Black Sabbath, Glenn Hughes Black Sabbath/USA Tour 1986 Collection

The biggest and strongest title of ’86 BLACK SABBATH, a collaboration between Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes, has been completed here! Glenn SABBATH has a total of six live performances plus one tour rehearsal, but this is a truly earth-shattering surprise title that covers a total of four sound sources, from the third performance to the final fifth performance and the tour rehearsal, in one title! This special project to complete Glenn SABBATH is a major landmark of the simultaneous release of “FIRST & BEST”, but we can say without a doubt that the truly noteworthy item is this work! The long volume of the six-disc set, which lasts a total of about 300 minutes, is truly encyclopedic-class, and will overwhelm any fan who loves BLACK SABBATH and Glenn Hughes in the ’80s! This work, “FIRST & BEST” (Vol.1) and DVD “GLENN’S 2ND GIG” (Vol.2) will complete the “COMPLETE GLENN HUGHES LIVES” series. For fans, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that you cannot miss at any cost! Collectors, please do not miss it! After the release of “SEVENTH STAR”, SABBATH started their US tour with a performance in Cleveland on March 21, 1986. However, Glenn, who was the front man, was not in perfect condition, and Iommi also had a hard time getting him on stage at that time. Therefore, after the second performance in Detroit, Michigan, Iommi officially notified Glenn that he was fired. Even though it was for the sake of band activities, it must have been heartbreaking for Iommi to give up on Glenn, who was a talented musician and a friend. The band quickly searched for a replacement singer, and Ray Gillan, recommended by bassist Dave Spitz, was hired, but Glenn continued to sing for the three shows until Ray was ready and able to take the stage. The three days recorded on this album are March 24th to 26th. Discs 1 and 2 contain the third live performance, a performance in East Rutherford, New Jersey on March 24th, 1986. The recording from this day has long been known among traders, mainly overseas, but this is the first time it has appeared as a collector’s item! Although it was recorded far from the stage, the sound image is powerful, with a good balance from high to low tones. Perhaps because the taper hides the equipment, the sound image is unstable in places, but overall it is a rare sample for experiencing the metallic live sound of the mid-1980s. Glenn’s condition may have become more difficult to hide from around this time, and his vocals become rougher. However, the backing team, centered around Iommi, is familiar with the stage and gives a professional, unbroken performance. This is the last day of Glen’s “Danger Zone”. It is a valuable take. Glenn’s performance and poor condition are clearly felt, such as the vocal range not matching in the songs of the Ronnie era, but the songs of the Ozzy era are still easy to sing, and in “War Pigs” he shows a glimpse of his ability with his heavy singing (you can hear the sound of firecrackers exploding in “Children Of The Sea” and this “War Pigs”). In “Heart Like A Wheel”, which makes use of the mid-low range like the songs of the Ozzy era, Glenn is also able to achieve a performance close to the album take. Although some cuts can be seen in the middle of “Children Of The Grave”, Glenn’s shout in the song is intense, and this can be said to be one of the listening points. There is no encore on this day, and the show ends with “Heaven And Hell”. Glenn’s vocal range is not suitable here either, or he is trying to bring his own color, so he uses a lot of falsetto in the melody of this song, which ends up reducing the power of the song. However, his predecessor Ian Gillan also struggled with this song and Ronnie’s songs such as “Neon Knights”. The fact that the two singers representing DEEP PURPLE are unable to fully demonstrate their abilities shows how amazing Ronnie is. Discs 3 and 4 are the fourth performance of the tour, which took place in Providence, Rhode Island on March 25th. As with the third day (Discs 1 and 2), this is the first time this sound source has been released as an item, and there must be many enthusiasts who have wanted to listen to the sound source of this day for a long time. The sound image that captures the atmosphere of the venue in a wide range is one of the best of the three performances recorded