You ever listen to an album and was so blown away by the sound of the album it felt like you just got hit by a train. Well, this album was me getting hit by that train. From the first day I owned this album to just recently buying the 2CD re-issue of this it still has a huge powerful effect on me.
Black Sabbath's first album is an amazing piece of machinery. I know that it is still a amazing influence on Heavy Metal today as when it came out in 1970. It's powerful bass in front and Ozzy's lyrics are an animal. It takes you by the throat and won't let go for 40 minutes. The shear power back then could never be expressed in words.
I used to have this on album and played it religiously. So much so I had to commit it to tape. I put Paranoid on side 2. Both gave me more of kick in the ass then I had. The tape is still in my collection and once in a while to hear the vinyl rip is still a satisfying meal in itself.
The song's that jump up and attack are "Behind the Wall of Sleep" and "N.I.B." I like the way they mix into each other and often when I used to play this on my show It was a great way to keep a great flow going. The bass lines by Geezer Butler are outstanding and what I don't understand that he should be recognized for that. Not many Hard Rock let alone Heavy Metal Bands talk about how great he played.
The big heavy hitter is "Warning." It's 10 minutes in length is a powerhouse. Who ever gave the idea to make lengthy cuts with band fading in the background and let Tony Iommi just do a solo for little under three minutes. That was unheard of then. I immediately fell in love. It was not hard.
Then one day I had a car with a CD player. I could not bare to buy the CD that was in stores. All that wonderful sound is going to be compressed and not sound that great. I had a friend who felt the same way until he showed me the Castle Edition from 1999. There was not only better sound quality, and a better liner notes, but it included my new favorite song of theirs. "Evil Woman." That song changed my life. Somehow, America did not catch to the fact that this song was the single. What a piece of work this was. I thank my friend for turning me on to this version.
In the summer of 2009 I picked up the Deluxe Edition of this album. The Sound was rich and pure and what was the best part was the second CD of greatness. It is a must own in any one's collection. If you want to transport yourself to 1970, this is your CD. Take cover because this will hit you like a train wreck.
Strap in and enjoy the ride. There has never been anything like this before or since. If I suggest anything start with the second disc on the remaster to see how this classic progressed from the baby steps that gave a rumble to the Bigfoot steps that attacked the Rock and Roll world.
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Matt,
ReplyDeleteI agree Parnoid is their very best album. Sabbath also really are ground zero for the birth of modern metal. Sure there had been hard or even heavy rock with Cream, Blue Cheer, King Crimson and even Zep came out before Sabbath. But Zep (other than "Communication Breakdown")was never typical metal (too complicated). Sabbath -- like the Stooges to Punk -- wrote the book on heavy metal.
I love how the first Rolling Stone Record Guide, in the 70s, gave this album 1*. The last edition gave it 5*. Hmmm. It only took them about 30 years to get it right (and "get" something, we already got back in the 70s).
Although hard rock and heavy metal was pretty great in the early 70s, many of Sabbath's greatest followers didn't really start coming into play until years later. For years, nobody was as demonic, powerful, and most important, "heavy", as Sabbath. Talk about being years ahead.
Rick/AKA
I still say "Iron Man" is a rip-off of King Crimson's "Schizoid Man."
ReplyDeleteI admit that back in High School my friend and I would play the Paranoid album and laugh and laugh. It was so extreme it seemed like a joke esp. with song titles like "Fairies Wear Boots." It was like a caricature of what a Metal band should be. And, sadly, Ozzy eventually became a caricature of himself. Still, there's no doubting that they were the Granddaddies of Metal and the band to whom every metal-head owes a debt. They defined a genre.