Live at Last is a 1980 live album by English heavy metal bandBlack Sabbath. Despite its wide distribution and success, the album was released without the permission or knowledge of the band, and is thus regarded in some quarters as an unofficial bootleg live album. The album was, however, released legally by the band's former manager Patrick Meehan who owned the rights to the recording. The album was re-released with the approval of the band on 27 September 2010. The nature of the album's initial release as being without the band's approval is demonstrated by a notoriously embarrassing goof in the original version, which falsely credited the singer as "Ossie Osbourne".
Background
After dismissing manager Patrick Meehan in the late 1970s, Black Sabbath became embroiled in a long legal dispute with their former management. Later, in 1980, Meehan arranged the reissue of the Black Sabbath catalogue and the release on the NEMS label of a live album of old recordings without the band's consent. The album consisted of a 1973 concert recording the band intended to use for a live album, but shelved indefinitely after being unhappy with the recording.
Recording
The release of Live at Last, combined with Ozzy Osbourne's 1982 release of Speak of the Devil live album consisting entirely of Black Sabbath songs, prompted Black Sabbath to release their first official live album, 1982's Live Evil.
Release history
ed versions of the original Live at Last recording have been released since the 1990s by various record labels. In the liner notes of the reissue on CD by Castle Communications in 1996, it is stated that the recordings were taken at Manchester Free Trade Hall and at the Rainbow Theatre in North London. This album was re-released by Sanctuary Records in 2002 as the first CD of Past Lives. Past Lives itself was re-released again in 2010 in a "Deluxe Edition". According to the Past Lives liner notes, the Live at Last performance was recorded on the 11 and 16 of March 1973.
Reviews and responses
The album has received a mixed to negative review from AllMusic, with critic Alex Henderson stating that he found the band "in decent form" but criticising the shortness of the release and the absence of some of Black Sabbath's best known material such as "Iron Man" and their title track "Black Sabbath". Mixed to positive reviews have appeared in the Encyclopaedia Metallum.
