Customer Reviews

Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)

5 star:		(133)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

UPDATE NOV 2011: This package is out of print now. Rhino/Warner has told me so, and it will not be reprinted. Additionally, the albums from this box were never released individually. To that, I recommend the 2009-2011 Universal Deluxe Edition Series, as they are newer remastered, and a bit less heavy on the volume. They unfortunately were NOT released domestically in the US, but are worth the trouble to obtain.

Original APR 2004 Review: My name is Joe Siegler and I run "Black Sabbath Online". I have a much longer review of this disc at my site, but I had to crop it down to make it fit within Amazon's 1000 word limit, so if you want to read my full review, hit www.black-sabbath.com.

What is Black Box? It's a 9 disc collection (8 audio CD's, one DVD) comprising all the of the songs the original Black Sabbath released from 1970-1978.

The albums themselves have an unbelievable sound quality never heard in these recordings before. It's not like we have new songs here - these are after all the same songs released before. But they've never been heard like this before. I cannot stress how great these discs sound. I've been listening to Black Sabbath since 1981. I know these songs extremely well - EXTREMELY well. So much so that the slightest change is noticeable. Well, the sound range here is far more powerful than I've ever heard it before. Ever put in an old CD in your player, and it sounds flat, and a newer one you put in has a really rich, vibrant range? That's the kind of thing I'm talking about here. In addition to the songs just sounding more powerful and cleaner, individual instruments are more noticeable here. There's tons of places where I've heard drum fills by Bill Ward that I've never heard before. It's very cool finding bits in songs you've heard God knows how many times over the years. Coupled with the fact that the albums have a sonic power that I can't recall the songs having before make this by far the version to get - even if you already own all these albums.

That brings me to another point. The notion that Black Sabbath is just "out for money" by releasing this set without a ton of extras. In running my Black Sabbath site at www.black-sabbath.com I see a lot of feedback on various things, and ever since Black Box was originally announced ages ago, the #1 thing I think I've heard is something along the lines of "Where are the rarities? Where are The Rebel, and Song for Jim? What kind of cheap ass set is this without the extras?" No, they're not here. In fact, the only "oddity" songs on this set are "Evil Woman" from the first album, and "Blow on a Jug" from Sabotage. If you're looking to buy this based on the recent trend of other box sets to include rare songs and things like that, you WILL be disappointed. But if you're interested in how the songs SOUND, then my god, this is for you.

And that's just the music. There's other stuff here, too. The ninth disc is a DVD which contains what's known as the "Beat Club footage", which comprises four songs. The four songs are "Iron Man", "Paranoid, "Black Sabbath", and the rather loose cover of "Blue Suede Shoes". This footage (well, not Blue Suede Shows) is also used on MTV as "videos" and the like, most of this stuff won't be new to most people, but it's nice to have it here. It does appear to be a bit cleaner than the VHS release of this stuff that happened some time ago.

The packaging itself is rather Black. I say that because the box itself is Black, and the writing on the box is also black, so it's not terribly visible when viewed straight on. Inside the box are two smaller boxes, each containing four CD's. Each of those four CD's are the 8 individual Sabbath studio albums with Ozzy. Each is in it's own digipak style packaging - it's not jewel case packaging. On the front and back sides of the individual CD cases are the original front and back cover art that appeared on the albums as they were released ages ago. Inside the digpaks are art that I believe appeared on the original print vinyl sleeves as released originally. So much so that albums that had lyrics on their original vinyl sleeves are reproduced here, too (much to small to read without hurting your eyes). I haven't seen a vinyl print of Sabotage in ages, and it was funny to see the guys backsides again like that. :) The CD's themselves have the same kind of "black on black" print that the exterior of the box has. The logos on the individual CD's match the lettering used on the original artwork for the albums, a nice touch - it's not standard lettering across all of them. Overall, nice packaging of the albums - no complaints here.

