Last Supper

There was something genuinely heartwarming about the decision by Black Sabbath's founding members to take to the road again in 1999. The fractious intra-band relationships that have characterized Black Sabbath's long career were a major inspiration for the writers of This Is Spinal Tap, and so the Sabs' reunion created something pleasingly symmetrical and evocative of the closing scenes of that fine film. The concert footage was taken from six of the concerts on that tour. It is conclusive proof that the original quartet of Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, and Ward (or, in Osbourne's words, "four dickheads from Aston, near Birmingham") were every bit as exuberantly juvenile a rock & roll band in their early 50s as their late teens. Also included is a sketchy biography and interviews with the band by Henry Rollins, one of the countless contemporary musicians influenced by Sabbath. It's a nice idea, but the only real weakness of the package is that Ozzy is never granted time to wheel out any of his peerless reserve of grotesque rock & roll anecdotes. Nevertheless, the already formidable case for Osbourne's knighthood is strengthened further. --Andrew Mueller, Amazon.co.uk