(U.K 1968–2006, 2011–present)
In the annals of
Black Sabbath bootlegdom, there are two unofficial documents of the original-lineup era that stand above the rest as utterly essential for their sound quality and the band’s performance. One is
Warpigs - Paris 1970, and the other is this recording from Aug. 5, 1975, from Asbury Park, New Jersey.
The show was held in the Convention Hall, a 3,600-seat indoor exhibition center located right on the Boardwalk of the beach town, and the band were in the US promoting the yet-to-be-released LP 'Sabotage', and as one can hear in the renditions of “Hole in the Sky,” “War Pigs,” “Spiral Architect” and on and on, the band was pure stoned fire.
Captured at what I’d gladly argue was his peak as an actual singer, if not as a frontman, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne engages the crowd and nails each song, even if he flubs the lyrics here and there, as on “Symptom of the Universe” early in the 100-minute set. With solos from guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward — sadly nothing from the bass; it would be amazing to have a Geezer Butler solo captured in such fidelity — the band is both vibrant and poised, and whether they’re ripping into “Supernaut” or jamming out an early version of what would become “Rock ‘n’ Roll Doctor” on 1976’s Technical Ecstasy, Black Sabbath absolutely laid waste to Asbury Park (it would take the shore town decades to recover) and, seemingly, everyone in the vicinity. As Ozzy says at the beginning of “Hole in the Sky”: “Are you high?” Cheers. “Are you High?” Louder cheers. “So am I.”
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| Ashbury Park, New Jersey |
I won’t doubt the veracity of that claim, which is to say, he probably was high. Black Sabbath‘s adventures in weed, cocaine, booze, etc., are well documented, and as they were about to release their sixth album, they were about to enter the period in which that excess of excess would begin to take its toll, eventually leading to the split with Osbourne and a collaboration with then-Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
Of course, they would put out 'Technical Ecstasy' and 1978’s 'Never Say Die' before that happened, and both of those albums certainly have their moments, but there’s a reason the legendary fan t-shirts (see right) says 'You can only trust yourself and the first six Black Sabbath records', and it seems that no small part of that reason is because by the time they were six and then eight years removed from their genre-defining 1970 self-titled debut, they were fried on multiple levels. “Are you high?” Cheers. “So am I.”
That of course is just one example of choice banter from Ozzy throughout. He talks about the “new album” a lot, tells the crowd he loves them multiple times, and at the end of the set, says on behalf of himself and the band behind that the New Jersey crowd is, “a good bunch of people.”
It’s the kind of thing that would rarely make it onto an official live release, since it so directly ties it to the place and the specific date, but in hearing it some 45 years after the fact, it brings the listener that much more into the moment of what was happening that night, at that time, at that particular gig. And that’s the thing about the Convention Hall show. It was a stop on the tour. They’d have another show the night after and/or the night after that. This could’ve been Black Sabbath any other day of the week, and they’re utterly lethal. Even the slow-rolling beginning section of “Megalomania” sees them dominating.
There are various stories about this show. One that it was a radio broadcast specially organised for the KBFH. Another is that it was recorded and intended for release as a live album that was subsequently shelved. I don’t know how true any of that is or isn’t — neither is outside the realm of possibility; it’s not like the rumor is it was actually recorded by time travelers who wanted to do the future a favor and record the best show the band ever played — but I know that this set is just as essential as any official live record Sabbath ever put out, if not more so, and that it demonstrates the power in Black Sabbath‘s delivery at the time. They were dead on. [Extract from
The Obelisk]
This post consists of FLACs (sourced from a reel to reel mastering recording) and includes artwork for both vinyl and CD releases. It should be noted that this particular release has a shortened version of Sabbra Cadabra (with the removal of a 10 minute drum solo which quite frankly was over the top) and the removal of a medley which comprised of 'Orchid, Rock & Roll Doctor & Don't Start (Too Late)'. I suspect this was done to make it a single CD release. The original vinyl release was of course much shorter, with only 9 of the 14 tracks found on this 2020 CD release (see * tracks below).
01 Killing Yourself To Live *
02 Hole In The Sky *
03 Snowblind *
04 Symptom Of The Universe
05 War Pigs *
06 Meglaomania
07 Sabbra Cadabra
08 Sometimes I`m Happy
09 Supernaut
10 Iron Man *
11 Black Sabbath *
12 Spiral Architect *
13 Children Of The Grave *
14 Paranoid *
Black Sabbath were:
Bass Guitar – Terry 'Geezer' Butler
Drums – Bill Ward
Lead Guitar – Tony Iommi
Vocals – Ozzy Osbourne
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