"...Follow The Tears..."


Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven & Hell should have been a celebration release, to commemorate the tour behind their first studio album since 1992...but sadly it's become a eulogy to the late Ronnie James Dio. This makes it a more somber release, but doesn't detract from the incredible performance this band delivered on July 30, 2009.

The setlist is similar to the 2007 Radio City Music Hall gig, but this concert has it's own personality. The band is amazingly energetic during this show, the festival crowd helping to fuel that along. There are 3 songs from The Devil You Know during the set; Bible Black, Fear and Follow The Tears...all delivered in crushingly heavy monolithic fashion. The road work & recording of the LP have this unit playing air tight, Geezer & Vinny operating in near telepathic fashion.

The real centerpiece of the concert is the 17 minute version of Heaven & Hell, which becomes a brilliant showcase for Iommi's talents. This song really lets you concentrate on what a special musical relationship Iommi & Geezer share...God I hope they continue to record together! Dio even changes up the lyrics slightly, adding a playful "f*ck off, I'm going to burn in hell with all of you" into the mix. The version of this song from the Radio City concert was fantastic, but this one ascends to an even higher level.

I'm not going to quibble about anything, I'm just thankful this concert was filmed and released.

There are 2 sets of interviews on the DVD, one with all 4 members commemorating the 30th anniversary of the lineup and shorter interviews filmed after Dio's passing.

This is an essential release.

Love it!!! AWESOME DVD!!!!!!!! This one is BETTER than Radio City and I love Radio City. This is a MUST HAVE!!!!

I'll have to get that because I was in awe of the extended Heaven and Hell they played on that tour. Didn't think we'd get a chance to enjoy a live recording of it

A few cool Black Sabbath bootlegs:

http://soundaboard.blogspot.com/search/label/Black%20Sabbath

I read through this thread earlier today, and I'm kinda sad I missed out on all of the discussion. These threads are better when they're bands you know.

When I buy the missing essentials in my Yes collection, I'd like to do a thread for them.

I could probably have someone like you (Ult) or S.D. do the missing albums from my collection, if you'd like.

What can be said about Black Sabbath, one of the absolute Legends in music.

I actually was scared of the song Black Sabbath when i was young. It sounded so dark and evil. Of course i didn't understood the lyrics so what i was left with was that dark music and Ozzys sinister voice.

The first three albums are basically perfect and feature so many great songs. For a time, during my drug-period Planet Caravan was one of my favourite songs while doing drugs (i'm not proud of that phase) and i still like the song a lot. I never could get into Vol. 4. Tomorrow's Dream is a great song, but the rest never did much for me.
I like the next two Albums. A Nation Acrobat and Sabra Cadabra are awesome. One thing i don't understand is how Black Sabbath managed and to this manages to avoid the "Nazi" thing. The Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album and We Sold our Souls for Rock n' Roll contain the Sig-Rune for the S, the same thing the Nazis used for the SS Troops. While KISS ran into problems for their SS in the logo that looked a bit too close like the Sig Rune (but it's not the same) and had to change it, Sabbath never made headlines.
Except of course i ran into problems. I have the cover artwort on a T-Shirt and a cop stopped me once. Looked at my shirt and asked me flat-out if i was a Neo Nazi. I was stunned and he rambled on that the S on the Logo are like the SS thing so it could be a 'secret sign to contact other Neo Nazis'. I bursted out laughing, i'm anything but Neo Nazis. The whole concept of hating people for their heritage or where they are born is something i don't understand. After being lectured and told i should never wear that shirt in public again (which i ignored) he let me go. A very weird experience.
Sabotage was one of my favourite BS albums for a long time, it's so powerful. I always thought there was something wrong with the CD as Hole in the Sky just ends abruptly. But Ozzy used the same thing later on No More Tears and the Song Mr. Tinkertrain.

Anyway i of course also like the Dio Era. I defend Dehumanizer where i can, because i think it's awesome. Songs like Computer God, I, Letters from Earth or After All (which was rumored that id wanted to use as the title song for Doom) are great songs. My favourite track from Heaven & Hell is Die Young, Dio sounds so powerful on it and Iommi has a really great riff there.

The Martin Era is a bit of Hit and Miss. The only song i like on Eternal Idol is The Shining. Headless Cross has stupid lyrics but i like it a lot. Tyr is great too, though it took some time to get into it for me. Cross Purposes is a mixed bag, good songs like The Hands that rocked the Craddle and some lame numbers. I don't want to talk about Forbidden, it really should be forbidden.

Seventh Star is actually quite good. It doesn't sound like Sabbath and has more of an AOR, Radio Rock vibe but i like that and think it's really good. Born Again i guess could sound great with a better production. The mix is horrible. Technical Ecstasy is crap and Never Say Die! better than most people give it credit for, it contains some great songs like Johnny Blade and Air Dance.

