Taking a break from the large-form boxsets that have been used to document the bulk of the Ozzy years of Black Sabbath, BMG have taken the decision to reissue two classic albums from the Dio years as double disc sets, with bonus tracks available on both CD and LP (albeit with the LP featuring fewer tracks due to space constraints). With Hugh Gilmour once more coordinating, both sets benefit from the same attention to detail as the previously reviewed boxsets, with liner notes, extra tracks and solid mastering proving to be the order of the day. This review covers 1981’s Mob Rules, with a separate review covering 1980’s legendary Heaven and Hell.
The Package
Available on CD and LP, this review covers the impressive double LP edition, which is housed, like Heaven and Hell, in a gatefold sleeve, with a peelable promo sticker on the shrink wrap. This time, the gatefold features original artwork on its left side, while the right is blessed with detailed liner notes from Rolling Stones’ Kory Grow and cover artist Greg Hilderbrandt. As a result of the reduced space, a selection of images from single covers and promotional materials has been moved to the back, a sensible move that makes the most of the available space. The vinyl itself is packaged in simple, white paper liners and there are no other notes or lyrics but, like its predecessor, this is an impressively thoughtful new edition of a cracking record. As we have come to expect the vinyl itself is rock solid and impressively crackle-free, which once again allows the listener to focus all their attention on the gorgeous remaster.
Bonus Tracks Note:
Unlike the Heaven and Hell reissue, which saw only a few bonus tracks omitted from the vinyl, this one packs almost the entire second LP onto the album disc in the CD set, and then adds a complete live concert to a second CD. As such, fans may prefer to track down the more generous CD issue, although the vinyl is the more attractive physical package.
The Audio
Disc one
Just as everything seemed settled, so everything was changing once again, with Bill Ward having left during the Heaven and Hell tour, to be replaced by Vinny Appice. Not that Vinny’s presence unnerved the band. A powerful drummer in his own right and a longstanding fan of Sabbath, he knew what the band needed, and he delivers a strong performance on record. Dio, meanwhile, was more comfortable (potentially too comfortable, given the arguments that would lead to the band breaking up during the mixing of Live Evil), bringing a more fantastical approach to the lyrics. The results are frequently stunning (just witness the power of The Sign Of The Southern Cross), although the album did not achieve the success of its predecessor and internal tensions would lead to the band disintegrating before they could further explore their obvious potential.
As with Heaven and Hell, a new master (courtesy of the talented duo of Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham) really allows the album to breathe and, with Martin Birch having brought his NWOBHM production skills to bear, Mob Rules has a strong, punchy sound that sounds remarkably fresh to these ears. It opens well – the fast paced Turn Up the Night giving way to the mid-tempo Voodoo, the latter featuring some brilliant Geezer bass and a fiery performance from Dio, but the original criticism that the album basically follows the same sonic template as Heaven and Hell remains in evidence, especially when listening to the albums back-to-back. Thus, as with its predecessor, the third track proves to be a slow burning number, this time the rather stunning Sign of The Southern Cross. A brilliant song – arguably one of the best of the Dio years (and a strong predictor of where Alice in Chains would head some twelve years later) – it elevates the album, but a different track sequence may well have allowed fans to appreciate the album without feeling it to be haunted by the ghost of its predecessor. A short instrumental, E5150 keeps the album skipping along (it also gave the band a convenient intro for the ensuing tour), before the side concludes with the snarling (and depressingly prescient) title track, a powerful song that deserves its place as the album’s title track.
Side two opens with the Maiden-esque Country Girl, a crunchy, mid-paced number with a simple, yet memorable riff. Not exactly a bad song, it nevertheless feels a little too much like an attempt to recapture the radio-friendly vibes of Heaven and Hell’s Wishing Well, but with less panache. Things improve as the band get their blues on with Slipping Away, a track with a strong Deep Purple vibe (thus bridging the influence gap between Maiden and Sabbath), elevated by a call and response section that sees bass and guitar going head-to-head over Vinny’s pile-driving percussion. It neatly paves the way for another slower burning track, the quite excellent Falling Off the Edge of The World, which turns seriously heavy as it progresses. With the introductory keyboards droning down into a classic Iommi riff that just seems to keep getting heavier, it’s far too overlooked when it comes to naming those classic Sabbath tracks, and it’s a piece of remarkable power, leaving you to wonder just how different things may have turned out had the band held it together during the tour that followed. The album ends with the lengthy Over and Over, a doom-laden ballad that overstays its welcome by a good minute, the drawn-out fade providing a slightly underwhelming conclusion to an otherwise decent track.
