Overview:
The
album was put out as a publicity stunt when Ozzy’s popularity exploded with the
release of his show “The Osbournes” on MTV.
It included Live at Last as well as extra tracks from early Sabbath
performances. For a blatant cash-grab,
it was quite good.
Tracks you may
know:
All of them. Much like Reunion,
all of the hits are here. This album
feels a bit rawer though as it was recorded back when the original Black
Sabbath was still the original Black Sabbath.
Because of that, you can really feel the performance coming through, and
it doesn’t hurt that this was recorded when everyone was young, and Ozzy was a
bit more mobile (though that may be the drugs talking).
Tracks you should
know:
If you don’t know the band by
now, this is a good introduction. I have
always preferred live albums as my default “greatest hits” collections. They take everything about a greatest hits
album and infuses the energy and spontaneity of a live performance. If you don’t know Sabbath, Past Lives and Reunion are two great places to start.
Album rating:
It’s electric, like being
transported back in time and standing in a cloud of pot smoke (secondhand of
course) while the band goes crazy on stage.
If you didn’t get to see Sabbath in their heyday, for whatever reason,
this is your redemption.
9/10
That's it! The reviews are complete. Next Tuesday (6.11) 13 will be released. I will have a review of that album the following Tuesday (6.18), with a review of the new Alice in Chains album The Devil Put the Dinosaurs Here coming next Tuesday.
In case you missed a review in this series, here are some handy links so you can take a look at the entire Sabbath discography:
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