It takes a brave man to tackle the works of one of the greatest singers of all time, but then Paul Gilbert (Mr Big) was never one to shy away from a challenge. The idea formed when Gilbert was driving home and, by chance, saw a baseball cap with the single word: “Dio” emblazoned across it. The idea for The Dio Album quickly formed during the rest of the journey, with Paul recruiting Billie Ray on drums and Zach Bloomstein behind the desk for an album that sees the quietly brilliant guitarist paying tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio, with twelve cuts from across the great man’s catalogue.
Initially, it might seem incongruous to attempt an instrumental tribute to one of the great vocalists. However, when one considers the challenge a vocalist would have in stepping. Into those shoes, it starts to make more sense. Moreover, there is precedent here. Ever poetic, Steve Hackett once discussed his approach to guitar playing, arguing that he saw guitar solos as essentially mimicking the human voice – capturing the raw emotion and the feel of a vocal take, but in a different form. Certainly, this seems to be Paul Gilbert’s contention, as he takes a selection of well-known tracks, reinterpreting Dio’s vocal lines as soaring leads in a manner that feels both respectful to the originals and yet which stands as a fresh and inventive way to pay tribute to a fallen icon.
The album opens with the evergreen melody of Neon Knights, Paul’s blistering rhythm guitars quickly giving way to some seriously nimble-fingered lead work, while your brain fills in the words. Paul’s rare ability, of course, is to not only capture the melody of Dio’s vocals, but also that indelible sense of power with which he imbued his work, and it provides an electrifying opener to the album. Next up, producer Zach Bloomstein provides a nice touch by segueing a short snippet of a live crowd chanting Dio’s name into Kill The King, which further cements the air of respect that hangs over the project. However, respect does not mean slavish devotion, and so we see Paul trying out a range of styles and approaches as he demonstrates a virtuosity that is nothing short of dizzying. After the lengthy, dynamic Kill The King, Paul opts for the harder-edged Stand Up And Shout as something of a palette cleanser. With the distinctive rhythm guitar sounding heavier than ever, Paul throws out a chorus-drenched lead that dominates the track. It’s marginally less successful than Neon Knights, with the lead cutting over the rhythm a little too aggressively, even if the original vocal was equally ferocious. The slower-paced Country Girl has a mean groove to it, nailed by Billie Ray’s hefty drums and with a better-balanced solo, that moves fluidly between the heavier sections and the gorgeous clean passages that lie at the song’s heart. Ever-mindful of keeping the listener hooked, Paul changes through the gears once again as he enters the funky strut of Man On The Silver Mountain, emerging here drenched in wah and providing a wider space in which Paul’s layered leads can roam. Of course, no Dio tribute would be complete without the remarkable Holy Diver, and Paul places this right at the heart of the record, rounding out the first side with the same baroque flourish captured by the original.
Opening the second side of the album with a bang, Heaven And Hell is every bit as epic as the original, that mighty Iommi riff providing the perfect backdrop for some seriously gritty lead work. With crystal clear sound, perfect separation between the various instruments, and Paul capturing Geezer’s thunderous bass in all its glory, it’s an album highlight and it’s easy to see why it was used to open the second half of the record. Opting for a lighter touch with Long Live Rock And Roll, here played with a twinkle in the eye and a spring in its step, Paul has some fun, before sidestepping into the dirty riffola of Lady Evil. With a sleazy groove that speaks of nights walking rain-streaked gutters under neon lights, it’s a stroll on the dark side. In contrast, the starkly beautiful Don’t Talk To Strangers is played as a heartbroken blues with a Gary Moore vibe. With the album nearing its end, Paul adopts a whimsical, almost nautical tone on Starstruck, before bringing things to a close with a storming The Last In Line – a dynamic epic that runs the gamut of the Dio range in six glorious minutes.
With its crushing production, dazzling performances and obvious love of the subject matter, The Dio Album is a deeply impressive tribute to one of rock’s great artists. Paul Gilbert has the chops to echo the work of a master, but also to make the music his own and, in so doing, he has created an album that stands on its own merits, enjoyable even for those unfamiliar with the originals. However, while Paul has made the music his own, as with any good tribute album, the primary success here is to make the listener not only revel in the album, but also want to go back and listen to the originals all over again. At every level, it is a remarkable achievement and a fitting tribute to the one and only Ronnie James Dio. 9/10
Track listing:
1. Neon Knights
2. Kill the King
3. Stand Up And Shout
4. Country Girl
5. Man On The Silver Mountain
6. Holy Diver
7. Heaven And Hell
8. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
9. Lady Evil
10. Don’t Talk to Strangers
11. Starstruck
12. The Last In Line
