It’s been about two whole reviews since I’ve mentioned solo Ozzy, so I figure it’s about time to check out another release from the Prince of Darkness. Really, I just kind of review whatever happens to come out and I find interesting enough to pick up. It seems like most people who read this blog like Oz as well, so why not? You can never have too many Bark at the Moon concerts in your collection.
This is a very new release. It’s only shipped out within the last couple weeks, so the dedicated collector should be able to find it around. The first thing to note is that I can’t tell you who pressed this record since I can’t find any indication of a company anywhere on it. Most of the time, company names and pressing locations are all bogus anyway, but they can help collectors track down what they’re looking for, which is why I generally mention them when I can. This one has got some French writing on it, and the concert took place in Paris, so let’s say this is a French release.
Waiting For Darkness is available on several different colors of wax, and in two different versions. Personally, I picked up the orange and purple splatter pressings. When I originally ordered my copies, I had no idea they would be different… I was just trying to grab my favorite colors. As it turns out, the solid colors (orange, yellow and blue) all come in a regular jacket with one version of the artwork, while the splatter colors (purple/white and blue/yellow) come in a gatefold jacket with a second version of the artwork. Even the photos on the backs are different, but both use the same formatting. Both editions come with a postcard, and both of mine were the same, featuring black and white photos of Ozzy getting in full werewolf regalia. I have seen some other people post photos where it appears they got a postcard with a different image, however.
When my copies arrived in the mail, the journey sure did a number on them. The box was a bit crushed, and the orange copy was warped. Somehow, the purple disc was unharmed. I can’t be sure if it was heat damaged or what, but my Record-Pi flattening device/machine made short work of fixing it. In only about 3 hours, the disc was totally flat and no worse for the wear. This inspired me to go back and write the Record-Pi review that I have been wanting to do for a while now, so look for that soon on this site. Spoiler alert… I really like the device quite a bit, and it’s worked wonders for me. If you are thinking about purchasing one, it’s got my full endorsement as a great investment that can really save valuable pieces in your collection.
Once everything was sorted out, it was quite obvious that Waiting for Darkness is a nice product all around. The jackets are very nice with full color printing as you can see in the photos, and the record itself is high quality. The orange version (and I assume all the solid colors) are actually transparent and look great. The purple splatter also looks fantastic, and I couldn’t find a scratch or a blemish on either one of them. As always, I gave them a full cleaning before spinning them.
Live Recording – L’Espace Balard, Paris, France 22nd December, 1983
A1 Intro
A2 I Don’t Know
A3 Mr. Crowley
A4 Bark At The Moon
A5 Revelation (Mother Earth)
B1 Suicide Solution
B2 Centre Of Eternity
B3 Iron Man
B4 Crazy Train
B5 Paranoid
Right away, I noticed some issues with the volume. The entire recording is a little quiet, and you might need to crank your system to listen to this at whatever volume you are used to. In addition to that, the volume tends to waver a little bit. In some areas, it’ll get loud, and in others it’ll get a bit soft again. This isn’t drastic enough that you’ll be getting out of your chair to adjust anything, but it is noticeable and might be a bigger issue for some people than it was for me.
This is also not the best pressing that I have ever heard, but I wouldn’t say it’s bad. Side A has some clicks and pops that I would classify as moderate. Most of these take place in the louder sections of the music, so it could be worse. For me, none of these issues were present on Side B. What is present on both sides are some weird cuts. The place where this is most noticeable is toward the end of Carmine’s drum solo. Everything goes silent for a few seconds and then he comes back in and he finishes up. This isn’t an issue with the record itself, but with the recording that was used to press it.
This begs the question that if the source had audio issues, why would someone press it onto vinyl in the first place when there are tons of other concerts available? Well, I’d say this is a very good concert, despite the recording flaws. I’m not entirely sure if this is a soundboard or a higher quality audience recording, but the parts that are intact are quite good. The performances here are also excellent, and the guitar solos are some of my favorites. As I have mentioned before, Jake E. Lee is certainly one of my favorite guitar heroes, and he really puts on a clinic here. The solos on “Suicide Solution” and “Centre of Eternity” are just great. If you don’t have a good appreciation for “Centre” yet, this is a good recording that will help you reflect on how great the song really is.
Another unique aspect of this concert, compared with most of the other Bark at the Moon releases, is that here we have Carmine Appice on drums. Most of the recordings that have been released on vinyl have Tommy Aldridge as the drummer. The European leg of the tour came first, and Appice completed all of those shows. Before the tour could reach America, however, he was fired and replaced with Aldridge. Apparently, this had nothing to do with Ozzy disliking him, and was solely due to the fact that Sharon hated his guts. Obviously both drummers are fantastic, but it’s always nice to hear something different once and a while.
Overall, I would give this release a 10/10 on physical quality and presentation, and a 7/10 on the sound and pressing itself. This is mainly due to the clicks and pops I had on Side A rather than anything wrong with the source tape, since that can’t be helped. I’m guessing someone in Paris wanted to have the show that took place in Paris on vinyl, so that’s why we have this release, despite its source issues. It is a great concert, however, and I think it’s worthy of adding to any Ozzy collection. If you want to know what the tape sounds like, I’m sure the show can be heard in full, and for free, on YouTube. Go check it out!