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I was going into my senior year in
college at Boston University in the summer of 1989.While I had
fallen in love with some more recent heavy bands like Jane's
Addiction, Soundgarden, and Kyuss, I was thrilled when I heard that
Black Sabbath were coming back to town. I informed my friends of the
power and majesty of a live Sabbath show, and we got tickets.
It was a hot night in the venerable Orpheum Theater which we later
learned was sold out, and we were sweating before Led Zeppelin
clones Kingdom Come hit the stage. (I don't recall Silent Rage
playing that night, but it's possible that either they were utterly
forgettable or that I simply arrived too late and missed their
performance.) I wasn't a fan of Kingdom Come before the show, and
they did nothing to change my mind.
Now I had not seen Sabbath since Mach 6, 1986 since they did not
come around on their Eternal Idol tour, so there was no way I was
going to miss this. Since Headless Cross was released with the usual
lack of record company support that Sabbath seems to have gotten
since the mid-eighties, I had no idea it was coming out. That night
would be the first time I heard such songs as Headless Cross and
When Death Calls.
The band were solid. I was blown away that the drummer was Cozy
Powell, a long time favorite. They played a nice mix of old and new
tunes, complete with the "usual suspects" and some nice surprises. I
had not expected The Mob Rules or Children of the Sea. My only
possible complaint would bethat they didn't touch the Born Again
album, which I thought worked well live despite the poor production
on the final release, or Seventh Star, which I still love.
This was my first time seeing Tony Martin live, and I recall
comparing him to the previous singers. Tony lacked the tortured
moans and wails of Ozzy, the gothic pomp of Dio, and the historical
weight of either Ian Gillan or Glen Hughes. However, he was able to
sing well the songs of either Ozzy or Dio, and as I mentioned, Ian
Gillan and Glen Hughes's tenures with the band were not represented.
My issue with him at the time, I remember thinking, is that he
lacked a definitive "style" the way you could classify or pigeonhole
the other singers. What I then thought of as a horrible weakness, I
now realize is indicative of a strong singer who simply did not need
to choose a single style because he was so versatile. Moreover, he
did not need to adapt a stage persona to be a "front man" because he
was not intended to be a "front man"; he was a part of the band who
happened to use his voice as his instrument to convey the lyrics and
melodies. I wish I knew then what I know now.
After a very well-played set, my friends finally understood why I
remained loyal to and obsessed with Sabbath despite my other musical
passions. Some of them still go to see Sabbath with me each time
they come around to our area. |
