OZZY OSBOURNE – DEFINITIVE MEMPHIS 1982 (CD + DVD-R)

Live at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN, USA 28th April 1982 STEREO SBD(UPGRADE)

　The soundboard album that symbolized the Brad Gillis era along with the official work “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL” has been brushed up. A permanent pre-release CD with high-definition mastering of “GRAF ZEPPELIN” has been born!

　This work is engraved with the “April 28, 1982 Memphis performance.” It is a transcendental stereo soundboard recording that captures the entire story in your brain. Speaking of “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL,” there was a video version and a live album version with the same title but completely different contents, but this work is a different performance from either of them. In order to organize the circumstances around that, let’s first unravel the schedule at that time.

・January 1st – March 18th: North America #1 (44 shows)
{Randy passed away on March 19th → Bernie Tormé joined}
・April 1st – 10th: North America #2a (7 shows)
{Brad Gillis joined}
・April 13th – June 28th: ​​North America #2b (51 shows) ←※Official video & ★This work★
・July 9th – 15th: First visit to Japan (5 shows)
・August 1st – 8th: North America #3 (3 shows)
{Don Airey leaves}
・September 26th + 27th: North America #4 (2 shows) ←※Official live album
{Pete Way/Lindsay Bridgewater join}
・December 10th – 20th: UK (7 shows)
{Brad & Pete leave → Jake & Don Costa join}

　This is Ozzy Osbourne in 1982, teaming up with Brad. The official live album “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL” was filled with Sabbath era numbers, but the video version was “North America #2b,” part of the “DIARY OF A MADMAN Tour” that took over after the death of Randy Rhoads. The Memphis performance in this film was also the 19th performance of “North America #2b.” It was a concert about two months before the Irvine performance where the official video was filmed.

　Such a show is famous for being broadcast on FM, and is a classic among classics that has produced countless pre-release groups since ancient times. It has been repeatedly upgraded over a long history. 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of such a show, and this work is the ultimate version that took every possible measure at such a milestone.

　The means are both the source used and mastering. First of all, the source is the highest quality broadcast master. Normally, when it comes to FM broadcasting, “broadcast master recording = ultimate” is the norm, but there are several types of master recordings for this show. This work uses the same master as “SPEAK EVIL OF OZZ (Shades 509),” which was discovered 10 years ago and has not yet been surpassed. This was the highest peak in terms of sound, and it is the best master with the longest recording time, including the opening and ending of the program and no commercial cut fades.

　This best master was further refined by GRAF ZEPPELIN, who has been brilliantly reviving classic sound sources in recent years. The precision with which pitch and phase offsets are corrected down to 1/1000 of a second is astounding, and the balance adjustments and frequency band-specific noise processing are at the official level. The meticulous yet uncomplicated work ensures a natural sound. The concept of “faithful reproduction of the live performance” is thoroughly adhered to, without any overly powerful overtones. While beautiful and easy to listen to, the performance stops just before it begins to feel processed, resulting in a natural sound. This work, too, has been refined using techniques proven on numerous classic albums. However, to be honest, it’s not “reborn as something completely different.” As the RKO Radio Network’s signature program “CAPTURED LIVE!”, the broadcast mastering was completely official. Audiophiles and those with a professional bent for waveform analysis will notice that even the most minute high-frequency noise and the low-frequency noise of the narration parts have been beautifully removed, but you may not be able to tell the difference when listening casually. In other words, what is engraved on this album is a sound that has been perfected to the “pinnacle of the needle tip.”

　Such an “extreme sound” is depicted as a full show that will be the “Brad version TRIBUTE”. The set is already familiar, but this work is the best super-decisive board for beginners, so let’s organize it in comparison with “TRIBUTE”.

●Solo
Blizzard of Oz: Mr. Crowley/Crazy Train/Revelation (Mother Earth)/Steal Away (The Night)/Suicide Solution/Goodbye To Romance/I Don’t Know
・Diary of a Madman: Over The Mountain (★)/Believer/Flying High Again
●BLACK SABBATH
・Paranoid: Iron Man/Paranoid
・Master of Reality: Children Of The Grave
*Note: Songs marked with “★” are not available on “TRIBUTE”.

…And that’s how it goes. There are no rare songs, but what’s valuable is that it’s colored by Brad’s guitar, which makes extensive use of arm bending. Guitarists after Zakk Wylde have looked down on Randy and tried to faithfully emulate him, but Brad is different. He’s from the same generation as Randy, and even though he’s passed away, Randy hadn’t yet been deified. What’s more, Brad was a young man about to make his mark on the world. That’s why he was able to color Randy’s classics in his own way (this sensibility was also shared by Jake E. Lee shortly after he joined the band).

　The Blood era sounds fresher in this day and age, when Randy’s legacy is absolute. This work is a “top album” that polishes the apex master of that apex recording to the utmost. This is a record that has been perfected to the 40th anniversary year. Please enjoy it to the fullest with this permanent preservation press CD!

