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Black Sabbath: Never Say Die Live

Black Sabbath: Never Say Die Live

List Price: $24.98
Your Price: $22.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I was there!!
Review: A must, must have for any Sabbath fan. Great concert. Great video footage... good sound for 1979.
Last tour with Ozzy. They perform hits and some that did not make it as hits that only the true Sabbath fans could appreciate. If you are looking to get a Sabbath DVD. This is the one to get

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Must Have For Sabbath Fans
Review: A three star rating is a bit harsh for this DVD, but it's not without flaws. I recommend this DVD mainly to Black Sabbath and Ozzy die hards.

First off, just being able to have a Black Sabbath show from 1978 released on DVD is a great thing, no matter what. I believe this is just a copy of a Video released in the early 80's of the same name(I think), that soon went out of print. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The video audio was also used as a soundtrack for a few bootlegs that are being traded around these days.

I 'll start with the bad first. Right off the get go, once looking on the back of the case, I see no option for 16x9. This for me(since I own a widescreen TV) is a big issue, not one that has a normal TV needs to worry about. For that I take away a half a star without opening the case. I really didn't expect this to be a 16x9 DVD anyway, but it would have been nice.

It doesn't look like they did much to enhance the picture. It looks no better than a VHS video in some spots, if not most. Some color bleeding, and vertical line's(on certain cameras) are present, but is expected(at least by me)in such old footage. Reminds me of the Supertramp DVD(The Story So Far), but worse.

The sound is also not too good, but take in mind I'm running my T.V. through a tube stereo older than the date of the concert(1978). Still the stereo kicks major butt. There is an option for 5.1 surround sound, but I used 2.0, due to the lack of a surround sound system. The sound was bit muddy or muffled. I've heard better bootlegs.

The lack of extras is another, not unexpected, letdown(There isn't even a booklet inside, not even a advertisement, thats clue one). This is a problem with most music DVD's. Unlike most, I could care less about extras on my movie DVD's(yet they are a bonus). When it comes to music DVD's, you couldn't give me enough extras. The only extra here is the choice between 5.1 surround sound or 2.0(if you call that an extra). There is so much potential here to do more with this DVD. It's a shame.

The good, is the fact that it's out, and we, Black Sabbath fans can own it on DVD. The show itself is pretty laid back, but the band is tight. For me, Geezer Butler really shined on this one. He is a very under rated bass player. You can expect the good ol' 70's special effects(but not overused too much, well, except during "Black Sabbath" )that accompany all older video's of that era. The Highlights for me were, Dirty Woman, and Rock and Roll Doctor. Not my favorite Sabbath songs, but it just seemed cool to see them performed live. It's also fun to see such a young Ozzy Osbourne performing live, as well as Bill Ward and Toy Iommi. One funny thing is that the closing credits run after "Children of the Grave", before the final song "Paranoid". It threw me off a bit, and is a strange place to put them. If you can put all the picky points aside, it is a fun DVD to watch, and a treasure for Sabbath and Ozzy fans. I love it, but once again only truely recommend it to die hard Black Sabbath, and Ozzy fans. Now we need a DVD of Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio, from thier Mob Rules tour. That, I would die for. Another plus is, they didn't cut the songs in the middle with enterviews,thank God, like they did on the "Last Supper" DVD. A huge plus in my opinion.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: What Sabbath and Ozzy Fans Have been waiting for.
Review: Concert of the Never Say Die tour, the last with Ozzy. Crystal clear picture and excellent sound quality. Its a must have for any Sabbath or Ozzy fan. The only things keeping it from 5 stars are the short length (60 min) and abolutly 0 special features.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: It's a shame....
Review: First of all, you'll be cheated by paying this much for a DVD with only 56 minutes and no extras. Second, I dont'know what they mean by "1984". This show is from 1978. Third, the record quality is awful, because this was translated from the VHS days, and it seems it suffered no digital remastering process.

Anyway, it's the only official thing you can get of the legendary "Sabbath / Osbourne" line-up.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Show old chap!
Review: First off, I am a Sabbath fanatic. Yes, I've seen the Paris 1970 footage which is better than this footage. I guess you could say this concert if for the completist who is willing TO LOOK PAST QUALITY TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY THERE. It annoys me when people expect that the video will be 21st century quality and look like it was recorded yesterday. Yes they managed to do that with the Zeppelin DVD but the remastering for this wasn't done by the band but rather by the fledgling sanctuary records. Not sure if I'm correct on that, maybe Tony was involved. Read on for the review.

First off, this concert is too short for a band that had been together for ten years. It barely clocks at over an hour with encores which is a disappointment. Tony's guitar tone is not loud at all in the mix which actually allows the viewer to see the intricate talent of Sabbath's superb rhythm section. You finally get to hear all of the bass fills done be Geezer which are a great treat for bass players such as myself. Bill seems to be the only person in the band not playing well. It just seems like he's too drugged up to do anything. His drum solo is only 1 minute long which can be attributed to his excessive drug use. My last comlaint is how Ozzy's mike is off to the left and Tony (a boring showman compared to Ozzy) dead center. Now to the more positive comments.