Anyway, the biggest "new" item would be the booklet. It's a 77 page hardcover booklet, which is covered in black velvet. Let me say this. When you pick up, don't have your hands dirty. It looks like it'll pick up dirt pretty easily. It's got a very nice feeling in your hands. It's got no writing or lettering on the outside, save for that Sabbath flying angel logo we've seen many times before. There's a few portions to the book. There are two stories of the band, a Sabbath timeline, and finally, some "official" lyrics. This should put to rest some long standing debates over some Sab lyrics. There's much goodness in here.

This is a wonderful package, both from the looks to the sounds, to the booklet. Get it. Your ears will thank you.

MAKE NO MISTAKE. Black Box is the most definitive version of the original eight albums by Black Sabbath. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION.

Joe Siegler
[...]

Black Sabbath didn't have the revolutionary recording techniques or melodic sophistication of Led Zeppelin, but in terms of sheer brawn, Sabbath is right up there among the greats. No classic-rock collection is complete without at least two or three of these eight records, and if you want the complete lexicon of heavy metal, you will find it here.

This package is well conceived, classily packaged, with a velvet hard-covered book and the eight albums in Digipak format. Sabbath records in CD format never had much in terms of notes so the format is suitable. You will also get the complete lyrics in the book. The history of the band, written by Chris Welch and Brian Ives, is scanty and contains very little that you won't find elsewhere (I actually found the liner notes to the Reunion live double CD more informative), but they are at least reverent enough about their subjects. Here is a disc-by-disc rundown:

1. Black Sabbath: The debut album, ridiculed by critics, a dark-horse favourite among fans despite two very long, rambling jams. But worth it for ominous title track "Black Sabbath" alone, and "The Wizard" shows that this band wasn't too bad at blues, its original chosen music style, either.

2. Paranoid: This record is so legendary that in a way familiarity breeds contempt, but you still can't deny the power of Tony Iommi's massive guitar riffs. The underrated Geezer Butler/Bill Ward rhythm section comes into its own on "Paranoid" and the painfully slow groove of "Iron Man", and Iommi's crushing guitar tone keeps the very long "War Pigs" in focus.

3. Master of Reality: Not one of my favourite Sabbath albums, this album was hurt by the muffled recording but remains a landmark nonetheless. The guitars on "Children of the Grave" remind me a little of Deep Purple, and "Into the Void"'s central riff is pretty much the blueprint for most of Slayer's music in the past 20 years. Tony Iommi stretching out into melodic, quiet material on "Orchid", "Embryo" and "Solitude" shows that this band was more versatile than given credit for.

4. Vol. 4: Featuring one of the brasher mixes in this batch, Vol. 4 takes time to grow on you. "Supernaut"'s panoramic harmonized guitars are one of Iommi's finest moments, and "Cornucopia" juxtaposes a deceptively cheery vocal melody with evil riffs and lyrics.

5. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: A metal classic, with the propelling title track being the standout. "A National Acrobat" utilizes a twin-guitar assault soon to be appropriated by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and "Spiral Architect" creates a fantastic sense of mystique.

6. Sabotage: My personal favourite, this one contains the ten-minute tirade "Megalomania", where Black Sabbath demonstrates how to write an immensely heavy slow part, then launches into one of its most searing rifforamas. "Hole in the Sky" is manic, and "Symptom of the Universe"'s megaton riff may well be the song that gave birth to the immensely influential Metallica rhythm guitar sound.

7. Technical Ecstasy: Weaker than all the rest, this album seems to find the band losing its identity. Both sonically and arrangement-wise, Sabbath actually sounds a little like Blue Oyster Cult! If there's one Sabbath record that sounds like it aspires towards arena rock, this is it -- and it doesn't suit the band well.

8. Never Say Die!: The recording has improved marginally. "Breakout" is a great guitar track, and the title track points to the direction Ozzy Osbourne would take with his solo material.

