Two Black Sabbath titles will be coming out next week. Montreux 1970 contains the Montreux Casino, Montreux, Switzerland soundboard recording from August 31st, 1970. “Hand of Doom” from Paranoid was posted online last month, illustrating the point Andrew Tijs when he wrote it is “one of the best lost bootlegs ever heard from the metal pioneers.”
First & Best (Shades 291) is a two disc set contain Glenn Huges’ 2nd gig with the band at the Cleveland Public Hall on March 21st, 1986.
6 Comments
Indeed, ‘Turn To Glenn’ is the rehearsals for the tour; as I stated, ‘F&B’ is the first ‘in concert’ silver with GH.
I just got ‘First & Best’ and definitely would recommend it. it’s by far the best recording I’ve ever heard of a Black Sabbath show with Glenn Hughes on vocals. IMPORTANT: It’s not the only silver with Glenn Hughes on the line up. There’s at least one called ‘Turn to Glenn’ which contains songs from their last rehearsals, if I’m not mistaken.
Just checked ‘First & Best’, to see why i rated it as VG: it’s because it lacks a clear bass. Vocals, guitar, snare and keyboard are all well-placed, and were the bass (g & dr) to the same standard I would rate it as Ex: that’s how good the aforementiioned instruments are. However, I would not rate it the ‘Truly Amazing Sound’ which was advertised!
‘First & Best’ is one any Sabbath fan would want. The sound I’d rate as at least a VG, myself, but everyone is clear, and it is the first Hughes ‘in concert’ silver. As a bonus, it came with a DVDR of Hughes’ 2nd gig; I have yet to find time to watch it. Hughes only lasted five shows, and I was distraught when (UK rock mag) Kerrang! broke the news. Angry Heart was played the first night only.
The Sabbath Montreux tapes are phenomenal, even if Iommi fluffs part of his intro to ‘Paranoid’ and then, for good measure, part of the solo! Quite from where this tape has emerged I wouldn’t know, but if it was a hoarder, I thank hi for setting it free. ‘Montreux 1970’ (NO label) initially comes with a bonus DVDR of the famous Paris Olympia show on Dec 19th (rather than the 20th, as it was believed to be for many years).
Is there anyone intending to review the new Sabbath release? As far as I know, there’s no good GHughes era bootleg and I still doubt that “Trully Amanzing Sound” informed by the bootlegger really applies.
The Bondage label is also releasing the Montreux 70 source. It will be interesting to see and hear if this is or isn’t MP3 sourced.