Black Sabbath - Sabotage (Super Deluxe Edition)

[GOS]

Yep. No surround, in fact nothing super exciting about this. (except that it's Black freaking Sabbath) I mean, unless the remaster really does sound a lot better. I'd have my doubts about that. But, will I be able to not buy this......early today, I said no way. Tonight, I'm sniffing around looking for the best price. It's not on that many vendors yet. Amazon US has it at $109 or so. Too much obviously. (vinyl version)





LP One: Original Album Remastered

Side One

1. “Hole In The Sky”
2. “Don’t Start (Too Late)”
3. “Symptom Of The Universe”
4. “Megalomania”

Side Two

1. “Thrill Of It All”
2. “Supertzar”
3. “Am I Going Insane (Radio)”
4. “The Writ”

LP Two: North American Tour Live ’75

Side Three

1. “Supertzar”/“Killing Yourself To Live” *
2. “Hole In The Sky”
3. “Snowblind” *

Side Four

1. “Symptom Of The Universe”
2. “War Pigs” *

LP Three: North American Tour Live ’75

Side Five

1. “Megalomania” *
2. “Sabbra Cadabra” *

Side Six

1. Jam 1 including guitar solo *
2. Jam 2 including drum solo *
3. “Supernaut”

LP Four: North American Tour Live ’75

Side Seven

1. “Iron Man” *
2. Guitar Solo including excerpts of “Orchid” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Doctor” *
3. “Black Sabbath” *

Side Eight

1. “Spiral Architect” *
2. “Embryo”/“Children Of The Grave” *
3. “Paranoid” *

7” Single

1. “Am I Going Insane (Radio)” – Single Edit
2. “Hole In The Sky”

* previously unreleased

 

[steelydave]

The 1975 Asbury Park show (originally recorded, and partially broadcast by King Biscuit Flower Hour) that's included on the bonus discs is an absolute killer, but given that it's freely circulated as a perfect-quality bootleg for more than 15 years, and also how much worse the remix of the Live at Last (aka Live in the UK 1973) masterial on the recent deluxe edition Vol. 4 was compared to the original, this is an easy pass for me despite the lavish packaging.

 

[GOS]

Ugh...

Couldn't resist the temptation. Preordered from Amazon US for $109 (minus tax!!)

Now I play the game of waiting for a better price, hopefully $20 cheaper. Last time I bought Vol 4, Popmarket had a 1 day sale that I grabbed. I expect that to happen with this one.

 

[marpow]

Agreed. This is a hard one to make that descion. But I think I will purchase.
1. The collector bug in me does not want to ruin the streak. What if I want the next one then there is a hole in my collection.
2. I have never heard the unreleased Asbury Park show, @steelydave just sealed the deal for me. He said "absolutely killer".

 

[LuvMyQuad]

But, will I be able to not buy this......early today, I said no way. Tonight, I'm sniffing around looking for the best price.

We all knew that earlier denial was just crazy talk.

 

[godathunder]

My favourite Sabbath album but I can't see any reason there to part with my hard earned

 

[jimfisheye]

If this is the same label as that Vol 4 "deluxe" reissue, then expect another novelty release with destroyed audio.

That Volume 4 reissue was missing the end of the first track. A mistake I remember being made in the '70s with a reissue vinyl (US) at one point. I recall an errant pressing of this Sabotage album that cut off the last song. The quiet clip of them singing Blow on a Jug.

My prediction is this will be the worst most distorted copy of the audio we have yet heard and will be missing the last song on the album like that errant vinyl pressing.

 

[GOS]

So, Amazon has "lowered" their price of the vinyl box. It's now $96.99.

I guess I'll keep my Amazon order as opposed to ordering from ImportCD, which is actually a dollar higher.....and then the horrible USPS shipping as of late from ImportCD to my house can be avoided.

 

[wrat]

the book is cool otherwise total cash grab will not be buying

 

[GOS]

the book is cool otherwise total cash grab will not be buying

For sure, this is not a good value. Regardless, I'm hopeful that the live show on vinyl will sound good. I don't have any version of that. Also, the overall box, with book look nice. I mean, I spend $100 on a few bottles of wine all the time.....so at least I'll have something to show for this.

 

[wrat]

For sure, this is not a good value. Regardless, I'm hopeful that the live show on vinyl will sound good. I don't have any version of that. Also, the overall box, with book look nice. I mean, I spend $100 on a few bottles of wine all the time.....so at least I'll have something to show for this.