9. The bonus DVD: Those who have seen Black Sabbath's black-and-white music video for "Paranoid" (yes, it exists) know that this band was very bad for the music-video treatment. Ozzy tends to stand around bobbing his head, and the band is rooted to the spot (when your drummer's your most active performer, you know you're not tailored for the camera). But the performances -- live takes of "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "Black Sabbath" and a bizarre cover of "Blue Suede Shoes", juiced up with cheesy '70s effects -- have a naive charm to them. Geezer's bass is seriously out of tune with Iommi's guitar, though. I also wish they would have included that black-and-white video of "Paranoid".

This boxed set is a great acquisition for collectors, superior in packaging than the earlier boxed set, The Complete '70s Replica CD Collection. Better priced, too. Granted, it's not for the casual peruser, and newcomers should probably just pick up Paranoid, Sabotage and the debut for an overview, but fans of the band who don't own all these records can now pick them all up in one fell swoop. The price works out to less than if you picked each record up on its own, even though all these records can now be found in the bargain bin, and you get the bonus book and the DVD to boot.

Whenever someone asks me "What's your favorite band?" I always reply with the following: Black Sabbath, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin...not necessarily in that order.

It's been a staple answer for 20 years, yet part of me has always felt like a liar for the last 10. I've burnt out on these bands.

All of that changed Yesterday when I purchased the Iron Man/Paranoid single that Rhino released to promote this boxed set. I bought it "Just to see..." how much better these remasters really sounded. I've bought numerous quote-unquote remasters, reissues, boxed sets, compilations over the years and was always disappointed.

15 Minutes later, I was a proud owner of The Black Box. This set sounds like it was recorded *yesterday*. It is such a radical difference that these songs sound brand new and contemporary without actually being any different. Albums that were flat and muddy like Master of Reality and Technical Ecstasy are now vibrant and crisp. Hearing them like this, a lot of songs that might've been overlooked in the past are now enjoyable.

The book is all fine and good...lots of self-congratulatory propaganda that you might expect...but the real deal within it's pages are *official lyrics*. Finally! Not only am I hearing Sabbath with fresh ears, but also new understanding. A lot of the lyrics are a lot deeper than I'd ever known and it gives me new respect for the material.

Black Sabbath is my favorite band, and I can proclaim it honestly again because of this set.

For those who complain about no bonus tracks, lost tracks etc. I will say this: I trust Sabbath's judgement on the matter. If there exists anything in the archives that is truly good, I'd expect them to hold on to it until they are absolutely too old to do anything but release them and collect a final paycheck to take them into their golden years. As of now, they could still reform and do a new studio album, which is what I would personally prefer.

Well, after reading a lot of reviews, and hearing people talk about how long they've been listening to Sabbath, let me add my take on The Box. I have been listening to the mighty Sabs since 1970 - yeah, I'm that old, but what a thrill to have been able to discover each album upon its release. Since then and forever, they are my favorite band of all time. I bought the Castle remasters a few years ago, and compared to the vinyl I had, WOW - what an incredible sonic difference. I have always felt that the Castles were an excellent remastering, along with great packaging (raised lettering on the "Master of Reality" sleeve, for Chrissake!). The box set masters, to me, don't really sound much different. I'm listening through new $900 Klipsch speakers, 5.1 channels through an Onkyo receiver. Both pretty equal (other than the hardly-noticeable-till-you-read-about-them dropouts in a few songs). The packaging - well, not that impressed. Where are the additional photos from "Volume 4"? The inner-sleeve production info on "Never Say Die"? All on the Castles, but not here. Sonically, perhaps the volume was pumped on the new versions, but the remasterings are not that different to my ears. But it's all really a moot point. The sound is superb, but I have yet to see any mention of the excellent production by early producer Roger Bain in any of the reviews I've read. Sabbath's sound made a noticeable change to a less-ominous, less-heavy direction with the fourth album (and new producer), meaning that Bain really was the one who gave us the sound we now know literally CREATED the genre of heavy-metal. I really wish we could hear more about, and from, this most unsung hero of the Sabbath sound. Imagine if another producer had been hired instead of Bain - perhaps the dark, thunderous, genre-defining sound of Black Sabbath as we know it may never have come to fruition! Love live Roger Bain!!

