Customer Reviews

Live at Last

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

It's hard to believe that this is still the only officially released '70s live Black Sabbath album. While the band was at a peak during early '73, when the Live At Last shows were recorded, there are several problems with this album. Even on CD it still sounds like an only somewhat-decent bootleg. Heck, you can barely hear Bill Ward's bass drum...thank goodness they didn't do "Iron Man" or else all you'd hear would be ten seconds of silence and then a low E-string growl by Tony Iommi. Some of the tunes are done at a bad tempo. "Sweet Leaf" is too slow and ponderous (it sounds almost like a St. Vitus cover), and the rendition of "Into The Void" they throw into the "Wicked World" medley is too fast. Still, this was when Ozzy could actually sing (1972 to late 1975 was the peak of his voice); Iommi gets quite fluid and jazzy during his extended solo; and Ward and Butler jam away. In front of a British audience, the band is obviously playing to an adoring crowd, but this album still lacks the extra touch of magic found in such seminal live albums as Made In Japan, Live At Fillmore East, or Rainbow Live In Germany 1976. Maybe someday an awesome King Biscuit show from 1975 or so will show up for the Sabs.

First off, let me say that this review is more of a rebuttal and correction of things that have been said in previous reviews, instead of a simple review of the content. I feel that this is necessary because after reading over the reviews, it appears most people are commentating are either talking about out-dated versions of this, or simply have no idea what they are talking about.

Many people have said that the sound quality on this CD is bad, so bad that you should not buy it. On closer inspection, these people are actually talking about earlier versions of this. A couple reviews below me the reviewer even says "I think there is a remastered version floating around somewhere". Well, if the person had bothered to look, the version amazon is selling IS in fact the remastered version! A reviewer also criticizes the lack of liner notes. Clearly another case of ignorance, because amazon also says above that this remastered CD has expanded liner notes. Yet another reviewer two pages back even states that "this was the last Sabbath CD added to my collection (which has been complete as of 1995)." Notice, 1995. Again, this person obviously doesn't know that amazon is selling the remastered version that came out a few years ago.

Many reviewers have been complaining that songs are "too slow", "too fast", or more tuned down then the album versions. These people obviously don't understand the concept of true live albums, they have grown up listening to most new bands today who perform their songs the exact same way as the album everytime. People, this is a LIVE album, meaning that yes the songs will be different than what you have heard on the studio albums. If you were looking for the album versions collected on one CD, then there are numerous Best Of collections for you out there.

And now onto the actual content of this CD: in one word, definitive. That's right, for the most part these songs are the definitive versions, rendering the originals nearly obsolete. Sure you may think that a couple are merely as good as the originals (the only one I can think of that falls into this class is War Pigs), but for the most part these songs are better, louder, and more energetic. You haven't heard Paranoid until you have heard the tuned-down, sped-up version here. Ditto Killing Yourself to Live, Snowblind, Sweet Leaf, need I go on? In fact, people who like nothing but the first three Sabbath albums will most likely still like the cuts from Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath and Vol. 4 on here, as they sound more like the early Sabbath. And no one can dispute the brilliance of the long Wicked World medley, which includes Supernaut and Into the Void. Iommi is in top form, and takes this already great track from their debut album to heights surprising to even himself, as he has stated in interviews. Yes, Tony Iommi HIMSELF considers this his best recorded live performance of the song. That should be enough for anybody.

More obviously, this is the only released album of Black Sabbath's original (and indisputably best) line-up in the peaks of their four abilities as musicians. That alone is enough to make a Sabbath fan salivate, and again I have to wonder why everyone is complaining at all. Sure there are more songs we would have liked to hear, such as NIB, The Wizard, Iron Man, and so on, but that is the record company's fault, not Sabbath's. If you want more tracks, and are willing to shell out a little more money for a double-CD set, then all you need to do is check out Past Lives which was released in August of this year. It is this CD, plus more Sabbath songs from performances between 72 and 76, and amazon conveniently has a link to it at the top of this page. So once more, there is nothing to complain about.

