Black Sabbath/UK 2017

BLACK SABBATH went to sleep in their hometown of Birmingham. It is hard to say whether their sleep will last forever, but their tour around the world has come to an end, announcing “THE END!”. This is the first day of the final two performances in Birmingham, a superb live album from February 2, 2017. The best part of this album is that it is a full-day album that includes not only the superb quality of the show that was nearing its end, but also the rare and interesting sound check from the same day. Before we get into the contents, let’s start with an overview of the “Europe #2” leg, which was the final chapter of BLACK SABBATH’s last tour.・January 17: Cologne “COLOGNE 2017” ・January 20: Dublin ・January 22: Manchester ・January 24: Glasgow ・January 26: Leeds ・January 29 + 31: London ・February 2: Birmingham [This work] ・February 4: Birmingham “BIRMINGHAM 2017 THE FINAL” A total of 9 performances. The final leg was 1 performance in Germany → 1 performance in Ireland → 7 performances in the UK. In our shop, we have introduced the first day “COLOGNE 2017” and the final day “BIRMINGHAM 2017 THE FINAL”. Both were masterpieces, but this work is even more wonderful. First of all, the sound is wonderful. It is a superb sound that surpasses the previous two works. It’s definitely an audience recording because it’s absorbing the enthusiasm of a hometown hero, but the core of the musical tone is as thick as a rough rope, and the details are super detailed. You can even feel the waves of the atmosphere trembling with Geezer’s heavy bass. Of course, Iommi’s guitar is also as brutal as the edge, and even the slightest scrape of Ozzy comes close to the brain with a direct sound. [Miraculous performance and extremely rare “Megalomania”] The “penultimate” show depicted by that sound is exquisite. The ensemble that has been touring the world for a whole year is ultimately mature, and on top of that, they took a day off the day before for a perfect system. Now that the final performance is over, I’ve started to say some messy and lingering things (laughs), but in this work, you can listen to a live performance that is perfectly prepared with the spirit and preparation of “finally the last” and “no regrets”. Even the difficult song “Under The Sun” is sung so well that you wonder “is this a replacement?” The enthusiasm of his hometown is also wonderful, and it is as divine as the official masterpiece “REUNION”. 20 years ago, “REUNION”, which showed the “original revival!” to the world, was a masterpiece that Iommi looks back on as “the best of my life”, and this work also has the same “jet black magic”. And the set is also special. The basics are not much different from the performances in other countries, but the set list, which was fine-tuned in “THE END” after a full year, is the final form of “This is Us”. The particular point is the medley of “Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania / Rat Salad”. “Rat Salad” has been played up until now, but in the final leg, “Supernaut” or “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, or both jams are included in the intro. However, here, “Megalomania” has also been added. Although it was only partially performed, it was the first time in about 40 years since 1976 that “Megalomania” was played. It was also arranged for the final three performances of “THE END”. No matter how much the key was lowered, Ozzy would not be able to sing the repertoires of “SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH” or “SABOTAGE”, but this medley condensed the elements from the 1st to “TECHNICAL ECSTASY”. The show had a rich mood of “culmination!”. [Intense sound check on the day] Just as much as the main live performance… no, even more so, the sound check on the day was worth listening to. It was recorded by the same recorder as the main live performance, and was probably observed as a privilege of the VIP ticket. The sound observed up close without the large crowd was super-transcendent, far surpassing the wonderful main live performance. The ultimate superb sound that is not enough to be “like a sound board” or “like an official work”. I often write that the sound board directly connected to the desk makes it feel like you’re in the same room as the members, and that’s what they really do. You might think, “No matter how good the sound is, it’s still a sound check, right?”, but this is also the most interesting. Unlike traditional sound checks, modern ones are designed to be enjoyed by the fans in attendance. With a host named Big Dave (who is that?), he will perform phrases from rare songs. Adam Wakeman, who was introduced as “the son of Rick who participated in ‘SABOTAGE’ (actually, ‘SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH’), will play “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” and “Mr. Crowley”. This is also an overwhelming sound, and even if you listen with headphones, you can feel the wind pressure from the PA in front of you on your face and the vibration of the venue at your feet. When Adam strums “Changes”, the fans (probably watching) sing along, and there is a lot of excitement. Not only the members, but also the staff can put themselves in a space where the fans’ psychology is completely exposed. And finally, after the drum solo, the three members of BLACK SABBATH appeared! The fans were so happy at this moment. They then played “Symptom Of The Universe”, “Wicked World”, and even “Zero The Hero” and “Glory Ride”, which they would not play in the actual performance. As expected, Ozzy only sang “Iron Man”, but the space where you can see the real three people in a venue without an audience is a luxury. It is a bonus track that you can sit with them with super-super superb sound. The final magical live performance. And the sound check at the venue on the day. It is a masterpiece among masterpieces that puts it all together with the best sound by the same recording artist. The real final performance “BIRMINGHAM 2017 THE FINAL” was a heart-warming album, but this work of “the whole day” is even more amazing. It is a rare and memorable one in the whole of “THE END”. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content! Live at Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK 2nd February 2017 TRULY PERFECT SOUND Disc 1(64:21) 1. Intro. 2. Black Sabbath 3. Fairies Wear Boots 4. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes 5. After Forever 6. Into the Void 7. Snowblind 8. War Pigs 9. Behind the Wall of Sleep 10. N.I.B. Disc 2( 77:46) 1. Hand of Doom 2. Supernaut/Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Megalomania/Rat Salad 3. Drum Solo 4. Iron Man 5. Dirty Women 6. Children of the Grave 7. Paranoid SOUNDCHECK at Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK 2nd February 2017 8. Big Dave Intro. 9. Catherine of Aragon snippet 10. Mr. Crowley 11. Sound effects, Chatting and Rhythm Guitar 12. Changes 13. Drum Solo 14. Symptom of the Universe 15. Iron Man 16. Wicked World snippets 17. Zero The Hero / Glory Ride snippets