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Soundboard 9.0 - Interesting hearing this line up in such clarity, it certainly allows you to make a better judgment on the music, which by the way is pretty damn good. It’s different, in some ways, but it is still very good. My advice is not to go into it thinking you are getting Black Sabbath – rather consider it a Tony Iommi side project, then it makes more sense and will grab you in a better way. Black Sabbath Monsters Of Rock Festival Arena Del Chionso Reggio Emilia, Italy 1992-09-12 1. Computer God 2. Children of the Sea 3. Time Machine 4. War Pigs 5. Master of Insanity/After All (The Dead) 6. Iron Man 7. Heaven and Hell -
Audience 9.3 - I can’t recommend this highly enough – just ferocious playing and great guitar tone emanating from the stage where you have a close up seat and strap in ‘cause this is one heavy duty helping of blistering metal. Must have! Black Sabbath Memorial Stadium Seattle, WA 1980.07.19 Disc 1 101 War Pigs 102 Neon Knights 103 N.I.B. 104 Children Of The Sea 105 Sweet Leaf - Drum Solo 106 Black Sabbath Disc 2 201 Heaven And Hell 202 Iron Man 203 Guitar Solo 204 Die Young 205 Paranoid 206 Children Of The Grave -
The controversial Seventh Star sessions that saw Jeff Fenholt on vocals which was not the best fit for the band, however since he wrote most of the songs it led to an awkward situation and the project was shelved because Tony found someone he wanted to sing those tracks and it wasn't Jeff. Two different covers, choose your favorite or get both! UK import. Digipac SEALED -
The controversial Seventh Star sessions that saw Jeff Fenholt on vocals which was not the best fit for the band, however since he wrote most of the songs it led to an awkward situation and the project was shelved because Tony found someone he wanted to sing those tracks and it wasn't Jeff. Two different covers, choose your favorite or get both! UK import. Digipac SEALED -
Audience 9.0 - A big sound here, and I mean it can be asbig as you want because there's just enough headroom here to add volume without fear of too much of any one thing to take away from other frequencies. It's an even sounding mix, with maybe just a little more emphasis on the massive bass/guitar attack. But even then, you still get all the vocals and drums you need...its a well rounded recording giving you sense of venue as one more benefit that comes with audience recordings.
BLACK SABBATH Mayflower Theatre Southampton, UK 6th September 1992 Disc 1 1. E5150 2. The Mob Rules 3. Computer God 4. Children of the Sea 5. Time Machine 6. War Pigs 7. I 8. Die Young 9. Guitar Solo 10. Black Sabbath Disc 2 1. Master of Insanity 2. After All (The Dead) 3. Drum Solo 4. Iron Man 5. Heaven and Hell 6. Neon Knights Ronnie James Dio - Vocal Tony Iommi - Guitar Geezer Butler - Bass Vinny Appice - Drums Geoff Nicholls - Keyboards -
Audience 8.7 All shows appear to have been recorded by the same taper who was diligent to show up to all the Sabbath shows in his town three years in a row. I am impressed with his effort, you can tell he's not an amateur and but for the fact he's not using pro equipment, he most certainly would otherwise have gotten a stellar result. As it is, it's fine but not winning any dynamics awards. What it does deliver is consistent, strong, error-free recordings that you can relax into, and let yourself adjust to what is there because it's certainly not that bad. I started listening to these shows in order to rate them and ended up just letting them play because it's cool to hear this great line-up playing in a far away place away from the glitz and glamour of the metropolis, year-after-year-after-year, and yet deliver a performance no different from one they might have done at, say, Radio City Music Hall or Madison Square Garden.
