As collectors, how many times do we end up buying the same shows over and over again? Why do we do it? I remember a time when I would come across a new release on vinyl or CD and say “oh, I don’t need this one… I already have that date.” Well, as the years pass, I find myself doing that less and less, which is probably the opposite of how most people would think it would happen. Certain bands, like Sabbath and Ozzy, are the main focus of my collection. In short, this means I’m probably going to get whatever comes out. Sometimes it’s the exact same release in a different color, or the same audio source with a different pressing or different artwork that draws me in. In this case, there is no doubt that many of us will have at least one copy of Ozzy’s 1989 show at the tower theatre. If you don’t, you’ll definitely want to read on. But for those of us that do… should we buy another one?
When I saw No Rest For The City Of Brotherly Love pop up, I knew I had to have it. I already did a review of the actual show when Axe Attack released a version of it a while ago, and you can check that out here. Since I’ve already covered those specifics, I won’t go into too much depth again about the performance itself. The long and short of it is that this is certainly one of my favorite Ozzy shows, and I think a lot of other collectors will agree. Not only do we have a timeless performance by Zakk Wylde, but Geezer Butler is on bass. As you might recall, Bob Daisley wrote and recorded the bass on the album version, but Ozzy brought Geezer in to do the actual touring, which I think was a great move. The show also has what I would now consider to be “deep cuts” that weren’t heard very often after this tour.
The label, Sweet Leaf Productions, is new on the scene, and they have already released several different high-quality soundboards on vinyl. It seems like soundboards is all they do, so we already know that the audio quality is going to be very high for whatever they put out. I love a good audience recording, but nothing beats a soundboard. All of the Sweet Leaf artwork is original and themed, and they seem to be going for a sort of zombie type of look which is very cool. This show is a double LP, and comes on clear, heavyweight vinyl. The labels are also very cool and are a nod not only to the Sabbath song, but also the old Vertigo record label. They are “stock” type labels that they use for all their releases, but they are also clearly numbered, so you never have to guess which side to put on next.
The jacket is very high quality and glossy, and the artwork printing is crystal clear. The full track listing is noted on the back, and each set is hand numbered. No Rest For The City of Brotherly Love is limited to only 200 copies, which seems like a really low number. The records themselves also come in poly-lined sleeves which I always like. Both LPs looked clean and flat, but I cleaned them again anyway as I normally do before giving them a spin.
As I mentioned already, the audio source for this show is phenomenal. I think it’s good enough that it could be released officially, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens one day. What makes it even better is the fact that this pressing is dead silent. My copy has pretty much zero surface noise aside from the standard analog warmth that comes with vinyl. All the fade-ins and fade-outs are professionally done, and there are no gaps between tracks whatsoever. Also, the fading and track placements actually make sense. Sometimes, even releases with good fading cut the songs in weird places. That’s not the case here, and the whole show runs smoothly with the breaks in logical places.
Soundboard Recording – Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA – 4th June, 1989
A1 O Fortuna
A2 I Don’t Know
A3 Flying High Again
A4 Mr. Crowley
B1 Shot In The Dark
B2 Band Introductions
B3 Bloodbath In Paradise
B4 Guitar Solo
C1 Sweet Leaf
C2 War Pigs
C3 Tattooed Dancer
C4 Drum Solo
C5 Miracle Man
D1 Suicide Solution
D2 Iron Man
D3 Crazy Train
D4 Paranoid
One great thing about getting another version of a show you already have is that (hopefully) you’ll listen to it again. For me, I always seem to notice something a little different or think about one part a little more than I did before. The three major points that stuck out to me on this listen through were Zakk’s long (but very awesome) guitar solo, the incredible version of “Bloodbath in Paradise” that was rarely played live, and the introduction Ozzy gives for “Miracle Man”. “This is a song for a friend of mine called Jimmy Swaggart”, he says. If you don’t know the story, it goes something like this…
Jimmy Swaggart was a television preacher who was very popular during 1980’s America. A big part of his “ministry” was constantly railing against Ozzy, using his music as an example of was wrong with America culture, and how it was going to “lead the children to darkness”. This was during the height of the Satanic Panic, and this guy did entire sermons with Ozzy as the topic. Not surprisingly, Ozzy was the perfect scapegoat, although he didn’t seem to mind very much at first. Afterall, it was free publicity. When Swaggart got caught with a prostitute however, Ozzy didn’t like the hypocrisy. He decided that the band was going to write a song about the incident, which of course, became “Miracle Man”.
In a case of poetic justice, Swaggart was nationally shamed, and his business collapsed. Not many people remember his name these days, but lots still remember the song he inspired. Swaggart was still alive until very recently, passing away on July 1st of this year. Ozzy passed away 21 days later on July 22nd, so I can’t help but wonder if Ozzy had heard about his old friend Jimmy’s demise. If you didn’t know the story before and go back and listen to the song again (especially this live version), I promise that you’ll see it in a bit of a different light.
So, should you pick up No Rest For The City Of Brotherly Love if you already have a copy on vinyl? Honestly, I have never heard a better pressing than this one. What label’s artwork you like best will just be personal preference. But, if you are going for the best sound, this new Sweet Leaf Productions version can’t be beat. The pressing and packaging are both a solid 10/10, and the audio is a 10/10 as well. There is no surface noise to speak of, and I think that it’s just about the perfect Ozzy concert experience for the “No Rest For The Wicked” period.
Perhaps the best news for collectors is that this pressing just came out, so you can still find a copy. These short run presses always sell out fast, and once they’re gone, they can be very difficult to track down. It could be years before someone does decide to press it again, so if you want this show, now is the time to grab it. As far as I’m concerned, this is currently the definitive version of Philadelphia 1989, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Sweet Leaf does next. There already have a Black Sabbath show out from the Reunion period, and I’ll be talking about that one very soon. Until then, happy hunting!