Customer Reviews

Master of Reality (Bonus CD)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

This 1971 hard-rock/metal classic contains great remastered sound quality of the original album(by Andy Pearce)and contains an extra disc of previously unreleased tracks(Weevil Woman '71),alternate takes("Sweet Leaf" and "Children Of The Grave" with different lyrics,"Lord Of This World" with piano & slide guitar overdubs and an embryoic-stage "Into The Void" called "Spanish Sid") and instrumental versions,which is likely to delight hard-core Sabbath fans.Also contains a booklet with an entertaining essay by David Wells,plus photos,memorabilia and printed lyrics.Spendid!

With two albums under their belts, Black Sabbath evolved from a good local act to stunning band and was staring to get some recognition after Paranoid. Their third album Master of Reality was to be released in 1971, and to this day it's still one of my favorite albums of all time and one of Sabbath's greatest. The first self-titled album was a strong bluesy, really dark and heavier than anything else out there, then they got known with Paranoid which is considered one of the best and most influential album of all-time. But in my opinion if there's one album that you can get tired of hearing of all that Sabbath has done, it has to be Paranoid. I like Master of Reality better, the songs are just better to me and it's something you don't always hear on classic rock radio like Paranoid or Iron Man. Besides I think the album represents the band at best, as lords of doom. In 2009 Master of Reality was remastered and now has a better sound along with a second disc of extra tracks which should be enough to make any Black Sabbath fan happy.

Master starts out with the epic opening of Sweet Leaf, with Tony Iommi choking on a joint(it's truly how it begins) and the songs just kicks in with the nice slow riff, it truly is one of Sabbath's best songs. I will also mention it was written about Ozzy's leaf of choice(I guess you know which one). After Forever is one of the best things the band did, if you read the lyrics more closely you'll see that its Sabbath saying they believe in god! It might sound weird with Sabbath's reputation at the time, but they wanted to get the satanic thing behind them at the time. "Would you like to see the pope on the end of the rope? Do you think he's a fool? Well I've seen the truth and I've changed my ways" just great lyrical stuff. Then Embryo follows which is a nice and different, 28 seconds acoustic song, it's a great introduction to another classic, Children of the Grave. Another personal fav, Tony's chug-a-chug riff, Ozzy's vocals, Geezer's bass playing and Bill's drumming altogether make this song [pretty fast considering the time and make the song special.

Orchid is a more complete instrumental; it lasts longer than Embryo and sounds better with gentle acoustic guitar. Lord of this World is a slow rocker like Sweet Leaf, just another great song, and much like the rest of the album really dark. The ending is fantastic with the song getting faster with a great drum beat and another amazing solo. Solitude follows; it's a slower more emotional song. I feel the song is beautiful, it seems weird but I think it's truly a unique song and something very different and well done for Black Sabbath, plus the guitar work is amazing, not much of a riff, just melody. It's not a song they played live often (if they ever did), but I appreciate it and like to hear this from one of my favorite band. The name fits the song really well as it pretty much describes the whole song in one word. Into The Void is the epic here, at 6:11 it's the longest song on the album.Another excellent song not much to say except it's highpoint.

The second disc is like a holy grail of unreleased and alternate versions.I mean, Lord Of This World with Piano, slide guitar and double voice tracked? Sounds terrific let me tell you! Weevil Woman '71 is best described as a reworking of the original Evil Woman track found on Sabbath's debut, it's different and it's quite simply a shame they couldn't make more out of it for the song to be included on Master of Reality.For any hardcore Sabbath fans this second disc justifies the purchase of this remaster, and rightfully so! Plus this remaster's sound sounds very close to vinyl therefore making it the best version of the album available on CD.

Master is definitely one of my favorite Sabbath albums simply because it's just everything the band is; it's dark, heavy, and it's edgy. It's really a masterpiece and a classic album. The fact that it's got so many classic and that all the songs are great and unique combined with the musical abilities of the individuals who perform it just make that good, that timeless. Black Sabbath left their mark in music and this is one of their best albums, a must have for any rock n'roll(heavy metal or whatever you call it) fan or Sabbath fan.This remaster with improved sound and a fantastic second disc makes this 5 stars all the way.