Black Sabbath Cornwall Coliseum St. Austell, UK June 24, 1980,Feb. 2, 1981 & Jan. 14, 1982 Disc 1 St. Austell, UK June 24, 1980 1. Intro 2. War Pigs 3. Neon Knights 4. N.I.B. 5. Lonely Is The Word 6. Sweet Leaf 7. Children of the Sea 8. Black Sabbath 9. Heaven and Hell Disc 2 10. Iron Man 11. Guitar Solo 12. Die Young 13. Paranoid 14. Children of the Grave St. Austell Feb. 2, 1981 15. Supertzar 16. War Pigs 17. Neon Knights 18. N.I.B. 19. Children of the Sea 20. Lady Evil Disc 3 21. Black Sabbath 22. Heaven and Hell 23. Iron Man 24. Guitar Solo 25. Die Young 26. Paranoid 27. Children Of The Grave St. Austell, UK. 1982 28. E5150 (Intro) 29. Neon Knights 30. N.I.B. Disc 4 31. Children Of The Sea 32. Country Girl 33. Black Sabbath 34. War Pigs 35. Slippin' Away 36. Drum Solo 37. Iron Man 38. Mob Rules 39. Heaven And Hell 40. Paranoid 41. Children Of The Grave -
Sunrise, Fl. 1992 Audience 9.1 - A really nice and bright recording. It’s not as full on the low end but it’s there, everything is pretty clear and it is a pretty spacious, atmospheric tape. Groningen 1992 Audience 9.2 - This tape is bright, good balance, and a realistic live atmosphere. Black Sabbath 1992-07-24 & 09-17 Disc 1 Sunrise Musical Theater Sunrise, Florida 1992-07-24 101 Soundcheck (Vinny Appice) - Intro 102 E5150 103 The Mob Rules 104 Computer God 105 Children Of The Sea 106 Time Machine 107 War Pigs 108 I 109 Die Young 110 Guitar Solo - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 111 Black Sabbath Disc 2 201 TV Crimes 202 Master Of Insanity 203 After All (The Dead) 204 Drum Solo 205 Iron Man 206 Heaven And Hell 207 Neon Knights 208 Paranoid - Heaven And Hell (Reprise) Disc 3 Evenementenhal Groningen, Netherlands 1992-09-17 301 E5150 302 The Mob Rules 303 Computer God 304 Children Of The Sea 305 Time Machine 306 War Pigs 307 I 308 Die Young Disc 4 401 Guitar Solo - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 402 Black Sabbath 403 Master Of Insanity 404 After All (The Dead) 405 Drum Solo 406 Iron Man 407 Heaven And Hell 408 Neon Knights 409 Paranoid - Heaven And Hell (Reprise) -
Brand New - Sealed Sound quality on all releases on this label is excellent. -
Disc 1 Pittsburgh 1974 Audience 8.5 A rather middle of the road tape that does not offend the ears, but does not offer great separation of instruments. It’s not that it is real muddy either, it’s just that Sabbath were very loud, and unless you were seated ideally for taping, and, if your taping gear was high quality, you “might” get a very good recording of this band. That being said, I have heard much worse, and this is a new tape to circulation. Some good jams, Ozzy is very excited this night. Disc 2 Niagara Falls 1978 Audience 8.7 A bit better than the previous disc in this set, it offers better separation of instruments and more dynamics. In parts, it’s actually even better than the 8.7 rating. A rare tape, it offers something to collectors and features complete versions of the Technical Ecstasy songs which is a big plus. Disc 3 Live Rehearsals and Unknown Live 1979-80 Soundboard 9.8 Two very cool pieces that may have fallen through the cracks for most collectors but thankfully included in this Lost Recordings set. Both are worth repeated listening. Black Sabbath Lost Recordings 1974-1979 Disc One Civic Arena Pittsburgh, PA 02-02-1974 1. -Introduction 2. -Tomorrow's Dream 3. -Sweet Leaf 4. -Killing Yourself To Live 5. -Snowblind 6. -War Pigs 