in this work. The cheers that seem to break the ceiling also convey the high expectations that fans have for the band in which Iommi and Glenn co-star. Glenn seems to be in better shape than the previous day, and his voice comes out from the opening song “The Mob Rules”. However, in “Children Of The Sea”, where his vocal range does not match, he gives a rough performance, which contrasts with Iommi’s unwavering ironclad guitar solo. The medley that flows from “Sympton Of The Universe” to “Sweet Leaf” to “Zero The Hero” has a metallic sound image that shines on the song, making it a listening point of the original sound source. In “Seventh Star”, which is the last song of the medley, Glenn’s shout is intense and will surprise the listener. “Black Sabbath” is a big listening point in the second half of the live. Perhaps because Glenn’s suffering was reflected directly in the song, the gloom and madness here have a particularly realistic color among all singers. The “laugh of the devil” in the middle and the scream that tears through space are impossible to reproduce unless it was Glen at that time. As a result, this is an important take that leaves an impression on the live performance, along with “Neon Knights” and “Paranoid”, which were Glen’s last performances with SABBATH. (“Paranoid” here is like a song of Glen at that time, and listening to it makes you feel complicated emotions.) The next Disc 5 packs the performance in Worcester, Massachusetts on March 26, which was the fifth performance and the last day for Glen. The performance of this day was previously released as Disc 1 of “THE DECISION IN MASSACHUSETTS”, but for this special project, the sound was picked up again from the master tape and the approximately 76 minutes recorded on the tape were fully remastered and recorded. The recording is characterized by its excellent freshness due to the good storage condition of the tape, and the final performance for this lineup is reproduced with realistic sound. Glenn still seems to be in bad shape, but on this final day, perhaps because he had “lifted his shoulders” or perhaps because he was trying to go all out because it was the last, he performed high-tension songs and intense shouts that exceeded the previous four performances throughout the show, from the opening “The Mob Rules”. On the other hand, in “Children Of The Sea”, which also expressed a delicate tone on the first and second days, the shout-based song was incompatible with the song’s ideas, resulting in a noticeable hysteria. However, it is strange that his somewhat resigned vocals match the lyrics and worldview of the songs in the Ozzy era songs such as “Sweet Leaf”, “Black Sabbath”, and “Children Of The Grave”, which are rather dangerous and dangerous. The biggest success of the day was Jeff Nichols, who is in charge of chorus and keyboards. In addition to “Sweet Leaf” mentioned above, he also showed a solid job of supporting the band’s sound in “Seventh Star” and “No Stranger To Love”, living up to the trust that Iommi has placed in him for many years. Especially in “Heaven and Hell,” he sings more accurately than Glenn, and you can even see his “singing skill” without even realizing it. With the end of the Worcester performance on March 26, SABBATH’s singer will be replaced by Ray Gillan, and the SABBATH story will continue with Ray’s first day, “NO STRANGER TO LIVE: FIRST GIG WITH RAY (Shades260)”. It was a very sad departure for Glenn, who left a historic performance on the album, but considering his personal problems such as alcoholism, which was extremely serious at the time, the separation at this point was probably unavoidable for both Glenn and Iommi. However, for fans, each one is a one-of-a-kind, memorable live performance. These are the miraculous collaborations from 25 years ago that “The Voice Of Rock” and “The Godfather of Metal” made history. And the last bonus disc contains the final rehearsal prior to the tour in Hollywood on March 14th, recorded with a superb audience recording. This sound source appeared as “TURN TO GLENN” nearly 15 years ago, and is a nostalgic sound source for veteran collectors. Of course, this is not just a re-recording, but the tape speed that was noticeable in the previous release has been correctly adjusted, and the sound loss has been properly corrected by reducing the excessive bass and focusing on the treble, ensuring a perspective