When i first heard the Born Again LP, and not just the song Zero the Hero, I was surprised. never heard an album that sounded like that before.
By the third spin, it seemed perfect. I always liked under-produced "crappy sounding" albums like the debuts by The Ramones and Venom, and this was no different. It was another in the line of original classic records.
Sure, I would like the guitar boosted in the mix, but playing it full blast is possible, unlike for example the idiotic way Metallica's "And Justice " was mixed so bizarrely where your speakers reverb and might fry and explode.

Black Sabbath: This is hands down one of the greatest debut albums in history. Without this album heavy metal wouldn't exist today as we know it. The only track I don't care for is 'Warning' - the guitar solo sounds like it was made up on the spot. - 5/5

Paranoid: Another great album. Not quite as good as their debut, but still good. These days I don’t listen to 'Paranoid' very often as I've become burned out on it... I blame the radio for that. The title track is overrated and is one of my least favourite Black Sabbath songs. I've never understood all the fuss over it. - 5/5

Master of Reality: At just 34 minutes, 'Master of Reality' is only a minute longer than KISS's 'Hotter Than Hell' album. For a Black Sabbath album, it's really short. Aside from 'Sweet Leaf', the rest of the album is very good, although much like 'Paranoid' I don't listen to this album very often anymore. - 5/5

Vol. 4: This album took me a while to get into. I'm not sure why though, because it's an excellent album. Bill's drumming is outstanding on this one. 'Snowblind' contains some of Geezer's best lyrics and some of Ozzy's best vocal melodies: "My eyes are blind but I can see, the snowflakes glisten on the tree. The sun no longer sets me free, I feel there’s no place freezing me". - 5/5

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: This is one of Black Sabbath's most experimental albums and is my favourite album by the band. Every song is a classic. Ozzy's vocal performance is outstanding on every track. Unfortunately, after releasing an album like this it’s almost impossible for the next one to top it. - 5/5

Sabotage: This album isn't as good as their previous album, but it's still better than any of their first 4 albums (which are excellent). A couple of tracks drag 'Sabotage' down: 'Supertzar' and 'Am I going Insane'. These songs are still very good, but they pale in comparison to the rest of the album. - 5/5

Technical Ecstasy: Definitely my least favourite album from the original lineup. It's not a bad album, but the band sounds bored and uninspired in every song. 'She's Gone' is probably my favourite song on 'Technical Ecstasy', although most people I know don't like it. - 4/5

Never Say Die: My third favourite album by the original lineup, right after 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Sabotage'. It's their most experimental album and sounds nothing like their first seven albums, which is why I like it so much. The dark and gloomy sound the band was best known for is completely absent here. Without Ozzy's distinctive vocals, one would have a hard time guessing who the band playing was. - 5/5

Heaven and Hell: This would be the first of many lineup changes for the band. With 'Heaven and Hell' the band stopped experimenting and adopted a more traditional heavy metal sound for the album. The result is one of the band's finest albums in their discography. Every track is excellent. 5/5

Mob Rules: I wasn't a big fan of this album when I first heard it, but over time it has grown on me a lot. I'm not sure whether or not I like it better than 'Heaven and Hell', but it's still a darn good album. - 5/5

Live Evil: I've never really liked this album. I've never liked Dio's renditions of Ozzy era songs, but it's the production that kills the album for me. There is no flare to any of the recordings. Everything sounds so stale. - 3/5

Born Again: An excellent album ruined by awful production. At least the songs are good. Hopefully the original tapes are found one day and this album is given the remix it deserves. - 5/5

Seventh Star: This album is the hidden gem in the Black Sabbath discography. Although at this point Black Sabbath had become Tony Iommi's backing band, the music they were putting out was still top notch. Most of the album has a 80's hard rock sound to it, while some songs contain a bluesy feel. 'Seventh Star' is one of the best Black Sabbath songs by any lineup. - 5/5

Eternal Idol: In my opinion this is the best non-Ozzy album. 'The Shining' sounds like a leftover Dio-era track and wouldn't sound out of place on the 'Heaven and Hell' album. 'Eternal Idol' is one of the band's heaviest songs. Why so many people choose to ignore this era of the band, I will never understand. - 5/5

Headless Cross: Cheesy lyrics and dated production aside, this album is excellent. It's unfortunate that Tony Martin felt pressured to write "scary" lyrics about Satan. If the lyrics were better, 'Headless Cross' would probably be my favourite Tony Martin-era album. Even though there are a few things wrong with the album, I still like it a lot. - 5/5

Týr: It took me a long time to finally warm up to this album. A concept album loosely based on Norse mythology was the last thing I expected from Black Sabbath. 'Heaven and Black' is another song that sounds like a leftover Dio-era track. It's not an album I listen to a lot, but when I do I really enjoy it. - 5/5

