Customer Reviews

Under Wheels Of Confusion 1970-1987

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 4 disc set is a true good best of set which covers all albums up to Eternal Idol. Many songs are of Ozzy era whch is a plus since some later eras lacked good hit songs. The weird 30 second sound clip "Blow a jug" is on here after the "Writ" within the track. Just turn up the music and you will hear it. I only wish they would have covered the Dio era somewhat better and include "Heaven and Hell" which was a main hit. The booklet of this box set really is decent and will please a normal fan. The poster/family tree was great! You get to learn some about what is related to what. Very much a cool item. If you liked the family tree on the iron maiden albums as a bonus in the computer part then this family tree will also make you very happy. I ask that you would also pick up : Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Never Say die, Sabotage, Technical Ecstasy, Heaven and Hell, and Born Again cause they didn't get the best covering. If you like this album you may want to get: Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath-Paraniod, Black Sabbath- Masters of Reality, Black Sabbath-Vol 4, Black Sabbath-Mob Rules.

If you're a new fan of Black Sabbath and don't know where to start, you should off with this CD or if you're on a budget or only want the stuff with Ozzy, get Symptom of the Universe 1970-78 instead, and to be honest with you, this was the CD that got me involved with Black Sabbath cause they're one of the best and most influential bands of all time and their only hit singles were Paranoid and Iron Man and a lot of there other songs were awesome as well, The CD contains songs from their self titled debut album to there 1987 release Eternal Idol and I think that they should've stopped after either The Mob Rules or Born Again and add more songs to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (which only contains the title track and Killing Yourself to Live) and a little more on Never Say Die (which only contains the title track and Hard Road).
This CD also doesn't have Fairies Wear Boots and I honestly don't know why.
If you love Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Chevelle, Marilyn Manson, and those 1990's alternative rock bands then you should get into Black Sabbath cause they are the godfathers of heavy metal and half of those bands weren't even exist if it weren't for Black Sabbath.

This four-disc box set does a pretty good job, drawing heavily from Black Sabbath's classic 70s releases (the Ozzy Osbourne years), but dipping somewhat in quality towards the end.

Virtually all Sabbath's important 70s songs are here, from "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" to "Symptom Of The Universe" and "Never Say Die", and most of the Dio-era selections are reasonably good as well.
The only problem with this set is that it doesn't contain anything of interest to collectors, and anyone who is willing to buy a $60 Black Sabbath set would probably be better off with the band's first four orginal studio albums (or the double-disc "The Best Of Black Sabbath"), and perhaps a single-disc collection of their latter-day songs.
3 1/2 stars.

This is a VERY good box set of the Best of Black Sabbath. It covers all the great Ozzy and Dio tracks from Black Sabbath. Only during the second half of the 4th disc does the quality begin to drop, where it seems like there's a new singer with each song. Almost every significant track is here, though it would have been nice to have "Fairies Wear Boots"and "Solitude" from the Ozzy era and "Lady Evil" and "Children of the Sea" from the Dio era. All other incarnations of Black Sabbath are dispensible. But it's still a good deal for the price.

Is it just me or are there too many Black Sabbath box sets available? Don't get me wrong,this 4-CD,lavishly assembled 52 track piece is great! Even comes with a 48-page booklet in full color with some great liner notes, art work and a Sabbath / Ozzy family tree. It's nice to be able to put all four of these discs into your stereo and set if for 'scramble play' and then you have no idea which song will play next. Tunes that makes this box set simply SO worthwhile are "The Wizard","N.I.B.",their psychedelic doom classic "Into The Void","Supernaut" (also dig Ministry's cover of this cut),"Dirty Women","Neon Knights","Die Young","Trashed" and...the list goes on. Highly recommended.

This box set collection RULES. Although halfway through the third cd, Ronnie James Dio's NORMAL voice startles you while listening. You get used to the absence of Ozzy's unusually wierd voice quickly(haha). There are only two things this collection is missing, and i will NEVER forgive whoever put this collection together for leaving out "Sabbra Cadabra" and "Fairies Wear Boots". I'm a child of the grave, and I've come to smoke the sweet leaf, get snowblind, get an evil woman, run around acting paranoid, and turn to iron while travelling to the future! PEACE.

