Master of Reality

Black Sabbath | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KDO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (278 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > British Metal
  • #1 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Pop Metal
  • #2 in Music > Classic Rock > Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)

Track Listings

1. Sweet Leaf

2. After Forever

3. Embryo

4. Children Of The Grave

5. Orchid

6. Lord Of This World

7. Solitude

8. Into The Void

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Black Sabbath's first two releases, Black Sabbath and Paranoid, were more than groundbreaking, they were earth-shattering, exposing the public to a brutal new form of noise pollution termed heavy metal. But it was the band's third album, Master of Reality, that cemented the group as blackened wizards of doom and gloom. Just listen to the echoing cough and sludgy guitar riff of the opening track "Sweet Leaf" and compare it to anything that existed at the time. Not only were Black Sabbath heavier than Deep Purple or Vanilla Fudge, they were also more experimental and controversial, exploring themes of darkness, drugs, and depravity that others dared not address. The heaviest and most influential disc of Black Sabbath's career, Master of Reality featured proto-metal sludge like "Children of the Grave" and "After Forever," which served as a blueprint for a legion of musicians including '90s Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Smashing Pumpkins. --Jon Wiederhorn

Product Description

1971 album from legendary Black Sabbath.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta have this for the second disc.... July 14, 2009

By R. Recchia

Format:Audio CD

This two CD version of Master Of Reality is a must have for Black Sabbath fans mainly for the second disc, which contains previously unreleased versions of all but one song from M.O.R. and the rarest of creatures, a previously unreleased song, yes, a bona-fide song!! As far as I know, this is the first official release on CD of any previously unreleased Black Sabbath song. The name of the song is 'Weevil Woman 71', supposedly (at least that's what they say in the liner notes) in reference to 'Evil Woman', which it also kind of borrows the riff from. I agree with what they say in the liner notes...it's a shame the Black Sabbath didn't work on this song more and try to include it on one of their albums, for even in this slightly unfinished and rough state, it is a killer of a song!! The main riff is very heavy and I like the way the tempo picks up in places. I think this tune would have sounded more at home on Volume 4 than on Master Of Reality. It is not the greatest song Black Sabbath have ever done, but hey, it's 'previously unreleased', man, and is definitely going to be played on the my next radio show on the 25th of July.

Also on the second disc, we are treated to instrumental studio outtakes of After Forever, Solitude, Orchid and Children Of The Grave, along with alternate lyric versions of Sweet Leaf, Into The Void and Children Of The Grave and an alternate mix of Lord Of This World. Aside from Weevil Woman 71,the version of Lord Of This World is the most interesting thing here, as it has Ozzy's vocal double tracked and most importantly, piano and...in a few places...SLIDE GUITAR! While I can see why they ultimately didn't include this mix on the original album, in some ways I actually prefer it!... As for the alternate lyrical versions, I am happy that these lyrics didn't eventually get used and am even more grateful for the lyrics that Geezer would later write for them. Still, it is very cool and interesting to hear.

As for the original album, it is actually my least favorite of the first three Black Sabbath albums, though I still absolutely love it and consider a classic album and easily give it five stars. After Forever is in my top ten of favorite Black Sabbath songs. I have always loved Solitude, which showed off a more mellow and laid back side of the group. Production-wise, it is the heaviest and loudest Black Sabbath album ever, with Iommi getting his best guitar sound. A classic album. This two CD version is another reason to buy it again. Read more ›

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cough...Cough..Cough... May 18, 2001

