this day. Then came Black Sabbath, where "Heaven & Hell" and "Mob Rules" were completely different, yet equally legendary. And as if that wasn't enough, he then established his own solo band and put out "Holy Diver". That's five albums in a row that are considered among the very best of their kind, and the one common feature is the voice driving them. If you ask me, Dio took all of those musicians to new heights, helping them achieve their greatest results.

But which album is the best? That is the question I am here to answer today, and it's quite the difficult one. Over the years, I have gone back and forth which album from each band is my favorite. I can see the argument for them all, but for the purposes of this task, only one can stand at the top of the peak. "Holy Diver" is great too, but as I would easily put it fifth out of the five albums in that glorious run, so it doesn't make the semi-finals. If I'm being totally honest, it's not even my favorite Dio (the band) album, so including it would feel a bit disingenuous.

"Rising" vs "Long Live Rock 'N Roll"

After a first album that had its share of growing pains, Rainbow turned around and wrote one of the greatest rock/metal songs of all time.

"Stargazer" alone would be enough to say Rainbow were legends, but the rest of the album holds its own. "Tarot Woman" doesn't get talked about enough, but it comes out of the gates with a classic Blackmore riff that gives Dio the fantasy landscape his lyrics need. The roots of power metal can be heard there, and it was just the first hint of what Rainbow had become. The middle tracks would show the more commercial direction that would eventually splinter the band, but Dio could do no wrong at this point. Even "Do You Close Your Eyes", which is often criticized, is a jaunty little number that worms its way into your head, and it serves as a necessary bit of levity before the album takes off.

The last two tracks are the meat of the record. "Stargazer" doesn't need anything more to be said about it. Along with "Stairway To Heaven" and "Hotel California", it is one of the holy grails of epic classic rock. It is a stunning vocal performance from Dio, and the symphony is classy, powerful, and dramatic. There is a reason it is so beloved. The one issue with the album comes when it ends, as we then move into "A Light In The Black", another eight minute epic. While it is a good song, the sequencing of the album has always bothered me, as not only can no song follow "Stargazer", to put the two similar songs back-to-back is asking for trouble. I am exhausted after "Stargazer", and an inferior epic right after is the last thing I want to listen to. The album is barely over half an hour as is, so wanting to skip a quarter of it is a serious blow.

That problem does not exist on "Long Live Rock 'N Roll". The sequencing of the album puts the two longest tracks on separate sides, and "Rainbow Eyes" is a ballad. Some people have criticized the song for that very fact, and I get it. Ballads are not what you think of with either Rainbow or Dio, but he was able to sing anything. I will grant that it is about two minutes longer than it needs to be, and it makes consecutive albums with a less than ideal finish.

Up to that point, Rainbow is at their best. They are heavier than ever, while also being more melodic. "The Shed" and "Sensitive To Light" pound away with metallic fervor, but "Lady Of The Lake" and "LA Connection" balance that out with their most mainstream sounding tracks. The album is entirely cohesive, but has more diversity than you might think at first. And then there's "Gates Of Babylon", which you could say is an attempt to recreate "Stargazer", and you wouldn't be wrong. It also happens to get far closer to that majesty than it had any right to, and hangs only a fraction lower. It's certainly the song I listen to more often.

I have waffled on this many times, but today I feel confident in my choice. Both albums are among the very best of the 70s, but one song does not the classic make. From top to bottom, I find "Long Live Rock 'N Roll" does more than "Rising", and it gives us both more music and more sides to Rainbow. When I want to listen to Rainbow, four out of five times I'm reaching for "Long Live Rock 'N Roll". That's the deciding factor.

Winner: "Long Live Rock 'N Roll"

"Heaven & Hell" vs "Mob Rules"

This is an interesting comparison, because in my mind they are essentially the same album. The structure and sound of the two is nearly identical, which has always struck me as the band trying to recapture the magic through whatever means necessary. It doesn't feel quite as honest, but I won't hold that against "Mob Rules".

Both albums start off with short, up-tempo rockers. "Neon Knights" and "Turn Up The Night" are cut from the same cloth, and right off the bat make it impossible for me to hear "Mob Rules" as a unique record. Both do the job, but "Neon Knights" is easily my preferred song. "Lady Evil" and "Voodoo" have similar themes, but also ride similar more bouncy grooves. Again, I find myself liking the first track more. "Heaven & Hell" and "Sign Of The Southern Cross" are slow build monsters, their epic statements of doom and fury. In this case, I will give the advantage to the latter. Then there are the comparisons of "Walk Away" against "Slipped Away", and "Lonely Is The Word" against "Over And Over". In both of those cases, the former are the better songs. "Wishing Well" versus "Country Girl" is a tie, but I find both of those songs far, far better than most people do. Those are true highlights of the records.

So what we have is "Heaven & Hell", which from top to bottom is nearly flawless. Depending on the day, I might say it's the best metal album ever made. "Mob Rules" has a handful of the band's best songs, but between the similarities, the comparisons, and the worthless inclusion of "E5150", this shades of gray choice is made easy.

Winner: "Heaven & Hell"

"Long Live Rock 'N Roll" vs "Heaven & Hell"

Now we come down to the real battle, which serves as a proxy for Rainbow versus Black Sabbath as a bigger question. What we have here are two amazing records that cover the same territory, but in drastically different ways. Blackmore was a more classical guitarist who used nuance and technique to propel their fiery rock, while Iommi was the sledgehammer using sheer heaviness to overwhelm. They are both records as much about hard rock as they are heavy metal, but the different directions they arrived from give the two records entirely different personalities. Rainbow's record is more energetic and musical, while Sabbath's is deeper and more powerful.

Looking at the highlights won't get us to an answer. The best songs on both records are amazing, and at that point all we are doing is splitting hairs. To truly figure out which album will float just a bit easier on the surface, we have to nit-pick the criticisms I would usually gloss over.

On "Heaven & Hell", there are a few things I could take issue with. The first is "Lady Evil", which while not a bad song, doesn't reach the same heights as the rest of the record. It has a bit too much boogie to it, when everything else is screaming to be heavier rock. In the title track, the acoustic outro doesn't feel necessary to me, and it could have been cut down to save a few seconds. Likewise, the ending to "Lonely Is The Word" is unsatisfying, not because it ends on a lengthy guitar solo, but because it feels like it was missing one more vocal coda from Dio before it did so.

On "Long Live Rock 'N Roll", the obvious flaw is the length of "Catch The Rainbow" to end the record. I like the ballad, but seven minutes of it is too much without a better construction. The song doesn't build to a climax, so staying in a calm and chill tone throughout makes it feel every bit of its length. Trim it to four minutes, or add a powerful solo near the end, and it would be better. The title track can be repetitive, from a lyrical standpoint, and I have never enjoyed songs extolling the virtues of rock and/or metal. Then there's "The Shed" and "Sensitive To Light", which bring the album toward its conclusion with Rainbow's heaviest songs, but they need a bit more melodic flair to balance things out.

Taking all that into account, the decision becomes clear. While both records are classics, "Heaven & Hell" is the closest thing to perfection Dio was ever a part of. The flaws are so minor, I have to look hard to find them. Black Sabbath flourished with Dio as their singer, and there may not be a better statement for the power of metal than "Heaven & Hell". I would also narrowly take Dio's time with Sabbath over his time with Rainbow, but honestly, those four albums we've been talking about are untouchable.

Winner: "Heaven & Hell"