"Black & Blue" is one of my favorite concerts and Ronnie James Dio one of the most oustanding singers of the world's Rock scene. I had the opportunity to saw him three times in Mexico city: first with Black Sabbath's Dehumanizer Tour in 1992, with Deep Purple's last Tour as special guest, and in a unique concert past year here in the city. The reality is that his complete domain of the stage is superior, mixtured with an authentic passionated dramatic capacity that make glorious magic performances: Yes! he's one of the big expressive figures with a big personality image in Rock...In the Black & Blue concert, he and the other members of the band joined forces with Blue Oyster Cult. That year (1982), although Black Sabbath was touring for the MOB RULES album, this visual performance presented only the 1980 album, HEAVEN AND HELL. But let's see the played programme of both bands:
BLACK SABBATH:
"War Pigs", "Neon Knights", "N.I.B."/ "Iron Man", Tony Iommi guitar solo, "Paranoid"/ "Heaven And Hell"/ "Die Young".
BLUE OYSTER CULT:
"Dr. Music", "Rock & Roll Music", "Divine Wind"/ "Godzilla", Drum solo, "Roadhouse Blues"/ "Born To Be Wild"/ "The Marshall PLan" (video).
The Blue Oyster Cult part is good and interesting, over all, thinking that the best recording to date is the "Cultosaurus Erectus" album (1980) cause its magnificent Neo-Progressive songs (Heavy Rock + Progressive passages). It's a shame that tracks like "Monsters", "Cultosaurus Erectus" or "Deadline" did not appear here (that's the reason I put it 4 Stars) the unique song is the fabulous "Divine Wind" dedicated to the Ayatola komeini (did I write it well?) and the video of "The Marshall Plan" (?). So This concert is really going to let you asking for more... Good Luck!
