BLACK SABBATH - Black Sabbath

*****

released 1970

This is probably my favorite Black Sabbath album of all time. I say that because this is one album I always must have a copy of on cd. I have a copy of the LP, the cd, and the cassette with the bonus track Evil Woman. The cover is creepy as shit and the sound is nothing short of perfection. Strangly enough, it was recorded (according to an interview with Tony Iommi in 1992) on 4 tracks. As they "progressed", the sound to me never quite lived up to this. The bass roams in space as Iommi nails down precision power chords. The drums are sonic and they never quite got the drums to sound that good until perhaps Sabatoge.

I first heard Warning in 1990 as an 8th grader. I woke up at 3am to a complete pitch black room with my clock radio on. It was playing something so fucking creepy and distant, I actually got frightened. The entire song of Warning consists of three tracks composed as one. The reverb is on full effect on this album. Well like I said, the enitre three part song is probably close to 14 minutes or so. It branches out over several plains of musical patterns. Some people regard this song as one long solo but its not true. Granted there is a pretty long fuckin guitar solo, but this song is way too complex to classify it as typical guitar wanking (a la Steve Vai, or any of those overachiever guitar dorkasses). This entire 14 minute song was recorded on a 4 track with only 2 attempts. No band can do that now. No way. However, the most powerful tracks on here is pretty much the enitre side of A.

Black Sabbath- "Oh god please god help me......." BOOM! This song is creepy as hell and Im sure you've heard it before. There is no other word to describe this song other than "dark". The finale of the song is a nonstop sonic attack of an SG guitar cranked up with the rhythm section from hell. Bass and drums and guitar pound this song into the fucking ground by its finish. Ozzys voice is fresh and raw, as opposed to his more familiar late 80s 90's almost nasal sound. His voice is dark, a lot deeper, and it creeps me the fuck out quite honestly. I think thats what appeals to me most about this band and how I cant even imagine the band without him. Almost every singer from the 70s was stupid as fuck. Zep was great, but Plant was a fucking moron shrieker. And so on and so forth. Deep Purples singer was a fairy boy poser, and anyway, they all sucked basically.

The Wizard- perfect. lets see, well......the guitars again are full force and blasting. Rhythm section, perfect. All these songs were roughly done on no more than 2 takes. Hence the intensity and raw drive. Yeah I know, what do you care about wizards and magic and all that shit, but we all cant write lyrics as great as you, mr phd college boy with all sorts of pointless social observations. Its the 70's, give me a break. Actually late 60's whatever.

The rest of this album is just as important as the songs I described. For the most part, the entire album was produced the same way. Wicked World sounds a little more lo-fi but you wont be able to tell the difference because you have a life. This album is my hands down favorite. Reverb, sonic guitars, roaming bass, solid drumming. Oh yeah, and eerie vocals. Hence, a fine musical product and a spit in the face and a final nail in the coffin of the hippie generation. Goodbye you fucking dirt diggers.

SONGS:

1. Black Sabbath

2. The Wizard

3. Wasp/Behind the Wall Of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B

4. Wicked World

5. A Bit Of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning