After the success of the Sacred Heart tour, the band wanted to release a live album but the label had other ideas.  First of all, they wanted to only have a single disc record and not release the full show (or at least a major chunk of the concert).  Add to that, the band suffered its first line-up change mid-tour with Vivian Campbell leaving the band.  With new guitarist Craig Goldy onboard, the band jumped into the studio to record a song hoping it would be a hit and filling out the set with five crowd favorites from the tour.  The live material featured Campbell but the new studio track had Goldy providing the guitar work.  Although I was disappointed when this came out. I have grown to like it for what it is; a stop-gap record to keep Dio in the public’s mind while they recorded their next full length release.  That being said, the album features standout renditions of their classic studio tracks, making it a must-have for fans of early Dio material.

Dio and company always knew how to write a great opening number.  This was the first song on Sacred Heart and it was the tune that started the concert on that tour.  This live version has additional energy and speed, making this one the definitive recording of the song.

The sequencing is a bit odd on this disc, as this was usually relegated to show closer.  You can even hear Dio shout “good night” at the end.  Either way, this is pure melodic metal with a very distinctive keyboard sound laid over the guitar riffing.  This cut is probably the biggest hit in Dio’s career and rightly so.  It is a mid-tempo rocker that balances heavy metal power with melodic accessibility.

The title track from Dio’s third album, and this one is an epic number that plods along with all the drama that Dio (the man, not the band) is known for.  The version here is a little different as they add a little bit of the song “The Last In Line” at the very end.  Dio’s voice sounds as strong as ever, and he easily recreates his studio performance in a live setting.

I’m sure the label wanted something new for both the radio and this album.  As an introduction for new guitarist Goldy, this is Dio’s attempt to write another hit single but unfortunately, this did not make much of an impact.  To be fair, it’s not a very good song.  All the raw energy was missing, and the slick performance went against everything that came before.

Medleys were a good way for bands to include a lot of songs into their set lists even though in some cases, they barely touch upon the tracks.  Luckily, Dio did them well and gave the fans a good portion of the songs.  This one starts off with “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children” off of Sacred Heart, which was a bigger hit for the band.  It is a mid-paced rocker that heavily features keyboards, but the melody is able to carry this one.  There is enough metal in the tune to make it part of the classic Dio era.  The band quickly shift into a sped up version of the Rainbow classic “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll.”  Diving back into the Rainbow catalogue, the band give us an energetic version of “Man On The Silver Mountain.” After a brief part where Dio performs some vocal gymnastics, the band go back into “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children” to finish off the medley.

The opening track from The Last In Line closes out this release.  The song is a speedier rocker that features a rawer heavy metal sound that Dio was able to capture perfectly in the live setting.  This performance is also the definitive version of the piece.  Aside from a short back-and-forth with the crowd, the band sticks to the studio version without deviating too much.