Strange Highways

Strange Highways
Studio album by Dio
Released	October 25, 1993 Europe & Japan January 26, 1994 U.S.A.
Recorded	Rumbo Recorders, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Heavy metal, doom metal
Length	53:36
Label	Reprise (North America) Vertigo (rest of the world)
Producer	Mike Fraser
Dio chronology
Lock Up the Wolves (1990) Strange Highways (1993) Angry Machines (1996)
Ronnie James Dio chronology
Dehumanizer (1992) Strange Highways (1993) Angry Machines (1996)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	(B−)[2]

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.^[3]

"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."^[4]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Ronnie James Dio, music as stated.

No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Jesus, Mary & the Holy Ghost"	Dio, Grijalva, Pilson	4:13
2.	"Firehead"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	4:06
3.	"Strange Highways"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	6:54
4.	"Hollywood Black"	Dio, Grijalva, Appice	5:10
5.	"Evilution"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	5:37
6.	"Pain"	Dio, Grijalva	4:14
7.	"One Foot in the Grave"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	4:01
8.	"Give Her the Gun"	Dio, Grijalva, Pilson	5:58
9.	"Blood from a Stone"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	4:14
10.	"Here's to You"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	3:24
11.	"Bring Down the Rain"	Appice, Dio, Grijalva and Pilson	5:45

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1994	German Albums Chart[5]	79
	U.S. Billboard 200[6]	142

Personnel

Dio

• Ronnie James Dio – vocals
• Tracy G – guitars
• Jeff Pilson – bass, keyboards
• Vinny Appice – drums^[7]

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

References

1. Anderson, Jason. "Strange Highways - Dio". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
2. Sinclair, Tom (1994-01-28). "Strange Highways Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
3. Metal Rules - Jeff Pilson interview
4. Southern Cross No.19, March 1997
5. "Album – DIO, Strange Highways". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
6. "Strange Highways Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
7. Saulnier, Jason (24 March 2012). "Vinny Appice Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 6 May 2013.

External links

• Strange Highways song lyrics