Good “Dream”: Dio’s Fourth Album Gets Deluxe Reissue

Next month will see the release of yet another Dio deluxe reissue from Universal’s U.K. arm. This time, it’s Dream Evil, originally released in 1987.

Dream Evil marked the start of a slightly different era for Ronnie James Dio’s melodic metal band. Previous album Sacred Heart (1985) was the last to feature guitarist Vivian Campbell, who would join Whitesnake briefly before becoming a member of Def Leppard in 1992. In his place stepped Craig Goldy, former guitarist for L.A. metal band Rough Cutt. (Dio’s keyboardist, Claude Schnell, was also a member of the same band, though both men were not members at the same time.)

The album was a Top 10 success in the U.K., the band’s third and final LP to peak within those parameters. Dream Evil also spawned Dio’s final Mainstream Rock hit single in the U.S., “I Could Have Been a Dreamer,” which peaked at No. 33 on that chart. After Dream Evil, Dio completely reorganized his ensemble, including longtime drummer Vinny Appice (who had drummed with Dio since his days in Black Sabbath), and spent the rest of his career with a rotating cast of sidemen. (Appice and Goldy would separately come back into the fold later in the ’90s and ’00s.)

For this deluxe edition, out March 4 in the U.K., Universal has included a bonus disc of live and studio material. None of it is new to Dio fans: studio bonuses include “Hide in the Rainbow,” which appeared on The Dio E.P. in 1986, and a single edit of “I Could Have Been a Dreamer”; the remainder of the disc features Dio’s 1987 at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington, which was included as part of a two-disc set released after Ronnie James Dio’s passing in 2010. But it’s certainly an optimal edition to buy if you’re a fan who has yet to add this album to your collection.

After the jump, check out the full track list and pre-order links from both sides of the Atlantic.

Yes! Audio Fidelity Rushes to SACD with Prog and Classic Vocalists, Plus: Elton, Scorpions Go for the Gold

The audiophile specialist label Audio Fidelity has a busy March ahead, kicking off a new series of SACD releases and continuing its long-running series of 24k Gold compact discs.

On March 5, the team at AF is scheduled to return to the high-resolution SACD format with two new hybrid stereo SACDs (playable on all CD players).   Yes’ 1972 album Close to the Edge was the fifth studio album from the progressive rock heroes.  Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar/vocals), Chris Squire (bass/vocals), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and Bill Bruford (drums/percussion) crafted this epic album around the nearly 19 minute title track which was featured on the original album’s Side One.  That four-part suite was followed on Side Two by another four-part ten-minute opus, “And You and I,” and the nine-minute “Siberian Khatru.”  The last Yes album to feature Bill Bruford before his return to the fold in 1992 reached impressive berths of No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the U.K. albums chart.  In 2003, Rhino expanded Close to the Edge in an edition with four bonus tracks; Audio Fidelity’s edition hews to the original album line-up.  It’s been remastered by Steve Hoffman.

Joining Close to the Edge is the 1993 album by Rush, Counterparts.  The band’s fifteenth studio album, it became Rush’s highest-charting U.S. release with a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard 200.  The triumvirate of Geddy Lee (bass/vocals/synthesizer), Alex Lifeson (guitars) and Neil Peart (drums/percussion) earned a Grammy nomination for the instrumental “Leave That Thing Alone,” and the album spawned three hit singles, all on the Mainstream Rock chart: “Stick It Out” (No. 1), “Nobody’s Hero” (No. 9) and “Cold Fire” (No. 2).  Composer/conductor Michael Kamen contributed the string arrangements and also conducted “Nobody’s Hero.”  A return to the organic, guitar-driven sounds of earlier Rush albums, Counterparts successfully blended heavy rock tracks with instrumentals and acoustic compositions.  Kevin Gray has remastered the album for its Audio Fidelity SACD debut.

The label’s next two SACD releases, both due on March 19, turn the clock back to the realm of classic pop rather than classic rock.  Hit the jump for details on both of those discs, as well as on the Gold CDs coming soon!