Ronnie James Dio Dead

It was with sadness I got the word today that the "Greatest Hard Rock Singer" ever has died. Ronnie James Dio the front man of Heaven and Hell died of stomach cancer this morning according to his wife Wendy. I can remember the countless hours of listening to his wonderful voice in Rainbow. His solo career in his own band Dio and later in Heaven and Hell. He was also fairly successful as the replacement for Ozzy in Black Sabbath in 1979. Rest in peace and this is the greatest loss to the hard rock community since Bon Scott's passing.

Heaven & Hell

Well, it's here, The new Heaven & Hell album. "The devil you know". For those of you who don't know you're hard rock, Heaven & Hell is the current line up of Black Sabbath with Dio. It's Ronnie James Dio song, Toni Iommi guitar, Vinnie Appice drums and Geezer Butler bass. I.e. Black Sabbath without Ozzy. Toni owns the rights to the name but choose not to tour as Black Sabbath. They decided to use the name Heaven and Hell after the album of the same name from 1980.

Anyway, the new album is more Dio than Sabbath. Dio's singing is superb but the music sounds a little uninspired in my opinion. Bu it is light years ahead of what the so called modern rock tries to do. The greats from the seventies will always have a place in my heart.

I also recently bought Ian Gillan's new album. One eye to Morocco. It is a mish mash of genres from folk to blues. I have to say that I have always had difficulties with Gillan's projects outside of Deep Purple. I guess in my book he shouldn't stray from the Purple fold. Gillan had some decent albums with his own band Ian Gillan Band as well as Gillan. Solo though, he is not that great. It hurts to say that but I feel I can since I'm a whole hearted supporter of anything Purple with Gillan. David Coverdale is a good singer but Gillan is for me "the purple singer".

No fishing due to the weather. Next weekend might be different.