One of the greatest albums in rock history, along with many other albums this band released. Here is the review in Sounds from the time of its release. And you may like to know that Skip Bifferty was an English psychedelic rock band who released their one and only album in 1968. Something that must have been a fact only known for connoisseurs even in 1973.
Album Review:
Black Sabbath: “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”
(WWA 003).
By Rob Mackie
There`s a really pretty instrumental called “Fluff” on this one, which features Tony Iommi playing harpsichord in semi-Elizabethan style, with acoustic and steel guitars and piano, and suggests a future Iommi solo album might well be worth a careful listen. I mention that first because you might well assume that Sabbath are capable of nothing but blasting the eardrums with their prophecies of doom and destruction for all. Well, of course, there`s plenty of that too. When they`re in full swing, Sabbath`s style is a bit like that TV commercial where the hammer smashes the peach. If you can`t argue with a car, what chance have you of even complaining as the B.S. tank rolls relentlessly on? Ozzy`s high, nasal vocals cut through the deep grumbles of the instruments like a cry of true pain, with lines about “the execution of your mind” and such like. The backdrop is laid down firm and true – if Sabbath ain`t your cup of blood, then that`s that, but if you like heavies, these guys know what they`re doing. Iommi`s guitar is always coming through with something above the general rut – his solo at the end of “Looking For Today” put me in mind of Skip Bifferty, which is no complaint. Synthesisers have extended the band`s range too – guest Rick Wakeman shows the way at the end of side one, and on the second side, all the band except drummer Bill Ward take up the infernal machines, and don`t do badly by them. Menacing stuff, for those as likes to be threatened.
I have personally transcribed this from the original paper. Any errors in the text from the original magazine may not have been corrected for the sake of accuracy. If you have a music-related web-page where this fits – please make a link to the article. With credits to the original writer of the article from all of us music fans!
This number of Sounds also contains articles/interviews with these people: Nils Lofgren, John Lennon, Free, Ronnie Lane, Ozzy Osbourne, Carlos Santana, Average White Band, Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin, Magna Carta, Alice Cooper.
The original music paper this article came from (pictured at the top) is for sale!
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My Things - Music history for those who are able to read. 