Ronnie James Dio

After all these 2fers and 3fers, it's refreshing just to settle down and do a nice, single obit. I decided to steer clear of the whole lacrosse thing. I'm not really sure how I possibly have any right to take the high ground, but sometimes it just doesn't feel right, ya know?

But Dio is easy. Dio is familiar. Dio is relevant.

I came to Black Sabbath after the Ozzy years, and I remember buying "Mob Rules" probably at K-Mart, but I forget. It was a long time ago. For me, the Dio-led Sabbath was the only Sabbath I knew. I even bought the live album. That was an album cover I spent a good deal of time with. They decided to depict a cast of characters that represented classic Sabbath songs. "Paranoid." "War Pigs." "Children of the Sea." It's one of the things that I miss about album art. The good ones always gave you something to sink your teeth into.

But, for me, as much as I enjoyed the Sabbath work, it was really the second Dio album, "The Last in Line," that resonated with me. The title track is probably one of my favorite metal songs, and a great example of utilizing dynamics to great effect. The video was most excellent too. At least I thought so. I watched it again, and it hasn't really held up well. The video arcade shots are downright embarrassing. Well, what are you gonna do? It was the eighties after all.

Enjoy the campiness that is "The Last in Line" video. And, remember, if you ever end up in a bizarro underworld, be sure to pull the plastic tubing out of the main bad guy's neck.

Rest in peace, Dio.