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BLACK SABBATH - "Black
Sabbath" (1/2005)
This, my friends, was the
beginning of Heavy Metal.
This record, released in
May 1970, was something the world just wasn't ready for. Coming at
the end of the 60's "peace and love" era and the AM radio
pop sound, this was a pop melody mass murderer. Much like
seeing an adolescent Linda Blair driving a crucifix up into her
bloody groin area shouting expletives was in '74, this record
was the audio equivalent. This was pure evil. The four members of
the band were thought of as direct descendants of Satan, instead of
four poor kids from working class Birmingham, England. Starting
out on their hometown pub-and-club circuit as Earth, they
played a blend of blues and rock that led to a devout following
throughout the English Midlands. In 1968 they changed their name to
Black Sabbath, and started writing songs to fit their new
moniker. In 1969 they entered the studio to cut this,
their self-titled debut record.
As soon as this record kicks
off, the shivers are sent bolting down your spine. The self-titled
"Black Sabbath" track, complete with the sound of thunder and
pouring rain, is the perfect introduction to the menacing Metal that
pulses through this entire record. Singer Ozzy Osbourne plants his
deepest, spookiest voice on us, and belts out lyrics like "Big black
shape with eyes of fire - Telling people their desire - Satan's
sitting there, he's smiling - Watches those flames get higher and
higher". And, of course, standing tall behind all of this gloom and
doom, is the sledgehammer instrumentation of band members
Iommi, Ward, and Butler. Butler's thumping, bottom heavy
bass combined with Ward's simple, yet bombastic drum assault
created one of the heaviest rhythm sections ever. On top of that you
have the tremendous, stupendous, and truly amazing Tony Iommi
playing guitar. It sounds so unfair to say that he's just
"playing guitar". Tony Iommi does so much more than just play
guitar. The seity of these songs is ultimately created within
Iommi's strings. His playing was revolutionary here, and his
Best Metal Guitarist throne began its construction
immediately.
The second of only five
album tracks is one that begins with Osbourne playing harmonica.
"The Wizard" is hard rock classic driven by Ward's rumbling
drum work, and Ozzy's rare work on the harmonica. As I listen
to this record today, I tend to favor this song for that very reason
- we never hear Ozzy play the harp anymore. I miss the sound
and mood that it created here, and it's always refreshing
to rekindle the fire behind that harp with this
tune.
As the record moves into the
four-part third track, "WASP, Behind The Wall Of Sleep, Bassically,
N.I.B.", we may have the quintessential Sabbath track. At just
over ten minutes, we get great instrumental pieces that feed into
lyrics of mysticism which are sung with power and
style. "Bassically" is basically a bass solo intro to "N.I.B.",
and it cements "Geezer" Butler upon his Best Metal Bassist throne.
One word,...........incredible. The lyrics from "N.I.B.", which is
an acronym for Nativity In Black, carries on the "horror movie"
lyrical theme with deadly precision. With lyrics like "Look into my
eyes, you will see who I am, my name is Lucifer,
please take my
hand", the flower power people started wetting themselves - and that
was the idea. Sabbath was one of the first to really take the risk
of pushing the censorship envelope without using four letter word
profanity. The powers that be started asking if they could ban music
that mentioned Lucifer or Satan, or spoke of incantations and
the like. This record truly got the censorship juices
flowing.
With the straight forward
rocker called "Wicked World", Sabbath moves to lyrics with political
and social commentary. Osbourne questions the politicians and their
priorities,
"A
politician's job they say is very high
For he has to choose who's
got to go and die
They can put a man on the moon quite
easy
While people here on earth are dying of old
diseases"
and then goes
on, ironically, to question the morality of
society,
"A woman goes to work every day after
day
She just goes to work just to earn her pay
Child sitting
crying by a life that's harder
He doesn't even know who is his
father"
The album finishes up with what
sounds like a leftover from the Blues inspired time when the
band called themselves Earth. This three-part, fifth and final
track, "A Bit Of Finger, Sleeping Village, Warning", is another
extraordinary exhibition of talent. Clocking in at just over
fourteen minutes, this is a Blues jam of epic proportions. Iommi,
once again, exhibiting his sharp, maniacal style. Not much has been
said of drummer Bill Ward up until this point, and that's just not
right. All through this release you hear Ward's solid pounding
of the skins. Every song on the record is testimony to
his place of royalty in Heavy Metal history. And, of
course, there is the King Of Kings.......the Godfather Of
Metal.........the Wife Of Sharon - Ozzy Osbourne. This is a young
and hungry Ozzy, with a deeper, more resonant vocal tone; an Ozzy
you will never hear again. This disc is the place to get your fill.
So, load this disc in your player and fill 'er
up. | 
