Black Sabbath/OH,USA 06.14.1989 Upgrade

BLACK SABBATH entered a new era in 1989 with the addition of Cozy Powell and Neil Murray. The performance in Cleveland, Ohio on June 14th from the North American tour of “HEADLESS CROSS” will be released on a long-awaited limited press CD! Tony Martin’s wonderful singing and good sound quality have earned the live recordings highly acclaimed by strict enthusiasts as “one of the best on the HEADLESS tour”, and now it’s here in a look worthy of its quality! BLACK SABBATH’s first US tour in three years, “HEADLESS CROSS”, was originally scheduled to have 37 shows in cities across the US, starting with a performance in Poughkeepsie, New York on May 31st and ending with a performance in Sacramento, California on July 16th. The newly reborn band with Cozy also performed excellent live shows in various locations, with Iommi and Martin’s performances being excellent. However, due to a lack of PR for the tour, attendance was poor (Cozy was apparently angry about this lack of support), and the remaining dates of the tour were canceled after 10 shows. This tour is known for excellent recordings such as the aforementioned “FIRST LIVE WITH COZY” from the Poughkeepsie performance and “CALL OF WILD” from the Columbia performance on June 4th. Among them, the one that surprised fans with its outstanding sound and performance was “HEADLESS IN CLEVELAND”, which contains the show at the Cleveland “Agora Ballroom” on June 14th, the final day of the US tour. This work has been carefully remastered and recorded on a CD worthy of its value. It has been sublimated into a CD with an easy-to-listen-to sound that surpasses the original wonderful sound source, making it a must-have for all SABBATH fans! From the opening and first song “Headless Cross” that pops out when you play the disc, the outstanding realism, well-balanced balance, and direct feeling that makes you feel close to the performance are simply amazing. While maintaining a solid brightness, the sound with a moderate roundness reproduces the European mood and melodic tone that SABBATH embodied at that time with a more tasteful sound image. As you can hear by listening to “Headless Cross”, the thick and powerful sound makes Iommi’s guitar and Cozy’s drums more powerful. In particular, Cozy’s playing is closely followed down to his every move. However, the main character of the day is Tony Martin himself. He gives us a wonderful singing voice from the beginning of the show, and the free-flowing singing in “Headless Cross” is suddenly overwhelming. The high tones in “Neon Knights”, “Children Of The Sea”, and “Die Young” are close to the beginning of the ’87 tour, which was said to be superhuman. Among them, “Die Young” is a take that I would not hesitate to describe as the best, even among the many good quality recordings from ’89. The song development, which starts with Iommi’s lyrical solo and then plays, has a flavor and brilliance that is unique to this era, different from the original Ronnie era. The missing part in the second half of the previously released title is also filled in with another recording in this work. The band’s fulfillment is also clear from the new songs. In addition to the fantastic playing of Neil and Jeff Nichols shown in the intro of “When Death Calls,” Iommi’s heavy and sharp riff and Cozy’s thunderous attack will enjoy the SABBATH sound that has deepened from “eerieness” to “mystery.” In addition, “Devil And Daughter” in the second half of the live performance is a sharp and speedy performance. Iommi’s lustrous guitar solo and Cozy’s drums are also attractive, bringing out the potential and charm of the song. Martin’s piercing singing voice in both songs is also outstanding and the best. These are the best of their career, surpassing the many existing recordings. The numbers from the Ozzy era, such as “War Pigs”, “Black Sabbath”, and the medley of “Iron Man” and “Children Of The Grave”, have been given new appeal here, and you can enjoy their splendor as universal rock classics that go beyond mere heavy metal. Until the climax of “Heaven And Hell”, the band ensemble is tightly packed and the high-tension performance is at its peak. You can enjoy the best live performance that will convince anyone who listens to it that “SABBATH was a genuine super band at that time”! This time, the middle part of “Paranoid” is missing, but the volume of about 80 minutes, which is the upper limit for a single disc, the excellent sound quality, and the best performance make this recording one of the best live performances in ’89. There are many masterpieces from the same year, such as the soundboard “HEADLESS IN VIENNA”, the pro shot “HEADLESS IN RUSSIA”, and the audience recording “RUNIC ECHOS”. This work is not only comparable to those, but also gives a sense of further value and significance as the pinnacle of the American tour. This work, which beautifully vacuum packages the true power of Martin SABBATH, is definitely a must-listen for all hard rock/heavy metal fans. Live at Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio, USA 14th June 1989 TRULY PERFECT SOUND UPGRADE 1. The Gates Of Hell 2. Headless Cross 3. Neon Knights 4. Children Of The Sea 5. The Mob Rules 6. When Death Calls 7. War Pigs 8. Guitar Solo 9. Die Young 10. Black Sabbath 11. Devil And Daughter 12. Iron Man 13. Of The Grave 14. Heaven And Hell 15. Paranoid Tony Iommi – Guitar Tony Martin – Vocal Cozy Powell – Drums Neil Murray – Bass Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards