To this end, the gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 13 April 1994 was recorded and eventually released as a dual release on VHS and CD and titled “Cross Purposes Live”. Did it have its selling points? To be fair the fact that Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were still here together after the “Dehumanizer” experiment is the best reason to search out this album. Together they make Black Sabbath material sound like Black Sabbath, and that is true of everything here. Also, this was the only live album that Black Sabbath released with Tony Martin on vocals which is another good reason. The disappointing thing from a fan’s perspective is that the CD does have some songs omitted, whereas the video contains the whole gig. And don’t forget the well worth theory of this podcaster when it comes to live albums, that every live album should basically be a 5/5 experience because they contain the band’s best songs in their best environment. I don’t think there is any argument about most of that theory being accurate on this release.
Did the packaging of this album hinder the purchasing of it? In the years since it has become a bigger collector's item because of the double of CD and video than it probably would have been as a separate package. But because it has been out of print for most of the time since its release it makes it difficult to be able to enjoy the album as it is too hard and cost prohibitive to find. In the long run that is not something that any album from this era of the band needs.
The best part of this live album is that is does have a set list that covers several eras of the band – the original foursome, the Dio years and of course the Martin era. And for this tour there were a couple of songs brought back that had not been played live for some years. As I mentioned in the first section, the disappointing thing about the CD is that it omits three songs from the original gig that do appear on the video. Those songs are “The Mob Rules” from the album of the same name, “Anno Mundi” from “Tyr” and “Neon Knights” from “Heaven and Hell”. That seems like a strange marketing decision, given one of the songs was a Tony Martin song and the other two were huge songs from the Dio era, and with Martin’s vocals so suited to Dio’s voice, why would you not keep those songs in on the CD? Space restrictions on a CD meant that something had to miss out. There are plenty of other Martin era songs on the album, and perhaps it was decided that some of the older songs in the setlist deserved their place more.
The mix of the old and new throughout makes for a great listening experience. Opening with “Time Machine” from “Dehumanizer” is a great choice, a fast-paced mood jumper to kick of the gig/album, that then moves into the legendary “Children of the Grave” and then the promoted tours first single “I Witness”. Everything works well through these three songs, though it is interesting that Martin adjusts his vocals slightly to compensate to his own tones which actually makes the songs his own versions which is a nice touch.
Through the middle of the album, we have the loss of the three songs omitted from the album, which on the video sat between each of these songs. Hearing them without those tracks actually makes this a very doomy part of the album, rather than going from doom to faster traditional metal to doom and so forth. Those three songs, now brought together without a break on the CD, are “Into the Void”, “Black Sabbath” and “Psychophobia” from the “Cross Purposes” album. Martin does a great job especially on “Into the Void” and it is great to hear that song back in the setlist. So too one that had not been played live since 1971 before this tour, “The Wizard” which makes its triumphant return here along with requisite harmonica. Is it a strange song to decide to bring back after all this time? It probably is, and I could name a few dozen songs I would think would better fit in the set list, but it is still good to listen to here.
It is good to have so many Martin era songs in this setlist. Apart from “I Witness”, “Psychophobia” and the absent “Anno Mundi”, “Cross of Thorns” and “Headless Cross” are both here as well and the band does a superb job with them. And finishing up the album we have some old favourites and also a couple of bangers that also won’t have seen the light of day for some time. “Paranoid” is paired with “Heaven and Hell” to conclude the concert, before the encore hits led out by “Iron Man”. But it is the addition prior to this of “Symptom of the Universe” and then the final encore of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” that really shine. The fact that Martin is happy to get out there and give his best to these tracks is terrific, and you get the feeling that Iommi and Butler must have enjoyed the fact that they could play these songs live again as well.
I still remember this CD and VHS package sitting proudly on display in Utopia Records back in 1995 when I visited and thinking that it looked really cool and that I wanted it. However, for those of you keeping tally, this was the black hole of 1995 when life didn’t really go according to plan for me, and not only did I have trouble focusing on each day but also had no compunction to go out and buy music. And if I had, I would not have had the money to do so. And eventually whatever copies Utopia had of this were sold off, and my opportunity to own it was gone. 1995 strikes again!
No matter. When the file sharing days began, I was able to locate a copy which I duly downloaded, burned to CD, photocopied some covers and threw it all together in a jewel case, and that has been the copy I have been revisiting over the last week or so. I was hoping, no doubt like many, that it might appear in the remastering of the other albums that finally appeared last year, but alas no luck. Perhaps that is still something that might crop up down the track.
Whenever I get around to listening to this album, it is always enjoyable. I really like the Tony Martin albums, and hearing not only those songs chosen from that era live here, but also Tony singing the songs of other eras, is terrific. The one thing I struggle with when I listen to it with a discerning ear though is the production and the energy. It doesn’t sound like a perfectly recorded live album. At times Geezer and even Iommi seem to drop into the background, not being the force of nature we know those two are when they are on stage together. The music doesn’t sound or feel as forceful as Sabbath should be, and if I want to be picky that’s where I would be being so. And nothing against Rondinelli’s drumming, but it doesn’t resonate the way Ward or Appice or Powell do.
Does any of that detract from this album enough to turn anyone off from listening to it? I don’t think so. As I’ve already mentioned, the set list is terrific, and it is great to hear these four on stage together with such a wide variety of material to play. In many ways because of the way it was released and the fact it is impossible to find it almost doesn’t act as a true live album release, but I enjoy it all the same.
This acted as Geezer’s conclusion with this line up of Black Sabbath, moving on before the sessions for “Forbidden” began. The Sabbath story of course still had a few twists and turns left in its tail yet, and even a live album that was almost two decades in the making just around the corner. That of course is a story for another day.
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