7. -A National Acrobat 8. -Cornucopia 9. -Sabbra Cadabra 10. -Guitar-Drum Solo 11. -Unknown 12. -Drum Solo 13. -Supernaut 14. -Guitar Solo 15. -Sabbra Cadabra (reprise) Disc 2 Niagara Falls Convention Center Niagara Falls, NY September 8, 1978 1 -Supertzar (intro tape) 2 -Symptom of the Universe 3 -Snowblind 4 -War Pigs 5 -Never Say Die 6 -Black Sabbath 7 -Dirty Women 8 -Rock 'n Roll Doctor 9 -Bill Ward drum solo 10 -Jam I 11 -Orchid 12 -Jam II 13 -Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (riff) 14 -Jam III 15 -Jam IV 16 -Jam V 17 -Electric Funeral 18 -Iron Man Disc 3 New York 1978 Cont'd 19 -Fairies Wear Boots 20 -Encore break 21 -Paranoid 22 -She's Gone (outro tape) 1979 Rehearsal Session 23. -Heaven And Hell 24. -Slapback Unknown Venue August 1980 25. -War Pigs 26. -Neon Knights 27. -Children Of The Sea 28. -Black Sabbath 29. -Die Young -
Audience 9.2 - I rate this one highly because it has a unique quality to it. First though, it’s a good recording, but interestingly it gives a clear and powerful representation to the often overlooked and seldom FELT kick drum. This instrument is kind of crucial to the sound of a heavy metal band, especially one whose primary power source is closer to the bottom end of the sound spectrum. So, a nicely defined and powerful kick drum propels this show in ways others do not. Highly recommended!Black Sabbath Nippon Seinen Kan Shinjuku-Ku Tokyo, Japan 11-17-1980 Disc 1 1. -Opening - Supertzar 2. -War Pigs 3. -Neon Knights 4. -N.I.B. 5. -Children Of The Sea 6. -Sweet Leaf 7. -Drum Solo 8. -Sweet Leaf 9. -Lady Evil 10.-Black Sabbath Disc 2 11. -Heaven And Hell 12. -Iron Man 13. -Instrumental 14. -Guitar Solo 15. -Instrumental 16. -Guitar Solo 17. -Instrumental 18. -Orchid 19. -Die Young 20. -Paranoid 21. -SE - Announcement Tony Iommi - Guitars Ronnie James Dio - Vocals Geezer Butler - Bass Vinny Appice - Drums Geoff Nicholls - Keyboards
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Soundboard 9.2 - A solid board tape that feels more like a good stage recording to my ears..but the thing is this is an interesting line up and having a great quality live recording of it is of prime interest. Tony Martin can be analyzed very carefully, and I think he comes out as one of the better sounding voices but still not quite as good as Dio or Ozzy of course…but he’s not bad! BLACK SABBATH Live At Summer Arena Vienna, Austria 24th September 1989 CD 1 1.Supertzar/ The Gates of Hell 2.Headless Cross 3.Neon Knigths 4.Cildren Of The Sea 5.Die Young 6.When The Death Calls 7.War Pigs 8.The Shining CD 2 1.Mob Rules 2.Black Sabbath 3.Iron Man 4.Children Of The Grave ENCORE 5.Heaven And Hell 6.Paranoid / Heaven And Hell Tony Martin . Vocals Tony Iommi . Guitar Neil Murray . Bass Cozy Powell . Drums Geoff Nicholls . Keyboards -
Audience 8.9 - A very nice recording of a period I rather like for the songs and the renewed vigor of this venerable doom metal band. Black Sabbath Eulachhalle Winterthur, Switzerland 1992.09.14 Disc 1 101 E5150 102 The Mob Rules 103 Computer God 104 Children Of The Sea 105 Time Machine 106 War Pigs 107 I 108 Die Young 109 Guitar Solo 110 Black Sabbath Disc 2 201 Master Of Insanity 202 After All (The Dead) 203 Drums Solo 204 Iron Man 205 Heaven And Hell 206 Neon Knights 207 Paranoid - Heaven And Hell (Reprise) -