This is a stunning stereo soundboard recording of the iconic Brad Gillis era’s April 28, 1982 Memphis concert. Utilizing the same master as “Speak Evil of Ozz” (Shades 509), boasting the longest and highest sound quality of any broadcast master, it was meticulously mastered by GRAF ZEPPELIN. Its pitch and phase correction, frequency analysis, and balance adjustments/noise reductions are unparalleled, allowing for even 1/1000th of a second of discrepancy. This is the ultimate edition celebrating the 40th anniversary, perfected to the pinnacle of stylus-like quality.

(78:44)
1. Radio Announcer Introduction
2. Diary Of A Madman
3. Over The Mountain
4. Mr. Crowley
5. Crazy Train
6. Revelation (Mother Earth)
7. Steal Away (The Night)
8. Suicide Solution
9. Guitar Solo
10. Suicide Solution(Reprise)
11. Drum Solo
12. Goodbye To Romance
13. I Don’t Know
14. Believer
15. Flying High Again
16. Iron Man
17. Children Of The Grave
18. Paranoid
19. Announcer Closing Credits

Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals
Brad Gillis – Guitar
Rudy Sarzo – Bass
Tommy Aldridge – Drums
Don Airey – Keyboards

STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING

★★Special event

★”DEFINITIVE MEMPHIS 1982″, which has updated the highest peak of the iconic soundboard that will become the “Brad Gillis Tribute”, will also come with a special super-definitive pro shot from the Brad era, “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL: IRVINE MEADOWS 1982”.

OZZY OSBOURNE – SPEAK OF THE DEVIL: IRVINE MEADOWS 1982(Bonus DVDR)
Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, Irvine, CA, USA 23rd June 1982 PRO-SHOT

　The main press CD is a symbol of the Brad Gillis era. It is the ultimate stereo soundboard album, which should be called the “Gillis Tribute.” To celebrate the “pinnacle of live albums,” we have also prepared the “pinnacle of video.” Yes, the out-of-print official video “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL” has been reprinted with the highest quality master!

　This work was filmed at the “June 23, 1982 Irvine Performance.” It’s a multi-camera pro shot. The explanation of the main press CD introduced the overall picture of 1982, but both the main and this work are records of the same “North America # 2.” Here, let’s zoom in on the more detailed schedule and check the show’s position.

《Brad Gillis Participation》
・April 13th-26th: North America (11 performances)
・April 28th Memphis performance ←※Main press CD
・April 29th-June 22nd: North America (35 performances)
・June 23rd Irvine performance ←★This work★
・June 24th San Diego performance
・June 28th Honolulu performance
・July 9th-15th: First visit to Japan (5 performances)

　This is the journey from “Brad’s participation” to “first visit to Japan”. The main Memphis performance was about two weeks after Brad’s replacement, but this work is two months later. It was a show just before his first visit to Japan (by the way, there is also material that says “June 25th”, but here we adopt the traditional “June 23rd” theory).

　This show was officially filmed and released only in Japan as the video version “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.” It was later officially released on DVD, but that too is out of print. It’s now becoming a premium copy. This film is a reissue of that traditional footage. Even the official DVD releases had cuts and audio delays, but this is the best version, clocking in at a length of 78 minutes.

　This album is a masterpiece. What’s most impressive is the collection of great songs adorned with powerful arm techniques. More modern than Randy, yet different from Jake’s scratchy style, his unique undulations are smooth yet sharp. It’s not just about playing around with arm techniques, but it’s cool because he understands the tunes well and inserts them with style. The performance makes you wonder what kind of masterpieces Brad would have left behind if he had stayed in Ozzy Ozzy’s band…

　Even more exciting is the star himself, Ozzy. This is Ozzy’s first solo video, and it offers plenty of enjoyment of his heroic early ’80s days as a “heavy metal evangelist” alongside JUDAS PRIEST. The overdubbed vocals are charming, but the gothic set is full of atmosphere, and the dated production of “Mr. Crowley,” featuring laser beams drawing letters and bats, and “Goodbye To Romance,” featuring a hanging dwarf, are truly vintage. While NWOBHM was in full swing at the time, it was none other than Priest and Ozzy who clearly communicated the intense, sinister, new music of “heavy metal.” Their full-scale entrance into living rooms around the world came the following year at a US festival, but it was undoubtedly the “DIARY OF A MADMAN TOUR” that laid the groundwork. It was this tour’s impact that gave birth to LA metal and thrash metal. This is a rare, official multi-camera footage of the event.

　Whether he wanted it or not, the Prince of Darkness became a “heavy metal evangelist” and became known as an icon. This official pro-shot not only showcases Brad Gillis’s virtuosity, but also explains why Ozzy is the Godfather of Metal. If the main press CD is the pinnacle of live albums, this work is the pinnacle of video. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

(78:24)
1. Over The Mountain
2. Mr. Crowley
3. Crazy Train
4. Revelation (Mother Earth)
5. Steal Away (The Night)
6. Suicide Solution
7. Guitar Solo
8. Instrumental
9. Drum Solo
10. Goodbye To Romance
11. I Don’t Know
12. Believer
13. Flyin’ High Again
14. Iron Man
15. Children Of The Grave
16. Paranoid

PRO-SHOT COLOUR NTSC Approx.78min.