The 1983 classic rock album Dave Grohl called “the perfect record”
Dave Grohl has spent the last four decades in Nirvana and Foo Fighters, but has never allowed the bright lights to make him jaded.
For Grohl, music remains a passion rather than a career, even though his role as frontman of the Foo Fighters is akin to being the CEO of a huge international business. In his heart of hearts, he’s still as excited by music as he once was when he first went on the road with Nirvana and waved goodbye to civilian life all those years ago.
However, as much as Grohl gets kicks from hearing a new band that makes him feel 15 again, nothing can quite compete with those records that lit up his life as a teenager.
During that special period, Grohl developed a passion for heavy rock before becoming involved with his local punk scene and playing in his own bands. He was determined to ensure that his life would revolve around music in some capacity, and everything else, like school, didn’t matter.
Punk provided Grohl with a strong sense of belonging to a cultural movement that was about more than just music. He also had a huge soft spot for heavy rock, too, especially Dio and their frontman, Ronnie James Dio.
Dio, who succeeded in the hardest task in rock by stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath, was a groundbreaking figure in his own right. In addition to his work with Rainbow, Dio also forged an acclaimed solo career, which Grohl holds in the highest regard.
He formed Dio after departing Black Sabbath, which gave the vocalist the creative freedom he craved. While fronting Black Sabbath, Dio was a powerhouse, but the band never belonged to him. Tony Iommi remained the undisputed leader, steering the group’s direction, leaving Dio with ideas that he had no home for.
Although Dio’s first spell with Black Sabbath served both parties well, he felt creatively unfulfilled. Therefore, he launched his new band in 1983 with the debut album Holy Diver. It was a triumph, selling more than two million copies in the United States alone and proving that Dio could succeed on his own.
In the mind of Grohl, Holy Diver is a faultless rock of the highest calibre. He religiously listened to the record during a formative period of his artistic life, absorbing every microscopic detail like a sponge, which would later subconsciously infiltrate his own work.
Following Dio’s death, an annual ‘Bowl for Ronnie’ celebrity bowling event was launched in his memory. At the 2019 edition, Grohl spoke from the heart, remarking, “Well, Holy Diver is one of the best fucking albums of all time… When I listen to records, I don’t just listen to the vocals, I don’t just listen to the drums, I listen to it as a whole”.
Speaking from the heart, Grohl added, “An album like that, that’s kind of the perfect record. Vinny Appice’s playing on that fucking album is insane. As a drummer, I listen to that record and it’s, like, I don’t know if it’s composition or if that shit was just coming off the top of his head.”
The Foo Fighters frontman adores every aspect of the record, but as a burgeoning drummer at the time of his exposure to it, naturally, Appice’s contribution is his highlight, adding, “But as a drummer, that album is incredibly inspiring and influential.”
The fact that Holy Diver punched you straight in the gut was another huge green tick for Grohl, adding, “The simplicity of something like that – that’s one of the things I’ve always loved about Dio’s music: it’s not overly complicated or orchestrated, it’s a sum of a few very simple parts. And it’s powerful, and I fucking grew up with that shit.”
The Foo Fighters frontman also recalled the feelings that swirled through his body when he saw Dio perform on television for the first time, which made him realise, “‘Oh my god, That’s what I wanna do for the rest of my life!'”
Dio later unexpectedly became a friend due to the pair living in the same neighbourhood. While it’s often said that one should not meet their heroes, Dio was nothing short of an utter gentleman to Grohl, who worshipped the ground the late rock icon walked on.
Without Dio’s influence, Grohl’s life and career would have looked immeasurably different, which he’ll never allow himself to forget.
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