SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH
As for the cover design... Well, it's pretty cool artwork, no doubt about that. However, the scene in which we see some bedridden individual surrounded by what seems to be hallucinatory images of demons, suggesting he is being possessed or tormented by demonic forces lends itself to the false perception that the Sabbath members were some kind of devil worshippers or something. Even then I knew that was not the case. The band members were certainly NOT anything of the sort. I had noted on the song After Forever the lyrics made that clear. But a cover design like this certainly did not help to dismiss that narrative. In fact, Ozzy's father had forged four metal crosses to reinforce the opposite.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
So the lead off song is the same name as the album. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath has a cool heavy metal opening riff, and is a solid song throughout. But for the first time, the band incorporated an acoustic segment not once but twice during this song. I thought at the time that the acoustic segment did not fit the song. It was a heavy metal song, and a good one, but with an acoustic segment in there? It didn't ruin the song, or make it any less good, but I just wasn't too sure about it. As time passed, I think it works fine. I was thinking at the time that they might have given in to critics who were saying their music was too heavy. But no. I think that they were just being creative. It's a great song and has a great ending riff that gets even heavier. So yes, it's a ten out of ten.
A National Acrobat
This second song is a winner. I had mentioned that the second song on their albums was always a real good one. And this one sure is. It starts with a great riff, and then Ozzy sings. Ozzy dubs another vocal track over his first one for a harmonic effect. Since they had no backup singers, Ozzy's voice is the only one and he has a double vocal track sounding throughout much of this song. The song breaks into a secondary riff at which point, the lead cuts in and then it concludes with a melancholy riff that breaks again into a heavy riff, and concludes with dazzling guitar work. A ten out of ten.
Fluff
Well, what can you say about a song called Fluff? Is it merely fluff? By that I mean is it a song put in there just to take up space? The title certainly suggests that. It's a nice acoustic guitar song. With several guitar overdubs to fill it out and even some piano. There are no vocals or drums. I'm not even sure there's a bass. It could be only Tony and no one else. If that's the case, it's a well done composition by Iommi, and a sure break from the heavy metal sound. Do I like it? Not necessarily. That doesn't mean it's not a good song. You have to be in the mood for a song like this. If you're in the mood for a heavy song, this ain't it. So my OPINION, is a five out of ten.
Sabbra Cadabra
This starts out with a great riff. It's distant at first, and then kicks in full throttle. It has a great beat, and Ozzy's singing sounds great. The lyrics are about having a great woman in your life, and that's okay with me. But I do have a problem with this song, because at 2:03 into the song, the great riffs stop and Ozzy sings the same thing over and over. To me, it was a super start, but the ending adds a synthesizer and some piano by Rick Wakeman. I don't know why they recruited him for this song. It was on track to be a ten out of ten, but to me it ends up being an eight out of ten.
Killing Yourself to Live
This is the lead off song for side two, and a side note is that it's the first-ever song I heard them play live. I had pointed out that this album's tour was my first Sabbath concert. My friend predicted that they would lead off their performance with this song and he was right. What makes it an interesting composition to me is that it has three movements like an abbreviated opera. It's a ten out of ten.
Who Are You?
I read somewhere this is a song written by Ozzy, and it's Ozzy playing a synthesizer, with a few dubbed-over tracks, with Bill on the drums, and I think Geezer is playing the bass. To my knowledge it's the first time Tony doesn't have an input on a song. I don't have a problem with that, but even so, I never really liked this song too much. That doesn't mean it's not a good song. I just don't hold it in such a high regard as I do most of their other songs. So for me, it's a five out of ten.
Looking for Today
This is a good rock song, but to me, it is not as good as their other songs. It's still a good song with good lyrics and a good beat. It's not a bad song by any means, it's just not one of my favorites. And once again, the band breaks into an acoustic segment, twice, like they did in the song Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I never really liked that they did that. It doesn't ruin the songs. But I don't think it made them better, either. Still, it's an eight out of ten.
Spiral Architect
This is the concluding song of the album. and as such, it was important to the band to end the album with another great song. And they sure succeeded. This starts with an acoustic intro, but turns into yet another great Sabbath song. Yes, again, it has acoustic segments, like the other two songs, but this time with violins. Another important element of this song is the lyrics. Geezer Butler, who is the lyricist of the band, came up with some great lines. It's a great song. I don't think they needed the canned applause at the end, but whatever. It's a ten out of ten.
So in conclusion, another winner by Black Sabbath. I know my ratings make it seem like it's rated lower, if one were to average the ratings of all the songs. And one might conclude that it's not as good an album as their first three or four albums. It's all about opinion really. I have a sentimental attachment to this album, as I said, it's the album the band was touring when I saw them live for the fist time. So, I do like the album, and there is no doubting the quality of this album. It may not be as heavy as their prior albums. But it's still a Black Sabbath album, and heavy enough for Sab fans.
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