A 1973 album by Black Sabbath. The satanic cover art work and the runelike S characters (qv. SS) in the album title (which predate KISS' usage of the same) have done a lot to trouble the public image of hard rock and heavy metal. Musically, the album is one of the best, if not the best Black Sabbath ever recorded.

If all you know of the band is the classic material such as that from the Paranoid album, you're in for a surprise -- on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, there is plenty of acoustic guitar, some piano, strings and a flute; the third track, Fluff, is a drumless instrumental featuring a harpsichord and number six, Who Are You, is driven by a synthesizer riff. (Some keyboards were contributed by Rick Wakeman of Yes fame.) However, the music as heavy as usual, with pounding guitars and Ozzy's usual, cutting vocals. The liner notes remark that the fifth number, Killing Yourself To Live, was, in 1973, everything that grunge became decades later. In fact, the track sounds a lot like Nirvana, but rocks and rolls a hell of a lot more. In fact, much of the music beats many contemporary New Metal acts hands down; it still sounds so fresh that Looking For Today, for example, could probably go straight up the charts, were it released today.

Tracks:

  1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Tony - Guitars; Ozzy - Vocals; Bill - Drums and Percussion; Geezer - Bass and Fuzz Bass)
  2. A National Acrobat (Geezer - Bass; Tony - Guitars; Ozzy - Vocals; Bill - Drums and Percussion)
  3. Fluff (instrumental; Tony - Acoustic and Steel Guitars, Piano, Harpsichord; Geezer - Bass)
  4. Sabbra Cadabra (Ozzy - Vocals; Bill - Drums and Percussion; Tony - Guitars and Piano; Rick Wakeman - Piano and Synthesizer, courtesy of A & M Records)
  5. Killing Yourself To Live (Bill - Drums/Percussion; Tony - Guitar/Synthesizer; Ozzy - Vocals/Synthesizer; Geezer - Bass)
  6. Who Are You (Tony - Guitar/Pianos; Geezer - Fuzz Bass/Synthesizer/Mellotrons; Ozzy - Vocals/Synthesizers; Bill - Drums/Timpani/Percussion)
  7. Looking For Today (Ozzy - Vocals/Hands; Bill - Drums/Percussion/Hands; Geezer - Bass/Hands; Tony - Electric and Acoustic Guitars/Flute/Organ/Hands)
  8. Spiral Architect (Bill - Drums/Percussion/Timpani/Fuzz Bass-Drum; Geezer - Bass/Nose; Ozzy - Vocals; Tony - Electric and Acoustic Guitars/Bagpipes; The Phantom Fiddlers - Strings arranged by Will Malone and Black Sabbath, conducted by Will Malone)

All songs written and arranged by Black Sabbath. Produced by Black Sabbath for Excellency Productions. Engineered by Mike Butcher. Coordination: Mark Forster. Direction: Patrick Meehan. Help and enthusiasm: Spock Wall. Tape operators: George Nicholson, Frank Silvagni, and Les Martin. Album concept and design: Pacific Eye & Ear; illustrations: Drew Struzan; photography: Shepard Sherbell.

Source for the track list: liner notes from the remastered CD reissue.

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