Cozy Powell’s Hammer Cozy Powell/Germany 1992

After the release of “THE DRUMS ARE BACK”, Cozy Powell’s German tour as “COZY POWELL’S HAMMER” with Tony Martin and Neil Murray has been released in its first complete recording version, using a newly excavated master audience recording as the source! This Heidelberg performance has long been a popular show, having been released as “STARGAZER” by the Langley label in the past, and an upgraded version of the two-performance coupling “RAISE THE HAMMER” appeared last year. However, the master, who was brought to us through a more reliable route than the taper, “who actually saw this show and recorded it on site”, was clearly credited with the date “November 19th”. When compared with various existing sound sources, it was found that the performance recorded on this master was indeed the same as “STARGAZER” although the source was different, and as a result, the Heidelberg performance, which had previously been both “November 15th” and “November 19th”, was confirmed to be “November 19th, the third performance of the tour”. The source known as “STARGAZER” mentioned above had the opening and inter-song parts greatly shortened in order to fit the show onto one CD, and when considering the nature of audience recording as a “record of fact”, it was a problematic source. In contrast, the newly discovered sound source does not have such artificial inter-song editing, and contains the show as it is, from the opening intro “Mars” to the encore “Since You Been Gone” (“If There Is A Heaven” was also played on this day, but it was revealed that it had been cut before the master was released). With a total recording time of 14 minutes longer than the previous release, and a newly discovered unreleased song… this work is a historic discovery that reveals the whole picture and truth of the day! According to Taper, this Heidelberg performance was held with a capacity of 300 people (!). This sound source also reflects that, with a very close distance to the stage and recorded with a vivid and direct musical sound. The bass is particularly powerful, and the sound of Cozy’s bass drum and Neil’s bass shaking the air with a bang is irresistible! Since it is an audience recording at a small venue, even if the source is different, the sound and the cheers that enter are unlikely to make a big difference, and the impression you hear a little is that “Isn’t this a full-length version that has already been released, not a different source?” In addition to the loud call of “Come On Baby!” in the intro of “Back Where I Belong”, there are also cheers that cannot be heard in each sound source, and if you listen to it and compare them, you can definitely judge that it is a different kind of sound source. From the opening intro “Mars” and “Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues”, a unique mood where the stage and the audience are closely connected creates a wonderful atmosphere. The audience has reacted greatly to the masterpieces such as RAINBOW’s “Stargazer” and BLACK SABBATH’s “Anno Mundi”, which are characteristic of this tour, as well as the solo songs of each person who is less familiar. Cozy’s solo song “Shout” (“I Wanna Hear You Shout”) on “THE DRUMS ARE BACK” fits in as if Martin had been singing from the beginning, and Cozy and Neil’s play on Martin’s solo songs “Back Where I Belong” and “If It Ain’t Worth Fighting For” can be enjoyed with an excellent combination of breath. Martin’s free-flowing singing is superb on this day’s “If There Is A Heaven”, which is the first appearance, and along with Mario Parga’s tasteful guitar, it is a major listening point of this work. “Ride To Win,” in which Mario’s guitar competes with Cozy’s drums, can be enjoyed more deeply by comparing it with the take on “BACK TO WIN – TOUR REHEARSALS 1992” (Note that the Japanese-like voice saying “Encore!” that was already released after the drum solo cannot be confirmed in this sound source. This is probably due to a different recording position.). Even though it is a show of a band led by Cozy, this is not a famous band like RAINBOW. It is surprising that even one sound source remained, but such a different sound source was unearthed at a live performance with only about 300 people, so it can be summed up as a miracle! The value of this work, which has a total of about 90 minutes from opening to closing, where unknown scenes occur one after another even though it is a show that you should know, is immeasurable for fans. By listening to the simultaneously released “THE DRUMS ARE BACK ROUGH MIX” and the aforementioned “BACK TO WIN – TOUR REHEARSALS 1992”, as well as this album in chronological order, your understanding of Cozy’s activities in 1992 will increase dramatically. If you’re a fan of heavy metal or hard rock, this is a must-listen two-disc set! Live at Schwimmbad Musik Club, Heidelberg, Germany 19th November 1992 TRULY AMAZING SOUND Disc 1 1. Mars Intro 2. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 3. Shout 4. Stargazer 5. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll 6. Back Where I Belong 7. Guitar Solo 8. Anno Mundi 9. If It Ain’t Worth Fighting For 10. It Ain’t Good En ough Disc 2 1. MC 2. Crying In The Rain 3. If There Is A Heaven 4. Ride To Win 5. Drum Solo incl. 1812 Overture 6. The Gates Of Hell 7. Headless Cross 8. Band Introduction 9. Since You Been Gone Tony Martin – Vocal Cozy Powell – Drums Neil Murray – Bass Mario Parga – Guitar