Black Sabbath - Reunion [Limited Edition] [2-CD SET]

Giant Stonehenge monoliths for the stage that could not be fitted into the concert halls they were playing; Dwarfs on stage; famous vocalists who did not know the lyrics to classic Sabbath songs; getting lost on the way to the stage; and drummers disappearing into the dry ice. You name it, Sabbath had either done it, or somebody had done it to them. But through it all there were still some great moments and great albums from both, Sabbath and Ozzy, who`s own band was just as liquid as Sabbaths. (Ozzy Osbourne, with the help of his wife Sharon, had gone on to be far more commercially successful than Sabbath had ever been. The two of them had been the main inspiration for a movie called `Spinal Tap`.)

Realizing the time was right, and to be fair, they probably realized a buck or two could be made out of the gig, it was decided to put the original Black Sabbath together and do those songs properly again. Bridges were built and contracts were signed (which was more than Sabbath managed the first time around). They never received a dime in royalties for their first album as they were paid a one off sum of one thousand pounds, given two days to record, and that was it. The album went top twenty all over the world, is still on the Billboard lists today, over thirty four years later, and has been re-licensed to different labels countless times. Smart move, boys.

As a token of goodwill their home town of Birmingham, England, was chosen for the comeback concerts, so the giant N.E.C. Stadium was booked to present the reunited Black Sabbath on two dark wet and windy nights in December 1997. Fearing that this could be a one off if Sabbath soon returned to their old habits, it was decided to record the whole thing for posterity. Add to that the fact that the boys were not as young anymore either. Rehearsals were a little tense, but apart from Bill Ward missing the odd flight and Toni Iommi setting Bill`s beard on fire, things went better than expected. But would the magic still be there when they took to the stage?

Before going on stage the band admitted they had never been so nervous in all their careers. However, when the pre-recorded opening sirens and announcements boomed across the stage the band walked out and the crowd went mental. `War Pigs`, first played live by Sabbath in 1969, shuddered the rafters and thundered out of the speakers. By the time Ozzy came in with the first verse, they have got it, the groove was back. Not only the band knew it, the audience felt it too and went berserk along with their heroes. Toni Iommi established what the whole world knew anyway, he was the master of the heavy metal riff, his searing solos were splattered across every song, driving the band onto further heights.

On the audio C.D. you can hear Geezer Butler throwing his bass guitar around, leaving the template for all heavy metal bassists. Truly a Master of Reality as he nails every note.

On the drums there is Bill Ward, playing the bins with hammer blows reaching technical ecstasy.

Ozzy comes through the Blizzard of sound, taunting the crowd onto a higher musical plain between songs, belting out the lyrics as only Ozzy can. After all, nobody has ever actually accused him of being able to sing.

Geoff Nichols is unheard and unseen throughout the concert; merely a supporting role.

But what you get is two hours of the live beast, plus two newly recorded studio tracks as a bonus. All the classics are played alongside some other songs that should of been classics (and would of been if they had been in other bands` repertoires). Sabbath had such a wealth of songs that some got forgotten over a period of time.

I for one am truly grateful that these concerts were recorded and released, as the original lineup never released a proper live album first time round. So this is a great memento of one of rock`s immortal giants. After what they have been through they must be immortal.

I leave you with the opening lyrics to `Children Of The Grave`, written by Geezer Butler in 1971, which shows, I think, that not only in their heavy riffs and solid rhythms were Black Sabbath years ahead of everybody else. Who would of thought that there would be social awareness from this bunch of brummies?

`So you children of the world, listen to what I say,
If you want a better place to live in, spread the word today,
Show the world that love is still alive, you must be brave,
Or You children of today are children of the grave.`

Mott the Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew

On December 4th, 1997, 4 of the most renound Metal Gods came together for one final Black Sabbath performance: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Thinking they could make a quick buck, the original four members and thousands of fans amassed in Birmingham`s NEC Arena, for just one last chance to see Heavy Metal`s creator one last time. Although they had met for a Live Aid concert in 1985 and a 4-song appearance at Ozzy`s 1992 "Farewell" concert, the "Reunion" concert was their first full-length concert in 13 years, and was most likely the last time they would be seen together. Previous live releases, such as Live At Last(Bad Sound Production) and Live Evil(Dio singing Ozzy songs!) had their faults, but Reunion fully captures Sabbath in their prime, still able to play at blistering speeds after 20 years, with Ozzy`s vocals still echoing sarcasm, Iommi`s riffs and solos reaching technical ecstacy, Ward`s drumming spot-on, and Butler`s bass still resounding doom, Black Sabbath is spot-on, and the sound production couldn`t be better!

Track Listing-
"Reunion"`s Track Listing is phenomenal, picking songs from the original 8 albums, Black Sabbath picked the big hits, such as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid", and "N.I.B.". They also picked many fan favorites, such as "Sweet Leaf","Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "Children of the Grave", "Fairies Wear Boots", and "Black Sabbath". Then, completely out of left field, Black Sabbath picked many random songs from their past, and improved on them immensely, creating some of the best songs on "Reunion". Those tracks are "Behind the Wall of Sleep", "Electric Funeral", "Spiral Architect", "Into The Void", "Orchid/Lord of This World", and "Dirty Women". Plus, as an added treat, "Reunion" offers up two amazing Studio Tracks, "Psycho Man" and "Selling My Soul", that easily earn their place among Sabbath`s all-time classics.

Band Performance-
While Ozzy`s vocals may be terrible on recent live releases as Live At Budokan, his vocal performance here is spot on, as he never misses a beat, and his oddly sarcastic vocals are anything but hollow even after 2 Decades of music. Tony Iommi is amazing here, with his blistering riffs and solos coming almost naturally, and at times easily besting the original songs, as he deftly adds solos, so an average song contains 2-3 solos each! Bill Ward and Geezer Butler never sounded better, and while their performances aren`t outstanding, they play spot-on and never miss a beat, immensely adding to the performance. Overall, Black Sabbath is in top-form here.

Sound Quality/ Crowd-
Unlike most Concert Bootlegs, Reunion sounds crisp and clean, with all the instruments and vocals easily hearable, and feedback from the instruments is kept to a minimum, and truly everything here sounds outstanding. Ozzy and the Crowd interact quite often, the crowd singing back to Sabbath quite often, and humming right along. Just listen to "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" if you want a good example!

Overall, Reunion stands as a Live triumph, and is a great addition to any Black Sabbath fan. All the songs on here are different than their album counterparts, many of them being longer and showcasing Iommi`s skill more in-depthly than the albums, so this is a must for Sabbath fans, even if you don`t like Live material!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ONE OF THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS I`VE HEARD, AND CERTAINLY BLACK SABBATH`S BEST!R.I.P. BLACK SABBATH/OZZY`S CAREER!

Also Recommended-

Tribute- Ozzy Osbourne
Live Evil- Black Sabbath
Past Lives-Black Sabbath

Thanks For Reading!