Black Sabbath "Vol 4"

My first review is going to be a Black Sabbath album. But not Paranoid. Hell no! The album which I am about to force upon you is Volume 4!!! My absolute favourite album of all time.

Raw production and molasses thick guitar makes this album as heavy as a sandbag to the chest. Recorded in 1972, a pivotal time for the group, Volume Four was a stepping stone from the ultra sludgy and heavy Master of Reality to the complex and textured Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

The opening track, "Wheels of Confusion", may well be perfection, showing off the band’s ability to jam as well as stay focused on the direction of the song. Iommi’s guitar playing on the song is perhaps his finest work. The next track, "Tomorrow’s Dream", is the exact opposite of "Wheels of Confusion". Short, up-tempo, heavy and to the point. A song that would have fit in nicely on "Master of Reality". After the onslaught of the first two tracks we have the ultimate “Waa Boo Hoo” song of Ozzy’s career. "Changes". It always makes me weep uncontrollably. How can you not feel sympathetic for a guy who’s opening line is “I feel unhappy”.
"Supernaut" sounds like a trip to a Satanic hippie dance party complete with a fiendish Ricky Arnez Latin side track. "Snowblind" is the classic 70’s “cocaine is still fun song”. "Cornucopia", "St. Vitus’ Dance", and "Under the Sun" each serve up heaping buffets of riffomania. Iommi and Butler laying down enough fatness to sink Jenny Craig’s yacht.

"Laguna Sunrise" is squeezed deep between these masterworks of riffage. Sounding more like an instrumental cut from a Windham Hill Sampler than a Sabbath song. The only real odd ball here, though, is "FX". Which is just that. Two minutes of Tony tapping his pick-ups with his giant metal cross through a delay effect. No doubt a four AM studio trip-out fuelled by copious amounts of drugs and booze. Effective only as an annoying piece of audio art that forces me to wait two more minutes until I can get pounded in the ear-holes by another greasy slab o’ rock.

Few albums kicked my ass like this one did, does, and will continue to. If you have ever wanted to delve into Black Sabbath then this is the place to start. Mike Maggot.