Black Sabbath/Studio Rehearsals & Demos 1991-1992

In the long history of BLACK SABBATH, there have been many lineups that have ended up producing demos or sessions without performing formal recordings or live performances. Among them, the line-up that could be called “SABBATH + RAINBOW” that was realized in 1991 is one that still makes fans think, “It was a shame” and “I wish they would have made an album like this.” The dream-like combination of Iommi and Cozy Powell, who have been running the band as a duo since 1989’s “HEADLESS CROSS”, the returning Geezer Butler, and Ronnie James Dio, is a rare combination in the history of heavy metal. It was a super band. However, this formation ended without leaving any albums due to disagreements between Ronnie and Cozy, and Cozy’s withdrawal due to injury from a fall from a horse. This work “DEHUMANIZER REHEARSALS”, which includes studio sessions and demo sound sources from this super luxurious lineup, packaged into 3 CDs, is a must-listen for not only SABBATH fans but all heavy metal fans. You could say that. This work was included in the work of the same name “DEHUMANIZER REHEARSALS” released about 10 years ago, as well as the compilation title “REINCARNATION” (Import Title), which is now legendary among enthusiasts. A collection of demo and rehearsal sound sources from the production process of “DEHUMANIZER” as a 3-CD set. All sound sources were re-created from the master cassette owned by Cozy Powell and recorded after adjusting the overall sound quality and sound image (within the minimum necessary range), and are different from any previously released sound sources of the same type. You can listen to this historic session with sound quality and ease of listening that surpasses even that of the original. The sound source included on Disc 1 is a live recording take of a studio rehearsal by Iommi, Geezer, and Cozy. It is likely that the sound source was recorded with a special microphone installed in the studio for later confirmation and documentation. Although it is not a take directly connected to the line, the sound quality is extremely high quality. In addition to capturing the three members’ sessions with the same realism and direct feeling as almost any sound board sound source, you can also check the conversations between the members (albeit from a distance) between sessions. The vivid exchanges in the studio and the session that can be heard here are takes that survived because they were recorded with a microphone. Unfortunately, Ronnie is not here yet, but the 46 minutes recorded on the disc are all historical recordings that fans must listen to! At this point, we still haven’t seen the album in its entirety, but memorable songs such as “Computer God,” “TV Crimes,” and “Letters From Earth” are already taking shape. As Iommi later recalled in an interview, “It started out fine,” and they would playfully play “Apache” in between sessions, and then they’d make a mistake and stop playing. , and even whistling, you can tell that they are having fun and interacting in a friendly manner. In addition to the serious performances, everyone will be surprised and even moved by the content, which includes scenes that you wouldn’t normally hear, and even the mood in the studio, packaged in a realistic sound image. . Also worth listening to are a number of unreleased songs that were not included in “DEHUMANIZER”. I was also surprised by “Unknown Song (Take 4),” which can be heard on Disc 3 under the title “Bad Blood,” and “Unknown Song (Take 5),” which is thought to have become the prototype for “Get A Grip.” However, “Unknown Song (Take 1)” and “Unknown Song (Take 2)” are shocking. These two songs are the same as “Rising Hell,” which Tony Martin recorded on his solo album “SCREAM.” I think many enthusiasts were shocked by the fact that this song already existed in 1992 (and it was a riff created by Iommi)! ? In previous releases, the parts that were recorded in a rough state (cutting, etc.) as is from the tape, have been faded as necessary in this work. In addition to improving the sound quality, the content has been made even easier to listen to. Disc 2 also continues to include live recordings of studio rehearsals. Here you can mainly see the process of elaborating “Computer God”, including the conversations inside the studio. Compared to “Computer God” that can be heard on Disc 1, you can see that these songs are trying various approaches, such as slowing down the tempo and playing heavier. And Ronnie finally appears on track 4, “Computer God (Take 3)”! The melody and lyrics are completely different from the final take of “DEHUMANIZER”, and