black sabbath - digital booklet

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ACRASH OF THUNDER AMIDST POURING RAIN AND THE

OMINOUS TOLLING OF A DISTANT CHURCH BELL. ITMAY SOUND AS SCHLOCKY AND HAMMY AS THE PULP

HORROR FICTION AND HAMMER HORROR MOVIES THAT SO

INSPIRED BASSIST AND MAIN LYRICIST TERRY ‘GEEZER’BUTLER, BUT WHEN THE PRIMAL,THUMPING ROCK MUSIC THAT

FOLLOWED THE INTRO ON BLACK SABBATH’S EPONYMOUS

1970 DEBUT ALBUM, ON INDEED THE SONG CALLED ‘BLACK

SABBATH’, IT LEFT LISTENERS IN NO DOUBT THAT HERE WAS A

BAND DESTINED TO CHANGE THE FACE OF ROCK MUSIC

FOREVER. AND INDEED IT WAS SO...

When Sabbath appeared in 1968, the rock world had moved on apace from the beatand blues boom of the early ’60s, with new psychedelic sounds colouring thelandscape and leading to heavier sounds.As leaders of this new musical vision BlackSabbath would take the baton set by this new direction and run with it in a fardarker, heavier direction.

BLACK SABBATH’S GREATEST HITS

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Indeed, a fledgling Black Sabbath, going under the name Earth, would liberallypepper their live shows with lengthy blues jams as they gradually began to forgetheir own unique sound. Earth had evolved out of the Polka Tulk Blues Band whothemselves came into being when guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward,previously in a band called Mythology, hooked up with a young singer named John'Ozzy' Osbourne and bassist Butler, from local band Rare Breed.The original bandwas a six piece, augmented by saxophonist Alan 'Aker' Clarke and slide guitaristJimmy Phillips, but by the time they'd started calling themselves Earth, the band hadbecome the four piece who would, over the next decade, help shape the form ofmusic that would come to be known and loved worldwide as heavy metal.

Earth almost ground to a halt when Iommi suddenly upped and joined up andcoming prog rockers Jethro Tull in December 1968, but within the year he was backin Earth's ranks, with a new sense of vision and determination. In 1969 the bandchanged name for a final time, inspired by the 1963 Boris Karloff horror movieBlack Sabbath and signed a deal with Phillips imprint Fontana (although they wouldsoon move onto the Vertigo label within the Phillips stable).The stage was set for anew musical revolution.

Whilst other heavier rock acts orchestrated a slightly more progressive approach tothunderously loud heavy rock music, Black Sabbath's sound was primeval, dark andominous, reflecting the industrial background of their native Midlands.

Released on (predictably) Friday 13th of February, 1970, 'Black Sabbath' set out theband's musical vision perfectly, mixing ear-bleedingly loud guitars, mournful vocals,and a titanic rhythm section. Despite a panning in the media the album reached No.23 in the US album charts, and No. 8 at home. Sabbath were on their way.


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Within four months of the album's release, Sabbath were back in the studio workingon a follow-up. Originally it was the band's intent to call their second album 'WarPigs', after the now-legendary anti-war song, but a troubled US label (Warner Bros.)baulked at the last minute (how ironic that the critics who blindly labelled the bandSatanists never reflected on 'War Pigs' sentiments). Instead the album took the nameof a song the band recorded at the end of the sessions when they realised they didn'thave enough material, 'Paranoid'. This short, sharp shock of rock was also thepreceding single (and without a doubt the band's most famous tune) which wouldbe the only Sabbath tune to crack the UK Top 10 singles charts and help power‘Paranoid’ the album into the US Top 10 in October 1970 (as well as topping theUK charts) with barely any airplay or critical support.

With intricate tunes like 'Iron Man' and 'Fairies Wear Boots' as well as the reflective'Planet Caravan' (covered so successfully by Pantera in 1994) 'Paranoid' showedthere was far more depth to the band than many US critics were prepared to hear.This much was made even more evident when the band released their third album,'Master Of Reality', in July 1971. An epic moment in metal which showed greatervariety than the band's two previous efforts, as well as the ominous 'Children OfThe Grave' and the drug referencing 'Sweet Leaf'. The band compounded theirenormous US success with massive tours, after which they took a well earned break.

