Mob Rules

Black Sabbath

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: November 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KMY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,666 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock 'n' Roll done right, February 25, 2003

By	Michel Aaij (Montgomery, AL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am sure glad to see I'm not the only one to prefer this over "Heaven and Hell," the first Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio. That was a good album, but this is better--in fact, this is really, really good.

I've always found the drum and bass on Sabbath albums a bit sluggish, and while it always seemed to match the dark brooding songs, Vinnie Appice is a bit more energetic and I like that. The real star, though, is Tony Iommi, who is at his best on this album, whether on the slower tunes like "Sign of the Southern Cross" or the faster ones like "The Mob Rules"--wait, that is the only up-tempo song on the album, if you don't count "Slipping Away," which is a throwaway standard rocker.

Someone on this page mentioned Dio's 'Dungeons and Dragons' thematics, and they were right. But I can live with it, it doesn't bother me too much, and fortunately Dio has the register and the volume to pull it off. Tenacious D may have claimed to have taken the torch from RJD, but they can't touch the vocals on this album.

I honestly can't tell if my CD is remastered (so it probably isn't), but I can tell you that it sounds great--sure you can do rock and roll using all the perks of studio equipment. Twenty-two years old now, "Mob Rules" stands as a classic, not as a replacement for the old Sabbath, but on its own. Bravo Martin Birch, bravo Sabbath--long live rock and roll.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MOB RULES: Right up there with "Heaven & Hell", May 2, 2008

By	R. Gorham "RCG2" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

THE BAND: Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitars), Geezer Butler (bass), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards), Vinnie Appice (drums and percussion) - replacing original drummer Bill Ward.

THE DISC: (1981) 9 tracks clocking in at approximately 40 minutes. Included with the disc is a minimal 2-page foldout containing song titles/credits/times, band members and thank you's (no photo or song lyrics). This is the band's tenth studio album (and Dio's 2nd with Sabbath). Recorded at the Record Plant (Los Angeles). Album cover artwork by the famed Greg Hildebrandt (with twin brother Tim, they created the artwork for the original Lord Of The Rings - circa 1970's, the Star Wars posters and assorted Marvel comics). Label - Warner Bros / Vertigo Records (UK).

COMMETS: As much as I liked "Heaven And Hell" (1980), I always thought "Mob Rules" was more of a complete album. Keep in mind - both albums are outright Dio/Sabbath classics. Ronnie James Dio was clearly in his prime - a five year stint with Rainbow, two classic albums with Black Sabbath, and then his solo career taking off with "Holy Diver" (1983). Somehow I feel "Mob Rules" got the short end of the stick being stuck between two monstrous albums. From the opening cymbal crashes on "Turn Up The Night", this album rocks. This opening track really kicks the album off to a great start. The lone single "Voodoo" is a slower track with ultra heavy drums. Both tracks have trademark Iommi guitars - rhythm and solos. The 8-minute masterpiece - "The Sign Of The Southern Cross" - is one of handful of Dio's best tunes (with ANY band). * How did Sabbath's compilation, "The Dio Years" (2007), miss this single most important song? A sluggish beat, trodden and heavy, cool guitars and effects, and stunning Dio vocals. "E5150" is a 2+ minute experiment with sound effects and guitars... ultimately the only track deemed skippable. Where "E5150" almost lulls you to sleep, it's all for naught as the following fast-paced title track kicks you in the teeth. "Country Girl" is a mid-tempo rocker... strangely, about love and desire. "Slipping Away" has some cool rhythm sections complete with dueling lead and bass guitars. "Falling Off The Edge Of The World" has a delicate and misleading intro... only to break into a fast middle and ending. The album closes on a slow but emotional note with "Over And Over" (including a shredding guitar solo). For me, this album quietly rivaled anything in Black Sabbath's catalog (5 stars).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dio And Sabbath = MAGIC! Not Of This Earth!, March 22, 2006

By	CQ DX (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

Now THIS is 'metal done right' from the heyday of truly great world-class hard rock/metal. Heavy, bombastic, plodding, gritty, dark, impending doom only as Black Sabbath can deliver. Everyone else is a pale substitute. Ungodly riffing and emotive lead guitar excursions by the 'high priest' of metal guitar himself, Tony Iommi. At age 44, I still listen to this masterpiece a quarter of a century after it was released with my jaw agape. Talk about 'standing the test of time'! Long live Black Sabbath!