The show starts with Ozzy flashing peace signs all throughout during Symtom Of The Universe. The song is well played and the band is tight. Next is the unbeatable War Pigs which Sabbath always seems to manage to perfectly play. This is followed by the epic cocaine influenced song that is Snowblind. It is far better then the truncated version that appears on The Last Supper. Never Say Die follows which I find to be a treat because of it rarely being played live. Great Song. Ozzy then gives his tenth anniversary speech and the band proceeds to play Sabbath's calling card, Black Sabbath. Then is one of the last classics Sabbath managed to make. That song is Dirty Women. Bill Ward's crappy drum solo follows which then proceeds into the useless Rock and Roll Doctor. Good song and all but I wish it was replaced with maybe another song off of Never Say Die like Johnny Blade. This song is followed by the yet again incomplete Electric Funeral. Would it kill sabbath to ever play all five minutes of the song. The only time you hear the full live version of the song is on Reunion. Then comes Children Of The Grave minus the Embryo intro. That killed the song for me. Without embryo the song seems incomplete. Credits then role and are interupted by the singular encore song that is Paranoid. Yet again this is a song that is impossible to do bad. Overall, great dvd for that point in time and a fun show to look at today. Go out and buy it. Sabbath forever!!! Can't wait till they make a new album.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 4 stars for the quality from that time period
Review: First off, I am a Sabbath fanatic. Yes, I've seen the Paris 1970 footage which is better than this footage. I guess you could say this concert if for the completist who is willing TO LOOK PAST QUALITY TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY THERE. It annoys me when people expect that the video will be 21st century quality and look like it was recorded yesterday. Yes they managed to do that with the Zeppelin DVD but the remastering for this wasn't done by the band but rather by the fledgling sanctuary records. Not sure if I'm correct on that, maybe Tony was involved. Read on for the review.

First off, this concert is too short for a band that had been together for ten years. It barely clocks at over an hour with encores which is a disappointment. Tony's guitar tone is not loud at all in the mix which actually allows the viewer to see the intricate talent of Sabbath's superb rhythm section. You finally get to hear all of the bass fills done be Geezer which are a great treat for bass players such as myself. Bill seems to be the only person in the band not playing well. It just seems like he's too drugged up to do anything. His drum solo is only 1 minute long which can be attributed to his excessive drug use. My last comlaint is how Ozzy's mike is off to the left and Tony (a boring showman compared to Ozzy) dead center. Now to the more positive comments.

The show starts with Ozzy flashing peace signs all throughout during Symtom Of The Universe. The song is well played and the band is tight. Next is the unbeatable War Pigs which Sabbath always seems to manage to perfectly play. This is followed by the epic cocaine influenced song that is Snowblind. It is far better then the truncated version that appears on The Last Supper. Never Say Die follows which I find to be a treat because of it rarely being played live. Great Song. Ozzy then gives his tenth anniversary speech and the band proceeds to play Sabbath's calling card, Black Sabbath. Then is one of the last classics Sabbath managed to make. That song is Dirty Women. Bill Ward's crappy drum solo follows which then proceeds into the useless Rock and Roll Doctor. Good song and all but I wish it was replaced with maybe another song off of Never Say Die like Johnny Blade. This song is followed by the yet again incomplete Electric Funeral. Would it kill sabbath to ever play all five minutes of the song. The only time you hear the full live version of the song is on Reunion. Then comes Children Of The Grave minus the Embryo intro. That killed the song for me. Without embryo the song seems incomplete. Credits then role and are interupted by the singular encore song that is Paranoid. Yet again this is a song that is impossible to do bad. Overall, great dvd for that point in time and a fun show to look at today. Go out and buy it. Sabbath forever!!! Can't wait till they make a new album.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A classic! Nice to see this on DVD!
Review: Good to see this released on DVD. The video quality, for a late 70's show, is excellent, and the audio OK. My only gripe is that for around 22 bucks, there should have been some 'extras' on this DVD. In this day and age, if you don't provide extra value to the customer, you're not doing your job right. That said, Sabbath forever!!!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Sounds like this show was recorded through a pillow
Review: I am a HUGE black sabbath fan, but this show is really disappointing. The sound quality is awful. It sounds like it was recorded over a cell phone or something. I can't believe that this is the best quality show existing from the time period. Why would they release such a poor quality recording? There have to be better ones in existence. This could have been remastered or something to make it sound better. I was excited when i first saw they had released this because I was itching for an uncut Black Sabbath concert. I suppose die-hard fans will have to check it out, but it may make you angry.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It is very good for the time!
Review: I love the video, we all must remember that this video was not made in the last 10 years!

It brings back the total memories of seeing the band in concert during their last existing days!

I love it, but I never ever expected it too be the quality of footage we now experience in the 21st century.

I was expecting much less to be honest when I purchased this DVD, as a die-hard Sabbath fan, I am very satisfied with it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great to see it again
Review: I remember seeing this video on VHS tape in England around 1981-82.
It was my first time seeing the original lineup of Black Sabbath.

This DVD brings back the awe of seeing them for the first time.
The sound is good and clear but not stellar. The color is much improved over the video tape. The picture is very crisp for the most part. Were the picture distorts it only adds to the appeal of seeing The Real Black Sabbath doing what they do.

Over the years I have seen several other videos borrow a song or two from this one. It's good to have Never Say Die on DVD.
Much appreciation and thanks to Sanctuary Records for the re-release of this video.


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