Customer Reviews

Black Sabbath [Vinyl]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album is what I consider a "must have" for anyone. It shows the magic that four arguably not very special individuals had when they were together. It isn't even what many hard rock and heavy metal fans would call "metal". It is just a fantastic heavy rock album. Dark and moody, yet catchy and immensely enjoyable.

For me one of the best parts is the bass and drums on this album. Free of any mold that later developed, they are both unconstrained and adventurous. The only caveat is that production standards of the era meant really deep bass was not considered OK.

There are any number of versions of this album you could have bought on CD. I own, have listened to (a lot!), and examined on sound editors several. This is my take on them:

Early Castle release (1986): Good straight transfer, no volume maxing, limited only by digital equipment of the day and an engineer who presumably knew and cared nothing about Sab, every album he did seems to have at least one track start point wrong! UK track listing, No Wicked World.

Early Warners release: Similar to above, but probably transfered from copy tapes, judging by tape hiss and slightly more muffled quality. US track listing, No Evil Woman.

Castle Remaster (1996):Probably had the best sound until now, care had been taken to deliver what they thought the market wanted, though the included lyrics were at times hilariously wrong. Big downfall - volume maxed, at an estimate 5 or 6 dB dynamics removed by software limiting. UK track listing plus Wicked World.

As part of The Black Box (2004)(boxed set of 1970's studio albums): Avoid. Worst volume maxed copy I've owned. Incomplete original art work. Does have booklet with complete approved lyrics. Not stated what tapes were used so probably US copy tapes again. US track listing plus Evil Woman.

Black Sabbath Deluxe (this CD): Best sounding remaster to date. Sounds like some equalisation has been used to get a slightly warmer sound across all three "deluxe" reissues to date, which should attract many people. UK track listing, Wicked World on bonus disc.

So why haven't I given this a 5 star rating? Mainly because they couldn't stop themselves using just a tiny, little, software peak limiting to get a couple dB's more volume. Probable inaudible, but why why why.... Please, please can we put volume maxing behind us - it can only loose quality even while initially tricking people that the release is "better".

Also, personally I'd rather they didn't equalise it, just give me a straight copy of the original master tape and then I can do what I like. But I'm a perfectionist.

The bonus disk is also the first time we've seen outakes etc. included, which is great but rather than doing a track for track match-up to the final album (though there are two versions of the title track) I'd rather they gave us a bonus disc crammed with every outtake etc. they could fit. Mostly I didn't find the bonus tracks add much to the final album, often sounding like nearly finished rehearsals. Love the horns on Evil Woman though!

All in all I would recommend this release to anyone wanting just one good copy of the album. And everyone should want a good copy of this album!

Length:: 5:54 Mins

Check out the video below where I talk about the release. I show you a complete unboxing, showing everything that is inside there, speak to the sound quality, the extras on the second CD, etc, etc... The real review is in the video, not in this text. :)

Minor updates to my review. The book I mention towards the end is not Mark Weiss, he was the photographer, I believe. And the poem from the original release *IS* here, but not the upside down cross. That was my error.

If you are a Sabbath fan, you will definitely want to pick up this version which I feel is the definitive version! This has the song that started the demonic side of heavy metal with the song BLACK SABBATH. The album is of course amazing and if you are just getting into the classic era of Black Sabbath, this is essential. The sound quality is perfect for disc 1 which also includes Evil Woman which for years was unavailable in the USA. Disc 2 is what collectors will really want this for. This has outtakes of Black Sabbath, The Wizard and Behind The Wall of Sleep. This also has an alternative version of Evil Woman which is quite interesting but it is quickly obvious why the original version was picked. The packaging is great compared to the US version or the mid 90's castle remastered edition. This has detailed liner notes and pictures from the original LP version. If you still need convincing, it is Black F***ING Sabbath! Pick it up, you will not be let down!