Dehumanizer: This is my least favourite Dio-era album. Even though it's still a good album, it's missing the chemistry that 'Heaven and Hell' and 'Mob Rules' had. The band sounds disjointed and unfocused on most of the songs. - 4/5

Cross Purposes: I don't know what to think of this album. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I find it dull (for a Black Sabbath album). It's not that the songs are bad, they're just not very memorable. Unfortunately Iommi is the weakest link here. The lyrics are excellent however. 'Dying for Love' is a fantastic song. - 4/5

Cross Purposes Live: A good enough live album, but I've never been a fan of the other Black Sabbath vocalists covering the Ozzy-era songs (aside from Ian Gillan) and this album doesn't change that. - 4/5

Forbidden: I'm one of the few people that actually like this album. The music is fantastic, but Tony Martin sounds bored and uninspired throughout the entire album. The vocal melodies don't fit the music at all. Like 'Born Again' this album would have benefited from better production. - 3/5

Reunion: Finally, a live album from the original lineup! The band sounds great on this album. It's unfortunate that nothing significant came out of the reunion. The band were on fire at this point. The two new studio tracks on 'Reunion' are forgettable. - 5/5

Past Lives: The performances are great, but unfortunately the quality of the recordings leaves a lot to be desired. It's not a album I listen to a lot. - 5/5

Eighth Star/The 1996 DEP Sessions: Not a Black Sabbath album, but I'm putting it here anyway. Iommi's second album with Glenn Hughes is even better than 'Seventh Star'. I don't know why it was shelved back in 1996, this album is excellent. Much better than the last four Black Sabbath studio albums. - 5/5

Fused: This is without a doubt one of the best albums Iommi has been a part of. In my opinion, it's right up there with 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', 'Sabotage', 'Never Say Die' and 'Eternal Idol'. This album is that good! The best Black Sabbath album Black Sabbath never recorded. - 5/5

Live at Hammersmith Odeon '82 This is a much better live album than 'Live Evil', but it's not one I listen to very often. - 4/5

Live from Radio City Music Hall Not a bad live album, but Dio's age is starting to show. He sounds unwell on this recording. The rest of the band does a good enough job. - 4/5

The Devil You Know: For a long time, this was my favourite Black Sabbath album. I wouldn't say it's a favourite now, but it's still a good comeback album. The problem I have with 'The Devil You Know' is that most of the tracks are slow paced songs that never seem to go anywhere. Because of this the songs all sound very similar. - 4/5

Neon Nights: Live at Wacken This is my favourite live album from the Dio-era. The band is full of energy and Dio's vocals are in great form. The new songs sound great live. - 5/5

Okay - this has nothing to do with music, per se, but I'm reading Tony Iommi's book - great read!!!

Whether it's Ozzy, Dio, Gillan, or the milk man, Iommi's the one constant that drives that music...

Oh i forgot the live albums.
Live Evil is OK, Paranoid with Dio just sounds weird, but i like his over the top performance of the song Black Sabbath. Of course he workst best on his material.

Reunion was actually the first BS live album i bought. The two studio songs were OK. Psycho Man sounds like a Ozzy solo Song from the Ozzmosis Era, i like it. Selling my Soul is not as good. The live songs are pretty good but i always had the impression that Bill Ward must've been tired, he drumming sounds a bit off here and there, a bit slow....

Past Lives is great, the audio quality isn't the best but it's at least better than a lot of bootlegs i heard.

Live from Radio City Music Hall...of course you can hear Dio's age but i think this is miles better than his previously released solo live stuff like Holy Diver Live, where his voice was really bad.

By far the best live Black Sabbath recording is the FM Radio Broadcast from August 5th, 1975 at Asbury Park on the Sabotage tour.

A few tracks were used on Past Lives (Hole In The Sky, Symptom Of The Universe and Megalomania), but they should have just reissued the full performance.

On 'Holy Diver Live' CD, Ronnie James Dio was feeling under the w heather but the film crew had been hired and paid, cameras set up, recording equipment ready to roll, hall rented, because of this they went ahead and recorded/filmed the show, and released it.

Random thoughts as I am in the 'submerged in the Black Box' mood...

- Near the top of the 'most underrated classic Sabbath songs' heap has to be 'Solitude', I mean this is even better than 'Changes' as far as the ballads go, but you never hear about it.......
- I feel as though 'You Won't Change Me' is the saving grace of 'Technical Ecstasy', rather than 'Dirty Women' or et al...
- Checking out how Tony's guitar evolves is great listening.. 'Paranoid' has the best tone, 'Vol. 4' has the most interesting riff ideas..
- Also on the list 'Solitude' is on is 'Into the Void' and 'Spiral Architect'..