Post by kds on Apr 9, 2021 16:10:14 GMT
For whatever reason, this morning, I was randomly thinking of one of my favorite hard rock groups - Rainbow. And I specifically thought about how Ritchie Blackmore transformed them from a mystical magical hard rock band to an AOR radio rock band in 1979 when he replaced lead singer and lyricist Ronnie James Dio. With Graham Bonnet on vocals, the band immediately scored a hit with the Russ Ballard penned Since You've Been Gone, and had a few other radio / MTV favorites when Joe Lynn Turner replaced Bonnet.
Dio went on to replace Ozzy Osbourne in Sabbath for two albums before forming his own band Dio in the early 80s. But, despite being blessed with an extraordinary voice, Dio never really became a mainstream household name like a Daltrey, Plant, Mercury, Roth, or even Ozzy. In hard rock and heavy metal circles, the man is a good. But, not so much elsewhere.
Why is this? Is the music too heavy? Not really. His peak music is no heavier than other metal artists who achieved mainstream success - Black Sabbath (original lineup), Judas Priest, Scorpions, or later, Metallica. Accessibility? I don't really think that's it. Ronnie's songs have plenty of hooks. No. I think it comes down to lyrics. The majority of Dio's lyrics tend to focus on fantasy - knights, dragons, wizards, spells, charms, witches, etc.
For some reason US audiences do not want to hear fantasy lyrics. They'll take lyrics about boy / girl stuff, love, drinking, drugs, surfing, going to the beach, the weather, kissing, fucking, cheeseburgers, rocking, partying, revolution, politics, sports, birth, death, environmental issues, gambling, drinkware, money, religion, education, or almost anything else under the sun. But, God forbid a song about a dragon.
Americans will spend hours watching TV shows or movies, or reading books, about witches, dragons, hobbits, or zombies, but can't be bothered with an eight minute epic about a wizard (speaking specifically of Rainbow's Stargazer which could easily be as revered as Led Zeppelin's Kashmir).
And, it's not just Ronnie James Dio. Uriah Heep never really got as big in the States of some of their peers, and several of their songs were about gypsies, witches, or wizards. Queen's second album, Queen II, which has a bit of a cult following in the hard rock / metal world, is full of songs about ogres, fairies, and queens, but they didn't achieve big success until they ditched those themes. Even Blue Oyster Cult might be better known than "the more cowbell band" if their lyrics weren't so sci fi / fantasy based.
There are tons of power metal bands that came out of Europe in the 80s and 90s, whose songs are immensely popular in their homeland, but can barely fill a small club in the States. NY based Manowar, whose songs are either about vikings, knights, or how metal they are, have pretty much given up playing shows stateside since they're far more popular in other countries.
I guess people like relatable lyrics. Just ask Mike Love. But, music is an escape, isn't it? Fantasy is just that. And with "nerd culture" being so big in the 21st century, I feel it's high time that the greatness of Ronnie James Dio's music, along with Heep, early Queen, BOC, etc gets the credit it deserves. Maybe had "nerd culture" been more of a thing in the 70s and 80s, it could've happened. Or maybe people could turn off the fucking WAP and crank up the Holy Diver album.
Dio went on to replace Ozzy Osbourne in Sabbath for two albums before forming his own band Dio in the early 80s. But, despite being blessed with an extraordinary voice, Dio never really became a mainstream household name like a Daltrey, Plant, Mercury, Roth, or even Ozzy. In hard rock and heavy metal circles, the man is a good. But, not so much elsewhere.
Why is this? Is the music too heavy? Not really. His peak music is no heavier than other metal artists who achieved mainstream success - Black Sabbath (original lineup), Judas Priest, Scorpions, or later, Metallica. Accessibility? I don't really think that's it. Ronnie's songs have plenty of hooks. No. I think it comes down to lyrics. The majority of Dio's lyrics tend to focus on fantasy - knights, dragons, wizards, spells, charms, witches, etc.
For some reason US audiences do not want to hear fantasy lyrics. They'll take lyrics about boy / girl stuff, love, drinking, drugs, surfing, going to the beach, the weather, kissing, fucking, cheeseburgers, rocking, partying, revolution, politics, sports, birth, death, environmental issues, gambling, drinkware, money, religion, education, or almost anything else under the sun. But, God forbid a song about a dragon.
Americans will spend hours watching TV shows or movies, or reading books, about witches, dragons, hobbits, or zombies, but can't be bothered with an eight minute epic about a wizard (speaking specifically of Rainbow's Stargazer which could easily be as revered as Led Zeppelin's Kashmir).
And, it's not just Ronnie James Dio. Uriah Heep never really got as big in the States of some of their peers, and several of their songs were about gypsies, witches, or wizards. Queen's second album, Queen II, which has a bit of a cult following in the hard rock / metal world, is full of songs about ogres, fairies, and queens, but they didn't achieve big success until they ditched those themes. Even Blue Oyster Cult might be better known than "the more cowbell band" if their lyrics weren't so sci fi / fantasy based.
There are tons of power metal bands that came out of Europe in the 80s and 90s, whose songs are immensely popular in their homeland, but can barely fill a small club in the States. NY based Manowar, whose songs are either about vikings, knights, or how metal they are, have pretty much given up playing shows stateside since they're far more popular in other countries.
I guess people like relatable lyrics. Just ask Mike Love. But, music is an escape, isn't it? Fantasy is just that. And with "nerd culture" being so big in the 21st century, I feel it's high time that the greatness of Ronnie James Dio's music, along with Heep, early Queen, BOC, etc gets the credit it deserves. Maybe had "nerd culture" been more of a thing in the 70s and 80s, it could've happened. Or maybe people could turn off the fucking WAP and crank up the Holy Diver album.