Funny you say that - I am literally at this moment listening to this bootleg from 75 - he sounds AMAZING! it's from the Sabotage tour - Symptom of the Universe is BAM! Knock you out. And they do a version of Megalomania which is really a step up from the album. Not 5 minutes before I read your comment was I saying to my wife how great Ozzy is singing. And not "singing great.. for Ozzy", but really just hitting the notes great. Coked out of his mind (he mentions it specifically a number of times). He's way over his range as usual, but with a couple real high notes he's a little flat on, this is a phenomenal show. I bet they couldn't even hear themselves up there. -SYMPTOM OF THE UNIVERSE- sounds really good. Trying singing that song some time. Your head will explode.

Probably Bill's best tour IMO

EDIT: meant to post the link:

check out Megalomania, it sounds like something that could have been off 13

Yep I've heard a few '75 boots and they sound killer.

Again, people love to shit on Ozzy but have you heard superior "singers" like Dio and Halford doing the classic Ozzy stuff? Generally it just sounds fuckin' weird.

There's only one Ozzy.

The Halford ones I'll give him a pass since he only had like half a day to prepare for the ones in 92 and I think the later shows were just a goof. Dio always sounds like Dio. Even in Elf: Dio.

Dio did a great job on the Alice Cooper tribute doing "Welcome to My Nightmare"

Is it the New Jersey show? Towards the end you can hear him change the way he's singing. That tour was the last time they did Megalomania, which is a shame because it's such an epic song. They kept Symptom and I think Hole in the Sky for the Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die tours, but Ozzy started to sing with more of a growl in his voice. He just couldn't do them like he used to.

I didn't mind Dio singing the Ozzy stuff, but just at a minimum. The Dio material is still good on it's own.

Ozzy could still sing but they left so many good Ozzy era songs on the table because he just couldn't match the original, especially for the final tours. The same tours they offered a lowball contract to Bill Ward because he can't play 'em all like he used to. How ironic.

But what I love about Ozzy over Dio is he didn't do all that extra harmony stuff and improvisation like trying to sing and hum over Tony's solos.

I do think Ian Gillian did the Ozzy stuff well, especially "War Pigs" and "Black Sabbath" live.

But yes, there is only ONE Ozzy. I hope we get more live releases in the future.

Yes, the Asbury Park show. During Megalomania he starts to sing it lower - but then Tony does 3 or 4 hours of guitar solos and Ozz comes back and he's back up to the higher register again. Apparently a couple of these are on either Past Lives or Live at last(?). It's a great recording

I assumed this was after Sabotage came out, but I think it's actually the SBS tour (I suppose I could just look it up...)

Ozz is hilarious - Spiral Architect, the height of their flip-out cosmic prog period, they go into Children of the Grave, he's "I know you're all wonderful people,. I love you all!!!" - then "Revolution in their minds, the children start to march..." He's such a huge hippie, it's hilarious

SO WHERE IS THIs GAME!? I might have to do a homebrew

I think Ozzy was just lazy and didn't feel like "learning" any "new" songs. Geezer said as much. His voice is still good enough to sing anything from the first 3 albums and it's not like they were busting out The Wizard. It was just the same set more or less they'd been playing for 15 years.

The Bill Ward situation sucked but I really put that on Bill. I don't think he really wanted to tour. I think he was afraid he couldn't hack it. Mentally and physically he's been in rough shape for a very long time.

People forget Bill bailed out of yet ANOTHER recent Sabbath reunion at the last minute; the "Heaven and Hell" reunion with dio in 2007 or so. He was originally part of that show but once again quit right before the tour started with more bullshit explanations so they called up Vinny. I don't think he WANTED to do these tours and that's why there was always some reason he "couldn't." I have a hard time believing the real reason he didn't do those shows was because he didn't like the contract. He took those complaints public awfully early and didn't really seem interested in actually making it happen.

Sharon was the easy boogyman there but the show had to go on. I'll cherish those reunion/final tour shows I saw they were fuckin killer, and Ozzy's fill in drummer did a great job.

I know it's a different time now, but here's bill recently admitting he can't play any more
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bill-ward-black-sabbath/

Sadly, I agree about Bill. That really sucked about the tour (although damn he should have played on 13). But he hadn't played on ANYTHING since the live shows on the 2000 reunion record, and he doesn't even play on 1 of the new studio songs on that album (it's a drum machine).

They did lowball him - that part is true. I don't know if that's the real motivation for him sitting out the tour (probably not, as stated). From the band management perspective (Sharon), it's because they had to hire Tommy to be a backup in case Bill had an episode, or just flat out couldn't play. Really sucks regardless.

Did any of you catch the Call of the Wild tour for the Headless Cross album? That was really an under-appreciated lineup for Sabbath: Iommi, Cozy Powell on drums, Tony Martin on vocals, Geoff Nicholls on keyboards, and Laurence Cottle on bass. Brian May even did a guest solo on the record. It was easily the best album since the Dio days. Ticket sales didn't follow, though. They cancelled the tour after eight shows. It's too bad too, because the show was amazing!

Sabbath 89 (resized).jpeg

I don't know. I think Dio sounds great on the Ozzy era songs on Live Evil.

Good album. I just think the general public wasn’t too interested in seeing tony and three no name scabs parading around as sabbath.

Going to an ozzy show in 1989 you’d have gotten more sabbath!!!!! Geezer was in ozzys band at that time.

I dont entirely sympathize for Bill, as much as I love the guy. I think obviously the drinking did some damage. But I feel like in those later years he took exception to the 4 of them not being acknowledged as equals, and not just from a performing standpoint. The whole Bill thing is just a bummer.

You watch your mouth! Cozy Powell was no scrub.

