Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath

There are cases to be made for many bands that influenced heavy rock and metal, but no one would argue that the music world changed in 1970 when people heard Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album. And the first song they heard? Black Sabbath

People ran outside in fear when they saw Black Sabbath perform live. My dad saw them play live in 1971, and Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath was the first Sabbath song that I ever listened to when a greatest hits CD was randomly in my dad's rental car one day. I was instantly obsessed with this sound, and it was Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill that brought me into the world of heavy metal. 

With the Black to the Beginning concert and Ozzy sadly passing away a few weeks later, the tributes to him have been everywhere, everyday. His legacy spans from the early days of creating an entire genre of music to passing the torch to new bands with Ozzfest, and everyone is talking about how he was humble, loving, and kind. 

He could have made a ton of money from his final performance. Instead, he gave $190M to charities. There could not have been a more perfect person to be the original metal singer, and we can all learn from the way Ozzy NEVER forgot where he came from. 

Let's take a moment to remember the first record where it all started and break down the first Black Sabbath record track by track: 

Black Sabbath: This is the beginning of the beginning, and man this song can blow your mind 55 years later. It’s hard to imagine what people must have thought hearing it for the first time in 1970, when there was nothing remotely as heavy. The guitar riff is mesmerizing to start using the “devil’s tritone” that made it famous, and Geezer is really taking the lead with the bass parts making runs in between Tony’s chords. Ozzy’s voice is not only ground breakingly heavy, but he also captures the fear of the moment that a person would feel seeing a demon in physical form. Like a horror movie, Ozzy puts you in the moment with his voice. Bill Ward impressively stays precise with light, jazzy drums throughout most of the song. It keeps the tone of the song, while letting the rest of the band shine. 

Tony and Geezer start galloping when the song gets faster, Ozzy’s singing picks up intensity, and Bill starts to smash the symbols faster. The guitar solo is tight, rhythmic, and a new style of shredding is born in the title track. 

The Wizard: I can’t name another metal song with harmonica. Why is that? Ozzy is crushing a harmonica riff, while the guitar and bass follow. It’s so catchy and heavy. And there’s something about great singers that also know how to play wind instruments. It seems like those muscles translate well into singing with power. Then when Ozzy sings, it sounds like a different person than the last track. He is roaring like a beast, and the listener wants to meet this wizard in real life! This is also where we start to get to hear a different Bill Ward who is absolutely blasting drum fills with more snare and toms in this track. Ozzy starts shredding a harmonica solo, and I’m begging someone to bring this instrument back into metal! 

WASP/ Behind the Wall of Sleep: This is fun, psychedelic, almost even breezy riff to start. The drums and bass are going fast, but it’s still catchy and upbeat. Then the heavy guitar riff kicks in with Geezer adding flare with the bass adding notes in between. Ozzy comes in soaring with a commanding tone, and he sounds defiant and disappointed in humanity. Tony’s solo is a different tone in these tracks, it’s a little more bluesy. The bass and drums pick up in speed and intensity as the song continues, and Bill closes it out with a mellow and catchy beat. One of things that makes a metal record different from other genres is the full landscape of a record. Each song has a different place that it takes you, and it’s insane that 4 guys could have such a vision for such a variety of very different songs. 

Basically/ NIB: I mean how do you not love Geezer Butler? You could listen to this for hours and never get bored of his technical prowess, groove, and clarity in every note. The guitar tone is mechanical, and you can feel the pain of working in Birmingham factories through it. We’re getting more bass drum from Bill in NIB, and it goes to show how he can match the rest of the band perfectly in any scenario. When Ozzy starts singing, he sounds confident and serious. The chorus is mesmerizing as Ozzy sings really high notes effortlessly and with a heavy tone that carries operatically.

The guitar starts building up, and there’s guitar solos after guitar solos that keep getting faster, creating a true climax to the song. NIB just has a different groove, where it feels like the whole band is on fire and ready to take on the world. 

Wicked World: This is where we get a very jazzy riff from Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward is absolutely flying, hitting the drums surgically without smashing them hard. Geezer is the heaviest part of the intro, and he continues riffing through the verses. Ozzy’s angry tone comes back with a commanding tone, and we have the first Black Sabbath song that has an anti-war theme criticizing the wealthy and politicians. Of course, “War Pigs” and “Children of Grave” would later continue on that path, in a message that we need today more than ever. 

The bass starts to reach a bouncy tone, and the guitar takes you on a journey somewhere else with a dreamy riff. For a moment, we are removed from the horrors of society, and we’re floating somewhere else. Somewhere peaceful. You start to realize that Ozzy’s verses always have a different tone. During Wicked World, he’s gaining momentum and becoming more heavy in each verse. All the instruments, including the vocals, add a ton of depth throughout the record by having different tones that switch constantly. 

A Bit of Singer/ Sleeping Village/ Warning: This is the final chapter of the record, and it's a very different one. We start with a somber Ozzy singing, then the bluesy music that we started with picks up with more rock’n’roll flare. Bill Ward speeds it up with the drums taking us into the next chapter of the story. While the guitar solo is amazing, I’m wondering how the bass is playing so fast. The drum fills start to blow your mind as the riff kicks in. Ozzy’s in his lower range, where he adds a chesty weight to make sure each note is sent to the bleachers. 

The earlier blues tone mixes with the heavy tone, and we have what I can only describe as the angry blues. It’s amazing, and I realize the deep cuts of the record are just as good as the hits. I’m also listening to it on vinyl for maybe the 5th or 6th time (new record), which is the best way to listen to metal. Tony’s not shredding right now, but he’s doing short runs and riffs that get you dancing. The bass riffs are catchy as hell too, then we start to get more shredding. 

Woah here’s a new riff. And Geezer’s soloing at the same time as Tony. It’s a metal jam song. The drums stop. The bass stops. It’s just Tony jamming still, and he’s alternating between shredding solos and giving us a new riff every 10 seconds. There’s a minute or so of fine guitar picking with a clean tone, before he switches to a scary and distorted tone. I don’t know how he made a ghost-like fading sound on the guitar, but it’s trippy. Bill Ward is smashing a thunderous drum performance, and we get one more verse from Ozzy to end this epic journey. 

(My record was bought in a record store in the US, so the tracks may be different in different locations)

Black Sabbath created a movement that millions of people to this day all over the world find a home in. So from all of us weirdos, outcasts, and anyone else that listens to metal, thank you Ozzy Osbourne for paving the way! I don’t know where I would be today without your music and the countless bands that you inspired, and many fans would say the same thing!