Live at Last [Import, Live, Original recording remastered]

Black Sabbath | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Live, Original recording remastered
• Label: Castle Music UK
• Copy Protected
• ASIN: B000005RFO
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,539 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Tomorrow's Dream

2. Sweet Leaf

3. Killing Yourself to Live

4. Cornucopia

5. Snowblind

6. Medley 1: Embryo/Children Of The Grave

7. War Pigs

8. Medley 2: Wicked World/Supernaut/Drum Solo/Guitar Solo

9. Paranoid

Editorial Reviews

1996 reissue on Castle of their 1980 live album recorded inManchester & at The Rainbow in London. Digitally remastered,it also features the original sleeve artwork and expandedliner notes. 'Live At Last' is also the only official liveSabbath album with the original line up featuring OzzyOsbourne! Nine tracks, including 'Paranoid', 'Sweet Leaf','War Pigs' and 'Children Of The Grave'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy "Past Lives" instead (same recording, only better), April 29, 2004

By 

Bill M. "bill_m1" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at Last (Audio CD)

This 1973 live recording was first released in 1980. Along with the rest of Black Sabbath's 1970-86 catalog, it was remastered (though with flaws) by Castle Records in 1996. Finally, it was re-released in 2002 as disc one of "Past Lives", Black Sabbath's live 2-CD compilation. I would suggest buying "Past Lives" instead of "Live At Last" (remastered or not), due to it containing an entire second disc of other live songs, full liner notes and photos, better audio quality ("Live At Last" essentially has the sound of an old bootleg - thus my low rating), and most of all: the band's stamp of approval.

A number of reviewers here mistakenly call "Live At Last" the first official live album from Black Sabbath. This is not true -- it was NEVER an official release. In other words, it hit the stores in 1980 completely unbeknownst to the band (let alone without their permission!) and was not even put out by the band's label. Yes, these things do happen in the music industry.

In fact, the story goes that Black Sabbath only heard about the album because they were reading the record charts at the time to check up on "Heaven and Hell" (their best-selling album in years at that point), and much to their surprise saw something called "Black Sabbath - Live At Last" in the charts as well. This prompted them to properly plan and record Black Sabbath's first official live album ("Live Evil") on the tour that followed.

The tracks found on "Live At Last" were put together from two different shows, both recorded live in England in March of 1973 on their tour for "Volume 4". You'll find a few of the popular songs here: "War Pigs", "Paranoid", and "Sweet Leaf". But like die-hard fans of any band, I prefer hearing the more obscure songs.

One of the highlights is an early version of "Killing Yourself To Live" with different lyrics. It would still be another 9 months before the release of their 5th album, "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", which includes the studio version of "Killing". Also thrown in for good measure are Volume 4's "Cornucopia" and "Tomorrow's Dream", two of the more obscure but none the less great tracks from Black Sabbath's "golden" (first 6 albums) years. But the REAL killer track on this album is "Wicked World", which is a long medley that includes parts of "Supernaut", "Into The Void", and even an improvised blues jam.

"Live At Last" is one of many unofficial oddities in the Black Sabbath catalog, but it's since been cleaned up and properly released as "Past Lives". So again, go buy "Past Lives" instead. You'll have everything here, plus the Paris '70 show (minus duplicate song titles), and 3 Sabotage-era songs from 1975.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Although not the best Sabbath album, this one is still great, August 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] or Eric Petrocy, RN (Philadelphia, PA U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at Last (Audio CD)

If you want to hear the best version of 'Wicked World' or the best piece of 'Live' Sabbath work, this is the album for you. Yes, some of the main tracks are faster or slower than the original album tracks, this is because they are 'In Concert'. Live music is never the same as the stuff on the album, and this band brings the Live music to you in excellent form. One of the only live albums that Sabbath has done and made available in the U.S., 'Live at Last' is a true Sabbath fan's dream come true. This sturff is better than the Ozzfest reunion with Black Sabbbath at the Sony E-Center, Camden, NJ / Philadelphia, PA in the summer of 1997. You gotta check it out if you are a true Ozzy and Black Sabbath fan. And, if you are, you will not be disappointed by the awesome music on this album.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raw Power Straight From the Masters, October 3, 2004

By 

Kevin M. Stearns (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live at Last (Audio CD)

In my opinion, this is the best recorded material from the mighty Black Sabbath. Rock and roll is not meant to be clean, and it is not meant to be perfect. Here you recieve a raw, feedback drenched, pounding romp through material from Sab's first five albums played by the original lineup. No, the guitar isn't always in tune, the lyrics aren't always right on cue, but this is rock and roll, not a Beethoven Symphony. The magic of rock and roll is in its intesity and raw power, and there is little time to be spared for intricasies such as these. Loud, heavy, drug fueled mayhem from the kings. Turn off your computer and buy it already.