TECHNICAL ECSTASY
As I already pointed out, the album design is cool enough. I don't really care to dwell on the implications of the design. I like it better when album covers have the musicians on there. Like Sabotage did. And if they don't, it should be a really outstanding design. Like their first album was. Is this one outstanding? Not to me. But I suppose no album cover will ever beat their first one. The Sab guys really set a high bar with that. And with the music, too. This album cover doesn't reach the level of greatness that the first one did. Okay, but what about the music? Let's talk about it right now.
Back Street Kids
After the great music from the prior albums, I had high hopes for this one. And the first song is a good one. It's a good riff and a good song. But not quite as good as the terrific lead off songs on all six of the prior albums. I noticed a slightly different sound on this song, and on the entire album, too. It's still heavy metal, yeah, and this song is still a fast heavy metal song, but something about the way Iommi plays his guitar sounds different. Maybe it's just the tone of the guitar. Maybe it's just a different guitar! There is something different about it. It could be that they are using that synthesizer again. I can't put my finger on it. It's still a good song but since it's not as good as all the other lead off songs, I will rate it lower. But not that much lower. It's a nine out of ten.
You Won't Change Me
I don't like this song. I didn't like it when I first heard it. I never liked it after that. And I still don't like this song. The second song on all their prior albums were great follow up songs to the great opening songs. The lone exception was the second song on Vol 4, but it was still a pretty good song. And because this song is the second song on this album I was really disappointed. Look, Ozzy has a great singing voice. It's a unique voice. It's not like so many other singers who, when you hear them, you can't distinguish one from another. But when Ozzy sings, you instantly know that voice. No one else sounds like Ozzy. That's one of the reasons why I think he is such a great singer. And his voice is perfect for the Sabbath sound. But when he sings these slow "love-sick" songs, (even though his voice is great for those kind of songs,) I lose interest. And yes, this song is one of those. It's a long song and Iommi has some great guitar solos on this, but again, the slow plodding beat and the mood of the song is not for me. I never enjoyed spending over six minutes listening to this song. Other fans might. But I don't. And since this is my review, I'll give it a four out of ten.
It's Alright
I can't stand this song. With all apologies to Bill Ward. I understand that Bill wrote this song and he is the one singing it, not Ozzy. When I first listened to this album, I had already decided I didn't like the second song, as I explained above. Then when this, the third song played, I was like, WTF. This song is NOT a Black Sabbath song, imo. Bill Ward, bless his heart, is a great drummer. And he can sing better than I can. I think the world of Bill Ward. I actually met him one day backstage at an Ozzfest, Had a great conversation with him. He's a great man, a humble man. And I hate to diss his song. But this is an honest review so this song takes over as the lowest rated song yet. A two out of ten.
Gypsy
This song starts with a good drum beat by Bill Ward, and a great heavy metal riff by Iommi. And then Ozzy sounds great when he kicks in. The song is terrific, too. Until at 1:50 into the song, that is. It doesn't get bad, but a piano kicks in, and the song devolves into another plodder. Ozzy starts singing the same thing over and over again: So you wanna be a gypsy... Actually, no I don't. But whatever. It was a great song, and the second half of the song doesn't ruin it. But I would have liked it better had they not changed it. As it is, it's a seven out of ten.
All Moving Parts (Stand Still)
This is the lead song for side 2 and it's a good one. A very well written and complex song. A lot of different parts, pardon the pun, that don't stand still. Anyway, I think my friend predicted they would begin the concert for this tour with this song. But I'm sorry to say I can't remember if he went three for three on that. Not proud to admit I can't remember what song they opened with that day. But after being mostly disappointed with the songs on side 1, (not a single one rated a ten,) this one does. But that wasn't too comforting to me. I had to wait until side 2 for a ten out of ten song.
Rock n Roll Doctor
Yes, a great follow-up song to a great song. Song 2 of side 2 is a real winner. I liked it when I first heard it and when I did, I was feeling a little better about this album. It's a great riff, and the song stays great throughout. And I will indeed rate it a ten out of ten.
She's Gone
I have already relayed how I feel about these love-sick songs. And just when I was feeling better about this album, they throw this one at me. Man-oh-man. I don't like this song. Yes, yes, Ozzy has the perfect voice for a song like this. He really does. But songs like this, I don't happen to like. In fact, I can't stand them. Now, if I flip the coin, and listen to this song from the perspective of a person who wants to hear a love-sick song, then, yeah, it's a great song. And if that were the case, it's a ten out of ten. But wait a minute. I don't want to hear love-sick songs. That's the realm of a country western song. Not a Black Sabbath song. So, whatever. For me, it's a four out of ten.
Dirty Women
This is the concluding song. As Black Sabbath had already established, concluding songs on all their albums were great songs. So after being somewhat disappointed with the overall songs to this point, I had high hopes that the concluding song would hold up to that standard, and thank goodness, it did. Dirty Women is probably the best song on this album. And as the years went by, especially during the period after their reunion, this song is the only song from this album they performed live. It has a great beginning riff, and a great middle, and it ends with a great guitar solo. A ten out of ten.
So in conclusion I must admit this is my least favorite album by Black Sabbath. That doesn't mean it's a bad album. No. It's a good album. And I do enjoy, for the most part, the songs on this album. But the sad truth is that it's the album I listen to the least of all their albums. Maybe one other may compete for that unfortunate distinction, which I will write about later. Nevertheless, I still like the album as a whole. Sure there were a couple disappointments, but that's okay. You can't hit a homerun every time you're at bat. No one can do that. And, no, not even Black Sabbath.
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