Lastly, after all this high praise, why only four stars you ask? Because unlike The Who's Live at Leeds, The Allman Brother's Live at the Fillmore, and Led Zeppelin's BBC Sessions, this is not an album that the more casual fans need to have. Meaning that anyone satisfied with just We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll will not find anything of interest here. For fans such as myself, yes this is a masterpiece, and every fan needs this.

Admittedly, this album may not be for everyone. It's not a processed live album polished to a high sheen with remixes and overdubs. And if you've been to a lot of concerts, you know the sound is often far from perfect. It depends on the venue. I've been to some shows where all I could hear was a wall of noise. This cd plays like a high-quality bootleg. It's a raw, stripped-down release that provides a pretty accurate sample of what Black Sabbath sounded like live in the early seventies. Having always been a big fan of live albums that sound "live," imperfections and all, I have no problem recommending this cd. And I disagree with reviewers who say Ozzy doesn't sound very good on this recording. He sings with a frenzied power I haven't heard on any other Black Sabbath live release.

I've never heard the NEMS version of 'Live At Last', so I can't speak for it, but I do have the Castle Remaster. The performances are highly energetic and the sound is fantastic. This is a wonderful live document of a classic band in their prime. Much better than 'Reunion' Highly recommended!!!

Live at Last is a decent live album that, if nothing else, serves as a wonderful time machine that capures the doomy Brummie quartet at the height of their power. Recorded sometime in 1973-1974 (Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath tour), this album is about as RAW as you can get. The album features some really choice cuts of Sab. Of course the standards are "Paranoid" and War Pigs", along with some lesser-known tunes like "Killing Yourself to Live" and "Wicked World"( that includes a massive jam with bits of "Supernaut" and "Into the Void"). Of course, where there are good points, there are bad points (this is why I gave this album a so-so rating). First, the feedback. As a musician, I can appreciate a taste of feedback when jamming live, but this is TOO MUCH! Take a listen, and you will see what I mean. Next, did Tony Iommi even bother to tune his axe? Probably not. Also the mixing and production was AWFUL!! (I have the NEMS version, so I cannot honestly comment on the new remaster) Ozzy sounds like he is singing into a beer can, while Bill Ward's drums are almost non-existant. As a bassist, don't even get me started on Geezer... However, for all it's bad points, this album is still an essential slab of Sab. With Ozzy's trademark frantic frontman style, Tony's dizzying riffing, and the throbbing Butler / Ward rhythm, you cannot help but feel some attraction to this album. So, check it out, and remember not to think about the bad points. I suggest jamming it at full blast with the lights off, with only a few candles or a lava lamp lit. Close your eyes, and imagine that it is 1974...

I remember when this first came out on lp.Every Sabbath fan that I knew ended up buying a copy of it.Within like two years,you could find it on the $1.99 rack.Now,it's been faithfully reissued on CD.Great!Now we don't have to worry about wearing down the vinyl pressing.Prime live Sabbath to be fully experienced here.Tunes I liked best were "Sweet Leaf","Snowblind" and the "Wicked World/Supernaut/Drum&Guitar Solo" medley.A should-have for all Sabbath fans.OZZY!! OZZY!!

Contrary to what a lot of people say about this album, I believe "Live At Last" is a prime slab of Sabbath's best work. I found it at a bargain basement type store, and it was by far the best CD they've ever have had there.

Although the album doesn't have such great pieces of work such as "Iron Man," "N.I.B.," "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" and "Electric Funeral," It makes up for it with rarely-heard-live Sabbath songs such as "Cornucopia," "Wicked World" and the jam of "Into the Void" and "Supernaut" which comes after it, as well as the short, medieval-sounding instrumental "Embryo" which opens "Children of the Grave." Truly great stuff.

Overall, I think this album is one of the best Sabbath albums out there, and should be placed as one of the famous "first six Black Sabbath albums" as the 7th. If you can find it, it's definitely worth whatever price you have to pay! Recommended!