Black Sabbath SABOTAGE -The Ultimate Super Deluxe Edition. BMG

Graphic Cover Box Set Including:

1. Original Album Remastered
2. Triple 180-gram LP Recorded Live On The 1975 SABOTAGE TOUR Of North America
3. Replica Japanese 7″ Single of ‘Am I Going Insane’(Radio)/’Hole In The Sky’
4. 40-Page Book With Photos, Artwork & Liner Notes

Background

Black Sabbath was embroiled in a protracted legal battle with its former manager in 1975 when the band started recording its sixth studio album, Sabotage. The group felt sabotaged at every turn - hence the album’s title - but that feeling helped fuel the intensity of the new music they were making. In spite of the distractions, the band created one of the most dynamic - and underappreciated - albums of its legendary career.

BMG pays tribute to the patron saints of heavy metal with a collection that includes a newly remastered version of the original album along with a complete live show recorded during the band’s 1975 tour. SABOTAGE: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available as a 4-CD set and a 4-LP set that includes the same music on 180-gram vinyl plus a bonus 7-inch with the single edit for ‘Am I Going Insane (Radio)’ and ‘Hole In The Sky’ on the flipside, with artwork replicating the very rare Japanese release of the single.

Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward recorded Sabotage in London and Brussels and co-produced the album with Mike Butcher. The eight songs were released first in the U.S. in July 1975, and then in the U.K. that September. Certified gold in America and Silver in the UK, Sabotage earned positive reviews for hard-hitting tracks like ‘Hole In The Sky’ and ‘Symptom Of The Universe’, as well as more experimental music like ‘Supertzar’, which featured harp, Mellotron, and the English Chamber Choir.

SABOTAGE: SUPER DELUXE EDITION introduces 16 live tracks (13 of which are previously unreleased) that were recorded in 1975 during the quartet’s U.S. tour for the album. The performances include songs that span the group’s career, from the title track to its 1970 debut Black Sabbath to ‘Spiral Architect’ and ‘Sabbra Cadabra’ from its previous album, SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH (1973). SABOTAGE is represented as well with live takes of ‘Hole In The Sky’ and ‘Megalomania’.

The music is accompanied by in-depth liner notes that tell the story of the album through quotes from band members and the music media along with rare photos and press clippings from the era. Also included in the package is a 1975 Madison Square Garden replica concert book and SABOTAGE 1975 Tour colour poster.

From Buyers:

“The album, SABOTAGE speaks for itself so what about the live show on this release. I can’t fault the sound quality and performance. …This concert sounds brilliant. Don’t forget it’s a live show so they will never sound pristine. Nor should they. Live should sound live…It should be in every Sabbath fans library. If only for the stunning live show.”

From Sabbath Guitarist Tony Iommi:

“The aggression definitely came out in the music when we played together. There is some really heavy stuff on that record.”