Search - Black Sabbath :: Heaven and Hell (Deluxe Edition)

The best digital Version of Heaven and Hell

Devin The music man | Seattle, WA USA | 05/02/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After listening to Heaven and Hell proper (disc 1), I can safely say that it is the most vinyl sounding cd version. When I purchased my Japanese SHM version, the description said that it was mastered from Direct Stream Digital which is used for SACD production. The sound is very warm and has tons of air. I also took the time to analyze the wave-forms in GoldWave and there is no clipping anywhere to be found. I ran EVERY single song, as well. Disc 2 (especially the 1st 2 live songs) obviously is not sourced from the highest quality tapes and there are sonic deficiencies, but certainly not do to with compression or mastering errors. It sounds more like a decent bootleg, but very entertaining as the performances seem to be sonically unmolested, for the most part. Very raw and real. The Lady Evil mono edit is a blast. More direct and in your face. It causes me to wonder why there is a mono version of that song? Maybe a demo of some kind recorded on equipment with only that capability, maybe? Still awesome. The remaining Hartford identified live cuts are sonically better than the 1st two and reveal a band that sound great without anything masking them. Strongly recommended!

"

Great album, great extras, awful sound quality

J. Miele | New Mexico | 04/17/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Honestly, I cannot imagine that they listened to this before releasing it. The volume fades in and out and the limits are set so high that they are distorted. While the live tracks are nice to have, the miserable sound quality makes this set pretty much unlistenable. Two stars - only because I love Black Sabbath so much that I can't bear to give it one star."

"Live for today, tomorrow never comes..."

The Wickerman | Austin, TX | 05/29/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to say, I could not have been more shocked at the sudden and tragic death of Ronnie James Dio. I hadn't even heard that he'd been sick, and getting this surprising news when the equally unexpected death of Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele had still barely sunk in, it was overwhelming to say the least. We have truly lost a legendary artist, the void of which will certainly never be filled. I was lucky enough to see Dio live a few years ago (opening for Iron Maiden, no less), and he is still by far one of the best live singers I've ever seen. Even in his sixties, he hadn't lost an ounce of his tremendous vocal power, and for such a diminutive fellow, his stage presence was beyond huge. It greatly saddens me that no one will ever experience such a thing again.



So, that said, if you've never heard Dio's fantastic debut with Black Sabbath, "Heaven and Hell", buying this album is a great way to honor his memory. Coming along at a turbulent period for the band, Dio breathed new life into a band that was struggling hard to find life after the departure of Ozzy Osbourne. They definitely struck gold here.



For its short length, this is just a dynamo of an album. From blistering speed metal like "Die Young" and "Neon Knights", to the catchy rock of "Wishing Well" and "Walk Away", to the epic title track, it never misses a step. It reaches a perfect conclusion with what is one of my all-time favorite Sabbath songs of their entire career, "Lonely Is the Word". Tony Iommi shines with one of his most underrated performances, churning out huge riffs and spacious bluesy solos. And of course, Dio's vocal performance is beyond stunning. I listened to this today, the first time since hearing this news, and the emotional impact of this song had never hit me so hard. As those final notes faded out, I myself couldn't help but feel a bit lonelier knowing this amazing talent is no longer with us.



Thank you Dio, for all the great music and all the great times. You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten."