Live Evil [Original recording remastered, Enhanced, Live]

This album is a great representation of Black Sabbath's 1982 set list for the "Mob Rules World Tour." Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice shine on songs ranging from "Iron Man", "Paranoid", & "War Pigs", to "The Mob Rules" and a special medley of "Heaven & Hell" and "The Sign of the Southern Cross." It may be hard to find a copy of this set of discs, but if you do spot a copy, be sure to pick it up. It's the only official live Sabbath record with Dio on vocals and Vinny Appice on drums. The other live albums that Sabbath has released feature Ozzy on vocals, and are not of great quality.
"Live at Last" released in 1980, is a poor recording of a 1973 gig, and "Reunion (1997)" showcases an incoherent Ozzy attempting to sing songs that he hadn't performed for decades.
This double album however, is stellar from beginning to end, and does not overlook any of the Black Sabbath hits released in the early 1980's with Dio. "Voodoo" and "Children of the Sea" are 100 times better live, than they are in the studio. Dio's vocals are magnificant, and he pulls off the Ozzy tunes pretty well. If only Black Sabbath would release this concert on DVD, or give us a new remastered edition, with bonus tracks. The minor hits "Turn Up the Night" & "Lady Evil" would sound awesome in a live setting. Pick this album up first, then get the other Dio/Sabbath collaborations "Mob Rules", "Heaven & Hell", & "Dehumanizer." The remastered "Mob Rules" CD sounds awesome, and the additional photos & inclusion of lyrics make it essential.

brilliantly done. one of the best live albums you can get. if only they were still together. if you dont buy it you are quite the dumb one. iommi and butler sound so good together. dio has a nice and powerful voice. the drums are very nice. the classic songs sound a bit heavier and different because the guitar and the bass are tuned down to a lower tuning which sounds brilliant. i dont have to say anything else because i know that you are smart people and that you will buy this album.

Dio rocks. the man has the voice, the groove and (a plus!) the magic needed to generously fill the space of Ozzy Osbourne; consequently, the band's playing sounds more confident than ever. his singing gives older sabbath tunes a new dimension, making the material nod further towards a more doomish, heavy and ominous sound, then before. i want to hear ozzy singing children of the sea or improvising on heaven and hell but the guy is too arrogant to do it plus he doesnt have the vocal polyvalence his replacement has. even if the thin elf's own material sounds great on "live evil", the best song for me remains "Black Sabbath", with dio's echoing demonic laugh; this moment is undescribably awesome. "live at last" was a hastily done album with some serious omissions, and "reunion" was a desperate attempt to cash in on the band's glorious days. this album contains a more 'complete' live setlist with songs from both sabbath eras. dio sings each song with the same intensity, spirit and passion, making "live evil" (IMHO) the definitive Black sabbath live album