Black Sabbath "Seventh Star" 2 CD

The deluxe, remastered version of the 1986 album. Already writing for what was intended to be the guitarist’s first solo album, Tony Iommi was persuaded to brand the record as a Black Sabbath release, hence the rather lumpen moniker, Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi. With both bassist and drummer positions now having greater significance, Iommi recruited the skills of Dave 'The Beast' Spitz and drummer Eric Singer (later of Kiss renown) and for the first time the position of a keyboardist became a visible credit and long-serving back-room operator, Geoff Nicholls was finally brought to the foreground as an official member. However, it would be the position of lead vocalist that would have the greatest impact upon the new Sabbath sound and the appointment of ex-Trapeze and Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, set interest and expectations high.

But regardless of what these new recruits would bring to the melting pot, musically, this new Black Sabbath album would be somewhat of a departure from what was expected from the name. Iommi had obviously been writing to please his personal musical palette and not ‘to order’ for the Black Sabbath fan-base. As such, the songs on Seventh Star are more blues-inclined and in the case of the single release, "No Stranger To Love", an altogether more AOR and radio-friendly breeze is adopted.

There but for the grace of god, the twelfth official Black Sabbath studio album was released on 28th January 1986. Inevitably reviews were mixed but die-hard Sabs took the record to the number 27 position in the UK and number 78 in the US.

This re-mastered Deluxe Expanded Edition of the album adds the US Remix of the "No Stranger To Love" single and also for the very first time on CD, a live performance from London’s Hammersmith Odeon in June ’86 which features then unknown American singer, Ray Gillen on lead vocals who was brought in to complete the tour following the departure of Glenn Hughes due to illness.

Disc: 1

Disc: 2