Customer Reviews

Past Lives

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This two cd "live" set from one of the bands that practically coined the term "heavy metal" is a collection of songs from their self titled "Black Sabbath" (1970) album thru the "Sabatoge" (1975) album. The entire band sounds fantastic recorded "live" and Tony Iommi is as sharp as a razor when it comes to playing his leads note for note just like the album versions. Ozzy's voice is in fine shape, but he does tend to stretch those high notes a bit too much at times. The songlist includes such gems as" Iron Man", "Paranoid", "Children Of The Grave" and "War Pigs" to name a few. On Disc One you've got songs from their appearance at The Rainbow in Manchester, England in 1973 which included "Tomorrow's Dream", "Sweet Leaf", "Snowblind",and "Wicked World", etc. The sound quality of disc one is excellent and is much better than other "live" Sabbath cd's I've heard. Disc 2 includes various concerts and dates throughout the 70's. Songs on this disc include "Hand Of Doom", "Hole In The Sky", "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" and "Fairies Wear Boots" to name just a few. The sound quality on disc two varies from excellent to just average. Apparently some of the rare "live" recordings were only in mono, but there are some tracks on the second disc that are in stereo. There is also a nice ten page booklet of rare photos as well as a brief history the group and it's members. This "live" collection is worth every cent and represents Black Sabbath at their peak. Highly recommended!

This is the definitive Black Sabbath live collection. Spanning two discs, it showcases a wide variety of recordings from various locations during the 1970s. Read on for my review of Black Sabbath: Past Lives.

Disc one of the set is actually a very well remastered version of Live at Last, which essentialy is a single-disc live collection of songs from the early 1970s. The sound quality is really not a problem here (or at least it didn't bother me). The band is tight, and Iommi's guitar work is sure. Ozzy Osbourne is at his usual antics even though he may sing out of tune sometimes. He was problably loaded half the time he sang. The rest of the band is on par, making for a good show. The song collection is nice, taking cuts from the Vol. 4 album mostly, and one song off of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (I think it had just been released when this was recorded, or maybe before) and the rest of their albums up to 1973. The centerpiece on this disc is the excellent Wicked World medley, which starts with Wicked World, transitions into some jams, then goes into Supernaut then back again to Wicked World. The only song I was dissapointed with was the mediocre version of Paranoid, which I did not particulary care for (I never have really liked that song, but hey, it's not bad). Above all, this is worth it just to hear the great Wicked World jam.

Disc 2 was recorded at the California Jam in 1974 and at other various locations. The Cal Jam songs are the highlights here, with stunning embryonic renditions of Hole in the Sky, Symptom of the Universe, and Megalomania. The sound quality from that show is awsome, while the rest is just fairly good sounding bootleg material, only worth it for the hardcore Sabbath fan.

As a final note, this album is worth your time and money- it is a great album of live Sabbath cuts, and the most readily avaliable version on the market. Highly recommended.

First of all, mine didn't come with the guitar pick. I was robbed!!!!!!!!!!!

When I bought this, I was thinking that it may be a "lost" Black Sabbath show with the original lineup that had never been heard before.

When I put it in the player, I knew I was wrong!

Disc 1 is just "Live At Last", the el cheapo live album put out in 1980 by the band's former management, which I already had and which can be found in nearly any bargain bin you look. The band (and Ozzy) had, up until now, disassociated themselves with this. I guess that since there's money to be made, it's not so bad now, right, Sharon? Anyway, there's nothing new to be added to this except that the recording sounds a little bit cleaned-up and the intro "WILL YOU WELCOME BLACK SABBATH!" is gone.

Disc 2 is a bunch of collected mixing-desk (or worse) recordings. I would say that most are from the "Sabotage" tour. The sound quality varies from good to atrocious (Bill Ward's drum sound on most tracks adds new meaning to the term "splash cymbal"), but there's a certain honesty to them - this is how they sounded, no tricks added. Interesting mostly as an historical curiosity and for those who have to have everything Sabbath/Ozzy ever did.

