Live Evil (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe)
Review by: Jim Harrison
Rating: 10
Live Evil (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe) was released on June 2 by Rhino Warner Records as a 4-CD/4-LP box set with two versions of the acclaimed live album. The remastered version by Andy Pearce and a remix version by Wyn Davis. The set also includes a sixty page book with awesome photos, artwork and liner notes, a tour replica poster and a 1982 Mob Rules tour replica concert book.
This album was originally released in January of 1983 and was Black Sabbath’s first official live album recorded April 23-24, May12-13 in Seattle, Dallas and San Antonio during the Mob Rules tour. This album quickly gained momentum hitting both the UK Top 30 and the US Top 40 becoming one of the best live metal albums. As a young metal fan in the early 1980’s this was one of the first albums that I became familiar with not only Black Sabbath but Ronnie James Dio as well. The mix of both Ozzy and Dio eras of the track selection is awesome. Dio brings his own vocal magic to the whole album and Iommi, Butler and Appice showcase just how strong this band’s talent became by then.
The album starts with the intro E5150 and then rips right into Neon Knights. The classics N.I.B, Black Sabbath and War Pigs shine with Dio giving them a rebirth with his own vocal dynamics showing that he was up to the task of not wanting replicate but to put his own mark in these. Tracks, Children Of the Sea and Mob Rules mix in perfectly becoming classics in their own right cementing the fact that Dio was the perfect voice live for Sabbath in this new era. My two favourite tracks on this album are Heaven and Hell and The Sign Of the Southern Cross. Both tracks are two of my favourite Sabbath songs of all time. Appice’s drums that start Heaven and Hell just pound into Iommi’s guitar riff mixed with Butlers booming bass, and Dio’s crowd banter is legendary, I still remember the first time I heard this live. I wish this album was actually longer.
The remastered version sounds great and the remix version using the original analog tapes is fantastic bringing back the original magic with an updated sound. It’s not about improving this but making the experience that much better and they do a great job presenting that. Whenever there is a remix or rerelease of a monumental album like this my usual thoughts are what did they change? Did they give the album enough proper attention to attribute to keeping it true to the original? This was accomplished and with the added detail of the great packaging, including the book, poster and program adds to how special this is. This will be a hit with collectors and Sabbath enthusiasts as well as younger fans really showing off how awesome this live album is. This is a 10/10 experience and I highly recommend it.
Geezer Butler: Bass Guitar
Ronnie James Dio: Vocals
Tommy Iommi: Lead Guitar
Vinny Appice: Drums