Soundboard 9.4 - All but the Darmstadt 1981 are soundboards of excellent quality. The one and only audience tape is very good though, recorded very up close with all the low end power as evidence that this band shook your bones (I know, I saw them in 1980 and I am still deaf!). Because it is recorded what seems like dead center, you aren’t going to hear the guitars and vocals as distinctly as the drums (super sounding kick by the way) and bass (pumping!). I like the audience tape here as it is kind of a relief to have a chance to be in the pit with the fans and hear what you would have heard had you been there, and I am not knocking the board tapes they are well done. Blackfoot Highway Song Of The 80's 1980-1984 Disc 1 Veteran's Memorial Coliseum Jacksonville, FL July 20, 1980 01. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme 02. On The Run03. Every Man Should Know 04. Train Train 05. Highway Song Stadion am Böllenfalltor Darmstadt, West-Germany 1981-08-23 06. Gimme Gimme Gimme 07. On the Run 08. I Got a Line on You 09. Every Man Should Know (Queenie) 10. Good Morning 11. Too Hard to Handle 12. Train, Train 13. Guitar Solo 14. Highway Song Music Hall Cleveland, OH. Sept. 30, 1981 15. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Disc 2 Cleveland '81 cont'd 01. On The Run 02. I Got A Line On You 03. Road Fever 04. Trouble In Mind 05. Rattlesnake Rock 'N' Roller 06. Train Train 07. Highway Song Hollywood Palladium Hollywood, CA. July 29, 1983 08. Rattle Snake Rock 'N' Roller 09. Wishing Well 10. Teenage Idol 11. Train, Train 12. Easy Livin' 13. Highway Song Disc 3 Hollywood '83 cont'd 14. On The Run 15. Fly Away Royal Oaks Theater Detroit, MI Feb. 09, 1984 01. intro 02. I Want To Talk To You 03. Heart's Grown Cold 04. Wishing Well 05. guitar solo 06. Roll And Tumble Blues 07. Fly Away 08. Morning Dew 09. Gimme Gimme 10. Rattlesnake Rock 'N' Roller 10. Train Train 11. Living In The Limelight 12. Highway Song -
Audience 8.7 A small club vibe permeates this recording which has merits in that it offers a “fly on the wall” perspective, as if you are sitting next to the PA, which taps the meters of the taper’s gear just to the breaking point. There is the smallest amount of distortion in the cymbal crashes which are mitigated through careful remastering. When the music is at full tilt there’s some competition in the frequencies which drowns out the vocals a bit but you get a good, clear guitar which is essential with this band. It’s one of the only bands that has a horn player but I don’t classify as a “horn” band due to his judicious use of the instrument. Oh, did I mention the KILLER guitar work on this? Man, Mick Abrahams really delivers some very tasty hard rock riffing and lead work! Birmingham 1969 Audience 9.0 - The bonus material from 1969 is short but very good quality. A lot of on stage banter by Mick, I guess it gives you more insight into his character...but what a guitarist! I sure hope more of this tape is discovered. Blodwyn Pig Cooks Ferry Edmonton, UK 1974-05-27 Disc 1 01 -Blues of a Dunstable Truck Driving Man 02 -Where Did You Go 03 -I Know 04 -See My Way 05 -Cosmogrification 06 -The Leaving Song 07 -Cat Squirrel 08 -It's Only Love Disc 2 09 -Six Days On The Road 10 -Unknown Title 11 -Drum Solo 12 -Unknown Title The Band Andy Pyle - Bass Clive Bunker - Drums Mick Abrahams - Guitar, Vocals Jack Lancaster - Saxophone, Horns, Flute Mother's Birmingham, England March 22nd, 1969 13 -Sweet Caroline 14 -Talk 15 -Leave It With Me 16 -Talk 17 -Dear Jill THE BAND Mick Abrahams guitar vocals Jack Lancaster saxophone flute Andy Pyle bass Ron Berg drums -
