REUNION

This is a live recording of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup in their home town of Birmingham, England on December 5 1997. According to the liner notes there are no overdubs so we hear it as it happened, mistakes and all. Ozzy certainly fills the air with expletives throughout the night, even during instrumental sections. I guess he's happy to be home.

"War Pigs" is the opener with Ozzy yelling obsenities right from the get go. How good does this sound when it kicks into gear around 2 1/2 minutes. Ripping guitar 4 minutes in. Vocal melodies from Ozzy after 6 1/2 minutes as Iommi solos. Love the sound of the guitar to open "Behind The Wall Of Sleep". He's lighting it up 2 minutes in. Check out Geezer's bass solo after 3 1/2 minutes to end it. "N.I.B." features more chunky bass in this killer track. Ward and Iommi are raising hell before 2 1/2 minutes. Iommi just solos and solos 4 1/2 minutes in. After the song some fan jumps on stage and tells Ozzy how big a fan he is. "Fairies Wear Boots" again has some deep bass from Butler as Iommi grinds away. Check them both out before 3 minutes too. "Electric Funeral" had to be the song that inspired ALICE IN CHAINS and many other like bands. "Sweet Leaf" is a love song to marijuana. I don't know how many times I heard this before I realized what it was about. Being stoned back then all the time is my excuse for not getting it (haha). Ripping guitar solo 3 minutes in.

"Spiral Architect" sounds amazing. It kicks in before a minute. Love this tune. "Into The Void" features some low end riffs before 1 1/2 minutes. I like the relaxing guitar solo in "Snowblind" first before 2 1/2 minutes then at 4 1/2 minutes. "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is such a great tune. Although Ozzy bales on the high notes. "Orchid / Lord Of This World" opens with intrictae guitar before the second part comes in with a dark and heavy mood.It does pick up.The guitar sounds amazing before 6 minutes as the bass throbs. "Dirty Women" is nice and heavy. "Black Sabbath" is so powerful. It kicks in before 5 1/2 minutes. Scorching guitar after 6 minutes. My favourite part of "Iron Man" is when it speeds up 6 1/2 minutes in. "Children Of The Grave" is a song that you just need to crank up really loud. Incredible. "Paranoid" is great too. There are two new original compositions that are tacked on the end. Both "Psycho Man" and "Selling My Soul" are good tunes but they really pale with all that's gone on before.

BLACK SABBATH was such a powerful band live, and this is a chance to really feel that energy in front of their family and friends in their home town. Pretty cool.