that could not be enjoyed in the previous releases. As with the actual show, the run-through starting with “Supertzar” has an atmosphere just like the real thing, and the tension just before the start of the tour seems to be clearly floating. It can be said that this is a valuable piece that is truly worthy of decorating the end of this heavy project. Since it is not a live performance in front of an audience, the songs proceed calmly without MCs, etc. However, the performance itself is full of enthusiasm for the real thing, and the clear outline of the performance allows you to clearly grasp the songs, and it is entertaining enough to make you forget it was a rehearsal. The recording seems to have been done very close to the stage, and the members’ playing has excellent separation, and you can even clearly hear Dave Spitz’s bass line in “Children Of The Sea” and “War Pigs”. Also, “Turn To Stone” with Eric Singer’s drum solo is so spirited that it seems to be the best take of this lineup. Unfortunately, the tape ends with “No Stranger To Love”, but this 47-minute recording is worth more than just a bonus as an important document prior to the tour. Although Glenn SABBATH was only active for a short period of time, completing an era is a “fan’s dream”. This work is a huge masterpiece that not only SABBATH and Glenn fans, but also DEEP PURPLE fans will not be allowed to miss! Please take this chance to add a precious era to your collection! It is the privilege of all of you, the devoted fans, to uncover this hidden history and sealed truth!! Iommi and Glenn performed together for the first time in 24 years at the High Voltage Festival on July 24, 2010 (this week’s gift title is “A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio”). However, that was a memorial performance for Ronnie as HEAVEN AND HELL, and it was not an official combination of the two. It is possible that they will perform together again in the future in a way that satisfies both of them.I would like to conclude this special project by hoping that they will be able to perform together in the best possible condition. 3RD GIG: 24th March Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford (92 minutes) TRULY AMAZING SOUND 4TH GIG: 25th March Providence Civic Center (85 minutes) TRULY AMAZING SOUND 5TH GIG: 26th March Worcester’s Centrum Center (75 minutes) TRULY AMAZING SOUND TOUR REHEARSALS: 14th March Pacific Amphitheater, West Hollywood (47 minutes) TRU LY AMAZING SOUND 3RD GIG: 24th March Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford Disc 1 1. Supertzar 2. The Mob Rules 3. Children Of The Sea 4. Danger Zone 5. War Pigs 6. Heart Like A Wheel 7. Symptom Of The Universe 8. Sweet Leaf 9. Zero the Hero 10. Sphinx (The Guardian) 11. Seventh Star 12. Children Of The Grave Disc 2 1. No Stranger To Love 2. Black Sabbath 3. Turn To Stone 4. Drum Solo/Turn To Stone (Reprise) 5. Neon Knights 6. Heaven And Hell 7. Guitar Solo 8. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Heaven And Hell(Reprise) 4TH GIG: 25th March Providence Civic Center Disc 3 1. Supertzar 2. The Mob Rules 3. Children Of The Sea 4. War Pigs 5. Heart Like A Wheel 6. Symptom Of The Universe 7. Sweet Leaf 8. Zero The Hero 9. Sphinx (The Guardian) 10. Seventh Star 11. Children Of The Grave Disc 4 1. No Stranger To Love 2. Turn To Stone 3. Drum Solo/Turn To Stone(Reprise) 4. Black Sabbath 5. Neon Knights 6. Heaven And Hell 7. Guitar Solo 8. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Heaven And Hell(Reprise) 9. Paranoid Disc 5 5TH GIG: 26th March Worcester’s Centrum Center 1. Supertzar 2. The Mob Rules 3. Children Of The Sea 4. War Pigs 5. Heart Like A Wheel 6. Symptom Of The Universe 7. Sweet Leaf 8. Zero The Hero 9. x (The Guardian) 10. Seventh Star 11. Children Of The Grave 12. No Stranger To Love 13. Turn To Stone 14. Drum Solo 15. Black Sabbath 16. Heaven And Hell 17. Guitar Solo 18. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Heaven And Hell(Reprise) Bonus Disc TOUR REHEARSALS : Pacific Amphitheater, West Hollywood 14th March 1986 1. Supertzar 2. The Mob Rules 3. Children Of The Sea 4. Danger Zone 5. War Pigs 6. Symptom Of The Universe 7. Sweet Leaf 8. Zero The Hero 9. Sphinx (The Guardian) 10. Seventh Star 11. Turn To Stone 12. No Stranger To Love Tony Iommi – Guitars Glenn Hughes – Vocals Dave Spitz – Bass Eric Singer – Dr ums Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards