Strange Highways
Strange Highways is the sixth studio album by Dio, released on 25 October 1993 through Vertigo. It followed Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice's reunion tour with Black Sabbath, and it marked a fresh start for the band, with guitarist Tracy Grijalva and bassist Jeff Pilson both making their debuts on a Dio record.
The album was recorded at Rumbo Recorders in Los Angeles, with Mike Fraiser producing, mixing and engineering, and Wil Rees designing the cover. Critics were generally positive, though it did not translate into sales, and it entered the Billboard 200 at No. 142. It sits between Lock Up the Wolves and Angry Machines, and it's worth hearing for the way it captures the band in transition, with a reshaped line-up following the Sabbath reunion.
Strange Highways: tracklist, credits and charts
11 tracks · 53:45Tracklist
- 1Jesus, Mary & the Holy GhostDio, G, Pilson4:14
- 2FireheadAppice, Dio, G, Pilson4:07
- 3Strange HighwaysAppice, Dio, G, Pilson6:54
- 4Hollywood BlackAppice, Dio, G5:09
- 5EvilutionAppice, Dio, G, Pilson5:38
- 6PainAppice, Dio, G4:13
- 7One Foot in the GraveAppice, Dio, G, Pilson4:03
- 8Give Her the GunDio, G, Pilson6:00
- 9Blood From a StoneAppice, Dio, G, Pilson4:15
- 10Here's to YouAppice, Dio, G, Pilson3:24
- 11Bring Down the RainAppice, Dio, G, Pilson5:46
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1993 | 142 |
| German Albums · 1993 | 79 |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 25 October
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The best of 1993
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1993-11-21 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 21 November 1993 | ignored lone early release dated 1993-10-25 |
| Wikipedia infobox | 25 October 1993 | |
| Wikidata | 25 October 1993 | |
| UK / Europe release | 25 October 1993 | earliest UK or European date |
5 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October 1993 | XE | Vertigo | 731451848629 | original |
| 21 November 1993 | JP | Vertigo | 4988011338953 | other |
| 26 January 1994 | US | Reprise Records | 093624552727 | other |
| 2021 | XE | Mercury Records | 602507369422 | other |
| — | — | EMI | 731451848629 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1420x1401, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1420×1401 | upscaled: minor: best source 1420x1401, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |