Live at Last (Black Sabbath album)
Template:Use dmy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: Template:Start date | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Heaven and Hell1980Mob Rules1981LiveLive at LastBlack Sabbath Live At Last.jpgBlack SabbathTemplate:Start date*11 March 1973 at the Hardrock Concert Theatre, Manchester
- 16 March 1973 at the Rainbow Theatre, LondonHeavy metalTemplate:DurationNEMSPatrick MeehanBlack Sabbathx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}
Live at Last is a 1980 live album by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Despite its wide distribution and success (it peaked at Template:Nobr on the UK Albums Chart<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>), the album was released without the permission or knowledge of the band. It was, however, released legally by the band's former manager Patrick Meehan who owned the rights to the recording.<ref name="iommiautobiography">Template:Cite book</ref> It was re-released officially, with the approval of the band, on September 2, 2002 (in the US) as disc 1 of the two-disc Past Lives set.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The nature of the album's initial release as being without the band's approval is demonstrated by a notoriously embarrassing goof in the original version, which falsely credited the singer as "Ossie Osbourne".<ref name="AllMusic" />
Background
After dismissing manager Patrick Meehan in the late 1970s, Black Sabbath became embroiled in a long legal dispute with their former management.<ref name="iommiautobiography" /> Later, in 1980, Meehan arranged the reissue of the entire Black Sabbath catalogue, and the release of a live album of old recordings, all on the NEMS label without the band's consent. The live album consisted of 1973 concert recordings the band intended to use for a live album, but shelved indefinitely after being unhappy with the recording.<ref name="iommiautobiography" />
The release of Live at Last, combined with the 1982 release of Ozzy Osbourne's Speak of the Devil live album consisting entirely of Black Sabbath songs, prompted Black Sabbath to release their first official live album, 1982's Live Evil.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Recording
During the band's Volume 4 tour, the concerts held on 11 March 1973 at the Hardrock Concert Theatre in Manchester, and 16 March 1973 at the Rainbow Theatre in London, were recorded for use in a planned live album release, but the project was ultimately scrapped despite its plans being already promoted in UK newspaper articles. Despite the liner notes of a 1996 reissue of Live at Last stating the Manchester concert was held at the Free Trade Hall, this is easily proven incorrect when referencing historical documentation such as tour listings and ticket stubs.
Release history
Remastered versions of the original Live at Last recording have been released since the 1990s by various record labels. In the liner notes of the reissue on CD by Castle Communications in 1996, it is stated that the recordings were taken at Free Trade Hall in Manchester, and at the Rainbow Theatre in North London.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> This album was re-released by Sanctuary Records in 2002 as the first CD of Past Lives. Past Lives itself was re-released again in 2010 in a "Deluxe Edition". According to the Past Lives liner notes, the Live at Last performance was recorded on the 11 and 16 of March 1973.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
Reviews and responses
The album has received a mixed to negative review from AllMusic, with critic Alex Henderson stating that he found the band "in decent form" but criticizing the shortness of the release and the absence of some of Black Sabbath's best known material such as "Iron Man" and their title track "Black Sabbath".<ref name="AllMusic" /> Mixed to positive reviews have appeared in the Encyclopaedia Metallum.<ref name=metallum>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Track listing
Template:Tracklist Template:Tracklist
Live In the UK 1973
On 12 February 2021, Vol. 4 was reissued as a "Super Deluxe" edition in 4 CD and 5 LP formats with alternate mixes, outtakes and studio dialogue.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition to the studio outtakes and new mixes, the original analog tape recordings from 11 March 1973 at the Hardrock Concert Theatre and 16 March 1973 at the Rainbow Theatre in London which were used for Live at Last were remixed and remastered for inclusion as the last CD/last 2 LP in the set.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> With this release, an additional 12 minutes of audio has been added due to some different selections from the concerts being used as well as leaving in more stage banter and tune ups from the band. The remastered selections from the concerts were reordered to create a more accurate representation of a 1973 Black Sabbath concert, as Live at Last changed the track listing. Template:Track listing
Personnel
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
- Tony Iommi – guitars
- Geezer Butler – bass guitar
- Bill Ward – drums
Album sleeve design by Dave Field
Charts
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|