The BEST Black Sabbath Album is?

[stonerphonic]

And when we're talking Sabbath albums, I mean REAL Sabbath. Ozzy, Tony, Bill and Geezer.

8 albums covering just as many years, and a legacy of musical and lyrical genius that continues to inspire punters & musicians alike down to this very day. But YOU only get to choose ONE.

S/T Black Sabbath (1970)
Paranoid (1970)
Master of Reality (1971)
Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (1972)
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
Sabotage (1975)
Technical Ecstasy (1976)
Never Say Die! (1978)



Sooooo... 1 vote per sucker, poll expires Xmas Eve, and once you hit the button, it's locked in.

Black Sabbath ruined my life.

Thanks guys. No, really, thank you...

[The Shocker]

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to me is the pinnacle of their abilities.  Perfect album in my opinion.

[MikeyT]

Great beyond comprehension:
S/T Black Sabbath (1970)
Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (1972)

Just a little less great:
Paranoid (1970)
Master of Reality (1971)


Slipping, but still strong:
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
Sabotage (1975)






This is Black Sabbath ?
Never Say Die! (1978)
Technical Ecstasy (1976)

[MikeyT]

LIVE AT LAST Rocks, too.

[stonerphonic]

I found a cassette of Paranoid when I was about 15. I put it on at this guy's place where I found it, and it was as the start of Iron Man. Within 30 seconds the guy tells me to get that shit off.

It only took the very 1st opening of Tony's guitar note to synch into Bill's drums to hook me. Then Ozzy screaming "I am Iron Man" to seal the deal. I pocketed the tape.

And 26 years later, every single song off that album has in some way made me who I am today.

Yep, some old fucker posting crap on a shitty music forum... with other old fuckers posting the same crap.

And... loving it!!!

[GodShifter]

First one is the best for me. Is it their best? Probably not, but it's my favorite album ever.

[MikeyT]

Godshifter, it's the greatest album ever made !   

[lowdaddy]

i don't know how to pick between the first three...they're each works of unprecedented genius.

vol. 4 is still phenomenal but you can definitely hear things start to change.  sabbath bloody sabbath - the shark has been jumped and would never be unjumped. 

i don't know...i'll give them each a listen (the first three)  and come back and vote before christmas.

[MikeyT]

It is tough to decide, isn't it ?

For example, PARANOID is my 3rd fave; but it's an absolutely essential album for me because of 'Paranoid', 'War Pigs', and the immortal 'Fairies Wear Boots'.
I can still enjoy Iron Man, even after thousands (?) of hearings.

I like Rat Salad, Hand Of Doom, and Planet Caravan, but I'm a little tired of them.

I'm more tired of Electric Funeral.



(I hope this post doesn't mean MY funeral [at the hands of all you PARANOID fanatics out there])

[sleestak]

i don't know how to pick between the first three...they're each works of unprecedented genius.

vol. 4 is still phenomenal but you can definitely hear things start to change.  sabbath bloody sabbath - the shark has been jumped and would never be unjumped. 

i don't know...i'll give them each a listen (the first three)  and come back and vote before christmas.

I know everyone considers the first four the most pure sabbath albums but shark jumping or not sabbath bloody sabbath and sabotage contain some serious magic.  Just sayin.

[Lumpy]

Paranoid is the best - the best combination of catchy well-defined songs (War Pigs, Iron Man, Paranoid etc) with extended jamming (Hand of Doom, Fairies Wear Boots) and the slow 'breather' song (Planet Caravan) is better than the rest (Changes, Orchid, etc). There's no real weak spots, and loads of classics. It narrowly edges out the S/T and "Master of Reality" and is clearly ahead of "Sabbath Bloody Sabath" and "Sabotage". (Edit: "Volume 4" is pretty solid but largely lacks the strong hooks found on "Paranoid")

The #1 rock&roll song to jam in your cool Pontiac (etc) at super high volume is "Paranoid".

IMO.

[stonerphonic]

I know everyone considers the first four the most pure sabbath albums but shark jumping or not sabbath bloody sabbath and sabotage contain some serious magic.  Just sayin.