I know a lot of Black Sabbath fans will look at Black Box and say "What? Another box set? I HAVE all these CDs! No 'Born Again'? Damnit, this is another money-making idea from Sharon!" I had the same initial thoughts too, but let's face the facts:

This is the first OFFICIAL box set from Black Sabbath. In other words, it is the only one released under the band's guidence, let alone one that the band had any knowledge of prior to release. Other box sets like "Under Wheels of Confusion" and the Japanese release "The Ozzy Years", not to mention lots of 1-disc compilations, are invaribly record label decisions, where the band typically has no say in the matter. Not in this case.

As for "Live At Last" not being there, that wasn't released until 1980, and was basically an unauthorized bootleg until it was cleaned up and re-released as part of "Past Lives", now widely available. As for not including "Reunion" or pre-1970 material from the "Earth" years, again, the box set is subtitled "1970-78". And believe me, I LOVE the post-Ozzy years of Black Sabbath, but I'd rather hear full albums than a bunch of half-albums. And rest assured: Rhino records will NOT be ignoring the 1980-1995 period; something IS in the works.

As for the lack of rarities, well, there basically just WEREN'T any from this time period. No B-sides, and sadly no really well-documented concert tours or studio sessions. As for The Magic Lanterns or "Electric Sleep": a little research will show you that these are just some of the many hoaxes that involve absolutely no members of Black Sabbath. And forget about song titles like "Wasp", "A Bit of Finger", "Luke's Wall", and "Jack the Stripper" -- these were just written on the albums to make it look like they had more songs. This box set isn't missing anything from the original albums.

In 1996, Castle Records remastered (from an unknown source) Black Sabbath's 1970-1986 catalog, and with a few flaws (channel drops, skips, etc.). Plus, tracks were sometimes placed in different orders from the original albums (as happened on the many bootlegged import cassettes which filled stores in the 80s), and the Castle liner notes and lyrics had lots of mistakes. But the tracks on "Black Box" were remastered right from the original tapes, follow the original track orders, and sound AMAZING. I picked up little sounds I never noticed before, despite having listened to these albums over and over for years. The box set also has the first AUTHORIZED collection of lyrics! After reading COUNTLESS bad lyric transcriptions from music books, web sites, and even CDs, I'm so glad to finally read some lines that have alluded me for years.

The CDs come in a simple digipac format, with the original album front covers and back covers faithfully done. The discs themselves have black-on-black writing and each use the same fonts as the given album. There's also a beautiful black velvety book brandishing the fallen angel logo, with the lyrics, tons of photos, celebrity quotes (similar to those included in the "NIB" tribute CD), a biographical essay covering the first 4 albums, a second essay by another author covering the time of the next 4 albums, and a timeline.

And although I still give this 5 stars, I have a few gripes:

The second essay and the timeline (both written my Mtv's Brian Ives) have a few facts wrong, and are biased towards Ozzy's solo accomplishments to the point of distorting some history. Also, some other band's photos are printed on the inside of the book! Disc 5 is mistitled "Sabbath BloDDy Sabbath" on the spine. Some of the CDs have photographs and artwork missing from the original releases. SPLIT SECOND left-channel drop in "Into The Void", at 1:48, but oh well. The DVD (identical to the short "Musikladen Live" DVD) is very difficult to pull out of its sleeve. And I REALLY think they should have included the Paris 1970 show, a televised video (now a bootleg) which exists in excellent condition, most audio of which is on "Past Lives".