I have a pristine copy of that show already from the master reels

 

[GOS]

Popmarket is now the cheapest by a few dollars for the vinyl version...

 

[marpow]

My copy arrived via Amazon, yesterday.

 

[GOS]

My copy arrived via Amazon, yesterday.

Wow, that's odd. My order is with Amazon too and the vinyl version doesn't have an ETA yet.

 

[GOS]

Wow, that's odd. My order is with Amazon too and the vinyl version doesn't have an ETA yet.

OK, just went and looked at my order...now it says June 28 ETA. WTF with that?

 

[steelydave]

If anyone is buying this set solely for the live content and still has the ability to cancel their preorder, you might consider it - according to some posts over at the Hoffman forum, the Asbury Park material is sourced from a low-bitrate mp3 bootleg. The screenshots the poster included bear this out, showing frequency response cutoff around 16kHz, which is ugly to say the least - but maybe not as ugly as charging $100 for a deluxe box set and not only not bothering to source a master tape, but not even bothering to source a lossless bootleg.

 

[jimfisheye]

That's really damning @steelydave!

Those master reels are probably in a safer place like some random fan's home. Where quality control is higher. Does anyone know about a more recent times HD transfer of those master reels? Or is the older shared CD copy where this ends?

The last "deluxe" set turned out to be a novelty release with throw away poor sound. I suppose this one is the same deal then?

Heh. $20 says this is missing the last song on the album like that flawed reissues that circulate. (Like how Vol. 4 was missing the end of the first track.)

 

[steelydave]

Actually, Wolfgang's Vault owns all the King Biscuit stuff, including the multitrack masters (from which they could've done a new mix, or god forbid, a surround mix) and supposedly like to charge a lot when it comes to licensing.

What's inexcusable is that the very first complete bootleg of this concert that circulated was a master tape to DAT transfer given to a fan by someone who worked for KBFH in the '90s so they could assess its suitability for release. This original version is incredibly easy to find - it's one of the most common Sabbath bootlegs - so sourcing a commercial release from an mp3 version spawned from that original version isn't just negligent, it's simply lazy.

...and I agree with you that the recent Vol. 4 remaster has its share of problems (I actually agree with the direction they were going for, but they went way too far) but the Wheels of Confusion coda isn't missing: it was never on any original LP release of the album (Vertigo or WB), it only appeared for the first time on the 1996 Castle remaster. It was cool to hear 20 years ago, but it's just an unaccompanied reprise of the rhythm guitar figure, and so low in level it's almost buried in noise-floor hiss anyway, so I don't see it as a massive loss. The Steven Wilson outtake remixes more than make up for its omission.

 

[jimfisheye]

Actually, Wolfgang's Vault owns all the King Biscuit stuff, including the multitrack masters (from which they could've done a new mix, or god forbid, a surround mix) and supposedly like to charge a lot when it comes to licensing.

What's inexcusable is that the very first complete bootleg of this concert that circulated was a master tape to DAT transfer given to a fan by someone who worked for KBFH in the '90s so they could assess its suitability for release. This original version is incredibly easy to find - it's one of the most common Sabbath bootlegs - so sourcing a commercial release from an mp3 version spawned from that original version isn't just negligent, it's simply lazy.

...and I agree with you that the recent Vol. 4 remaster has its share of problems (I actually agree with the direction they were going for, but they went way too far) but the Wheels of Confusion coda isn't missing: it was never on any original LP release of the album (Vertigo or WB), it only appeared for the first time on the 1996 Castle remaster. It was cool to hear 20 years ago, but it's just an unaccompanied reprise of the rhythm guitar figure, and so low in level it's almost buried in noise-floor hiss anyway, so I don't see it as a massive loss. The Steven Wilson outtake remixes more than make up for its omission.

That coda is on the import vinyl I listened to in the '70s.
It disappeared from a US reissue vinyl at one point. Some CDs have that truncated version.
If it's the other way around and it's the anomaly version that I'm used to... I don't have original pressings of these.

Oh yeah, that was KBFH. OK I stand corrected. It is not in safer hands nor is quality control higher.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

If anyone is buying this set solely for the live content and still has the ability to cancel their preorder, you might consider it - according to some posts over at the Hoffman forum, the Asbury Park material is sourced from a low-bitrate mp3 bootleg. The screenshots the poster included bear this out, showing frequency response cutoff around 16kHz, which is ugly to say the least - but maybe not as ugly as charging $100 for a deluxe box set and not only not bothering to source a master tape, but not even bothering to source a lossless bootleg.

That figures…the record company’s are now ripping off the bootleggers