Would you buy a SH/KG Black Sabbath - Born Again 180 g vinyl release?

Hell, no. This album sucked eggs. It's really tragic, too, when you think of the idea of Ian Gillan singing with Black Sabbath. You'd expect something awesome, like Deep Purple in Rock meets Master of Reality. But it wasn't to be; these musicians were clearly burned out and tired by the early '80s, and long since collapsed into Spinal Tap.

And, for the record, I really did try to enjoy all those post-Ozzy Sabbath albums. Other than Heaven and Hell, which was a terrific comeback, the quality just deteriorated and slid down the drain. Why Tommy Iommi tried to emulate the sound of '80s commercial metal is beyond me. Someone should have pointed him to those sludgy bands hiding away in Seattle. But I'm a classic Sabbath junkie, and the first four Black Sabbath albums are the canon for me.'

Now, if we're talking remasters, where the hell is Master of Reality? I'm sick of playing with my crummy little Palm Tree WB record. I want something heavy and thick, with as much of that sludgy stoner sound dragged out of the mud as possible. Paranoid and Vol. 4 have excellent reissues, so no problems there. So that leaves albums one and three....get to those, please.

 

Perhaps you should re-phrase that to...I'd expect something awesome.

Because I went into it with an open mind and enjoyed it. Remember, this also happened to ASIA, with many old fans expected something like YES meets ELP, but were disappointed, even though the album was amazing.

 

Is Tommy related to Tony in any way?

You mean the ones who's members were all in kindergarten when Born Again came out in 1983?

 

Wonder why

... so far nobody has actually mentioned that he`s got the unreleased demo tapes.
That youtube link gives something of an idea about what to expect.
It`s very much different hearing it blasting away on your stereo at home as this early pre mix sounds very much for the better.
You have to somehow like the original album though, if only a couple of tracks on it.
Ah, P.S.: `course I`ve got it

 

I would be all over a well done re-issue of this. I've heard a few vinyl pressings, and none were very good. There aren't any great CD pressings either, unfortunately.

 

Who does?

 

I'd like to see the original/unreleased mix mastered for vinyl. I always thought the remix that Geezer did at the last minute was very poor. Good musician but he has no business near a mixing board. The same can be said of Live Evil. I've heard soundboard tapes sound better than that.

 

There is better separation in the instruments in the alternate mix, yes.

Check out this cover of "Hot Line", my favourite track from the album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SaaTAhRB6w

The guy does a pretty good job of looking like Ian Gillan. He can't scream like him, though. Nobody can!

They desperately need a second guitar for during the solo..

 

Well then, erniebert...
I guess he`s studied Ian Gillan`s stage act intensively. All in all, not that bad for a Gillan/Sabbath clone.

 

I like this album for the most part, but like most there are some serious problems with the sound on it. Does anyone know at what stage they occured? If it was in the recording or mixing then what good is a remaster going to do beside damage control? Trashed, Disturbing the Priest, and Zero the Hero are great songs in my opinion.

 

That Palm Tree should sound good. Not as good as an original olive green label WB, however.

Which reissues are you referring to?

 

Get a copy on Vertigo. It's sufficiently sludgy and stoned.

 

Yeah, but those Vertigos are beaucoup bucks!

 

I got a UK Vertigo of MOR with the later-model spaceship label for $5 on Ebay. In spite of being a later pressing, it totally kills every other version of MOR I've ever heard - LP, CD, whatever.

Ironically, the spaceship label Vertigos don't seem to appear too often on Ebay - everybody's so eager to unload their Vertigo swirls for $50+ - but when they do they are most reasonable. Especially considering that if one of these audiophile labels were to reissue MOR, it would be at least $20, probably more like $30. If you take the time to hunt (and I literally took about two years) you can find what you want and pay what you want.

 

Spot on.

 

I agree...because the album suffers from a poor mix. In other words: you can't polish a turd.

 

Lucky dog! I can imagine.

I see, but it ain't easy. However, c'est la vie.

 

No.

But I'd buy SH/KG copies of S/T, Paranoid, Master of Reality and Vol. 4!

 

There's already a KG copy of 'Paranoid.'

 

There is??? Where was I? Is this OOP?

Figures - that's the ONLY one I have a good pressing of. At least my Italian Vertigo swirl sounds fantastic to my ears.

 

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Born Again is a super-underrated album from Sabbath. This thing is chock full of Iommi tone and riffs!!! I wish they'd do a proper CD master of it!!!!
I love the boots of this tour too....with Gillan doing his high pitched shrieks on all those old songs...it's awesome.

 

haha no, it's still available from Rhino!

http://rhino.com/store/vinyl_store.lasso?p=RHfpg

There's also new vinyl of the Dio-era albums!

I dunno who did them, or if they're cut from analog tape, however.

 

I dunno about Iommi tone. I think it's his worst tone ever. Sounds like a DOD distortion pedal. Great album though.

 

Thanks! I had no idea KG was doing stuff for Rhino after having heard complaints about some of their 180g LPs. Now to do some research...

 

You're welcome. Yeah, I found out about it here.

I wonder if he (KG) did the Dio Sabbath LPs.