Black Sabbath
Was Rock in league with Satan? There were a lot of people who couldn't find any other plausible explanation for Rock's long lasting popularity. They had to attribute it to outside forces. It couldn't be the music or even expert marketing. No, something more sinister was at work. In the '50s Rock n' Roll was a communist plot. But by the '70s Satan had taken over. Why let inept commies run something as powerful as Rock? Rumors abounded. KISS was alleged to stand for Knights In Satan's Service. Religious types, with nothing better to do, played Styx records backwards trying to prove there were Satanic messages. In the end, all they really proved was Styx records often sounded better in reverse. Amid all this craziness there were some bands, like Black Sabbath, whose songs dwelled on the sinister, occult and macabre.
When the term "Heavy Metal" (taken from the William Burroughs novel "Soft Machine") was coined in the late-60s it was used to describe loud, earth-shaking guitar oriented Rock. The first groups tagged with the term (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and so on) found it derogatory but the next wave, including Black Sabbath, embraced the title and all its loutish connotations. Dishonor had its own reward.
Starting out in Ashton, UK, as Polka Tulk, with Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Terry "Geezer" Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums), they composed a song called "Black Sabbath." After becoming Earth, they finally settled on Black Sabbath to coincide with Butler's black magic interests.
Black Sabbath's second effort "Paranoid" was one of the all-time great Metal LPs. It was released in the UK in '70 and a year later in the U.S. Along with Judas Priest's "Screaming For Vengeance," (recorded years later) Sabbath's "Paranoid" (the title track) defined ultimate Metal. Osbourne's staccato vocals battled with Iommi's machine gun guitar chords.
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Black Sabbath's second effort "Paranoid" was one of the all-time great Metal LPs. It was released in the UK in '70 and a year later in the U.S. Along with Judas Priest's "Screaming For Vengeance," (recorded years later) Sabbath's "Paranoid" defined ultimate Metal. Osbourne's staccato vocals battled with Iommi's machine gun guitar chords.
"Iron Man," a heavy riff song, had a dark and ominous feeling - not to mention a killer guitar solo. Also, there was "War Pigs" which turned out to be a concert favorite. Sabbath continued with the fierce "Masters of Reality" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath." In the mid-70s Sabbath came to a grinding halt in a management dispute. On top of that Osbourne and Iommi had musical differences. Iommi wanted to expand the arrangements while Osbourne favored the present course and speed. Osbourne walked out only to return a short time later. But not long after that he was unceremoniously booted out. Drugs (often cocaine) had riddled the group, zapping the creativity and drive. Even amid a wasted backdrop Osbourne's abuse was deemed unacceptable.
Ronnie James Dio, from Rainbow, stepped in. Dio's mythology influenced lyrics fit the Sabbath mode. But while Sabbath was successful they didn't have the same power. As the '80s got underway the band became a revolving door that included Dio's departure. Eventually, ex-Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, replaced him. However, Gillan bailed for a Deep Purple reunion project.
Ironically, as Black Sabbath's troubles mounted their former vocalist, Osbourne, was having a spectacular solo career.
In '97 the original Sabbath members performed together including an appearance on the Ozzyfest tour. The "Black Box: The Complete Original 1970 - 1978" containing the first eight Sabbath LPs arrived in '04 as the group did another Ozzfest stint.
If Black Sabbath didn't invent Heavy Metal, they were certainly present at creation. "Black Sabbath" (1970), "Paranoid" (1971), "Masters of Reality" (1971) and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (1973) are Black Sabbath's best albums. All had Ozzy Osbourne. Even though the group had declined significantly before his departure, Osbourne's absence was near fatal. Attempting to carry on with Ronnie James Dio provided short-term, above average results with the "Heaven and Hell" record but it didn't last.
Black Sabbath mixed Metal, fear and paranoia. In hindsight, it seems a natural combination and Sabbath parlayed it into a career, beginning with "Iron Man" from "Paranoid" to the title track of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath." All driven by Iommi's blistering guitar and Osbourne's intense, piercing vocals.
By the mid '70s Black Sabbath was done but they kept on recording. The '80s the situation got worse with the group employing a couple of Deep Purple (Ian Gillan/Glenn Hughes) re-treads to fill out the line-up. None of this really matters. "We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll" captures the highlights. The "Black Box: The Complete Original 1970 - 1978" is an interesting option. The set captures the group at their peak. Unfortunately, it also documents their decline due to drugs and constant legal hassles.
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