Just for the record.....Tracy-G is amazing and I loved what he brought to the band! Ronnie told me that he offered Tracy a dual guitar thing with me... not him only on rhythm... he would write and solo....because that was what was fair....but that's the only thing I think Tracy either got wrong or heard it wrong, misunderstood... or was told something else. The record company did want me to come back and do the Blackmore, Iommi, Viv and my stuff and Ronnie and I both thought it would've been cool to have a 2 guitar band and Tracy do the stuff that he does best!! I like dark riffs and odd chord changes and Ronnie didn't like that kinda stuff back then when I was in the band the first time.......but I gotta say....what Tracy-G brought to the band was a whole different world than what Ronnie was known for and knew himself! Jeff Pilson is an amazing singer, writer, player and producer....he and I were in a band together once. Jeff made total Dio history when he was in the band.....and Dio fans know that on all prior Dio albums the statement "All melodies and Lyrics by Ronnie James Dio" was a big deal for that to be made known!! The song "Stay Out of my Mind" was Jeff's song....melodies and lyrics too. It was so good... that Ronnie did a "cover" basically of a Jeff Pilson song! There was all sorts of amazing things going on during the time Jeff and Tracy were in Dio!! Jeff did "Master of the Moon" with us....Jeff played the piano for the intro for "The Man Who Would Be King" and Ronnie and I did all the rest of the keyboards for that album as was with "Magica"! I think Ronnie had less control over his own band with Vinny, Tracy-G and Jeff than he ever did before. Once the record company forced Ronnie to use a producer other than himself for " Lock Up The Wolves".... but it was still more of Ronnies band! Those 2 albums with Jeff, Tracy and Vinny were a whole new band!! With a whole new world that was created by them ALL....and not just Ronnie!! Each album had it's own signature with Viv, Rowan and Doug!! No question! I'm grateful to have been able to bring a more "Blackmore-ish" approach to Dio when I was in the band! But for me ...being in Dio was not a gig. ....or a job.....it was a Dream Come True!! I'm a fan that got into the band!! Ritchie Blackmore was the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place! Ronnie was and is my favorite singer!! The 2 of them in Rainbow was astounding!! And I'm a fan of Tracy-G! I'm not surprised that he's not a fan of mine! A bummer maybe.....but understandable! So.....for what it's worth.....I thought it would be a good thing to add another dimension of truth to this.....just in case and just for fun... and for the record. ...no pun intended!! Thanks!!

I remember watching Tracy playing as a kid and he was great. He was playing with Audie Desbrow the drummer of Great White in a garage. Late 70s

Strange Highways is My favourite album After Holy Diver. Dream Evil with Craig is great too but more Classic sounding. Tracii was a totally different beast and absolutely unique. Love em both btw, but Tracii is totally underrated

l loved Tracy G's contribution to 'DIO' and was identifiable is in own right. Had big boots to fill and credit to him, he brought something different. He might not be my favourite Dio guitarist but I was happy with that line-up. I really Doug Aldridge but it felt like he was being hired by everyone at the time and I thought 'DIO' was losing it's identity a little at that point. I loved the more recent Holy Diver tour but it was more a nostalgic pit-stop rather than a step forward.

Tracy G did solid work with Dio, admittedly I wasn't a huge fan of Angry Machines, but Strange Highways was an excellent album. Overall I prefer Craig to Tracy for stylistic reasons, it's odd that Tracy didn't care for Goldy's playing because they both leaned towards a noisier, more dissonant musical style when compared to the other guitarists who came in and out of Dio before and after. It sucks, but I guess it goes with the territory.

Craig's playing on rainbow tracks is amazing to here live.

The irony is, there could perhaps have been some interesting Thin Lizzy-eque material had Dio had two guitar players. Duel lead playing could have been a whole new avenue.

It would have been interesting to have heard an album with a Tracy G and Craig Goldy collaboration. I love both of them as guitarists. Tracy says he was better than that but for me, even if you're just playing rhythm, it doesn't really get much better than playing in the Dio band.

Goldy is ASTRONOMICALLY better... Craig is the man. Always played Vivians stuff better than Vivian himself. Goldy is a legend. Tracy G, not so much.

There were some great guitarists in Ronnie's band, but since my favorite album is "Dream Evil", I especially highlight Craig's playing. With him, special mystical notes appeared in the music, making metal compositions deeper and more atmospheric, such as the amazing "All The Fools Sailed Away". It's great that Craig managed to work with Ronnie after Rowan and Tracy. I think the idea to leave two bright and quite different performers in the group was initially doomed to failure. As they say in Russia, "two bears can't get along in the same den." In addition, the history of the band has always been associated with one guitarist in the studio and on stage, and I don't see any problems that this image remained until the end. Eternal glory to Ronnie! Long live Rock and Roll!

Tracy G is great! A progressive metal player. I love Angry Machines

Mmm Tracy's kinda a hater Goldy is a good guitarist.

I personally know Tracy g since grade school and he hardly had another guitar player in his many bands he has really great on the guitars he told this same story. About what happened with Ronnie bringing in another guitar player and wanted me to be in the background and this is no lie because I was his personal trainer that's all folks

Dio was never able to replace Vivian...PERIOD

Nahhhh bro he’s trippen they’re Both of them classically inclined they coulda made songs about electric dragons man

Honestly, I don’t know who Tracy G is . I’ve been into heavy guitar music since the early 80s

Just to say it very plainly..."Strange Highways" (great title) was a unique album. It had a different spin on the Dio sound and was kinda refreshing at the time. But...not every song on there is a winner. The ones that aren't standout tracks are just kinda underwhelming. Yet the ones that're good are really good. However, "Angry Machines" wasn't just underwhelming - it was outright awful. Everything from the album art to the song themes and titles to the songwriting. It just wasn't Dio. And if that album sounded like it did specifically because of Tracey G, then I see why Ronnie James fired him. It was total cringe. And just to say it...I listened to it again two weeks ago, to make sure My perspective on it was fresh, and it was even worse than how it sounded when it first came out. I can see why Tracey G didn't want to play with Craig Goldy. At least Goldy understands how to write in the voice of the brand. Tracey G just shit all over it and told his boss to fuck his brand. No wonder it didn't last.

Rowan Robertson is way more talented

Unbelievable 🤬 I wish Dio wasn’t an ass.Wtf? Good on you for leaving Tracy🙌🏻🙏🏻🤘🏻

Goldy smokes G!

Who?

Sorry but I just listened to both of his albums with Dio and it was boring and horrible. Everything before and after was a lot better.

Who the fuk is this guy ? Never heard about him..Tracy?

Tracey G butchered up lots of the solos live. Yea I liked strange highways /angry machines but still man. It's totally unacceptable . Besides, where the hell are the solos on Strange Highways and angry machines anyway?. Just mostly a bunch of sounds and noises for solos. Is he still playing that way today 2024 ?

Craig and Vivan were the best Dio guitarist this dude got some ego on him. I'm lead guitarist😂😂come on bro no one remembers your solos i didn't even know he was in dio until 5 minutes ago.

Tracy G is my least favourite Dio guitarist for sure.