Customer Reviews

Reunion [Limited Edition] [2-CD SET]

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In 1979 Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath or quit, depending who's 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 Sabbaths. (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 C.D. 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 of been classics (and would of 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 of 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.'

Mott the Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew

This is the kind of release I wish I would avoid (and save $25!), but that I always buy. Who can resist? A great band reunited! Undoubtedly one of the best live shows in recent memory and in person these performances are exhilirating.

The problem is that what is great at a concert isn't great on record. In a live setting, singing along to "War Pigs" is incredible. On record, however, listening to Ozzy and the crowd's call and response makes you wish he'd sing it all himself. And the gratuitous vulgarity seems juvenile on record when you're too hyped at a live show to notice.

The songs are great. A solid performance of great Sabbath tracks - and a nice selection, too - not the standard "greatest hits." You can tell that this is a tight band, best in their original incarnation. Almost too tight. The songs rarely vary from their studio versions (save for "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" in which Ozzy avoids the high vocal section he probably can't hit anymore). The rhythm section is thunderous and it's good to have Bill Ward back.

All of this said, why do we need this album? Sure, it's a great souvenier of a great reunion, but if you want to hear these Sabbath tracks the original albums are better. Sure, there are two new tracks, but they're sub-par for this group.

Overall, it's a nice record and nicely packaged, but a little too predictable. Honestly, I prefer Ozzy's live solo albums over this release, even though I prefer Sabbath's studio work.

It's fun for a few listens, but it will gather dust eventually. I'd rather hear the original albums without "show me your f***ing hands!" shouted out every five minutes.

There have been three distinct phases of Black Sabbath, each determined by a different lead singer (no, I'm not forgetting the two Deep Purple refugees Ian Gillan and Glenn Hughes--it's just that neither was around long enough to really make a difference). The current one--Tony Martin--whose stewardship of the mike represents Sab' as the elder statesmen of Death Metal and the Wayne's World headbanger sound. Before Martin was Ronnie James Dio, whose maniacal rant (the best example being the song "Neon Knights") gave voice to a more hyper version of the band than before or since--that lineup probably formed the roots of Speed Metal. With Ozzy, we're back to aquare one--a lineup that added a noir element to a then blues-dominated Metal (Hendrix, Cream, Grand Funk, Mountain--what have you), apocalyptic-flavored lyrics reinforced by the flat menace of Ozzy's voice. They were the only band doing what would later be called Death Metal--in those days, one band did not constitute a genre. What we have in three live albums--the Dio-sung "Live Evil, the Martin-sung "Cross Purposes Live" (only available as a freebie CD packed with the concert video) and this album--adds up to a trilogy of a long career in a music style some might call "ugly" (my ex-wife's theory was that ownership of their albums was symptomatic of a grudge against the world). Until now, the only live album we had out of the original quartet was the unauthorized "Live At Last". So this album constitues a very belated part one of that trilogy. And it doesn't really sound that much like a "nostalgia gig"--they all still work well together and I'll bet Ozzy has been using a lot of this stuff on the road throughout his solo career. All--and I do mean ALL--of the live material here does justice to how we remember it from the studio tracks. Conspicuously absent is any material whatsoever from albums Ozzy wasn't originally on--he obviouly noticed that none of the three singers has ever sounded worth a damn doing stuff created during the others' time. The only weak point is Ozzy's frequent use of the "eff-word" in onstage patter--obviously this fifty-something man is trying to avoid coming across middle-aged to an audience that has a lot of younger members. The good news is that this act doesn't really "eff-word" up the music itself. I just bought this album about a year and a half after its release (too much other stuff first) and after hearing it, I'm kicking myself for waiting so long.

This was a great disc I picked up on the day of release, new black sabbath with the original line up, unthought of for so long. All the classics with Ozzy. Now I keep waiting and hoping someday they will get together and do a new full album, but hope is shrinking. The two new songs are OK, Pscyhoman sounding more like recent Ozzy songs, but Selling my Soul sounds more like the Iommi riffs of past. Must have CD for the sabbath fan, the first official live release endorsed by the group with Ozzy on vocals...20 years after his leaving. Live at Last has been around for years, but was never endorsed by the band, and Live Evil, although good in its own right for DIO fans, just is not Ozzy. So Get this, its Sabbath at its best.

