Black Sabbath/Osaka, Japan 1980

A miraculous discovery of the original master of the legendary recording, which has been considered the “best masterpiece on the first visit to Japan”! The best masterpiece was recorded at the “November 21, 1980: Osaka *Festival Hall*” performance. This is the best audience recording. This work is truly the best masterpiece of the first visit to Japan. The sound is simply outstanding, but not only that, but the show is also unique. Even if you have many first live albums in Japan, it is one that stands at the “extreme” that cannot be surpassed. Before I introduce its meaning, first let’s talk about Shaw’s position. Our store has archived many masterpieces from his first visit to Japan, so let’s organize them by date along with that collection. ・November 16th: Nakano Sunplaza (evening session) “FACE OF EVIL” ・November 16th: Nakano Sunplaza (evening session) ・November 17th: Nihon Seinenkan “DEFINITIVE BUER” ・November 18th Sun: Nakano Sunplaza “EVILMANIA” etc. x November 19th: Nakano Sunplaza (cancelled) November 20th: Kyoto Kaikan “KYOTO 1980” November 21st: Osaka *Festival Hall* ←★Here★ *Note :Only representative works each day. That’s all 6 performances. The Osaka performance of this work will be on its final day. And this Osaka performance is the best show for the first time in Japan. Why can you say that this day is the best? It’s a bit of a detour, but let me explain from the beginning. [The one and only Osaka where Children Of The Grave also performs] First of all, speaking of their first visit to Japan, “November 18th” is most famous. Not only was there an FM broadcast from a certain broadcasting association, but a sound board sound scene that seemed to be the origin of it was also leaked. In addition, many of the best audience recordings, including MiracleMan’s “EVIL MAN”, were discovered, making it a very productive day. However, the show was in poor condition on this day. It seemed like he was doing well after performing for three or four days in a row after coming to Japan, but on this day, Tony Iommi got food poisoning after eating an oyster. By the time “IronMan” was over, I was unable to continue, and the next day’s show was also canceled. Looking back on our first visit to Japan, in the early stages we were forced to perform two shows in one day and felt a sense of unfamiliarity in Japan for the first time, and just as we were getting better, Iommi suddenly fell ill. It was on the final day in Osaka that he recovered, regained his strength, and reached the top. Moreover, this Osaka song has one more song. As with other performances, the curtain closes with “Paranoid,” and the venue becomes so excited that people can’t stop asking for an encore. So he showed up again and played “Children Of The Grave.” The first time I came to Japan, I played “Children Of The Grave” only once in Osaka. Of course, it is a masterpiece that the members feel fulfilled enough to respond to the encore. [Omoto cassette of the legendary recording that was distributed as a sound board] This work is a live album that is the pinnacle of such Osaka performances. As a matter of fact, this Osaka performance has been known for its excellent recordings for a long time, and in particular the masterpiece “THELASTSACRAMENT” has been handed down for a long time. This time, the original cassette that is the source of this has been miraculously discovered. This work is the ultimate version that has been converted directly to CD. The sound is truly transcendent. If you are a collector of the past, you may remember that “THE LASTSACRAMENT” was distributed as a sound board, but this work is its origin. The sense of zero distance that does not make you feel the presence of the atmosphere, the direct feel of the extremely thick core, and the clear separation of each instrument are impregnable. Moreover, there is no need for the phrase “for 1980”, and even by modern standards, it is a dimension that makes you doubt your ears, “Isn’t it really a sound board!?” That is the super-excellent sound that is comparable to famous FM broadcasts. Actually, there is another reason why it was said at the time that it was actually a sound board. As those who have experienced the traditional version of “THELASTSACRAMENT” will know, the sound quality of this recording varied between songs. In other words, it was thought that “performance part = sound board + between songs = complemented by audience”. It’s true that even today’s ears can only hear it, but this new excavation has revealed the truth. Apparently, the taper who recorded this recording brought in two pieces of equipment and was recording two at the same time. And, the main super-super master was recorded with pauses between songs (maybe there was a problem with the remaining tape). The interval was supplemented with another full recording. The same processing has been applied this time, but the quality is not average as this other one is also recorded by the same person. Of course, mastering has been done to bring the two sounds as close as possible. [The best masterpiece of “extreme” with the band’s potential at its peak] A full show drawn with such a sound is truly worthy of the name “best masterpiece”. Anyway, it’s in great shape. Not only Iommi, who has recovered, but also Vinny Appice, who has experienced many performances, and Geezer Butler, who has become accustomed to Japan, are impregnable. And above all, Ronnie James Dio! Powerful, lustrous, and ever-changing. The BLACKSABBATH era, which opened its eyes to heavy metal, is known for singing more aggressively than the RAINBOW era, but that’s not the only thing on this day. The range of aggressiveness and calm tone is extremely wide, and the dynamism that goes back and forth between phrases is amazing. Just when you think he’s barking at evil with a powerful voice, the next moment he sings as delicately and romantically as RAINBOW, and sings even more heroically and heroically. Perhaps the feeling of relief that Iommi had recovered was added to the familiar Japanese mood. It lets you fully enjoy the essence of solid yet flexible vocalization with a sound that connects directly to your brain. The sound, the songs, and the great performance… everything is a masterpiece. The famous Nakano Sun Plaza’s FM broadcast and sound board are also wonderful, but this work completely surpasses them. A cultural heritage-class 2-disc set that permanently preserves the top masters who first visited Japan from Omoto cassettes. Live at Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan 21st November 1980 TRULY PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (49:25) 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 – Guitars Geezer Butler – Bass Vinny Appice – Drums Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards