2002 – Dio opening for Iron Maiden (Irvine, CA). He was AMAZING. This was the show that converted me to a Dio fan. Honestly I was just joking about him before and really didn’t expect to like his set. But, Holy Crap! He was phenomenal. And his band was totally on point (no idea who was in the lineup). He did both Dio stuff as well as Dio-era Sabbath. “Heaven and Hell” (the song) was the highlight for me.
I had a ticket to see H&H with Judas Priest, Motorhead, and Testament (around 2007 or 2008, I think), but I was too slow coming back from Egypt and I missed it. Lame.
Born Again is Ian Gillan…and I don’t think he was straining to hard at all…I love that banshee wail on there…vocals are a highlight for me on that record…the shitty recording doesn’t bother me and has added to the grime over the years…there are some good and bad lyrics on the record…most were conjured up drunkely in the pub down the road from the studio…
I gotta agree it sounds more like Ozzy solo…and yeah the vocals are high in the mix and it’s over-compressed to all hell…production just sounds polished,as I knew it would…still it’s a cool song and Brad Wilk seems to “get it”…9 min single…wonder how much the edit will be…
I agree. I’m always wary when they get some damn schlub on fill in who will often try to show off with a bunch of wankery and parlor tricks (Whhheeeee!!! Look how fast I can play!!). But he seems properly refrained and gives it the right chuggy doomy tempo and feel needed for a proper Sabbath song.
I don’t think it sounds like an Oz solo “song” per se…I was thinking more in terms of the feel of it…I think it’s just the way his vocals are recorded,reminds me of the solo stuff of the last 20 years or so…this is definitely better than any solo Oz I have heard in ages…even after all the retardation,I’m def looking forward to the record…
It kinda sounds like Tony playing on a solo Ozzy album if that makes sense. If Ozzy had the voice he had in the 70’s it would’ve rocked a lot harder. Tony’s solo is actually what killed it. I know he was battling cancer during the recording, but I just hope the solos on the rest of the album won’t be mediocre like this one.
Would have been better if they recorded using all 70’s equipment. I don’t like the polished sound at all. Song wise it’s okay.
Not something I would listen to alot though. I can’t put my finger on it but for some reason I get a really sucky vibe from it on some level. They’re really rocking it hard but it doesn’t feel genuine like their early and more real records. Doesn’t live up to the hype that it sounds like the first 3 albums. Sounds more 90’s than anything 70’s.
Listened to this a few hours ago. Iommi’s killin’ it on the axe, I really like Geezer’s bass tone a LOT, drums are good, production’s squeaky clean, Ozzy sounds like Ozzy, if maybe trying too hard to sound like he used to.
My only real complaint here is that it sounds like Ozzy wrote the lyrics. [:)]