Disc two
Like Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules comes complete with a disc of extra tracks, one of which was even specially remixed for this compilation. It opens with The Mob Rules (Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version), which seems to punch with even greater weight than its album counterpart. It certainly evokes powerful memories of a somewhat bizarre movie (and the South Park parody that followed), and it launches the side with remarkable vigour. Next up, a live version of Die Young (originally a b side to the Mob Rules single) captures the band in full flight, but the ropey recording is bootleg at best, with a lot of distortion and noise, although Dio’s voice blazes through the murk. Enjoyable enough given the paucity of Dio-era live material, it is a far from essential addition to the set. Next up, the title track returns, specially remixed in 2021, which is a curious decision given the package already includes both the remastered album cut and the Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to hear the track brought up to date, and the main achievement is in bringing out the bristling power of the guitars more effectively. The side concludes with a live take on The Sign of The Southern Cross interpolated with Heaven And Hell, tracked in Portland in 1982. Better produced than Die Young, it is a decent live take of a classic track and a worthy addition to the package, although the drums feel strangely washed out, especially during the psychedelic mid-section. The guitars, however, really come into their own and Dio sounds like a man possessed as he engages the crowd.
Side two features four tracks tracked in December 1981 and January 1982 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. With all four tracks hailing from the Mob Rules album, these feel like an important bonus, fleshing out an important, if fleeting, period in the band’s history. That said, given that it’s one of the weakest album tracks, it seems a strange decision to open the side with Country Girl and, while the band turn in a surprisingly energetic performance (captured with decent sound), it still feels a faintly ridiculous song, both musically and lyrically. On the other hand, Slipping Away, a stronger cut in general, absolutely flies and it’s a bittersweet experience listening to Sabbath rage away, knowing that the clock was already running on this iteration. A live take on The Mob Rules is equally blistering although, given the number of versions represented in the package, I would have preferred a different track. However, closing the side out, we get Voodoo, a cracking deep cut from the album that has a particularly snarling vocal. With a strong sound throughout, it’s easily the best of the live material found on either of the deluxe LPs, and it provides a fitting conclusion to the Mob Rules deluxe package.
Conclusion
Mob Rules often suffers in comparison to its more illustrious forebear, yet it has a number of absolutely cracking songs, not least the title track, Sign of the Southern Cross, Voodoo and Falling off the Edge of the World. It is also blessed with a strong, dynamic production from Martin Birch (given greater weight by the excellent remastering here), and a strong performance from the band. Where it falls down a tad is with tracks like Country Girl, which lack the bite found elsewhere, although the included live version does help to explain the potential the band must have seen in the track at rehearsal.
As for the edition, like the previously reviewed Heaven and Hell deluxe edition, plenty of care and attention has been lavished on the gatefold sleeve, liner notes and bonus tracks. The bonuses here are mixed, with the first side offering a couple of decent bonuses and a rather shaky version of Die Young. The second side, however, is worth the price of admission alone and the live tracks are valuable both for the quality of the recording and their relative rarity. While vinyl lovers miss out on the full live set (it’s a shame a download card could not have been provided), the quality of the package is undeniable and, for fans of the format, this is an essential addition to their collection.
Original Album: 8/10
Reissue: 9/10
2-LP Track Listing
Side One
1. “Turn Up The Night”
2. “Voodoo”
3. “The Sign Of The Southern Cross”
4. “E5150”
5. “The Mob Rules”
Side Two
1. “Country Girl”
2. “Slipping Away”
3. “Falling Off The Edge Of The World”
4. “Over And Over”
Side Three
1. “The Mob Rules” – Heavy Metal Soundtrack Version
2. “Die Young” – Live B-Side Of “Mob Rules” 7”
3. “The Mob Rules” – New 2021 Mix *
4. “Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell” – Reprise *
Side Four
Live At The Hammersmith Odeon London (31/12/81 – 2/1/82)
1. “Country Girl”
2. “Slipping Away”
3. “The Mob Rules”
4. “Voodoo”
* previously unreleased
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