The last concert given under the Black Sabbath banner before
this reunion concert was recorded, was in Bangkok. However, it was a completely
different lineup to the one on this CD.
Back in December 1995 only Toni Iommi was left in the ranks
of Black Sabbath from the original band. Along with him was Tony (Cat) Martin on
vocals. (Tony has just released a new album (2003) with his band Empire called
‘Trading Souls’ and very good it is, too.) Furthermore there was Neil Murray
on bass; Geoff Nicholls on keyboards (he has been with Sabbath now for twenty
years, but he yet has to play off stage); and Bobby Rondinelli on drums.
On that frenzied night in Bangkok they gave the sort of
concert that smacks of end of tour, ‘Alright, let’s give it one more go and
then go home’. Great Gig, but you always felt that you wanted to see the real
thing rather than a bunch of very efficient and technically gifted players. They
gave an excellent concert, but they were not it. After a long world tour none of
the members of the band were talking to each other, and probably never spoke
again after that night in Bangkok. (Apart from the ever dependable Geoff
Nicholls, of course.)
In 1979 Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath, or quit,
depending whose side of the story you wanna believe. It was to be over eighteen
years before the original lineup got back together, although there were brief
moments of hope for the fans, like the one off performance at Live Aid in 1985.
In fact, over those eighteen years Sabbath had recorded ten different albums,
all of which had different personnel. Twenty-three musicians had been through
the ranks, not counting hundreds of auditions.
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
Sabbath’s. (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 CD 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 have been classics (and would have 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 have 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.’
Author
Bill Bryson abandoned his earthly travel series to write this book, A Short
History of Nearly Everything (ISBN 0-552-15174-2, Black Swan Books, 2004) which
in reality is another travel book, but this time through the time-line of
science.
5
Dark Stars *****