I feel sad that the experimentation of the final 2 albums, coupled with in-house fighting issues, overshadows the fact that there's some killer riffage hidden between the layers, some real serious magic. Never Say Die's "Shock Wave" is a classic case in point. It has possibly the most infectious riff ever stashed away and not unleashed in full fury to last moments of the song. And the lyrics? Fuck.... some of the darkest stuff Geezer penned, just "lost" and overshadowed by a band who was losing their way, and a world not ready then, or even now, to embrace a new Sabbath sound era.

Damn shame. Just sayin.

[stonerphonic]

The #1 rock&roll song to jam in your cool Pontiac (etc) at super high volume is "Paranoid".

On quadrophonic 8-Track.

Fuck yea...........

[Mr. Blue]

I know everyone considers the first four the most pure sabbath albums but shark jumping or not sabbath bloody sabbath and sabotage contain some serious magic.  Just sayin.

I feel sad that the experimentation of the final 2 albums, coupled with in-house fighting issues, overshadows the fact that there's some killer riffage hidden between the layers, some real serious magic. Never Say Die's "Shock Wave" is a classic case in point. It has possibly the most infectious riff ever stashed away and not unleashed in full fury to last moments of the song. And the lyrics? Fuck.... some of the darkest stuff Geezer penned, just "lost" and overshadowed by a band who was losing their way, and a world not ready then, or even now, to embrace a new Sabbath sound era.

Damn shame. Just sayin.

Man, I gotta agree.  Never Say Die and Technical Ecstasy both are awesome albums.  These days I play them more than the others.  Technical Ecstasy got my vote!

[NCR600]

I feel sad that the experimentation of the final 2 albums, coupled with in-house fighting issues, overshadows the fact that there's some killer riffage hidden between the layers, some real serious magic. Never Say Die's "Shock Wave" is a classic case in point. It has possibly the most infectious riff ever stashed away and not unleashed in full fury to last moments of the song. And the lyrics? Fuck.... some of the darkest stuff Geezer penned, just "lost" and overshadowed by a band who was losing their way, and a world not ready then, or even now, to embrace a new Sabbath sound era.

Damn shame. Just sayin.

I had an argument with a fellow Sabs fan last weekend and pulled out "Shock Wave". Awesome song, both of the last Ozzy Sabs albums get a bit overshadowed by the earlier stuff.

[stonerphonic]

Thanks heaps Mr Blue and NCR600 for droppin by and voting.

I guess while we're on the subject... for those who came into the skull cave late...

[Doommantia]

I have always rated Sabotage as number one but only just over Master Of Reality. I think musically they were at their peak around 75 especially if you listen to the live boots from that era. The band was on fire.

[stonerphonic]

I have always rated Sabotage as number one but only just over Master Of Reality. I think musically they were at their peak around 75 especially if you listen to the live boots from that era. The band was on fire.

said boots live here - http://blacksabbathdemos.blogspot.com/

thanks man!

[CanookieWookie]

For me..Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

[black_out]

Easy...their first album is their best. Hands down. Sabotage and Vol. 4 are solid albums, as well. Paranoid doesn't really do much for me anymore, but that's probably got something to do with my dad playing the hell out of it ever since I was a little kid. Probably just burnt out on it.

[stonerphonic]

thanx Doommantia, willb, and black_out for commenting.

And hell, go The Writ....

[Lumpy]

I can't believe how wrong (almost) everybody else is.

[EddieMullet]

"real" Sabbath or not I'd still put Heaven & Hell up there with any of the 1st five.

But anyway once you get to know Never Say Die it's really not that bad, I wish they would do a remaster where you get 1 disc with Ozzy's vocals and a 2nd disc with Dave Walker's vocals.  Like they did with the Eternal Idol where disc 1 is Tony Martin and disc 2 is Ray Gillen.

Though legend has it Walker's vocals were erased, a version of Juniors Eyes still exists with Walker's vocals, I have it on a comp called Archangel Rides Again.

[Doommantia]

"real" Sabbath or not I'd still put Heaven & Hell up there with any of the 1st five.

But anyway once you get to know Never Say Die it's really not that bad, I wish they would do a remaster where you get 1 disc with Ozzy's vocals and a 2nd disc with Dave Walker's vocals.  Like they did with the Eternal Idol where disc 1 is Tony Martin and disc 2 is Ray Gillen.

Though legend has it Walker's vocals were erased, a version of Juniors Eyes still exists with Walker's vocals, I have it on a comp called Archangel Rides Again.

There is also a version of War Pigs with Walker on vocals from the same BBC show.

[merlot]