The packaging is good, even if I didn't get my guitar pick! Some good early photos of the Sabs (Ozzy before all the tattoos), with emphasis on the legendary California Jam show. However, I don't think any of the tracks come from that gig. There's also a good essay on the history of the band.

Overall, this isn't bad, but it isn't really good, either. However, I prefer it over "Reunion" as Ozzy isn't screaming the "F" word every other breath. I still recommend "Live Evil" or "Cross Purposes Live" (if you can find it).

With this and all the box sets, I get a sense that Sharon Osbourne is milking the Sabbath legacy (the Ozzy years, anyway) for all it's worth. At the end of Disc 2, Ozzy says, "That's all from Black Sabbath." Let this BE the end before the band deteriorates further into a nostalgia act.

John Michael Osbourne - Your status as a frontman/showman/multimedia star is assured and you have probably the most loyal fan base in heavy metal. You've got a good bud and collaborator in Zakk Wylde. Continue on with that.

Frank Anthony Iommi - You are the inventor of heavy metal guitar as we know it and you still have plenty of music in you. Your recent release of 1996 recordings with Glenn Hughes is fantastic. It would be great if you two would form a permanent band. Your name is legend enough; you don't need "Black Sabbath" any more.

Terence Michael Butler - You set the standard for HM bassists and at this stage in your life you can do what you want. Do solo gigs, play in Ozzy's band now and then, or maybe even do a book of poetry.

William Thomas Ward - You've been through the meatgrinder and back, and I'm glad you're still alive. Enjoy your sobriety and semiretirement. I can think of any number of aspiring drummers who would love to take lessons from you.

Think about it. You're legends. Don't tarnish it any more.

I have developed a renewed appreciation for Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi in particular. (Did you know he cut off the tips of his fingers on his left hand in an industrial accident and had to re-teach himself to play guitar?) Black Sabbath really was the fountainhead of all Heavy Metal. Few bands can claim to be as ground-breaking as Sabbath. I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the sound being that it's a live album and rather dated. All-around classic material.

Cd1.For years I have painfully listened to "Live At Last",A great concert at the perfect time.The recording was terrible but the songs were priceless.What has been done to this recording is awesome!I would dare to compare it to such greats as Deep Purples "Made In Japan",Peter Framptons"Frampton Comes Alive",or REO Speedwagons"You get what you play for".Almost as good as being there.Cd2.There has never been available any decent live versions of Sabbaths later stuff with ozzy,especially from my favorite Sabbath album"Sabotage" I'll sum it up with one word "MEGALOMANIA"!I'm not into bootlegs,don't waste your money on some crappy CDr that sounds like it was recorded in the bathroom.This is the TRUE sound of Sabbath in rare form.The rest of CD2 varies in quality but is A must for any Ozzy/Sabbath fan ,new or old.

Hmmmm....

I've never had Live at Last before, so I can't compare, but I'm listening to disc one here of Past Lives and it's pretty damned rippin'. The mastering sounds fine to me, but I gotta warn ya, years of rushing the stage for many concerts hasn't left me with the best set of aural receptors, so you may want to take my observations with a grain of salt. Anyway, the way I see it is the bass is low and booming, and the drums are distinctive - very prevalent. I for one can't see why this recording has got such a bad rep over the years - it must have been remastered for this release, is all I can think of. I do feel the last three tracks here were kinda rushed though. I think the best here is the run from Sweet Leaf to Children of the Grave, and the solo on Killing Yourself to Live is sweet! Classic arena rock jammin', before classic arena rock was a cliche.

But... while the "new" tracks on disc two are tight, with a very "produced" feel to them - while they are technically sound as far as the performances go, I prefer a more raw feel in live recordings. Of course, that's a subjective thing, and this may be what Sabbath fans have wanted forever; technically "correct" live versions. Me, I like diversity, the nuance of spontanaity, and prefer fidelity over technical perfection. It seems these tracks were chosen for how close to the studio versions they are, rather than how well the recordings sound. What I think will be universally lamented here is that on most of the tracks on disc two, the drums and bass are muddled, and are not very distinct, or even that prevelant - they really get lost in the mix. Again, I feel I must be mad, because I think the fidelity on the first disc is way better than on the second, which I'm sure many fans will find hard to belive. All I can say is listen for yourself. Don't get me wrong, the tracks are good; Megalomania rips, the drums do come out well on Black Sabbath, and Hand of Doom and Fairies Wear Boots have good depth. Disc two is overall a good listen - I just think it sounds a bit more "flat" than the first disc.