the song is passionately and melodiously sung. His singing is still a work in progress, but his vocals are still powerful. Even though it’s a demo rehearsal, I can’t help but feel excited to see Ronnie and Cozy perform again, which fans have dreamed of! From track 8 onwards, you can hear how the song develops from the jam performance centered around Iommi’s riff (Martin’s original song “Rising Hell” appears again on track 10). And in the last track 13 “Unreleased Song (Take 5)”, Ronnie appears again and takes over the vocals, letting us hear a session by the four members (this song is also recorded separately in the rehearsal sound source “BATTLE OF GODS” from the same time). (You can listen to the take) And the final disc 3 mainly contains demo tracks. This is the disc where you can enjoy the most collaboration between Iommi, Geezer, Cozy, and Ronnie! The first two songs are demos recorded by Geezer with his solo band “THE GEEZER BUTLER BAND” in 1986, when he left BLACK SABBATH. Geezer seems to have brought in many song ideas for his return to SABBATH and the production of “DEHUMANIZER,” and these are the sound sources that Cozy kept on hand at that time (the sound quality is at a level that can be officially released). As is clear from the rehearsals so far, “Computer God” that can be heard here is a song with the same name. In contrast, you can understand that “Master Of Insanity” was adopted from the beginning with both the melody and arrangement completed. The vocalist on these two songs is Carl Sentence, formerly of PERSIAN RISK and currently collaborating with Don Airey on his solos. You can listen to their husky and powerful singing, which is a perfect fit for ’80s metal. Tracks 3 and 4 are studio demo recordings of “Master Of Insanity” and “Letters From Earth” featuring Cozy and Ronnie.The structure of the songs and the members’ performances progressed from the rehearsals up to Disc 2, and then continued on to the album. From track 5 onwards, the most interesting part of this disc is a demo of an unreleased song, which is rehearsed as “Unknown Song (Take 4)” on disc 1. You can enjoy “Bad Blood”, which was previously released, and another unreleased song “The Next Time” from track 6. Among them, “The Next Time”, which contains a total of 5 takes, tries out various variations such as changing the arrangement and playing speed, and you can listen to different expressions of the same song. These songs are not just heavy, but all feature melodic and smooth song development that takes advantage of Ronnie’s personality (they have a mood similar to SABBATH and DIO of the 1980s). The unreleased songs you can hear here are probably the type of sound that many fans were looking for from them at the time! BLACK SABBATH, in which Ronnie and Cozy co-star, ended without leaving any albums or live performances as mentioned above, and the band welcomed Vinnie Appice to complete “DEHUMANIZER”. This original sound source that thoroughly entertains SABBATH with a “dream lineup” that was only realized for a short period of time is definitely one of the most important collector’s items of SABBATH, which is known for its many items! Studio Rehearsals & Demos 1991-1992 (from “Cozy Tapes”) Disc 1 Studio Rehearsals 1991 1. Computer God (Take 1) 2. Computer God (Take 2) 3. Letters From Earth (Take 1) 4. Letters From Earth ( Take 2) 5. Unknown Song (Take 1) 6. Unknown Song (Take 2) 7. Unknown Song (Take 3) 8. Apache (Ventures cover) 9. Unknown Song (Take 4) 10. Unknown Song (Take 5) incl. Get A Grip riff 11. Whistle 12. Computer God (Take 3) 13. Computer God (Take 4) 14. Computer God (Take 5) Tony Iommi – Guitar Geezer Butler – Bass Cozy Powell – Drums Disc 2 Studio Rehearsals 1991 -1992 1. Computer God (Take 1) 2. Computer God (Take 2) 3. Conversation 4. Computer God (Take 3) with Ronnie James Dio 5. Computer God (Take 4) 6. Computer God (Take 5) 7 Computer God (Take 6) 8. Unreleased Track (Take 1) 9. Unreleased Track (Take 2) 10. Unreleased Track (Take 3) 11. Unreleased Track (Take 4) 12. Conversation 13. Unreleased Song (Take 5) with Ronnie James Dio Ronnie James Dio – Vocal Tony Iommi – Guitar Geezer Butler – Bass Cozy Powell – Drums Disc 3 Geezer’s Demos 1986 1. Computer God 2. Master Of Insanity Geezer Butler – Bass Pedro Howse – Guitar Carl Sentance – Vocal Jezz Woodroffe – Keyboards Gary Ferguson – Drums Studio Demos 1991-1992 3. Master Of Insanity 4. Letters From Earth 5. Bad Blood 6. The Next Time (Take 1) 7. The Next Time (Take 2) 8. The Next Time (Take 3 ) 9. The Next Time (Take 4) 10. The Next Time (Take 5) Ronnie James Dio – Vocal Tony Iommi – Guitar Geezer Butler – Bass Cozy Powell – Drums