Being a big Sabbath geek over the years, I've purchased most things Sabbath related with varying degrees of success. This particular release is definitely an exception! I've probably heard this album thousands of time, over the years, and this version is something to be really appreciated. The Remastering on the original album is probably what I would consider to be THE definitive version...it just sounds phenomenal! Owning a recording studio, and trying to listen to recordings that are well done, etc. is one of the highlights of my 'job'. It continues to amaze me how a recording done over 40 years ago, on 'primitive' (even by then standards) equipment, basically recorded live, with a few overdubs, can sound this bloody good! The sound-stage, recording space, details, etc. of these recordings are simply unbelievable. As good as the original recording is, on Disc 1, the recordings on Disc 2, are even 'better', if that is possible. It's VERY hard from me to believe that these recordings haven't been majorly tweaked, or even REMIXED, though, I'd be very surprised if the original tapes were available for that. We've had listening session, here in the Studio Listening Room, and all seem to agree, that these recordings are simply stunning! I'm NOT sure how they did it, but, bottom line is, they did! You find yourself closing your eyes, and 'feeling' Tony playing over in the corner, Geezer off to the other side...and Bill pounding all around! Ozzy's voice seems to jump out at you, and you can actually 'hear' his throat, and the small details that have NEVER before been heard! All the above are reasons to own this CD package, but in addition to the music, the packaging, booklet, pics, info, etc. all are bonuses. I personally would have been satisfied with hearing outtakes, alt takes, etc. since this kind of stuff from Black Sabbath has NEVER been available before...and most of us thought, DIDN'T EXIST! Bottom line is...get your copy now...whatever it takes. Paranoid, and Master of Reality are also available in a similar format, and I have all three. They are simply AMAZING!

This disc is the one that really changed hard rock. It's considered one of the best metal albums of all time. I have never grown bored with this one since first hearing it back in the seventies. Of course this one was released in 1970 and it set a format of hard rock with a dark edge that all that came later was to be influenced by. The music is full of venom and drive and is at the top of what this type of metal should be. Although the next disc from this band (paranoid) would really take this spark and perfect it for the ages this one started it and on this version you get a second disc of unreleased songs. Except for "wicked world" which was on the U.S. version of this release already. Seventies hard rock and metal was some of the best of all time in it's reliance on good songs and playing instead of growling or superfast riffing. If you don't have this one then you want this version with the bonus tracks because it's got the rare versions. This disc was also produced pretty much live in the studio so even the rarities sound pretty darn good too.

Who could have predicted what Black Sabbath would create with their debut album? I don't think the band themselves knew exactly what they created at the time but it became the foundation of their career and of a musical genre. In 1970 this dark, blues-heavy sound on which metal must have been scary to a load of people! It must have been hard to imagine something this heavy back then, it was a sort of rock'n'roll revolution in a way. And what about that album cover? It used to scare me when I was younger and I still get chills to this day when I look at the artwork. For some fans of the ban this is the definitive Black Sabbath album, after all this is where the sound of metal was really developed and when the sound of evil (as it has often been referred to) was born.

Black Sabbath opens with the title track which was the first song the band wrote, ultimately it became their inspiration and they based their sound on this one track. It's an epic song that's freaky, sets the tone for not only the album but the band's whole career. The Wizard is the shortest song here, I love how the harmonica intro and how this heavy, bluesy and distorted riff kicks in right after. It's the shortest song on the album but it's a classic song, simply amazing. N.I.B has perhaps the greatest bass intro to a song ever; it's a highlight for sure. I could go on but these songs are classic and very good in their own way, Sabbath's debut should be memorable for every metalhead.

If you're a big fan I would suggest getting the deluxe edition of Black Sabbath which has an extra disc of unreleased stuff like alternate takes, instrumentals and such . The deluxe edition would be perfect for a hardcore fan.

Bands like Led Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple and Blue Cheer had a heavy sound but there something very different with Black Sabbath's debut, up to that point none of it had been THIS heavy. To add to their sound the band made occult references was another type of heavy. And guess what? It still sounds great even today. Black Sabbath's debut is very much the birthplace of metal, some bands before Sabbath had heavy elements to them but none of them were as heavy as Sabbath was. If you're a fan of metal/heavy metal whatever you want to call it you need this album to understand it's significance and influence on the genre. It's been more than 40 years but this album is still incredible and it still gives me chills, got to love it! 5/5

I just don't understand why record companies release CD after CD calling them new and improved. CDs are low-fi crap no matter what you add to it. All the fancy packaging and additional music will never change that fact. It's still low-resolution 16 bit old technology.

I don't see why they don't release a TRUE "Deluxe Edition" and give us an SACD as they did with the release of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery. It's phenomenal and a TRUE "Deluxe Edition".

