Black Sabbath/UK 9.2.1989

From BLACK SABBATH’s 1989 “HEADLESS CROSS” tour, in which Cozy Powell and Neil Murray participated, the performance at “City Hall” in Sheffield, England on September 2nd was recorded by the famous taper Crazy S. The definitive edition sealed with sound is finally back in response to the passionate requests of fans! This time, the famous recording has been completely remastered and further polished, and valuable bonus tracks have been added! After repeated member changes and confusion in the band in the mid-’80s, Tony Iommi welcomed Tony Martin and produced “THE ETERNAL IDOL.” After the same tour, in 1988, they finally acquired Cozy Powell, and BLACK SABBATH entered a new era. “HEADLESS CROSS”, created under the leadership of Iommi and Cozy, has the heavy and dark sound typical of SABBATH, while also making the best use of Martin’s fresh vocals and Cozy’s powerful drumming, making it a majestic song. The overflowing music created a different personality from previous SABBATH. In addition, the new SABBATH added Neil Murray to the base with Cozy’s introduction, and began a tour in 1989 with a formation that could be called a super band. From this 1989 tour, there will be “HEADLESS IN VIENNA”, a stereo soundboard recording of the concert in Vienna, Austria on September 23rd, and “HEADLESS IN RUSSIA”, a packaged DVD of two shows in Moscow during the Soviet Union tour. Many masterpieces and masterpiece sound sources remain, such as “. In addition to these, Crazy S. also left a wonderful recording at the Sheffield performance on September 2nd, in a sound source environment where even the audience recording felt like a waste of time. Like GARY MOORE’s “THE DAYS TO REMEMBER”, which he recorded in Sheffield at the same time, the sound recorded in this work is undoubtedly one of the best tape recordings in 1989. Nearly 10 years ago, this recording appeared on the Langley label as a 2-disc CD-R title “TALES FROM SHEFFIELD”, but this time the master tape is used again. As mentioned above, this sound source has the visibility and clarity that can be said to be the best tape recording of the ’80s, and its quality is among the top-class recordings among the many Crazy S. works. In this remaster, the overall balance has been adjusted to focus on the bass, and the treble has also been improved to be cleaner and clearer. The difference in sound is obvious from “Headless Cross” and “Neon Knights” in the first half of the live show, and you can’t help but fall in love with Cozy’s drums and Martin’s vocals that resonate in a beautifully transparent outlook. The well-proportioned balance and outstanding separation are also exquisite, and in “Headless Cross” you can clearly hear Neil Murray’s bass line and Jeff Nichols’ keyboard, which support the band’s sound, with a clear presence. Of course, Iommi’s guitar is recorded in its entirety with the best listenability, and not only the one-of-a-kind riff, but also the silently woven backing, all of which are woven with a heavy and metallic tone. The true value is “Children Of The Sea” and “Die Young”! Both have a wonderful clarity that allows you to see far into the distance, and you can fully enjoy the goodness of the Martin era, when SABBATH was the most melodious in history. In particular, “Die Young” can be enjoyed as a famous scene even during live performances. “When Death Calls”, in which Neil uses his technical skills to play a synthesizer-like intro, is also a great listen. The scene rushes into “War Pigs” as if to cut back on this majestic worldview, but here it seems that trouble has occurred with Iommi’s guitar, and the intro and final stage become guitarless. (You can hear the dangerous situation where Cozy gets tangled up and loses the rhythm.) Even in unexpected situations, the band as a whole overcomes the performance, and this recording allows you to confirm such situations with realistic sound and sense of presence. It’s amazing. In this work where the sound is raised again from the master, both the beginning and ending of Disc 2 are recorded longer (albeit slightly) than the previous release. In “The Shining,” one of Martin’s most famous songs, Jeff’s keyboard plays an active role, further enhancing the dreamy and melodious song. After “The Mob Rules”, Iommi’s guitar also demodulates, and you can listen to a wonderful solo in the middle. “Black Sabbath”, the highlight of the second half, is a miraculous version with a “mysticism” that is different from the eeriness of Ozzy’s era and the drama of Ronnie’s era. This is a masterpiece that you cannot miss, along with “Devil & Daughter”, which is a feature of the first half of the European tour. The climax of the live performance is a medley of “Iron Man” and “Children Of The Grave”, reproduced with Cozy’s linear drums. Although the tone is different from the Ozzy era, the heavy riffs piled up by Iommi’s guitar overwhelm the listener with a heaviness that is like no other than SABBATH. The encore suites “Heaven And Hell” and “Paranoid” also have a supple texture that is different from the Ronnie era, closing the live with a certain sense of satisfaction. After the main live performance, “Cloak And Dagger”, which is an outtake of “HEADLESS CROSS”, is recorded at the end. This song was also included in “HEADLESS EUROPEANS” (Shades) released two years ago, and “DEATH CALLED ’89” which appeared more than 10 years ago, but this time it was recorded on an analog 12-inch This is the first time a digital master is used, which is a different dimension from the single version. The appearance of a digital take of the same song, which is currently impossible to obtain normally, is a big surprise! The tight heavy blues with Koji’s drums making its presence felt is close to the sound image of the live performance recorded in this volume, and fans will be able to enjoy it without feeling out of place. This work, which combines the outstanding clarity and sound board-level listening response with a digital master take of “Cloak And Dagger” packaged into a press CD, is exactly what BLACK SABBATH fans have been waiting for. Enjoy the best part of the melodious “HEADLESS CROSS” tour with this album, which boasts the best sound of the ’89 UK tour! Live at City Hall, Sheffield, UK 2nd September 1989 PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 1. Ave Satani 2. The Gates Of Hell 3. Headless Cross 4. Neon Knights 5. Children Of The Sea 6. Die Young 7. When Death Calls 8. War Pigs Disc 2 1. The Shining 2. The Mob Rules 3. Black Sabbath 4. Devil & Daughter 5. Iron Man 6. Children Of The Grave 7. Heaven And Hell 8. Paranoid/Heaven And Hell( reprise) Bonus Track 9. Cloak & Dagger Tony Iommi – Guitar Tony Martin – Vocal Neil Murray – Bass Cozy Powell – Drums Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards