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Which Black Sabbath albums to get?

post #1 of 36
6/29/06 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 
I'm starting to get into Sabbath, and have been jamming hard on Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules for the past 6-8 months (mixed in w/ my other music). Always been a big Dio fan, so it would make sense that I would start w/ those albums. Just picked up Live Evil yesterday and it's kickin' my butt! Lovin' Tony Iommi's crushing heavy guitars....

But believe it or not, I don't own any Ozzy-era Sabbath! To be honest, Ozzy's voice completely annoys me nowadays (the last album I could stand to listen to was No More Tears). Just imagine Kramer's response to hearing Mary Hart's voice-- yeah, it's like that.

But hearing the live version of the title song "Black Sabbath", it's making me want to pick up the S/T and Paranoid, and probably Master of Reality too.

Are there any non Ozzy or Dio-era Sabbath albums worth picking up?
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post #2 of 36
6/29/06 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by appar111
Are there any non Ozzy or Dio-era Sabbath albums worth picking up?
Probably 90% of metal fans will tell you no.


For nostalgic purposes, I'm sort of fond of BORN AGAIN w/ Ian Gillan. It's so over the top that it's almost a parody of themselves. However, the album is saved by the wonderfully heavy and evil "Disturbing the Priest" and "Zero the Hero" the latter was covered by Cannibal Corpse. Side 2 is pretty worthless, which really illustrated how Dio's songwriting skill was missed.

Someone will chime in that there are some Tony Martin albums worth having, and I'll leave it to them to tell you what they are, as I've never heard them.

-jar
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post #3 of 36
6/29/06 at 5:49pm
I dont think you can go wrong with Master of Reality...even if you arent crazy about ozzy's vocals.
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post #4 of 36
6/29/06 at 6:20pm
Master of Reality was my first Sabbath album. I remember getting in on vinyl too. :lol: Just a great album overall.
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post #5 of 36
6/29/06 at 6:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by darkninja67
Master of Reality was my first Sabbath album. I remember getting in on vinyl too. :lol: Just a great album overall.
Yeah my uncle let me borrow his old turntable, speakers, and small vinyl collection when I was younger. In the stack of records was Master of Reality along with some iron maiden and stuff. I totally didnt appreciate the fact that I had a turntable at my disposal at the time (i was in like middle school). But thats how i first heard master of reality and iron maiden. wish i still had it.
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post #6 of 36
6/29/06 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Masonjar
Probably 90% of metal fans will tell you no.
90% of metal fans probably haven't even HEARD non-Ozzy or Dio era Sabbath albums. At any rate I enjoy pretty much all of the albums Tony Martin did the vocals on, which were: The Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, Tyr, and Cross Purposes.
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post #7 of 36
6/29/06 at 6:43pm
I'm a big Sabbath fan from way back in the '70's and IMHO the two best OZZY era albums were/are 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Sabotage'. They contain Ozzy's best vocal performances of his career and the band at the height of their creative powers. PLAY THEM LOUD!!!

Of course I love everything else by them up through "Mob Rules' and then I lost interest...
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post #8 of 36
6/29/06 at 9:31pm
Of the Ozzy albums, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Vol.4 do it the best for me. Also get Dehumanizer and Headless Cross.
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post #9 of 36
6/29/06 at 11:51pm
Awww, now we're talking!!! Basically anything before Technical Ecstasy is a metal classic. There are outstanding songs on every one of those albums. If you want to start out, get "We Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll" which is their greatest hits one one CD.

If you want to get all of Ozzy era Sabbath, you have two options:

1. The Black Box. It will have it all, but it has a remastered sound which has a "U" shaped equalization. Some like its added heft and power, and some hate its added artificial alteration and hot mixing.

2. The option I went and very much prefer. Buy all albums individually from Warner Bros (these are the cheap albums that are easy to get). These are pretty much as straight from masters to CD as it gets for Sabbath atm. Nothing earthshattering, but there is no fiddling around with the sound.

I also have all the Ozzy era Sabbath from the Castle remasters collection, and they are closer to the Warner Bros than the new Black Box in sound. Either way you go, please get all the albums (except Technical Ecstacy and Never Say Die, as I loathe them) as Sabbath have great songs on all of them. You would be missing out if you did not get the collection from the debut album to Sabbotage.

In addition, if do anything I suggest, PLEASE get their live album "Reunion". I listen to that more than all other Sabbath albums combined. They sound MUCH heavier live than on the albums.
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post #10 of 36
7/2/06 at 4:58pm
I concur with Vol.4
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post #11 of 36
7/2/06 at 9:54pm
I am a big fan of Paranoid - it is possibly the best example of 70s heavy metal.

When I was in high school, Heaven and Hell came out. A the time I thought it was amazing, but it has not aged as well as the Ozzy stuff IMO.
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post #12 of 36
7/3/06 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer
Of the Ozzy albums, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Vol.4 do it the best for me. Also get Dehumanizer and Headless Cross.
Another vote for Dehumanizer. It's Sabbath without Ozzy, but it's a fun album to listen to.

I would also say that Paranoid is a good choice.

EDIT: AND once you start loving Sabbath, try to find Nativity in Black - Black Sabbath Tribute albums (there are 2 volumes).
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post #13 of 36
6/23/09 at 3:57am
First go get Sabbath 1, wait till midnight and after the modifications set in, crank it at about nine on the volume. When your done you will be ready for the rest of em.
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post #14 of 36
6/23/09 at 4:47am
You should off course start out with Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath. Which means, the song BlacK Sabbath by the band Black Sabbath on the album Black Sabbath.
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post #15 of 36
6/23/09 at 5:34am
Dehumanizer is my favorite Dio Sabbath offering. I don't know why or how but most web reviewers I visit either flat out hate the album or think below par of the LP
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