Aug '16 *
I usually keep my review writing within the safe confines of movies. And I'll admit that music is something I'm not nearly as educated on. But I do know what I like: Metal! But I've not always dug the sweet tunes of this genre. But bands like Candlemass and My Dying Bride eventually proved to me that there is much, much more to Metal than Pantera and Metallica. But years before my Metal awakening, or even before I really loved music at all, there was one band that I always loved. A legendary band that has been far more influential than most people realize. A band that gave birth to all four bands mentioned above, as well as the Metal in general, and its many sub genres. Yeah. There was alwys Black Sabbath!
And I'm not even going to attempt a review for the band itself, as such a chore would take more time than I am willing to give, and more knowledge than I possess. But instead, I'm going to focus on one particular album that a lot of us, even 33 years later, still don't know quite what to make of. Personally, I love this album, but it actually took years for it to grow on me. Black Sabbath's Born Again is an absolute mess. An impulsive as fuck collaboration between the three original instrumental members and their new pal, Deep Purple's Ian Gillan on vocals. At first glance, it seemed like a good idea. After listening to the album, one might rethink this. But perhaps a few more listens might make one rethink their opinion yet again. A couple hundred in my case.
In the beginning, there was Ozzy Osbourne; their original (and most beloved) singer. Many consider an album without Ozzy to not be Black Sabbath at all. I strongly disagree with this theory, but Once Ozzy was out of the picture, a decision was made at some point to not so much replace him, but find a singer with a completely different approach. And with the 70's coming to a close, it only seemed right to go in a different direction all together. And so "Dio-Sabbath" was born. Ex-Rainbow front man, Ronnie James Dio, was welcomed into the fold. And Mr. Dio was much more than a singer. He was an amazing singer, with the songwriting skills to match. A singer-songwriter that was not only good enough to fill the legendary Osbourne's shoes, but a presence and style that would breath new life into a band that people were on the verge of getting tired of. Ozzy is Ozzy and we love him for that, but they don't call this Dio guy "GOD" for nothing.
Unfortunately, God's stint in Sabbath would not be a very long one. After only two studio albums, there would be a disagreement between the band members, involving the mixing of a live album. A disagreement heated enough to end this dream team for an entire decade. So, what now? They already lost their original drummer, Bill Ward (for the first of many times). And now, Dio's pissed off, and has even taken Drummer #2 (Vinny Appice) with him back to Dio Land to form another band. But that's another story. Sabbath needs to either get their hands on another singer who will stand out like the last two, or just call it quits and start a new band entirely. "Not today", says Tony Iommi. I got drunk with that Deep Purple guy last night and talked him into being our new singer, says Tony Iommi. And that's how Born Again was Born.
One thing about Ian Gillan is that he never was and never will be a good fit in Black Sabbath. His look, his voice, his entire style. Just not all that Sabbathy. He knew it all along. Or atleast once he sobered up, but he stuck to his word just the same. Ian Gillan is now a part of Black Sabbath, and he will be providing vocals on their 11th album, and will be hitting the road with Tony, Geezer, and the recently returned Bill Ward, for the Born Again Tour. But this incompatible new group would prove to be doomed from the beginning. However, before I go into any more of this, a few words on the tracks.
Trashed: A great opener, and the catchiest track on here, in my opinion. Sort of a cross between Paranoid and Neon Knights. By far the most Sabbathy song since the mid-70's. 6/10
Stonehenge: Worthless bass noise. Kind of eerie, I suppose. 2/10
Disturbing The Priest: This is the heaviest, and most sinister-sounding track on the album. Fantastic song. 10/10
The Dark: More worthless noise. Usually, the instrumental tracks are decent, but this is shameless filler. 1/10
Zero The Hero: This is one people seem to either love or hate. It's been accused of being a bit rappy, as well as ripped off by Guns N' Roses for Paradise City. Another catchy one. I like it. 6/10
Digital Bitch: Not bad. Not great. This one has the most attitude of all the tracks. Rumored to be inspired by Sharon Osbourne.. 4/10
Born Again: It's an absolute sin this isn't the final track. Born Again is a melodic, somber masterpiece. And has long been in my tpp 10 favorite Sabbath songs. 10/10
Hotline: My least favorite track that is an actual song. Similar to Digital Bitch, but not as good. 3/10
Keep It Warm: Not as fitting as Born Again would have been but still a great closer. And one of the strongest tracks on the album. 7/10
And then there's the album cover. One of the most unpopular things about Born Again is that damn album cover. I'm sure they could have come up with something better than "red Devil Baby", but I think it's pretty cool. And besides. Since when is this band known for having awesome album covers, anyway? I never hear anyone bitching about the cover for Technical Ecstasy, for fuck's sake!
