Whereas the original live double-album consisted, for contractual reasons, entirely of Black Sabbath material, this superior version – previously only available in Japan – shows a complete concert filmed for MTV in June 1982. Ozzy’s at the height of his power and notoriety as a solo artist, despite having recently suffered the loss of guitarist Randy Rhoads – ably replaced here by Night Ranger’s Brad Gillis – during the tour for Diary Of A Madman.
It’s a great concert. Most of the material comes from Ozzy’s first two solo albums and the man himself is on excellent form (albeit seemingly enhanced by post-production polishing), with his peculiar brand of forlorn charisma much in evidence. The band, too, performs brilliantly, aided by an over-the-top stage set, sinister dwarf and an enthusiastic crowd.
Though the show closes with solid versions of Sabbath songs, the real highlights are Osbourne’s originals. Mr Crowley, Goodbye To Romance and the misunderstood Suicide Solution stand out among a top-class set that demonstrates just why Ozzy’s always been more than just the ex-vocalist of Black Sabbath.