Sabbath returned invigorated in September 1972 with 'Volume 4' (originallyintended to be titled 'Snowblind' but once more the record company flinched at theovert drug reference). Again a million seller in America, the band also made an alltoo rare Top Of The Pops in the UK. And again the band continued to evolve,matching the blitzkrieg riffage of 'Supernaut' with the introspective ballad'Changes' (later covered by Ozzy and daughter Kelly). The theme of musicaladventure continued over onto 1973's excellent 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', at whichpoint the critics finally seemed to have woken up to the fact that Sabbath were morethan a bunch of wild-haired Neanderthals, and further compounded their alreadyimpressive success with the quite brilliant 'Sabotage' in 1975.

Despite not quite matching the hugely impressive sales status of earlier releases,'Sabotage' nevertheless achieved Gold sales status and was a Top 20 hit on both sidesof the Atlantic and included the legendary 'Symptom Of The Universe', one of theband's most majestic pieces of music. The band toured in support of the albumbefore Ozzy was sidelined due to a motorcycle accident. In the interim period, theband's career was celebrated with the release of the double greatest hits set ‘We SoldOur Souls For Rock'N'Roll'.


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Technical Ecstasy' was released in 1976. To further embellish their sound, keyboardplayer Gerald Woodruffe, who had also worked on 'Sabotage,' was brought back in,lending the music a more contemporary, up-tempo air. As before, 'Technical Ecstasy'was a huge success with built-in live show stoppers such as 'Dirty Women, ' 'Gypsy'and 'Back Street Kids.'

Arriving back into the Monnow Valley after some unfortunate events - Ozzy's lossand also a brief stint with Savoy Brown's Dave Walker - the band resumed writing.'Junior's Eyes' had already been mapped and rehearsed at Field Farm, Evesham, andwas a brilliant mixture of emotions and a remembrance to Black Sabbath's earlierbeginnings, with jazz-flavoured riffs peppered onto its hardcore structure. 'Never SayDie' was born in Monnow Valley, however, it took some below-30 degree weatherin Toronto Canada to capture 'Johnny Blade.' All the songs on 'Never Say Die' areheartfelt and contain the collective experience of a band who from humblebeginnings were able to create a powerful docking foundation where manymusicians and fans alike would rescue their day by pounding Sabbath into theirheads. A tired band, perhaps. A great band, yes. 'Never Say Die' was an ending, thelast album.The band thanks you.

The Black Sabbath success story would continue throughout the '90s with a seriesof further hit albums, whilst Osbourne would have a hugely successful solo careerand is these days a well known television celebrity along with wife Sharon.This set,however, focuses on the first Osbourne era from 1970 to 1978.

JERRY EWING

Classic Rock MagazineLondon, May 2009


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OZZY OSBOURNE vocals • TONY IOMMI guitarGEEZER BUTLER bass • BILL WARD drums

1. PARANOID

2. IRON MAN

3. CHANGES

4. FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS

5. WAR PIGS

6. NEVER SAY DIE

7. CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE

8. THE WIZARD

9. SNOWBLIND

10. SWEET LEAF

11. EVIL WOMAN (DON’T PLAY YOUR GAMES WITH ME)12. SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH

13. BLACK SABBATH

14. N.I.B.

All tracks written by Iommi/Butler/Osbourne/Ward,

except 12 written by Black Sabbath & track 11 written by Wiegand/ Wiegand/Wagner

All tracks published by Westminster Music Ltd.,

except 3, 7. 8, 12 & 13 published by Onward Music Ltd.

and 11 published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd.

Project Co-ordination: STEVE HAMMONDS & CHRIS DOUCH

Artwork & Design: HUGH GILMOUR | www.gilmourdesign.co.uk Sleeve Notes: JERRY EWING

Special thanks to: Sharon Osbourne, Sharon Hardwick, Ralph Baker,Ernest Chapman, Gloria Butler, Mike Slarve, Liese Rugo, Colin Newman,

Tony Cooke, Scott Bartlet, Zach Weeks & Duff Batyee

� 2009 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd

� 2009 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.


black sabbath - digital booklet

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