A lot of people hate Born Again because they think the songs are stupid. That'd be a matter of opinion. I happen to disagree. I just find it to be some good old fashion drinking music. But what is an undisputed fact is that this album sounds like shit. The guys actually did a fine job, but I don't know what they we're going for in production, because the final product is very harsh on the ears, at times. The whole thing sounds too screechy and staticy. Certain guitar solos make it necessary to turn the volume down. It almost sounds like this album was recorded in a garage. Recently, I heard the unmixed demo on Youtube and it was a world of difference. It took a while for this album to win me over in the first place, but since hearing this so-called rough version, I love this album all the more, and finally see it for the masterpiece that it is. Hopefully, someday, we'll see an official remixed re-release. Born Again deserves another chance.
Before touring could begin, Another problem arose. Bill Ward, who recently quit drinking, and drummed sober on an album for the first time in his life, had fallen off the wagon, and was in no shape for the tour. So, once again, the original drummer was gone. And sadly, Born Again would be his last hurrah for the studio. Next up, Tony Iommi's friend, Bev Bevan. I haven't heard him do his thing but hear he was one of the worst drummers the band ever had. Another unfortunate issue for the tour was Gillan's inability to get down all those Ozzy and Dio Lyrics. While he did have something to read off, the smoke, which was part of the show, often made it impossible to see anything, messing up a lot of his performances. Born Again just can't win.
So, this short-lived incarnation of the legendary band isn't exactly the "Purple Sabbath" fusion everyone was expecting. Regardless of what you think of this album, most seem in agreement that Ian Gillan fronting Sabbath just wasn't meant to be, and possibly jinxed. Gillan himself has admitted he was the worst singer they ever had. But one could say the album they left behind has actually aged pretty well, and has maybe even developed a bit of a cult following over the years due to the all around uniqueness of it all. I myself find the mystique and the legend behind this misunderstood LP quite fascinating. Love it or hate it, It's just plain weird no matter how you look at it. And despite the fact that it includes three original members, you can't really compare this enigma to anything else in the Sabbath catalogue. Born Again is very much the black sheep. It shouldn't be, but it just is. Not that it's anywhere near the least popular thing they've done. Out of all the eras which came before it and after, Black Sabbath fans are still divided on this version more than anything. It seems to inspire a passionate response either way, and probably always will. Black Sabbath may have never fully been Born Again, but in 1983, they did enter The Twilight Zone. 7/10
I usually keep my review writing within the safe confines of movies. And I'll admit that music is something I'm not nearly as educated on. But I do know what I like: Metal! But I've not always dug the sweet tunes of this genre. But bands like Candlemass and My Dying Bride eventually proved to me that there is much, much more to Metal than Pantera and Metallica. But years before my Metal awakening, or even before I really loved music at all, there was one band that I always loved. A legendary band that has been far more influential than most people realize. A band that gave birth to all four bands mentioned above, as well as the Metal in general, and its many sub genres. Yeah. There was alwys Black Sabbath!
And I'm not even going to attempt a review for the band itself, as such a chore would take more time than I am willing to give, and more knowledge than I possess. But instead, I'm going to focus on one particular album that a lot of us, even 33 years later, still don't know quite what to make of. Personally, I love this album, but it actually took years for it to grow on me. Black Sabbath's Born Again is an absolute mess. An impulsive as fuck collaboration between the three original instrumental members and their new pal, Deep Purple's Ian Gillan on vocals. At first glance, it seemed like a good idea. After listening to the album, one might rethink this. But perhaps a few more listens might make one rethink their opinion yet again. A couple hundred in my case.
In the beginning, there was Ozzy Osbourne; their original (and most beloved) singer. Many consider an album without Ozzy to not be Black Sabbath at all. I strongly disagree with this theory, but Once Ozzy was out of the picture, a decision was made at some point to not so much replace him, but find a singer with a completely different approach. And with the 70's coming to a close, it only seemed right to go in a different direction all together. And so "Dio-Sabbath" was born. Ex-Rainbow front man, Ronnie James Dio, was welcomed into the fold. And Mr. Dio was much more than a singer. He was an amazing singer, with the songwriting skills to match. A singer-songwriter that was not only good enough to fill the legendary Osbourne's shoes, but a presence and style that would breath new life into a band that people were on the verge of getting tired of. Ozzy is Ozzy and we love him for that, but they don't call this Dio guy "GOD" for nothing. Unfortunately, God's stint in Sabbath would not be a very long one. After only two studio albums, there would be a disagreement between the band members, involving the mixing of a live album. A disagreement heated enough to end this dream team for an entire decade. So, what now? They already lost their original drummer, Bill Ward (for the first of many times). And now, Dio's pissed off, and has even taken Drummer #2 (Vinny Appice) with him back to Dio Land to form another band. But that's another story. Sabbath needs to either get their hands on another singer who will stand out like the last two, or just call it quits and start a new band entirely. "Not today", says Tony Iommi. I got drunk with that Deep Purple guy last night and talked him into being our new singer, says Tony Iommi. And that's how Born Again was Born.One thing about Ian Gillan is that he never was and never will be a good fit in Black Sabbath. His look, his voice, his entire style. Just not all that Sabbathy. He knew it all along. Or atleast once he sobered up, but he stuck to his word just the same. Ian Gillan is now a part of Black Sabbath, and he will be providing vocals on their 11th album, and will be hitting the road with Tony, Geezer, and the recently returned Bill Ward, for the Born Again Tour. But this incompatible new group would prove to be doomed from the beginning. However, before I go into any more of this, a few words on the tracks.
