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Master of Reality

Black SabbathAudio CD
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (278 customer reviews)

Price: $3.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Amazon Price New from Used from
Audio CD, 1990 $3.99  
Vinyl, 2010 $13.99  
Audio Cassette, 1990 --  

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Music

Image of album by Black Sabbath

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Biography

Black Sabbath is credited with creating heavy metal. The success of their first two albums - Black Sabbath and Paranoid - marked a paradigm shift in the world of rock. Not until Black Sabbath upended the music scene did the term “heavy metal” enter the popular vocabulary to describe the denser, more thunderous offshoot of rock over which they presided.

With their riff-based ... Read more in Amazon's Black Sabbath Store

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Frequently Bought Together

Master of Reality + Black Sabbath + Paranoid
Price for all three: $13.97

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  • Black Sabbath $4.99
  • Paranoid $4.99


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. 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.

Customer Reviews

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
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!
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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.... Read more ›
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
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.
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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.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Just amazing, quality of service approved, safety shop, a lot of products , suggestions about other shops which it's related.
Everything it's very good.
Published 2 days ago by Julio
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
This album is for anyone that has any affiliate with music in general. You can't like music unless you like Black Sabbath.
Published 10 days ago by Craig K
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Deluxe edition
I've had this original album for years. The Deluxe version is great because you get to hear these classics in various stages of development. Read more
Published 16 days ago by John Elsberry
4.0 out of 5 stars One Of Their Two Best!
This is a favourite from my teenage years. I still like it. This and Vol 4 were their best. Classic rock.
Published 21 days ago by Peter Gueckel
5.0 out of 5 stars Sabbath's third album
One of my favorite Sabbath albums. I also own the Sanctuary remasters of Vol 4, Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage. I found that those remasters give you MORE sonic/mix improvement. Read more
Published 26 days ago by M. Czerkas
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT!
Master of Reality was a gift for son and I bought one for myself.We are planning on going to a Black Sabbath concert in Austin, Tx. next month.
Published 1 month ago by Karen A. Welborn
5.0 out of 5 stars just perfect
very nice fast and perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i love the poster inside too, it was unexpective and very nice touch!
good buy!
Published 1 month ago by Esteban
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Rock n Roll Album
Great heavy album. The guitar riffs and dark sound make this a masterpiece. Add this to you collection if you like hard rock and want to experience some different types of songs... Read more
Published 1 month ago by ME
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great release for the legends
With this release Black Sabbath seemed to take a darker approach, than the previous album. Not that Paranoid was all sunshine and lollypops either. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Metalhammer
5.0 out of 5 stars MY FAVOURITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After many many many years listening to SABBATH, i gotta say this is my favourite....While i love PARANOID, VOL 4, SABOTAGE and the ones with DIO, this is the one only that... Read more
Published 1 month ago by FLUMINENSE
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Topic From this Discussion
Are they ever going to remaster the Black Sabbath albums?
It would seem that at least some of the remastered albums are available separately. I have a copy of "Paranoid" on the Sanctuary label (Sanctuary SMRCD032). It says in the booklet, but not on the disk or box, that it was remastered in 2004 by Ray Staff at Whitfield Street Studios. I... Read more
Dec 5, 2007 by Ralph Green |  See all 2 posts
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