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Don’t pay attention to those fossils who keep coming out for Ozzfest: This is the real BLACK SABBATH.
Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 31-Jan-06 @ 08:12 PM
YEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1966-present
YEARS OF DECENT EXISTENCE: 1969-1982 BEST RECORDS: Their first four studio albums with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, all collected (with the not-to-shabby four albums that followed) on Rhino's Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978; after that, their first two studio albums with Ronnie James Dio in front, Mob Rules and Heaven And Hell. WORST RECORDS: Everything beyond the 1982 live album Live Evil; anyone who tells you otherwise is an apologist or a tool. GO DOWNLOAD: The first four albums: all killer, no filler. FILE UNDER: Proto-Doom SIMILAR-SOUNDING DINOSAURS: Not only did a Seattle band lift Black Sabbath's original name--no, not "Polka Tulk Blues Band," but Earth--and forge an almost comically bleaker subgenre out of a single Sabbath riff, but an entire underground of "doom" bands is still thriving off the bong resin from Sabbath's old rehearsal space. But those are just the most obvious ones: We're surprised the Osbourne family hasn't sued heavy metal itself for royalties due. THE MUSIC: Black Sabbath were arguably one of the first heavy-metal bands, though others (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer, et al.) did just as much to forge the genre. What Sabbath did apply to metal's roots-besides a killer rhythm section and a guitarist, Tony Iommi, responsible for some of the heaviest riffs ever-was the sense of menace and doom most people naturally associate with metal today. Though accused of dabbling in Satanism throughout their career (a rumor probably not helped by their record label's decision to plaster a huge inverted cross across their 1970 debut's gatefold), Sabbath were anything but evil themselves: If anything, Ozzy and lyricist/bassist Geezer Butler seemed to be trying to escape a childhood fear of the dark, with even their creepiest songs serving as paranoiac warnings against the devil's presence in modern life. Plus they were high as shit most of the time. WHAT THEY SAY: "If their predecessors clearly came out of an electrified blues tradition, Black Sabbath took that tradition in a new direction, and in so doing helped give birth to a musical style that continued to attract millions of fans decades later." -All Music Guide WHAT I SAY: Even more so than Altamont, Black Sabbath closed the coffin on the '60s peace, love and joy vibe, and for that, I adore them; plus, their first two albums with Dio totally rule. Unfortunately, like most aging rock bands, they fell victim to greed, in-fighting, creative redundancy and bad business decisions, not the least of which has been their interminable string of reunions since their original lineup put out a (crap) new album in 1998. WHY YOUR (GRAND)PARENTS LIKE THEM: I'm purposely ignoring everything after Sabbath's final Dio-led album, Heaven And Hell, on principle; your Pap-Pap probably thinks Glenn Hughes and Ian Gillan were totally underrated frontmen, and $10 says he was trollin' for tang in the parking lot before last year's Ozzfest. Life's too short not to learn from his mistakes. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: I'll believe the Sabbath reunions have ended when next year's Ozzfest doesn't have the band-Ozzy, for that matter-on the bill. And while there's not much point in getting excited about Butler's (with G/Z/R) and Iommi's solo careers, it's nice to see the old men staying active. It's probably telling that, after years of health problems, Bill Ward has retired from behind the kit to sing for his own band, the Bill Ward Band. All jokes aside, though, here's hoping Sabbath finally get recognized in this month's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominations-on second thought, if it means they're hitting the road again... -Bart Ng |