This is an absolutely perfect disc of one of the best albums ever made. The sound on this cd is flawless. My jaw literally dropped the first time I played this disc. I have what I consider to be a more than decent audio system and it will show how bad or good a recording is. This is one of the best I own now. I hope Sabatoge, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Volume IV get the same treatment.

I have yet to listem to the disc of extras since I am not a fan of them as a rule. What I do like about the extras is they have their own disc instead of being at the end of the original line-up as is usually the case.

I can't say enough how much I love the job the company did at cleaning up and mixing 40+ year old master tapes. Thank you to whoever did this fine work in resoring one of the best LP's ever made.

Like most Sabbath fans, I bought this for the second disc containing rarities and outtakes, but since my only copies of Master of Reality were an old cassette and a burned CD, it worked out all the way around. The album itself sounds fine; it's not noticeably different from past releases I've heard, so don't expect any major improvements or changes there. That second disc, though, like most other reviewers have noted, is incredible! All of the Deluxe Editions have cool extras, but I like this mix the best. It starts with Weevil Woman '71, a great song not quite finished for Master of Reality's original release. Nothing is cooler than getting an old Sabbath song from their best era that's been unheard until now, and this song rocks. Great riffs from Tony that would fit right in on Master of Reality. I'd say the next best possibilities for bonuses, after rare, unreleased songs, are alternate versions and instrumentals, and this edition has both. First, Sweet Leaf, Children of the Grave, and Into the Void/Spanish Sid all have different lyrics and variations in instrumentation from their originals. Also, Lord of This World sounds incredibly cool with piano and slide guitar mixed in, as does Solitude with no effects on Ozzy's vocals or flute in the background. As for instrumentals, you get After Forever and Children of the Grave, plus Orchid, which was already an instrumental, but features a brief lead-in by Tony. Nothing against Ozzy, but I love hearing just the band playing those songs. You can really hear them jam more without the vocals, and I usually hear a guitar lick or drum fill here and there that I never noticed before. In addition to the great CD's, this edition has an extensive 20-page booklet with a long article about the band's early 70's era, tons of vintage pics, and song lyrics. I've been wearing this CD out since I got it, so if you're a hardcore Sabbath fan like I am, I'd highly recommend getting this. I agree with everyone else who says it's a must-have.

ONE OF SABBATH'S BEST ALBUMS, EVERY TRACK IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AWESOME SHM AUDIO FORMAT. MUST HAVE FOR ANY CD COLLECTION, BUT DON'T PAY THESE RIDICULOUS OVER-INFLATED PRICES, I BOUGHT MINE FROM THE MUSIC SPECIALIST ON E BAY, THEY ALSO HAVE A STORE IN GEMM, ANTEATERMUSIC. SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF CASH.
CHEERS!

This is probably Sabbath's most cohesive album. It flows very well from start to finish. All the songs are good and several are classics. The biggest complaint is that the album is too short. There are only 6 proper songs and two instrumental guitar pieces. The songs are high quality and I would call all of them highlights. "Would you like to see the pope on the end of a rope?" has to be one of the all time great lyrics in rock. It always brings a smile to my face. The mellow track, Solitude, has always been a bone of contention amongst fans. I love it. This is a classic heavy metal/hard rock album and is highly recommended to fans of that music.

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

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".

Master of Reality is the heaviest Sabbath album and my personal favorite. Sound quality of Deluxe Edition is good. Extra cuts are interesting.

As someone else reported this isn't remastered like a few other import versions but it does have some very rare songs on the second disc. I now have this edition and the several other of this truly classic cd. This is the one that influenced all the hard dark metal that was to come down the pike. This metal is about the dark side but it's artists weren't devil worshippers or deviants. Just metal heads making some of the best hard rock of all time. I would say that this is worth owning especially if all you had was a single disc warner brothers edition. Sabbath is a band that reminds me of classic horror movies and their music is nice and sludgy with great guitar work from it's lead guitarist. Ozzy Osbourne also lays down really cool vocals on this one. This disc is a hard rock masterpiece that led the way into the future of darker metal stylings and will last far into the future because of it's power and place as forerunner of the metalized future. This version is worth owning because both discs sound good and nowhere else will you get the rarities. You can always buy the remastered version too, this is worth owning two versions of.