Heaven & Hell - Live From Radio City Music Hall (Ocrd)
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Free Music Notes for Live From Radio City Music Hall (Ocrd)
Free Music Review: The Best Version of Sabbath
Hit: 5 Stars
Argueably, Black Sabbath is the greatest rock band ever to grace a studio, and for that matter a stage. I can hear it now; all of the Zeppelin and Beatles fans are going nuts. Sorry if I'm not a snob. For so many years Sabbath has taken so much abuse from critics and music snobs alike. It's probably because Sabbath has usually gone against the grain, and has been its own enemy with a number of line-up changes. Not to mention the fact that at times Tony Iommi was the lone original member and decided to put out records under the Sabbath moniker. All that being said, regardless what the band was called, the music has always been of high quality and most of it is still relevant today.
I was fortunate enough to see the Radio City show live. Both vocally and musically, this is the best version of Black Sabbath. The 3 albums they've turned out are classic pieces with great lyrics and great production. As a matter of fact, Iommi's sound on the albums is far better than any of the other stuff. Couple that with Dio's vocals, and you have the basis for great things. Now, I love Ozzy, and in no way am I insulting him, but the fact is Dio is a better singer.
This recording of the "Heaven & Hell" band is amazing. Get the DVD too. It's hard to imagine that these guys are as old as they are. But then again, it's not so surprising because they've had a lot of practice, and they are also older and wiser.
I'm not going to go through each song. If you know Sabbath then you know how great the songs are. The performance is the thing to marvel at. The sound is perfect, the vocals are perfect; everything about it is mind-boggling.
I love the fact that there's never been a rhythm guitar player in the band. It shows how great Iommi is, but also how the rhythm section (Butler and Appice) can keep it together. Although they only did 3 albums together, I don't think it's too hard to say that this is the best version of Sabbath. I just hope they take it back into the studio and put out a full-length in the future. In the meantime, I'll be looking for the original Sabs to hopefully get something to us in '08.
Free Music Review: By any other name, it's BLACK SABBATH!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is just what I've been waiting for.
I currently own "Live Evil" and "Cross Purposes Live." Both of those are excellent (and underated). I've owned "Live at Last," "Past Lives" (rip-off) and the unnecessarily F-word laden "Reunion," all of which I got rid of.
This is BLACK SABBATH, people. Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. This is the lineup that existed when I first got into Sabbath back in 1980-81.
Even at 65, Ronnie has still got a voice that would put singers a third of his age to shame. Tony...what can you say? The man invented heavy metal guitar as we know it, and he's still the master! Geezer...solid when he needs to be, and fluid when he needs to be, the mark of a truly excellent bass player. Vinny...Ronnie once called him "the American John Bonham," and I'm inclined to agree. Big brother Carmine may be better-known, but I've seen Vinny live twice (once with Dio and once with Sabbath) and he is among the most impressive drummers I've ever seen live, along with Neil Peart, Bobby Rondinelli and Phil Ehart (it's a shame I never got to see Cozy Powell).
Ronnie James Dio is easily the best frontman I can think of. I have never seen anyone connect with an audience the way he does, without having to resort to profanity-laden stage raps.
The song selection is excellent, and proves that this version of Black Sabbath can stand quite nicely on its own, without having to rehash any other lineup's songs, as good as those are. Of course, I miss songs like "Time Machine," "TV Crimes" and "Slipping Away"...I also think they should have done "Ear In The Wall"...but you can't please everyone.
By any other name, it's BLACK SABBATH. Do yourself a favour and get this necessary live album.
Free Music Review: The True Reunion is back!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the reunion I have been waiting for! I enjoy the Ozzy Era material, but since I grew up with this lineup I see them as Sabbath's best. If you are a fan of this version of Sabbath, or Heaven and Hell as they are calling themselves, buy this CD. Although I am not really a fan of live CD's, but this one will blow your mind. The 64 year old Dio is amazing. The man can still belt out about 98% of the notes in the songs and is a great frontman. His polite, and sober, demeanor is really great.
