Caught In The Middle

The song is about Angelo Arcuri, he was the engineer on Holy Diver and would often come to Dio when he was having troubles. Dio came up with the song's title when Angelo told him he was "caught in the middle again." "Angelo's life always seemed to that of one caught in the middle of some kind of turmoil," Ronnie James Dio explained. "He would often make decisions that were wrong, and he would come to me and go, 'Ron, what am I gonna do?'"

This rocker is part of Holy Diver, the first album by Dio, the band formed by Ronnie James Dio after leaving Black Sabbath. They recorded the album at Sound City Studios with Dio producing. Without an experienced hand at the helm, they had to figure out how to make the album as they went along, which made Angelo Arcuri's role as engineer a very important one. They ended up using some unorthodox techniques to get a distinct sound, like putting drummer Vinny Appice's kit against a window and surrounding him with plywood. The album ended up being a metal landmark and proof that Ronnie James Dio could succeed outside of Black Sabbath.