By B E H

Format:Audio CD

That is how Master of Reality begins, with the famous repetitive cough of "Sweet Leaf". On this 1971 release, Sabbath's third album, the band has become "masters" of their own sound. Calling Black Sabbath influential is an understatement. Listen to any of their first 4 albums and you can hear where several "metal" bands got their riffs, style, and "dark" image. Actually, the silliest idea about Black Sabbath is that they are all satan worshippers obsessed with death and think that everyone should commit suicide. Anyone who ever thought these things about this group should try reading the words that Ozzy Osbourne is singing. Their not evil words and a prime example is on Master of Reality. For example, in "After Forever" is clearly about finding God - "They should realize that God is the only way to love." and "Children of the Grave" (No it's not about little kids rising from their graves and killing people) is about a generation of young people who are tired of the hate filled world they live in and want to change it at any cost - "They'll fight the world until they've won and love comes flowing through." Tony Iommi has stated that much of the dark and demonic image associated with Sabbath can be chalked up to record company ploys to make money by making the band seem "evil" (For example, the inner sleeve of the debut LP, Black Sabbath (1970), contains an upside down cross which was not the band's idea at all). If you look at all 8 of the original line up's album covers, there is not an evil or disturbing image in the bunch, with the minor exception of the hooded figure on the debut cover which could be considered creepy by some.... I grew up thinking negative things about Black Sabbath but I'm so glad I grew up and gave this pioneering band a chance because they created some very important music and if anything was ever called "heavy metal" it should be Black Sabbath even though they were creating these sounds before that term existed. Master of Reality is perhaps the statement that solidified the Black Sabbath sound, it is essential. One last question to those who think Ozzy Osbourne is "evil" - What hand gesture does he always give, particularly on the cover of Black Sabbath, Vol. 4? - The peace sign. Yes, maybe he is pure evil. Read more ›

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars the beginnings of doom metal my friends..the beginning.. October 26, 2004

By magician of sadness

Format:Audio CD

Its clear listening to bands like Cathedral or Electric Wizard that they were heavily influenced by Black Sabbath.From beginning to end Master Of Reality has a heaviness that's missing from any other Sabbath album ever recorded.The low distortion,the trudging,plodding pace,all that's missing is the depressing lyrical content and we'd have a Candlemass album.All of the songs truly shine with a life of their own.From the opener Sweet Leaf to the closing and heaviest Sabbath song ever written Into the Void,this is a stellar album that in my opinion is arguably one of the best and most underrated heavy metal albums in existence.My personal favorites here are Children of the Grave,Into the Void and the perfectly melancholy Solitude which one could view as the precursor to Volume 4's ballad Changes.Also check the album's second song for further proof that the members of Sabbath weren't satanists.This is by far my favorite Sabbath album and after a few dozen listens,it'll be yours too.

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nearly Flawless! March 17, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

This is probably Sabbath's best regular issue album and it is sometimes very surprising. Sweet Leaf is well known to most and deserves the attention it has gotten. Lord Of This World is maybe a little less known but is very heavy and powerful. Children Of The Grave is great but most already know that. Into the void rocks hard, but still most know that. My point here is to tell you something you may not know. The highlight of this album is a song that is probably not that well known to the most casual Sabbath fan. That song is After Forever. This is a song that I have never seen on any Sabbath live albums or greatest hits compilations. It is a song about God and to some extent the afterlife. The lyrics are something you might normally hear from a Christian Rock band. It has some very beautiful lyrics in it and it does dispell the myth that they were evil and not God fearing. I am not saying these guys are or were saints, but check this album out and you will be amazed by this song. The version I just bought has the lyrics which is somewhat odd for a Sabbath cd. Most people give Sabbath a bad rap because of their lyrics but upon further look you will discover that they have belief in God and show it in many ways. Many of their songs mention satan or are about satan so people think they must worship him. Well, I have studied up on this and not found any of that to be true. Singing about satan is not worshipping him. Now if they spoke of satan the way they speak of God in this song then I would say the same. Ozzy routinely throughout the years always tells the crowd "God bless you all". My point here is to have you look at Sabbath in a little different light. Wearing crosses around your neck is a symbol of Jesus' crucifiction not devil worship.... A few years later after leaving Sabbath, Ozzy sang these lyrics in a song,"They say I worship the devil, why don't they open their eyes?, I'm just a rock n roll rebel". This is not just a quality song lyrically but also musicall. It flows nicely and is definetly one of Ozzy's masterpeices vocally. Read more ›