First of all, I'd like to start saying that, for those who havent already guessed, there are tons of Black Sabbath "tribute" albums out there and the only 2 things that make this album different are: 1-its a 4 discs compilation 0_0 that means you'll get a lot of songs from the band's repertory in it. 2-Its the only one that bothers to include both ozzy and non-ozzy songs.
Sure, compilations are always a good introduction to a particular band but thats it for the good side of them.
After all, if you DO like the songs in a compilation, you'll just go out and buy the original albums and them what will you do with them compilations? they are really just a commercial excuse to promote the band and proffit out of it. So, really, if you want to get into sabbath just buy one album at a time.
Start with PARANOID, MASTER OF REALITY, SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH, HEAVEN AND HELL or whatever and move on from there. Is it more expensive? Of course, but don't forget; its worthy it.
Okay, enough loathing :), lets get into this particular compilation:
BLACK SABBATH songs: A pretty basic selection of songs from that album. They really should have added "Behind the wall of sleep" instead of "Wicked World" or "Evil Woman".

PARANOID songs: Just your average "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" song selection. They really should have added "Electric Funeral" and "Fairies Wear Boots" instead of "Hand Of Doom" and "Planet Caravan".

MASTER OF REALITY songs: A good selection of songs. In fact, only 2 songs from that album are missing which are "Embryo" (another instrumental song like "Orchids") and "Solitude" (One of Sabbath's worst song in my opinion) Clearly, the people who made this compilation have a crush for this album ;)

VOL.4 songs: Almost as good as MOR, but is missing "Under The Sun" in it, what a shame. Also, they should have added the studio version of "Cornucopia" instead of this weak Live version.
Its about time "Wheels of Confusion" was added to a compilation.

SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH songs: Wut is this? only 2 songs!!? What happened to "National Acrobat" and "Spiral Architect"!!?

SABOTAGE songs: Good, but they should have opened some space for "Megalomania"

TECHNICAL ECSTASY songs: Well, this album isn't very popular among fans, so I guess that, for as long as "Dirty Women" is added, the rest is ok. Actually, they added to many songs from this album. They should have let some space for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Never Say Die songs.

NEVER SAY DIE songs: 2 good songs, but "Johnny Blade", "Shockwave" and/or "Juniors Eyes" could have been an interesting thing to add too.

HEAVEN AND HELL songs: Got absolutely no complaints for the track selection in this one.

MOB RULES songs: Wouldn't have any complaints either, if they hadn't put the Live tracks of Mob Rules and Voodoo.

BORN AGAIN songs: Very Good...BUT,(shamelessly) missing "Zero The Hero" and "Born Again". Also, "Hot line": though good, not really necessary.

SEVENTH STAR songs: Same as Technical Ecstasy, however "Danger Zone" should really be here.

THE ETERNAL IDOL songs: Missing too many decent songs, Such as "Ancient Warrior" and "Born To Lose".

Needless to say, Many great albums are missing such as HEADLESS CROSS, TYR and CROSS PURPOSES. But I guess Castle doesn't own the copyright for them. It's true my first Sabbath album was a compilation, but just like I said; I've had to sell it since I went out after the original albums. I don't even own this particular compilation, so I wrote this review because, well, I have all the songs on it and much more. (Including the Live ones)
So, I'll suggest once more, that you don't buy this thing and look for the "real" albums. And, speaking of Black Sabbath, they're all good. ( OK, maybe not some of they're live material and FORBIDDEN :( ).

This is a must for any Sabbath fan.Some of the songs I hadn't heard in years,one listen and I was hooked again.The picture discs and the book are way cool as well.The later stuff is also great especially the songs with Dio.Only one thing missing: Fairies Wear Boots.Buy it anyway.

Well this is Sabbath in a nut shell. The only question I have is, what happened to Zero The Hero? Well all in all It's a good CD.

Mixing material from the different Sabbath eras-the hallmark of this set, is not a good idea.Proof for that is the 'Live Evil'album(1982)which did just that-sure,Dio ,in addition,sang old Ozzy tunes with more or less competence.The different Black Sabbath albums make more sense in their original format and order of songs,i.e.,they are better heard individually.Nevertheless,the artwork is quite beautiful but it doesn't justify the price.