| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10[2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B−)[3] |
Strange Highways is the sixth studio album by the American heavy metal band Dio. It's also their first album since Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice's reunion tour with Black Sabbath. The European release was on Vertigo, in October 1993; the U.S. release was on Reprise Records, in January 1994.
After the short-lived reunion with Black Sabbath for the recording of the album Dehumanizer (1992) and the subsequent tour, Dio and Appice returned to Dio's solo group, hiring Tracy Grijalva as new guitarist. Former Dio bassist Jimmy Bain was to make a return to the band, but he was soon sacked by Dio and replaced by Jeff Pilson.[4] It is considered Dio's heaviest and darkest album.
"Hollywood Black" was demoed by Black Sabbath during the Dehumanizer sessions. "Whether it's the same, I don't know…" Tony Iommi remarked of Dio's version (before hearing it). "Could be the same lyrics – probably is. I wouldn't think he would use the same music."[5]
Track listing
All lyrics written by Ronnie James Dio, music as stated.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jesus, Mary & the Holy Ghost" | Dio, Tracy Grijalva, Jeff Pilson | 4:13 |
| 2. | "Firehead" | Vinny Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Strange Highways" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 6:54 |
| 4. | "Hollywood Black" | Dio, Grijalva, Appice | 5:10 |
| 5. | "Evilution" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 5:37 |
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Pain" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva | 4:14 |
| 7. | "One Foot in the Grave" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 4:01 |
| 8. | "Give Her the Gun" | Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 5:58 |
| 9. | "Blood from a Stone" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 4:14 |
| 10. | "Here's to You" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 3:24 |
| 11. | "Bring Down the Rain" | Appice, Dio, Grijalva, Pilson | 5:45 |
Personnel
- Dio
- Ronnie James Dio – vocals
- Tracy G – guitars
- Jeff Pilson – bass, keyboards
- Vinny Appice – drums[6]
- Production
- Recorded at Rumbo Recorders, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Produced, engineered and mixed by Mike Fraser
- Assistant engineered by Andy Udoff
- Mixed at Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Originally mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York City, USA
- Cover illustration by Wil Rees
Charts
- Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | German Albums Chart[7] | 79 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[8] | 142 |
References
- ^ Anderson, Jason. "Strange Highways - Dio". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- ^ Sinclair, Tom (1994-01-28). "Strange Highways Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
- ^ Metal Rules - Jeff Pilson interview
- ^ Southern Cross No.19, March 1997
- ^ Saulnier, Jason (24 March 2012). "Vinny Appice Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ "Album – DIO, Strange Highways". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
- ^ "Strange Highways Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-11-10.