Charo can front Black Sabbath and I'd still go for Tony's riffs.

I didn’t call him a scrub, just a scab!

I did say no name. Which I take back !

I just thought of something. Stern could make a Sabotage LE and utilize the mirror on the album cover to be an actual mirrored backglass.

Brilliant...sign me up!

But it would still be Ozzy wearing Bill’s housecoat, and a pantsless Bill scrambling to find those red leotards right before the shoot. Pretty sure I heard that somewhere

I have to disagree with that characterization, Levi. They were Tony’s hand picked crew. Cozy Powell’s resume was like a hard rock who’s who. Martin and Nicholls were Birmingham locals, well known to Iommi. Nicholls had been in the band since before the Heaven and Hell album. Martin was the longest serving Sabbath vocalist other than Ozzy. Cottle was a jazz fusion bassist who had just come off of the last two Alan Parson’s Project albums.

It was a very tight band. Best of all, I got to see them in what was basically a large club setting. I was 8 to 10 feet from Tony the whole show! Was it the same experience as the later reunion arena/amphitheater shows? No. The classic lineup is the true lightning in the bottle, but Tony did not play with scabs.

Maybe Spooky would do a Mac Sabbath machine (Look them up, haha).
Pretty sure the license WAY cheaper.

That band is awesome. But the licensing would be crazy! Sabbath AND McDonald’s?!

This needs to happen.

No it was under appreciated with good reason.

Just picked up the Sabotage deluxe box. Finally a decent remaster (my last Sabbath haul was the Castle releases in the 90s), and the tour book and special retrospective volume are really great.

I have Paranoid and Vol 4 - Anyone know if there’s a Deluxe version of the first album? Still waiting for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

I really need to pick those up.

No first album yet, but I am certainly looking forward to a Sabbath Bloody Sabbath release with live material.

1000% agree. I have the first album "Deluxe" edition, but not the "Super Deluxe". After hearing all those bootlegs on Youtube, I doubt there's much else to release, but I'd still like to get a copy of the first album on vinyl or CD with the original inverted cross fold-out.

SBS tour was crazy, although I don't know how great the performances were, since that was the height of the debauchery

Not sure if she plays any more, but I gotta say I agree - from a technical standpoint, she'd give Paco De Lucia a run for it. However: she doesn't have THE RIFFS!!!

She is fantastic, but I was saying from the perspective of anyone can be the singer for Sabbath and would still see them regardless as long as Tony is there. Plus Geezer, even better.

The general public didn't really agree with this sentiment, as Sabbath's declining attendance and general fortunes as the 80s went on can attest to.

I love Sabbath and I love Tony, but if Ozzy - or a lesser degree, Dio - isn't involved I really have little interest. There was a certain magic and chemistry there that just isn't present if Tony Martin is up front accompanied by two other scabs.

I think each line up had its moments, but of course Ozzy had an incredible solo career and became iconic, so it did overshadow the band in those years.

Which is unfortunate because they did have good albums in the 80s. Born Again being one of my favorites, with Ian Gillan on vocals. It's such a killer album.

I used to hate it but now I see some of its charms...it certainly is HEAVY and out there. The project was a little too weird for my tastes.

There are some decent Tony Martin songs here and there - The Shining is pretty good!

I think we can all agree none of this shit is getting anywhere near a Sabbath pinball machine. Most likely it would just be 1970-1978.

Not “most likely” - it’s 100%. Sharon is in charge of the Sabbath catalog.

LOL I just checked out a bunch of early/ mid-70s Charo concerts and she is on FIRE! I really miss the 70s

HEAVY is right. Purple meets Sabbath. What's not to love?

You probably know this, but they did Smoke on the Water during the encore.

The whole thing was a pretty bizarre enterprise. Gillian claimed they went out to a bar and got wasted and the next morning he was informed he had joined Black Sabbath.

Yeah, they had ELO drummer Bev Bevan on that tour as well. I love the whole album. I don't think Gillan could ever sing like that ever since.

And his manager was PISSED!

Probably no coincidence Deep Purple got back together shortly thereafter.

Hell yes, Perfect Strangers

Next pinball depression threads are depressing. So whenever I get depressed, this song takes me away.

It's a favorite of both John Bonham and Frank Zappa, plus Ian Gillan insisted on singing it during his time in Sabbath.

I just realized, if there is a Vol. 4 themed pin (black cab with white logo and band member silouettes) that would look incredible next to the LZ Premium, whose art is also minimalistic.

With Rush now hitting the pavement in 2022, it’s time to look forward to 23 as far as music pins go.Will 23 be the year of Sabbath or will Foo Fighters knock us back again ? Does anyone have any info as to what music licenses Stern might be holding ?

Yes. I think George Gomez has some info.

Ok ,does anyone here drink and smoke weed with George ?

Dio was great but why? To Troll?

Please,,,,,Sabbath before Foo!!

Even Grohl would probably agree.

Foo fighters doesn't really make sense for a pin. I love them and probably listen to them more than Sabbath. But.....if you think about the other music pins.....Foo is just not there in my opinion. Sabbath would work and would be sweet. I could just imagine the song Black Sabbath kicking during multi ball....volume level at 11....sirens blaring.....satan slowly coming up from below the play field.....

Whatever happens, if it happens, I hope they do it right. I'd like to see a throwback psychedelic 70s art style for sure.

13 tracks from 70-78 that l they could realistically use (with plenty more left out.) How many tracks did Rush have?

N.I.B.
Paranoid
Iron Man
Children of the Grave
Into the Void
Tomorrow's Dream
Supernaut
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Spiral Architect
Hole in the Sky
Symptom of the Universe
All Moving Parts
Never Say Die

Would like to have "Black Sabbath", "War Pigs", and "Supertzar" for modes.