Description
The legendary recording, hailed as “the greatest masterpiece of their first visit to Japan,” has been polished up! It’s now available as a top-of-the-line updated 2CD set, with the original master recording refined to perfection! This release captures the performance from November 21, 1980, at the Osaka Festival Hall. It’s an absolutely superb audience recording. Why is this recording considered a masterpiece? It’s due to both the sound and the show’s content. To explain why, let’s first look back at their legendary first visit to Japan and a list of their records. * November 16th ‘FACE OF EVIL (Nakano: Evening Show)’ * November 16th: Nakano Sun Plaza (Night Show) * November 17th ‘DEFINITIVE BUER (Nippon Seinenkan)’ * November 18th ‘EVILMANIA’ etc. * November 19th: Nakano Sun Plaza (Cancelled) * November 20th ‘KYOTO 1980’ * November 21st: Osaka Festival Hall ←★This release★ *Note: Only representative works from each day are listed. A legendary Osaka night that surpasses even the most famous FM broadcast. The above is a record of all six performances (the November 19th show was cancelled). The Osaka performance featured in this release is the final day and has been passed down as the best show of their first visit to Japan. Speaking of their first visit to Japan, the Nakano Sun Plaza show on November 18th is the most famous, and a certain broadcasting association’s FM broadcast and what appears to be the original soundboard recording have been leaked. It has become the symbol that immediately comes to mind when thinking of “Sabbath’s first visit to Japan.” However, the content of this show was poor. Tony Iommi suffered from food poisoning and was unable to continue the show midway through. It was so serious that the show the following day was cancelled. Moreover, the FM broadcast version has a strange mix with the keyboards being ridiculously loud. It was such a mediocre recording that it damaged Ronnie Sabbath’s reputation until the official “LIVE EVIL” was released. However, the food poisoning did not last long and he recovered quickly. At “KYOTO 1980” on November 20th, Iommi had recovered to his usual self (albeit with a slightly tentative feel). On the final day in Osaka (this release), they delivered a passionate performance from the very beginning, as if to redeem themselves. The excitement was so great that they performed multiple encores, even playing “Children Of The Grave,” a song they hadn’t played at other shows. Sound, number of songs, great performance… everything was perfect, making it the best gig of their first visit to Japan. GRAF ZEPPELIN’s meticulous mastering sets a new record high. This Osaka performance has also long been known for the existence of a legendary recording with superb sound quality. It’s a famous recording that was featured on the classic album “THE LAST SACRAMENT” and has long been available as a soundboard recording. The previous release, “Zodiac 382,” was the first to directly transfer this original cassette to CD, solidifying its reputation as “the greatest masterpiece of their first visit to Japan.” This release is a re-polished version of that same master by “GRAF ZEPPELIN.” They employed every technique imaginable, including rigorous pitch/phase correction and balance adjustment, but what was particularly effective this time was the reduction of hiss noise through frequency band correction. The high-frequency hiss that was somewhat noticeable in the original recording has been carefully addressed, resulting in a significant improvement in clarity. The details of the performance sound now stand out even more clearly. Another improvement is the remarkably natural joining of the supplementary parts using separate sound sources. This recording was made by the taper simultaneously recording with two pieces of equipment, and (perhaps due to concerns about tape remaining) the recording was stopped between songs on the main master. These parts were supplemented with sub-recordings, but until now, the difference in sound quality at the transitions was noticeable. “GRAF ZEPPELIN” eliminates this awkwardness. Strictly speaking, there is a warp-like feeling of a fraction of a second at the transition, but the difference in sound quality before and after the switch is eliminated, making it sound so natural that it sounds as if the same tape was simply paused (for a moment). The final performance, where everyone was energized by Iommi’s return, is depicted in this remastered sound as a full Osaka show where everyone is in top form. The number of songs and the content of the performance are incomparable to the FM broadcast that was interrupted. First, let’s check out the full set. Heaven & Hell (5 songs) – Neon Knights / Children Of The Sea / Lady Evil / Heaven And Hell / Die Young (★) Classics (7 songs) – Black Sabbath: N.I.B. / Black Sabbath – Paranoid: War Pigs / Iron Man / Paranoid (★) – Master of Reality: Sweet Leaf / Children Of The Grave (★★) *Note: Songs marked with “★” cannot be heard on the famous FM broadcast of the Nakano performance. In particular, songs marked with “★★” are special songs played only on this day as it is their first visit to Japan. And the performance itself is absolutely superb. Iommi’s powerful riffs have recovered, Geezer Butler creates a wall of sound in response to the guitar, Vinnie Appice creates a sense of speed with his unique sharp tom-tom fills – and Ronnie James Dio. Ronnie’s vocals are incredibly versatile, shifting from aggressive roars to romantic melodies in the next moment, with dynamics that swing wildly from phrase to phrase. This is a truly unique and masterful performance, capturing the exhilaration of the final day of their first visit to Japan and the relief of Iommi’s return. This legendary recording, renowned as “the greatest masterpiece of their first visit to Japan,” has been meticulously remastered by “GRAF ZEPPELIN” to create a top-tier updated version. The bright sound and natural feel of the added parts elevate the overall quality of this new masterpiece. This is the true essence of Ronnie Black Sabbath. This is a superb audience recording of their November 21, 1980 performance at the Osaka Festival Hall. Previously circulated as a soundboard recording, this is a top-tier updated version with the original master remastered by “GRAF ZEPPELIN.” The awkwardness of the added parts between songs has been eliminated, and the hiss noise from frequency correction has been treated. This performance, which includes a one-night-only rendition of “Children Of The Grave,” is absolutely fantastic, making it a definitive recording that is “the best work from their first visit to Japan” in terms of both sound and performance. Live at Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan 21 November 1980 Disc 1 (49:26) 1. Supertzar 2. War Pigs 3. Neon Knights 4. N.I.B. 5. Children Of The Sea 6. Sweet Leaf 7. Drum Solo 8. Lady Evil 9. Black Sabbath Disc 2 (55:25) 1. Heaven And Hell 2. Iron Man 3. Guitar Solo 4. Die Young 5. Paranoid 6. Children Of The Grave Ronnie James Dio – Vocals Tony Iommi – Guitar Geezer Butler – Bass Vinny Appice – Drums Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
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