Black Sabbath - Live Evil - Super Deluxe Edition.

Black Sabbath

Live Evil - Super Deluxe Edition

(BMG)

By Paul Davies

Back in the dark mists of time in January 1983, Live Evil had the distinction of being the first officially sanctioned Black Sabbath live album to be released. It also became the break-up album for this line-up. With an inter-band schism widening, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice parted ways with original band members, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, during its mixing stage. Both Dio and Appice, not returning to the fold until the next decade, eventually completed their unholy trinity of Sabbath records with Dehumanizer in 1992. Nevertheless, this 4LP Super Deluxe Edition heralds the majesty of all four members in their sonic pomp; none more so than one of the greatest ever rock/metal voices possessed by Ronnie James Dio.

This remastered 40th-anniversary original album plus a new remix by Wyn Davis, adds a sonic shimmer to the original songs documenting the eventually fractious 1982 Mob Rules tour. It goes further with a 1982 Mob Rules replica tour poster, for blu-tack hanging, picture framing, or not; an in-depth 40-page book, containing contemporaneous photos; a tour replica concert book and a couple of hours, thereabouts, of immense music to be digested repeatedly. For those who witnessed Dio in full semi-operatic flight on this tour, this is a collectible souvenir of wondrous wistfulness. For those who didn't, this is an essential upgrade to their listening experience. As with all previous Black Sabbath Super Deluxe Edition box sets, the quality of its production values sets the standard in the metal box set collectible genre. In the end, it really is all about the music and this was a superb live album. It's even better now on this bar-raising upgrade.