Let's start by saying that this is a far better set in terms of performance, recording, and mixing quality than the Black Sabbath: Live At Last disc that had been released some years ago. Geezer's bass is upfront like it should be (it is he that inspired me to pick up the bass at age 12), Iommi scuttles up and down the fretboard with his usual incisive elegance, and Bill Ward's drums thunder like the drums of Moria. Ozzy cannot sing at all anymore, and indulges in purposeless profanity, but that is the way he has always done things. I have personally seen Black Sabbath ten times, and this disc is representative of the power of those shows. The inclusion of two recent and somewhat less-good tunes is only an excuse to buy the thing. If you're not a Sabbath fan, this may not be for you. If you ARE, then it is a must-have, at least for the excellent renditions of "Into The Void" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". The bulk of the disc is drawn from the Sabs' heyday (1970-76), bearing one tune from the "Technical Ecstacy" album, and while that tune could easily have been replaced by a better one from "Sabotage", at least there is nothing included from the embarrassing release "Never Say Die". And even Ozzy at his worst is better than Dio or Ian Gillan, who are far superior singers, but Ozzy's voice is part of the Sabbath sound, and cannot be removed from the mix without deleterious results. Majestic, powerful, and at last well-recorded. I give it two Ozzy peace signs and a purple-fringed yellow shirt for the effort;-)

Many swore that it would never happen.The moral is NEVER say 'never',I guess.'Reunion',the 2-CD live release of Black Sabbath was recorded at the NEC Arena in Birmingham,UK on December 12,1997.Proving that even though the band had called it a day in late 1978,'Reunion' sounds like the four guys had never really been apart.Remember:it's the four founding members of Ozzy,Iommi,Ward and Butler.I remember seeing the band once out on an Ozzfest tour and the guy in front of me KEPT repeating,"All four original members of Black Sabbath playing together - LIVE.....a chance of a lifetime!!".Yes,I can certainly understand as to what he was all stoked about.As for the track listing,one honestly couldn't ask for more.Always nice to hear the goodies such as "War Pigs","Fairies Wear Boots","Into The Void","Sabbath Bloody Sabbath",the list goes on.A great live sound mix.A must-have for all Sabbath fans.

What's here is awesome, but Ozzy ruins it all by dropping the F-bomb at least 10 times per track- it's no big deal at first, but wears thin quickly ("Come on! Clap your f---ing hands!! You're not f---ing loud enough! I can't f---ing hear you!" etc.) If you can get past that, it's well worth it.

Reunion(1998). Black Sabbath's Third Live Album.

On December 4th, 1997, 4 of the most renound Metal Gods came together for one final Black Sabbath performance: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Thinking they could make a quick buck, the original four members and thousands of fans amassed in Birmingham's NEC Arena, for just one last chance to see Heavy Metal's creator one last time. Although they had met for a Live Aid concert in 1985 and a 4-song appearance at Ozzy's 1992 "Farewell" concert, the "Reunion" concert was their first full-length concert in 13 years, and was most likely the last time they would be seen together. Previous live releases, such as Live At Last(Bad Sound Production) and Live Evil(Dio singing Ozzy songs!) had their faults, but Reunion fully captures Sabbath in their prime, still able to play at blistering speeds after 20 years, with Ozzy's vocals still echoing sarcasm, Iommi's riffs and solos reaching technical ecstacy, Ward's drumming spot-on, and Butler's bass still resounding doom, Black Sabbath is spot-on, and the sound production couldn't be better!

Track Listing-
"Reunion"'s Track Listing is phenomenal, picking songs from the original 8 albums, Black Sabbath picked the big hits, such as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid", and "N.I.B.". They also picked many fan favorites, such as "Sweet Leaf","Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "Children of the Grave", "Fairies Wear Boots", and "Black Sabbath". Then, completely out of left field, Black Sabbath picked many random songs from their past, and improved on them immensely, creating some of the best songs on "Reunion". Those tracks are "Behind the Wall of Sleep", "Electric Funeral", "Spiral Architect", "Into The Void", "Orchid/Lord of This World", and "Dirty Women". Plus, as an added treat, "Reunion" offers up two amazing Studio Tracks, "Psycho Man" and "Selling My Soul", that easily earn their place among Sabbath's all-time classics.

Band Performance-
While Ozzy's vocals may be terrible on recent live releases as Live At Budokan, his vocal performance here is spot on, as he never misses a beat, and his oddly sarcastic vocals are anything but hollow even after 2 Decades of music. Tony Iommi is amazing here, with his blistering riffs and solos coming almost naturally, and at times easily besting the original songs, as he deftly adds solos, so an average song contains 2-3 solos each! Bill Ward and Geezer Butler never sounded better, and while their performances aren't outstanding, they play spot-on and never miss a beat, immensely adding to the performance. Overall, Black Sabbath is in top-form here.

