Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146841 in VHS
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Running time: 106 minutes

Amazon.com
There was something genuinely heartwarming about the decision by Black Sabbath's founding members to take to the road again in 1999. The fractious intra-band relationships that have characterized Black Sabbath's long career were a major inspiration for the writers of This Is Spinal Tap, and so the Sabs' reunion created something pleasingly symmetrical and evocative of the closing scenes of that fine film.

The concert footage was taken from six of the concerts on that tour. It is conclusive proof that the original quartet of Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, and Ward (or, in Osbourne's words, "four dickheads from Aston, near Birmingham") were every bit as exuberantly juvenile a rock & roll band in their early 50s as their late teens. Also included is a sketchy biography and interviews with the band by Henry Rollins, one of the countless contemporary musicians influenced by Sabbath. It's a nice idea, but the only real weakness of the package is that Ozzy is never granted time to wheel out any of his peerless reserve of grotesque rock & roll anecdotes. Nevertheless, the already formidable case for Osbourne's knighthood is strengthened further. --Andrew Mueller, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews

An honest warning
I have been listening to Sabbath for over 25 years, and was highly looking forward to this disc. Be warned that VERY FEW of the songs are heard all the way through without cutting to an interview, or talking overtop the performance. This happens song after song. The interviews were interesting for one or two viewings, but to have to sit through that everytime you want to watch some music is really annoying. At least if the interviews could have been kept to only between songs you could skip them when you want. So, there STILL isn't a Sabbath concert video! Also, the sound mix for 5.1 was pathetic. Listen to Woodstock or Fleetwood Mac The Dance, and then to this. This is mud. There are only three instruments playing, why can't you clearly hear Geezer? His fingers are smoking, but it's all lost somewhere in the mix with the drums. That is what was great about their albums, each instrument was crisp and clear and you could hear how great a musician each one is. The director and the sound mixer really dropped the ball on this one, because obviously the show that they destroyed, was great.

A BIG disappointment
I've listened to Sabbath for most of my life, and was initially pleased to get the opportunity to see a video of the long-awaited reunion of the original lineup. But whoever was responsible for editing this video left MUCH to be desired.

Do not expect this to be a live rendition of the REUNION CD's that this concert was supposed to mirror. The song "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" was omitted entirely, and many of the other songs have interviews with band members edited in the middle of the tracks. You will NOT see an uninterrupted concert of the show.

This DVD is obviously a "splicing" of at least two different Sabbath shows, because there are songs where Ozzy is wearing a shirt or else shirtless in the same song. It can be a little unnerving. And, . . . I appreciate crowd participation as much as the next guy, but Ozzy's constantly enticing the crowd to "go f***ing crazy" gets irritating FAST - this video and the REUNION CD would have been better without all of the profanities.

This otherwise might have been a great concert to watch, with maybe a second disc with all the interviews and bonus features. Buy this USED if you are a die-hard Sabbath fan, but I don't recommend that the casual listener invest much into it.

Great show, but the interviews nearly ruin it.
Based purely on the performance itself, this DVD deserves 5 stars. The performance is a lively one (especially coming from 4 guys in their 50's), and the sound quality is great. All of Sabbath's greatest songs are included here, and they sound as good as ever. Just a great show. However...

Included along with this is an interview with the band. The interview is interesting, and very funny, but it is broken into several small pieces that pop up sporadically throughout the show. If you just want to watch the concert, and not the interview, this can be very annoying. Worse yet, they actually chopped off the entire last verse of "Electric Funeral" because of this. They should have included the interview as a special feature, so that you could watch them separately.

But other than that, this is quite a good package. The band is in top form. Ozzy said it best himself when he said, "We can still outrock most of these young punks anyday". I believe him. The musicianship is excellent (Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are severely underrated), and the songs rock hard. If you can put up with the constant interruptions, this is totally worth it.