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| Black Sabbath, Live Aid rehearsal 1985 |
Last weekend, I did the pay-per-view for "Back to the Beginning", the farewell concert for Ozzy and Black Sabbath. Artists often manage to have several "farewell" tours, with some of them lasting years, but with Ozzy's Parkinson's diagnosis, this really did feel like the last time we'll see the original four play together. Given their activity and apparent good health, I suspect Tony and maybe Geezer will continue to be active, even if not as "Black Sabbath".
Ozzy is unable to stand and performed while seated in a "throne". Danette and I both noticed that there were several times where it was clear he wanted to get up and move around, but alas he could not. Regardless, he sounded great, as good as ever in fact. It was also great that Bill participated, since contract disputes had prevented his involvement with their final studio LP and farewell tour.
But this post isn't really about the "Back to the Beginning", it's really about the deja vu and nostalgia that I felt, watching a festival and waiting for Black Sabbath to play. It was 40 years ago nearly to the day that Black Sabbath played in Philadelphia for Live Aid. That was also a reunion of the original four members, albeit only six years out from the Ozzy leaving the first time in 1979.
Still, I remember the anticipation of their brief reunion in 1985. I had the TV on, but was frequently in the back yard, doing something that I have long since forgotten. I'd come in periodically and see who was playing, and then head back outside to the heat of July in Virginia -- not totally unlike last weekend.
I was happy that my schedule allowed me to watch this concert last weekend -- and in 1985 as well. It's hard to overstate the role of Black Sabbath in creating the genre of heavy metal, and I enjoy their music non-nostalgically and non-ironically even to this day.
The video of their Live Aid performance is included below, but although this is the from the official Black Sabbath YouTube channel, the opening minute or so of "Children of the Grave" is cut off. I'm also linking a Japanese feed, which is complete but has subtitles.
