Most “unofficial” record releases are what they seem to be: fan projects of live shows that someone decided to press to vinyl or CD. There’s a chance that it could very well be a show they always wanted to have a nice copy of in their collection, but it’s probably more likely that it was done to make a quick profit. Some releases, however, can really be in a grey area. This is because sometimes, record companies or whoever else, can pay to license certain shows. Most commonly, we see BBC performances, radio broadcasts etc. used in this way. These are still “unofficial” releases in that they aren’t sanctioned by the band or record company and aren’t an official part of the band’s catalogue. I’m not sure, but I think that might be what Black Sabbath: Live in Brussels, Belgium 1970 is.
This is a new release from a label called AVA Editions, and just by briefly looking over their catalogue on Discogs, they appear to primarily release Beatles shows. The first one they did was a Rolling Stones show pressed back in 2019, but I had never heard of these guys before. While I appreciate The Beatles and do like their music, I don’t go out of my way to listen to it, so maybe that explains my oversight. In any case, I saw Live in Brussels, Belgium 1970 on one of the retail sites I frequent and picked up a copy. I have to admit, I am really impressed with this one.
This is a high quality, full color printed gatefold sleeve that does have some liner notes on the inner fold. As I often do with gatefolds, I kept this one in the plastic to keep the hype sticker intact, so I haven’t seen these notes in person. The record also comes with a foldout A2 sized poster and a postcard. These are both professionally produced items, and don’t strike me as something a bootlegger got printed by a shady employee at Kinkos and decided to throw in at the last minute to increase production value. The hype sticker also boasts “archival imagery”, which is accurate and a nice break from all the AI generated stuff we have been seeing lately.
The wax this LP is pressed on is super high quality and weighs in at around the advertised 180g. My copy is flat with no scuffs or warps of any kind, and the purple and black splatter is really stunning. I cleaned my copy of course, but it appeared to be quite ready to go right out of the jacket. As you can see in the photos, the labels are also high quality and full color, and are clearly marked with side A and B, which is something you wouldn’t think we have to look for, but is often missing these days. Each one is hand numbered, and apparently limited to 1,000 copies. If you haven’t heard this show before, it’s a great one.
Live Recording – Theatre 140, Brussels, Belgium 3rd October, 1970
A1 Paranoid
A2 Hand Of Doom
A3 Rat Salad (Drum Solo)
A4 Iron Man
A5 Black Sabbath
B1 Intermission
B2 N.I.B.
B3 Behind The Wall Of Sleep
B4 War Pigs
B5 Fairies Wear Boots
There is no surface noise on this record, so nothing gets in the way of the music. The recording itself is very good for the time period, and what I would consider to be top tier broadcast quality. There is an announcement introducing the band on both sides of the record, and a short explanation from the announcer. Crowd noise is present as to be expected, but it isn’t distracting or overwhelming. There must be some stuff going on that we can’t quite hear though, as Ozzy isn’t happy with somebody in the audience at one point who was apparently annoying him.
As far as the performance goes, the band is definitely on top of their game here. Mostly, I think everyone is going to recognize these songs as fully formed, with the notable exceptions of “War Pigs” and “Black Sabbath”. “War Pigs” is the same song, but definitely has some alternate lyrics going on. These are the ones about eating rats, and while they aren’t bad, they just kind of “aren’t there yet”, so to speak. The version of “Black Sabbath” here is fantastic, and Iommi starts it off with a classical-type guitar solo. Ozzy’s voice is great, and it’s always interesting to hear him during these early years as compared to how he would develop later on as a performer and frontman. The structure of his unique way of riling up the crowd is there, but this is still his much more conservative “our next number comes from our new album…” period.
If you are a Black Sabbath fan, this record is well worth your time. Unlike many of the other titles discussed here, this is one of those that is readily available, affordable, and also something you may even be able to find locally. If you are like me and no longer shop for records in person, it’s also easy to find a copy online for a very fair price. At the time of this writing, a copy should only set you back 30.00 to 40.00 USD, which isn’t bad at all for what you’re getting here. I like this one so much that I might pick up an additional copy while it’s still available. So, if this is something that interests you, don’t delay… it is, after all a limited and numbered release, so get it while you can.