Butler, Iommi and Appice are all fantastic. First they open with the techno "E5150" and then surprisingly come out with a great version of "After all (The Dead)". Next is the one everyone was expecting "Mob Rules", and then a great version of "Children of the Sea" in which Dio relates it was the first song the band wrote together. Next we have great versions of "Lady Evil", "I", And a favorite of mine, "Sign of the Southern Cross". We then have "Voodoo", a great new song "The Devil Cried", and the powerful "Computer God". Then they played a favorite of mine "Falling off the Edge of the World" which I am sure is one which has not been played for many years. Next was a really heavy and great new song "Shadow of the Wind" ,a sinister song about drug addiction, then the great "Die Young", the all time classic "Heaven and Hell", "Lonely is the Word" and for their encore the great "Neon Knights".
This is real metal. Melodic and heavy, unlike some of the garbage today, you will not be disappointed. Dio, Iommi, Butler, and Applice should reform and do a full length CD. Forget drug addicted Ozzy, bring back this lineup!
Free Music Review: Ronnie James Dio: the shemp of Black Sabbath
Hit: 5 Stars
Somewhere along the way the comparison struck me, but in a way it fits. Dio, like Shemp Howard, was a talented individual who, taken in their own right, should be respected for what they accomplished, but will forever be overshadowed by their predecessors. Maybe I come at this from a unique perspective. Most stooge fans seem to be either Curly or Shemp, and Sabbath fans seem to be either Ozzy or Dio. Personally I like them all and take each of them for what they were. In the case of Sabbath, Dio allowed the band to finally reinvent themselves with some sort of cohesive vision, and his operatic growl was the perfect foil for Iommi's ever-darkening guitar riffs. They did away with much of the experimentation and occasional acoustic dabblings, and became a more straight forward metal band. On this album the quartet of Dio, Iommi, Butler, and Appice have captured a bit of the old black magic. Though I find myself favoring the first disc, the entire album is about as solid a live performance as you can get. The new material even fits in seamlessly with the old, a rare feat when old bands try to add to their back catalog. In the end I will always love Sabbath with Ozzy or with Dio and this Live masterpiece is a welcome addition to the collection. It's one of those albums perfectly suited to driving with the windows down, the volume up, and your foot feeling a little on the heavy side.
And for the record, I'll let someone else sort out who the Joe and Curly Joe of Sabbath are.
Free Music Review: Black Sabbath's (and probably Heavy Metal's) most brilliant line-up in all their glory!
Hit: 5 Stars
I guess it's well known among many Black Sabbath fans that the Dio-lineup was an absolutely brilliant, although unfortunately unstable one, giving us only three studio albums. I am damn sure that they would've produced lots more great stuff if their egos didn't get in the way, and the new songs 'The Devil Cried' and 'Shadow of the Wind' are a testament to that. The tracks performed from this fine classic trilogy of albums (H&H, Mob Rules and Dehumanizer) plus the new material are in excellent form here. I saw one of these Heaven and Hell shows in Toronto earlier this year, and must say that it was one of the best and most powerful concerts I've had the pleasure of seeing in a long time.- This live set (along with the DVD which I also picked up, a real treat!) is worth every penny. A great souvenir of the tour. The sound quality is top notch in it's crispness and clarity. Tony Iommi's guitar playing, Dio's voice, not to mention Vinny's drumming and Geezer's bass are as good as ever. This along with the long out-of-print limited-edition 'Live At Hammersmith' are sonically far superior to the disppointing 'Live Evil'. Anyone into Dio-era Sabbath should not pass this one up! I can just imagine what a new album of studio material form these guys would sound like, if they manage to stick together - and I don't really care whether it's under the B.S. or H&H name either. Oh and, BTW, maybe it's time to give the Ozzy-lineup a permanent rest, as I don't seriously think they'll work out anyway!.