Radio Broadcasts 9.4/9.1 - Overall quality is excellent with a couple of these sounding a little dated but nevertheless the quality of the content combined with broadcast over the air quality (never mind how many decades ago) I think this holds up quite well. BLODWYN PIG The Live Sessions John Peel Radio Broadcast Tracks 1-6 1st Feb 1970 Tracks 7-12 13th Dec 1970 1. -The Change Song 2. -Ain't You Coming Home 3. -See My Way 4. -Instrumental 5. -Same Old Story 6. -See My Way (Reprise) 7. -Meaney Mornay 8. -Rock Me Baby 9. -Somebody Just Like Me 10. -See My Way 11. -Slow Down 12. -Worry Personel: Mick Abrahams - guitars, vocals; Andy Pyle - bass; Jack Lancaster - saxophone, flute; Ron Berg - drums; Peter Banks - guitars (B tracks) -
Broadcasts 8.8/9.4 - A little variation depending on the source of the recording in question (all fully annotated in the notes), what you get here is a collection of broadcasts over the air during 1969 and 1970 when music was in full change mode and experimentation and blending of genres was all the rage. Blodwyn Pig certainly has to be included in that product description with their jazz-tinged hard rock akin to Jethro Tull without flute (substitute sax instead). Makes sense, since Mick Abrahams helped define Tull’s sound in the beginning days. This is great stuff though and is HIGHLY recommended. BLODWYN PIG 1969-1970 Sessions Disc 1 01 -Ain't Ya Comin' Home ......... 03:14 02 -The Change Song .............. 04:23 03 -The Modern Alchemist ......... 04:45 04 -Mr. Green's Blues ............ 03:47 05 -It's Only Love ............... 03:30 06 -Ain't Ya Comin' Home ......... 03:35 07 -See My Way ................... 06:06 08 -Summer Day ................... 04:09 09 -The Modern Alchemist ......... 06:42 10 -Same Old Story ............... 02:33 11 -It's Only Love ............... 03:25 Disc 2 12 -Same Old Story ............... 03:17 13 -Cat's Squirrel ............... 08:55 14 -Drive Me ..................... 03:37 15 -Slow Down .................... 05:59 16 -Worry ........................ 03:38 17 -Somebody Just Like Me ........ 05:50 19 -See My Way ................... 06:05 19 -Moon's Gone .................. 02:59 20 -Lady Of Liberty .............. 04:22 21 -Lovely Lady .................. 05:11 22 -Lady Of Liberty .............. 05:32 (01-02) February 24, 1969 BBC Studio 2, Aoelian Hall, London UK (BBC Radio "Symonds On Sunday" broadcast March 2, 1970) (03-06) March 24, 1969 BBC Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Ave London UK (BBC Radio "Top Gear" broadcast April 13, 1969) (07-08) October 1, 1969 BBC Maida Vale 4, London UK (UK BBC Radio "WS R&B" broadcast October 25, 1969) (09) October 10, 1969 Bremen (German TV "Beat Club 48" broadcast October 25, 1969) (10-11) December 27, 1969 BBC Studios London UK (12) January 29, 1970 Top Of The Pops, Paris Theater, London UK (13-15) February 1, 70 BBC Radio "Top Gear" London UK (16-17) March 4, 1970 BBC Maida Vale 4, London, UK (BBC Radio "WS R&B" broadcast April 5, 1970) (18) May 25, 1970 Bremen (German TV "Beat Club 55" broadcast May 30, 1970) (19-20) September 23, 1970 "Sounds Of The Seventies" London UK (21-22) October 3, 1970 Peel session, London UK Personel: Mick Abrahams - guitars, vocals (01-18) Andy Pyle - bass Jack Lancaster - saxophone, flute Ron Berg - drums Peter Banks - guitars (19-22) Barry Reynolds - vocals (19-22)