The original LP reissue series of BLACK SABBATH, which has been very popular. The final installment of the 70s albums, "NEVER SAY DIE!", which has continued since "Black Sabbath", is to be released. Although the SABBATH sound has changed throughout their career, the 70s were special. The phrase "Sabbath was special in the 70s" is often used to mean "particularly unique" or "particularly influential", but this time I would like to say that it was "particularly experimental"...or even more so, "progressive". After establishing their individuality with the three albums up to "MASTER OF REALITY", from "VOL.4" they expanded their range of instruments to include keyboards (piano and Mellotron), and in "SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH" they even introduced synths and strings, ignoring live reproduction. For the "SABOTAGE" tour, they finally expanded to a five-person lineup with a keyboard player, and in "TECHNICAL ECSTASY", they pursued new possibilities as a five-person band. The final destination of Iommi's experimental spirit, who no longer hesitates to change the lineup for the sake of a "new sound," was "NEVER SAY DIE!". Although it did not reach the level of a masterpiece or a masterpiece due to the fact that Ozzy Osbourne's drug addiction had worsened and he had completely lost motivation, it actually made Iommi's experimental spirit explode. Following Gerald Woodruff from the previous album, Don Airey was invited to feature keyboards, and harpists and horns also participated as guests. The musicality that went as far as jazz rock was so diverse that it was criticized as being "not like SABBATH." This work is a piece that retains the sound of BLACK SABBATH's most mysterious work. It has been meticulously digitized from the original US LP "BSK 3186" at the time. The sound is the epitome of naturalness. As mentioned in the commentary on "SABOTAGE" and "TECHNICAL ECSTASY", the US WARNER version is fat and thick, and has an excellent sense of unity and reality as if the band was there. This work is also in that lineage. Later remastered versions are often finished with "four people's sound + others" because engineers have a preconceived notion that "Sabbath is a four-person band". It's not so obvious that they lower the sounds other than the guitar / bass / drums, but even in the parts where the horns and keyboards are active, the presence of the three basic instruments stands out. You can feel the (unconscious) intention to draw attention to the three sounds. However, this work is not like that. In "Breakout", the horns and drums take the lead completely, and even in "Swinging the Chain", Bill Ward's vocals and harp entanglement decide everything. Iommi's guitar, which usually leads everything, only supports the chords... You can feel the honest sound of such an ensemble. On the other hand, "Never Say Die" is also striking, making full use of the power of the four-man band. The song is said to be "unusual" because it has no riffs and the song title is repeated in the chorus, but the "push" that united them is strong because of the new wave era. Of course, the mix is the same, so it's specifically at the level of how the attack sounds stand out, but the sense of balance that Iommi aimed for in the studio really comes out of the speakers. BLACK SABBATH and Tony Iommi in the 1970s progressed their own rock literally, rather than progressive rock as a genre. In the following "HEAVEN AND HELL", Iommi experienced that "changing members forces freshness", and in "MOB RULES", he discovered that "Sabbath-like and heavy are riffs". After that, he began to work on both "new sound (new members)" and "Sabbath-like (heavy riffs)". "NEVER SAY DIE!" was just before that enlightenment. The four original members continued to search for a "new sound" with their unique personalities, and this was the end point of their experimental spirit. This work is a reprint of the original LP from 1978. Taken from the original US LP (Warner Bros. Records, BSK 3186) 1. Never Say Die 2. Johnny Blade 3. Junior's Eyes 4. A Hard Road 5. Shock Wave 6. Air Dance 7. Over to You 8. Breakout 9. Swinging the Chain Ozzy Osbourne - lead and backing vocals Tony Iommi - guitar, backing vocals on "A Hard Road" Geezer Butler - bass guitar, backing vocals on "A Hard Road" Bill Ward - drums, lead vocals on "Swinging the Chain", backing vocals on "A Hard Road" Don Airey - keyboards Jon Elstar - harmonica on "Swinging the Chain"
Free Shipping on Every Order!