The cover to this album says it all. It is gothic and eerie. It conjures darkness, magic, the occult, evil and cynicism in grand fashion. It is Sabbath's second best album only to PARANOID. From the tolling bell at the beginning of the album, (which has been many times imitated since) to the last notes of The Warning, this album creates a dark mood with creepy, "I sold my soul to the devil" hard blues-based rock. There is a healthy dose of jazz that infuses the record with some sophistication that keeps it from being a total headbanger cliche. The lyrics are well written with NIB being my favorite. It is about Lucifer falling in love with a mortal woman, but it could be interpreted as Lucifer's temptation of all mortals. It used to send a shiver up my spine when I was young. (There has always been much contention on the meaning of the song, but bassist Geezer Butler himself revealed this to be the theme) The remastering job on the deluxe Sabbath cds is also excellent and separates the instruments more than the original recording did. This deluxe version also includes Evil Woman, the first single ever released by the band and which wasn't part of the original album. This is a classic and has influenced rock and heavy metal until this day.

My favorite Sabbath albums in order from best to worst are:

PARANOID

BLACK SABBATH

MASTER OF REALITY

SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH

Vol.4

HEAVEN AND HELL

THE MOB RULES

This is the album that started it all, from the thunder and rain to Tony Iommi's infamous tri-tone riff. Black Sabbath's first release is the standard that all heavy metal listeners shall bow down to!!This deluxe edition is a must for serious Sab fans everwhere. Disc.1 is the "basic" album from the beginning to the end with 'WICKED WORLD being subbed for "EVIL WOMEN". The sound quality is the best I have ever heard, including that of the "BLACK BOX" and other several imports. Dont be fooled by other reveiws, this is the one to buy if you want a remaster.Disc.2 starts with the formentioned "WICKED WORLD"and then gets into the rarities with instrimentals and songs with different lyrics and minor changes in playing styles.The sound quality for this disc is surprisingly good considering they are 40 yr old demos.Go ahead fork out the extra cabbage,turn off your lights,crank the volume and find out you are the chosen one!! Oh No Please God help me!!!!

Successful bands like Black Sabbath often have multiple versions of everything in their catalog released by record labels who know the group's fanbase will provide them a profit no matter what the quality of the release. So with a Deluxe Edition like this, the main question is, is it worth it? My answer is absolutely yes, but I'll list some highlights and you can judge for yourself.

--The sound on Disc 1, the original album, is crisp and clear.

--Evil Woman follows N.I.B., a song replaced on most copies of the CD by Wicked World.

*Bonus Disc*

--Starts with Wicked World, so both songs find their place.

--Studio outtake of Black Sabbath features some variations on the vocals by Ozzy, including the line, "Look over your shoulder, Satan is there," that was changed before the album's release. Also, some of the vocals are more aggressive, and Ozzy's screams of, "Noooo!!!" are more intense. I'm sure this version scared some label executives.

--Black Sabbath instrumental version. I love hearing these songs with no vocals, making all of the instrumentation more discernable. I usually hear some guitar or drum part I'd never noticed before.

--Studio outtakes of The Wizard, Behind the Wall of Sleep, Sleeping Village, and Warning, Part 1. Even though these match almost exactly with the original versions, you hear Ozzy's voice with no studio effects added. The vocals sound a bit more raw and live, since....they're raw and live.

--The alternate version of Evil Woman might be my favorite gem of this release. It's a more ambitious take on this cover tune, complete with a flute that's heard throughout the song. This is a real keeper, much like the Master of Reality Deluxe offering of Lord of this World with piano and slide bar.

--A 20-page booklet with a long article on the band's early history and tons of old pics.

--Awesome packaging, with fold-out digipack and more vintage pics.

Even with all these great qualities, it's not completely perfect. My only two tiny complaints are that, first, the CD I got did not come with a plastic Deluxe Edition slipcase over the digipack, but a Deluxe Edition sticker wrapped around it, which had to be removed to get to the CD's. Also, the song N.I.B. is listed on Disc 2 as instrumental, but it definitely has vocals, so this was probably meant to be labeled as a studio outtake, which is what it is. Do these little nitpicks take away from the value of this edition? Not to me. The positives far outweigh the negatives, and I'm thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. This one is a must-have for anyone who follows Black Sabbath closely and cherishes any old, unreleased recordings of the godfathers of metal. Very well done!