Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 58 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Mighty Sabbath Returns to the Stage November 24, 2013
By J. Hill TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format: DVD
Full disclosure right away, I love Black Sabbath. Every album, every singer, every lineup....I honestly love it all. If that makes me biased, so be it. I still want quality product. I'm really happy they decided to document and release a DVD capturing what might be their last tour, and even if it's not, you know they aren't going to be able to keep it up forever, what with Tony's health and Ozzy's...well, Ozzy's stage issues, which I'll get to in a minute. But the first thing to note about this show is that Tony and Geezer are as incredible as ever. It heartens me to see those guys onstage having a great time, visibly enjoying sharing the stage with Ozzy and playing the best songs from their catalog, plus a few new tracks.
As for Ozzy, editing has done him wonders. Like many fans, I've seen quite a bit of Youtube footage of this tour, and while fan-filmed Youtube videos can't exactly be hailed for their pristine sound quality, it was obvious that Ozzy did not sound much like the Ozzy of yesterday during this tour. His voice frequently cracked, he had trouble finding the right key on most nights. And he now does that troubling thing onstage where he sings a verse or two, then takes two or three steps away from the mic, then seems to remember that he can't go far from the mic stand, and rushes right back. It's not like he does this every now and then; he does it on every song throughout every show. With the magic of editing, however, all you really see in this footage are those rare moments when Ozzy actually runs around the stage a little bit and interacts with the fans or with Tony. Of course, his vocals have also been cleaned up so that he sounds at least listenable, but seriously...check some of those Youtube clips if you really want to understand how much work was done to improve the vocal quality. I've been a huge fan of Ozzy for three decades, and I give the guy a pass as old as he is now and as much as he's abused his body all of these years, and given his status as one of heavy metal's all-time greatest legends. But maybe, with his stage presence and skills so diminished from what they used to be, it might be time for Sabbath to pack it in and stay off the road. Selfishly, I would still love another new album, as "13" was easily my favorite release of 2013, but it wouldn't hurt me too bad if this was Sabbath's last trek. They've contributed more than any band to the development and perpetuation of heavy music, and it amazes me that they continue to do it 43 years after the release of their debut album.
Concert highlights for me include the new songs, "Loner", "Methademic", "The End of the Beginning", and "God Is Dead?" I would've loved to also hear "The Age of Reason", which has been one of the fan favorites off "13" and one they started playing regularly as the tour went on. It's great to see them feel confident enough in the new material to give it its place in the show instead of relying on all the old standbys. Of course, all those songs are played, too, but I like the freshness of including some new songs. On the old stuff, sure we've heard Iron Man and Paranoid about a billion times each, but those songs are timeless and crowds never tire of them. I have to admit that if I went to a Sabbath show and they didn't play those songs, I'd be disappointed. As much as I'd love to hear some old chestnuts, like say "After Forever" or "A National Acrobat", they can't ignore songs that have become iconic not just in their musical genre, but in pop culture itself. Sabbath are truly legends in their own time, and I can't imagine a more fantastic 2013 than to have not one, but two new Black Sabbath releases to add to my collection.
14 Comments |
Was this review helpful to you?
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Good Lighting, Video and Audio, and Producer (not on speed switching every 2 seconds!) November 8, 2013
By defilm
Format: DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally a BS Concert with no Documentary interruptions! Not only that, it is well produced! The video editor is NOT on speed! Must of took a Quaalude before the edit session! It is shot well! Of course 5.1 DD and DTS, and well lit! Yeah, Sadly Bill Ward is not there, but Tommy Clufetos does an awesome job!!
In the beginning, they show some folks coming in with three generations to see BS, but the crowd is kind of mellow compared to concerts of the past. (I suspect they are not likely all high out of their socks, and the excitement in the arena is not quite "the 70's Black Sabbath" crowd.;-) To be honest, Tommy looks like he is trying to stay conscious while playing. Not that he was ever a big showman/active, I mean it in the "I have played this so much, I could probably be dead and still play this". Oh, of course he is awesome as ever, but I very much get the feeling he is not in this for any long haul, and looks tired. It don't impact his playing at all.
BTW, these are just things I noticed, being a loooong time BS fan, and having been to the concerts in the 70's, the 2013 tour, and some closer shots than I was able to get at the show, on the DVD, and he looks tired. But they sound great!
Video: I give it 4.5 stars. (Thank you God the Hockey game producers took the night off!!)
Audio: 5 stars
Lighting: 4 stars (Yes, you can see the camera shots!!)
Overall: It is the first high quality Video and Audio theater concert DVD, and If you are a Sabbath fan, you MUST own this!!
I LOVE BS, and I love the DVD. So I will put the petty things I notice aside because this DVD blows away the VHS re-do of the 1978 concert!! Yeah, I know Bill... But he arguably has the most physical role in the band....
Track List:
War Pigs
Into the Void
Loner
Snowblind
Black sabbath
Behind The Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.
Methademic (New, but I like it, and it will grow on me...)
Faries Wear Boots (Nice to see this one on here!)
Symptom of the Universe
Iron Man
End of the Beginning
Children of the Grave (Another nice to see on here)
God is Dead?
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Intro) / Paranoid
All of the above it my opinion. I am not going to pick them apart, so if you disagree, write your own review and add some value.
The intent of my review is to provide some insight from a FAN of the band. having grown up in the 70's, having a lot of high tech Video/Audio gear as many of us do at home these days, and having no Sabbath disc for a very long time that did justice to the band on this nice equipment.
Comment |
Was this review helpful to you?
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
