Published on Jan 19, 1999
You can argue all you want about which band first introduced
“heavy metal” music; the three names I hear batted around the most
are Steppenwolf, Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath. And while I’d rather
stand clear of any potential brouhaha over that subject, there is
one fact that is clear to me: If Black Sabbath didn’t invent heavy
metal, they at least popularized it.
In 1970, who would have thought that a quartet from Birmingham,
England would release an album that not only would define a genre
(as well as a band), but would also still be revered nearly 30
years after its release? And while
Black Sabbath shows a little rust on it these days, it still
features some great performances that are pleasing audiences even
to this day.
Guitarist Tony Iommi (who, many people might not know, lost the
tips of two fingers when he was younger in an industral accident),
vocalist John “Ozzy” Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer
Bill Ward probably didn’t form Black Sabbath in the hopes of
becoming the forefathers of heavy metal. They probably didn’t form
to appear as any kind of a promotion for black magic or the occult
(although rumors of members’ dabblings have persisted for years). I
think what they set out to do was just create music that was from
their souls, full of the energy and the angst of the time.
The gloom-and-doom feel to
Black Sabbath is spelled out in the opening moments of the
title track, from the sound of falling rain to the tolling bell —
all punctuated by the band’s entrance into the picture. About
halfway through, the tempo shifts a little more towards the upbeat,
all without losing a gloomy feel to the music. (Iommi’s rhythm
guitar riffs in this portion of the song still perplex me; I know
how to play it, but not how to maintain playing it without losing
my fingering.)
The whole first half of
Black Sabbath contains musical moments that have not been
forgotten. From the harmonica-drenched “The Wizard” to the
incredible musical workout that is “N.I.B.”, Black Sabbath
successfully create monster riff after monster riff and level an
unsuspecting listener with them. Even now, after I’ve listened to
this album dozens of times, I’m still flattened by the intensity of
these songs.
Where
Black Sabbath tends to weaken is in their attempts to become
a jam-based band. The free-form moments of Iommi’s guitar playing
— often without any other musical accompaniment — on “Wicked
World” and “Warning” all get to be a little self-indulgent after a
while. (I’ve said before that Iommi’s strengths were more as a
rhythm guitarist — not meant to be a knock against him.) However,
the guitar work on “Sleeping Village” makes up for some of the
indulgences.
What also has to be noted is Osbourne’s vocals, ringing clear
and making their ominous messages heard loudly. (To Osbourne’s
defense, what I’ve heard of
Reunion so far also has him sounding great, but hearing him
in the prime of his youth seals the emotional deal for me.)
Oh, sure, you could just pick up
We Sold Our Souls For Rock And Roll and get the best-known
numbers from this album. But
Black Sabbath, warts and all, is an album that must be
experienced on its own merits. In the end, even flawed, it remains
a great album, as well as a solid birth cry for both the band and
for heavy metal’s popularity.