It may look like I'm bashing Past Lives pretty hard; that's not my intention, as it is a fine collection for the most part - it's just that some of the tracks sound like they were recorded in a tunnel. But hey, if you crank it the hell up, it just sounds like you're at a Sabbath concert in a really big tunnel... not a bad thing!

Definitely check it out.

Along with AC/DC's "If you want blood you've got it" and Ozzy's "Randy Rhoads tribute", this is a very good live album. The sound quality is pretty good so you don't have to have all the albums to really get the feel of the song. The fans are always yelling/cheering throughout the song making it a little hard to hear but the song is still good. There aren't that many songs for a 2 disc album but it is enough to keep you from dying of boredom. I was a little dissapointed when i found that there was only one song from the "Sabbath bloody sabbath" album which is "Killing yourself to live". It basically has bout half of the songs from "Black sabbath". There are also some bits and pieces from the albums. Since there are only 18 songs on the album and only about 80 songs up to that point in Black sabbaths career, most people won't understand why this or that song wasn't in the concert. I don't have much complaints for this album except that Hand of doom, wicked world, behind the wall of sleep, and Faries wear boots shouldn't be here. It should actually have other songs. If I had this album my way i would have it like this

Disc 1
1) Black Sabbath
2)Paranoid
3)Iron man
4)Sweet leaf
5)Children of the grave
6)Changes
7)Cornucopia
8)Snowblind
9)Sabbath bloody sabbath

Disc 2
1)N.I.B.
2)War pigs
3)Lord of this world
4)Supernaut
5)Sabbra Cadabra
6)Killing yourself to live
7)Megalomania
8)Hole in the sky
9)Symptom of the universe

But then again thats only if things went my way. But still you must respect Black sabbath for playing and creating all these great songs. Overall this is a great album that you must get if you are a hardcore Black Sabbath fan. If you are just getting used to them and don't really know there music get the best of album and start from there.

awesome live document of Black Sabbath recorded live at various venues at the height of their dirty rock and roll career. the tracklist is great and if you don't already own "Live at Last" then you'll really be happy to have this since disc 1 is basically the same recording. my favorites off this disc are "Snowblind", the great rare track "Megalomania," and "Behind the Wall of Sleep" which just thunders along and never lets up. alot of people wrote on here complaining about the sound quality, but i think it sounds great...not crystal clear...but clear enough to capture all the raw live power of this band. my wife is not a heavy metal fan in the least, but once i play this cd, she starts headbanging (well..nodding her head to the beat) and says how much she likes this band. that's the beauty of Black Sabbath...they tap into the sheer naked root of rock and roll and convert the masses! HAIL! but the main reason why I love listening to "Past Lives" is because Ozzy screams "we love you!" in almost every song! haha--it's great to hear that.
plus the packaging is amazing! lots of photos, a poster, some good liner notes and a BS guitar pick. you can't go wrong with that!

As you probably know then entire semi-legit live at last is contained in this album plus a whole lot more of classic sabbath. The sound quality is much improved over the original release. This is a great era of sabbath, and is a fantastic collection of their live material. Plus you get a free guitar pick. If you are a fan of ozzy-sab, this is a must have.

This was my first Black Sabbath album, and I am VERY impressed. At first I didn't know that it was a live album when I bought it. When I found out that it WAS a live album, I was shocked but didn't regret it. All of the preformances on this disc are great. Black Sabbath sounds almost exactly like the album versions, if not better than the real albums. Ozzy also says some funny and cool things on stage. This is definatly one of the best albums I have. If you like Black Sabbath, don't read any more reviews, just buy it... NOW!