Trashed: A great opener, and the catchiest track on here, in my opinion. Sort of a cross between Paranoid and Neon Knights. By far the most Sabbathy song since the mid-70's. 6/10
Stonehenge: Worthless bass noise. Kind of eerie, I suppose. 2/10
Disturbing The Priest: This is the heaviest, and most sinister-sounding track on the album. Fantastic song. 10/10
The Dark: More worthless noise. Usually, the instrumental tracks are decent, but this is shameless filler. 1/10
Zero The Hero: This is one people seem to either love or hate. It's been accused of being a bit rappy, as well as ripped off by Guns N' Roses for Paradise City. Another catchy one. I like it. 6/10
Digital Bitch: Not bad. Not great. This one has the most attitude of all the tracks. Rumored to be inspired by Sharon Osbourne.. 4/10
Born Again: It's an absolute sin this isn't the final track. Born Again is a melodic, somber masterpiece. And has long been in my tpp 10 favorite Sabbath songs. 10/10
Hotline: My least favorite track that is an actual song. Similar to Digital Bitch, but not as good. 3/10
Keep It Warm: Not as fitting as Born Again would have been but still a great closer. And one of the strongest tracks on the album. 7/10
And then there's the album cover. One of the most unpopular things about Born Again is that damn album cover. I'm sure they could have come up with something better than "red Devil Baby", but I think it's pretty cool. And besides. Since when is this band known for having awesome album covers, anyway? I never hear anyone bitching about the cover for Technical Ecstasy, for fuck's sake!A lot of people hate Born Again because they think the songs are stupid. That'd be a matter of opinion. I happen to disagree. I just find it to be some good old fashion drinking music. But what is an undisputed fact is that this album sounds like shit. The guys actually did a fine job, but I don't know what they we're going for in production, because the final product is very harsh on the ears, at times. The whole thing sounds too screechy and staticy. Certain guitar solos make it necessary to turn the volume down. It almost sounds like this album was recorded in a garage. Recently, I heard the unmixed demo on Youtube and it was a world of difference. It took a while for this album to win me over in the first place, but since hearing this so-called rough version, I love this album all the more, and finally see it for the masterpiece that it is. Hopefully, someday, we'll see an official remixed re-release. Born Again deserves another chance.
Before touring could begin, Another problem arose. Bill Ward, who recently quit drinking, and drummed sober on an album for the first time in his life, had fallen off the wagon, and was in no shape for the tour. So, once again, the original drummer was gone. And sadly, Born Again would be his last hurrah for the studio. Next up, Tony Iommi's friend, Bev Bevan. I haven't heard him do his thing but hear he was one of the worst drummers the band ever had. Another unfortunate issue for the tour was Gillan's inability to get down all those Ozzy and Dio Lyrics. While he did have something to read off, the smoke, which was part of the show, often made it impossible to see anything, messing up a lot of his performances. Born Again just can't win.So, this short-lived incarnation of the legendary band isn't exactly the "Purple Sabbath" fusion everyone was expecting. Regardless of what you think of this album, most seem in agreement that Ian Gillan fronting Sabbath just wasn't meant to be, and possibly jinxed. Gillan himself has admitted he was the worst singer they ever had. But one could say the album they left behind has actually aged pretty well, and has maybe even developed a bit of a cult following over the years due to the all around uniqueness of it all. I myself find the mystique and the legend behind this misunderstood LP quite fascinating. Love it or hate it, It's just plain weird no matter how you look at it. And despite the fact that it includes three original members, you can't really compare this enigma to anything else in the Sabbath catalogue. Born Again is very much the black sheep. It shouldn't be, but it just is. Not that it's anywhere near the least popular thing they've done. Out of all the eras which came before it and after, Black Sabbath fans are still divided on this version more than anything. It seems to inspire a passionate response either way, and probably always will. Black Sabbath may have never fully been Born Again, but in 1983, they did enter The Twilight Zone. 7/10