Sound Quality/ Crowd-
Unlike most Concert Bootlegs, Reunion sounds crisp and clean, with all the instruments and vocals easily hearable, and feedback from the instruments is kept to a minimum, and truly everything here sounds outstanding. Ozzy and the Crowd interact quite often, the crowd singing back to Sabbath quite often, and humming right along. Just listen to "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" if you want a good example!

Overall, Reunion stands as a Live triumph, and is a great addition to any Black Sabbath fan. All the songs on here are different than their album counterparts, many of them being longer and showcasing Iommi's skill more in-depthly than the albums, so this is a must for Sabbath fans, even if you don't like Live material!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ONE OF THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS I'VE HEARD, AND CERTAINLY BLACK SABBATH'S BEST!R.I.P. BLACK SABBATH/OZZY'S CAREER!

Also Recommended-

Tribute- Ozzy Osbourne
Live Evil- Black Sabbath
Past Lives-Black Sabbath

Thanks For Reading!

Well, it's an Epic release, anyway.

"Reunion" is as close to an official live album as the original Black Sabbath-lineup has had in their 34-year career. 1980's "Live At Last" was released without their permission, and 1982's "Live Evil" featured then-singer Ronnie James Dio.
But here it is, finally, and "Reunion" does not disappoint. Culled from a series of concerts in their native Birmingham in December 1997, it includes their most enduring classics ("Black Sabbath", "War Pigs", "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath").
And Sabbath manages to avoid the most common pitfall of live recordings: speeding up the songs. This is crucial, since songs like "Sweet Leaf", "Black Sabbath", and "Snowblind" owe a lot of their unique personality and somber atmospherics to the band's trademark snail's pace.

The drums are exceptionally well recorded (that is, loud), and everything is louder than everything else, just the way it should be. (Or in plain English: you can hear everything just about equally well; nothing is mixed into the background.)
I wouldn't have put "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" on right after "War Pigs" (it becomes very obvious that "Wall" is just "Pigs" with a slightly altered melody and a different arrangement).
And Ozzy Osbourne's vocals aren't quite as strong as the were 30 years ago (he can't hit the highest notes during "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"). But he can still carry a tune, something which he couldn't always 30 years ago, and guitarist Tony Iommi has lost absolutely none of his impressive chops.

Bill Ward lays down an appropriately heavy beat, one which doesn't just plod along without variation, but actually shows what a fine heavy metal drummer Ward is. And Terry "Geezer" Butler was always one of heavy metal's best and most orginal bass players.
Tony Iommi's searing lead guitar belies the fact that he lost the tips of his fingers in an accident back in the late 60s (it was that which caused him to tune down, slackening the strings enough for him to fret them without too much pain).

Highlights include the old concert favorite "Children Of The Grave", during which Iommi plays a rare single-string solo; a roaring "Paranoid", a monstrously heavy, doom-laden "Black Sabbath", an appropriately epic "War Pigs", and a wonderfully macabre "Iron Man", which sends the crowd into a frenzy as soon as Tony Iommi strikes the opening F chord.
And listen to Iommi's playing on "Into The Void" and the impressive "Spiral Architect", proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sabbath never did need a second guitarist.

Unlike many of their early-70s counterparts, Black Sabbath still manage to sound inspired, and they rock with totally believable sincerity on "Reunion", proving once and for all that they were not only the first true heavy metal band, they remain the greatest one as well.
4 1/2 stars.

I'm a 41 year-old family man (with the wife and kids in a minivan) Sabbath's Reunion CD instantly takes me back as a twelve year old in 1970. I have waited long and hard for this, Ozzy's solo career was "average" for me, Sabbath sans Ozzy was also "average". Each needs the other, FINALLY! I love the crowd noise, it reminds me of a close Browns vs Steelers game late in the 4th quarter in Cleveland. Loud, passion, intensity. "Orchid/Lord of this World", "Into the Void" simply wails, Tony Ioammi's guitar is brillant. "Electric Funeral" off of 'Reunion' will stick in your head for days, you've been warned! My only gripe is Ozzy's constant use of the F word, c'mon Ozz, it's a little tired after the 20th plus time. All considered, this Sabbath fan loves "Reunion", the perfect companion CD when NOT driving with the wife and kids! Black Sabbath: The original is STILL the best!