I just went out and bought this today at Sam Goody and I must say this is AWESOME. I have all thier albums and the Beat Club Footage, but according to www.black-sabbath.com these versions sound the best, and Joe's right. All the albums are crystal clear and alot of stuff on them I've never heard because the clarity on my others aren't this good. The Beat Club Footage must have been revamped to because it looks and sounds better than the Black Mass LP that I have it on. I am probably one of the biggest Black Sabbath fans around and believe me, if you are too, you will not be dissappointed with this set. It is essential.

This is an amazing collection. When I first heard Black Sabbath I was blown away. Me and my friends generally agree that this band uses drums like no other band in history. Take a listen to "Rat Salad" for that amazing solo. This group is scary, inspiring, a momentous achievement for rock. Black Sabbath is the best metal band ever.

Now about the Box Set. It has 8 CD's and a so-so DVD add on. The 8 CD's have their original designs printed on the, and it looks great. The music is perfect, clear-sounding. The sound has really been enhanced. I would recommend this to anyone, even if you've "legally" downloaded all of this. This is the definitive, otherwise known as Perfect version of the best Black Sabbath music. A must-buy.

I must admit I was quite apprehensive to shell out the money for these albums because I already owned the Castle Remasters which I thought sounded far superior to the hiss filed limp Warner Brothers releases of these albums that I also have to compare this set with when writing this review. Boy Joe was right about this release. These albums sound just incredible. They are almost MINT! Sure you can still hear the analog hiss but it's not nearly as noticeable and wow the instruments just come right out of the speakers blazing with such power. Bill Ward really shines and listening to this set really lets one know how great of a drummer he was and definitely one of the 10 best rock drummers of all time in my book. Tony's riffs are much louder and his solos much clearer and crisper and Geezer's Bass is like the perfect Swiss watch. The intro to NIB sounds like he is standing right next to you. Ozzy of course in many ways is the most popular and known member of the band and his vocals sound great with more menacing clarity and greater powerful resonance than before. I actually enjoyed Changes this time around and in fact Volume 4, which is my favorite Sabbath album, sounded just phenomenal. Master of Reality's somewhat compressed mix really benefited from this remastering and the classic Paranoid and Black Sabbath will never sound better. Though this set is a bit of an anti climax with Never Say Die and to a lesser extent Technical Ecstasy the massive upgrade in sound quality is well worth the money. The book and DVD are nice touches as well. I will say that the individual artwork on the albums could have been better as the castle remasters have all of the original packaging, but the real effort on this release clearly involved sound quality. THIS SET PROVES THAT REMASTERING WHEN DONE RIGHT CAN TAKE AN OLD PICTURE AND PLACE IT WITH A VASTLY IMPROVED FRAME!!!! IF YOU CAN AFFORD THE MONEY AND LOVE THE ORIGINAL BLACK SABBATH DO NOT HESITATE TO GET THIS BLACK BOX!

Alright, my heading describes what I am experiencing right now as I am writing this review. I got this the day it came out at Best Buy and it is the most awesome experience for any Sab fan. The albums sound absolutley amazing. You would swear that the Sabs were standing right in front of you rockin' out your favorite classics. I've never heard such a clear version of "War Pigs". I turned up the stero so loud that my ears began ringing. I was about knocked onto the floor when i listened to "Hole in the Sky". This is such a great collection.

The set comes in a black box,(duh), with two smaller boxes containing the 8 studio albums. There is also a velvet covered book containing the history of the band, lyrics, pictures, etc. and the DVD is in a sleeve in the back of the book. The DVD looks and sounds great also. We've all seen the footage before but the quality is so much better here.

Get this set. It is a must for any fan (even if you already have all of their albums as I already did).

BLACK SABBATH RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Length:: 2:38 Mins

I thought a video review would be a good way to showcase this amazing box set. I realized after I shot it that I totally forgot to mention the bonus DVD. That's absolutely included in the box, and can be found in the back of the booklet.