Ronnie James Dio as frontman: RAINBOW vs BLACK SABBATH vs DIO

Whither Elf?

I love the first two Dio tapes as I was all on those when I was 13-14 in 83-84. Classic. Can't really go wrong with the original Dio band. His later bands did not have that intensity.

Said on another related thread that Dio's discography might be one of the most overlooked in 70s-80s hard rock.

Rainbow has the most good music as that group lasted a third album where his run in Sabbath and the first Dio band lasted two studio releases. There are good live recordings of all three bands.

Elf was a different group with the keyboards, there are couple of good nuggets on those two albums.

I've never liked Rainbow as much as I wanted to. The same is true of Deep Purple, though, so I think the weak link (for me) is Blackmore.

Dio Sabbath were great - an entirely different band from Ozzy Sabbath, and not just literally, but in terms of spirit. And the one album they did as Heaven and Hell is fucking glorious, a genuine doom metal landmark and about the best tombstone Dio could have asked for. I got to see them live in 2007, and they were crushing.

Dio, though, was 100% RJD's show, and that puts it in a completely different realm from the other two. They were my first concert, in 1986, and I still love those first two albums like few records by anyone. Even the later stuff, all the way through Strange Highways, is never less than very good - the first six albums were remastered and boxed up a year or two ago, and I bought it immediately. I saw him/them again in 2003, opening for Iron Maiden - totally different lineup, much less stage business (no giant robot dragon with laser eyes), but RJD totally brought it. So I voted Dio.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I probably love Mob Rules as much as Heaven & Hell & had no problem voting Dio-era Sabbath.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

WHAT? A THREE WAY TIE? FOOL FOOL!

should have all tied with 6 votes

Eight miles high, about to fall
And no one there to catch you
Look for the sign, the time
The sign of the southern cross

That song is so gooood.

When I saw Dio as a teenager, they did "Man on the Silver Mountain" and "Mob Rules" in their set - but "Sign of the Southern Cross" is about my Dio jam now.

it’s the fucking best, no question

Better than "Heaven and Hell".

“Kill the King” by Rainbow is another thumper. That song is pretty much Maiden before Maiden.

I’ve got the Dio Rainbow, Sabbath and first two solo CDs stacked together and have been binging on them.

Live Evil was really good, too bad finishing it off pretty much finished that version of Sabbath. Dio’s take on NIB is ferocious.

Rainbow Rising is one of the greatest metal albums ever

I've tried many times to like Rainbow, but I just don't. They have one or two good songs, but those turn into 15-minute Blackmore wankathons on the live albums, and I slip into a coma every time.

Stargazer slays

Even if it kinda sounds like the song was put through a Kashmir filter

Been listening to this Rainbow live in Germany 1976 the last couple of days. Dio is really great on that collection. Blackmore plays more pissed off than usual with all this aggressive Dick Dale style tremolo picking.
The version of Kill the King is really ace.

Is dio,s solo track “rainbow in the dark” a commentary on his old band?

a bit off-topic, but when I was a kid I used to love Roger Glover's Love Is All, sung by Dio.

I went to a wedding once where the "first dance" song was "Rainbow Eyes." Guessing the groom had a lot of input there.