The Press Release:
Widely regarded as innovators of the musical genre which came to be known as Heavy Metal, legendary Birmingham-bred Black Sabbath celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2020 of their multi-million selling album Paranoid with a 5-LP/4CD edition released on October 9th, featuring the vinyl debut of two 1970 concerts.
PARANOID: SUPER DELUXE EDITION includes the original album, in addition to a rare 1974 Quad Mix of the album folded down to stereo, plus two concerts from 1970, from Montreux and Brussels, that are pressed on vinyl for the first time. The five-LP set comes with a hardbound book with extensive liner notes featuring interviews with all four band members, rare photos, and memorabilia, a poster, as well as a replica of the tour book sold during the Paranoid tour.
There are milestones and then there are milestones of milestones. This, is one of those occurrences my friends. Welcome to the birth of Heavy Metal music because today is the 50th Anniversary of the debut album by the legendary (and now mostly retired) Black Sabbath. That album is their eponymous “Black Sabbath”.
When I first raised a glass to this albums anniversary it was on their 45th of its release and part of me did this with the fact that it was happening on Friday The 13th and the other wondering just how long I was planning on keeping this little website in play. Well, I’m still at it and today is the 50th so I will just work along with some of those five years ago notions, and direct you to that article by saying to click HERE for the fuller overview that I did. I’ll do my best to make a lot of this reflection different from the last one. Continue reading Black Sabbath’s Debut “Black Sabbath”; 50 Years Of Heavy Metal History (1970-2020)→
As everyone prepares for “The Big Game” with Super Bowl LI (which doesn’t mean the game is in Long Island BTW) I am thinking of more important things to my field of interests and a large portion of my mental focus today is the fact that yesterday the mighty Black Sabbath played their last gig ever and has closed their personal book on Heavy Metal history. “The End” is no longer near nor on its way and has instead arrived and passed. Today is the day that founding members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler sit back and rightfully rest upon their laurels and believe me there are many laurels to be sitting on after such a career. I thank them profusely for the just shy of fifty years that Metal music was delivered under the Black Sabbath banner. Of course, we have plenty of others to thank now as well with the original founders closing this historic tome so let’s raise the horns for them as well. The clip below is from the actual final shows ending moments and the images used are from the final show that happened in New Jersey late last year.
To the INCREDIBLE former members of the Black Sabbath lineup both living and deceased such as Bill Ward, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Nichols, Dave Walker, Craig Gruber, Vinny Appice, Ian Gillan, Bev Bevan, Ron Keel, David Donato, Eric Singer, Dave Spitz, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, Bob Daisley, Tony Martin, Terry Chimes, Jo Burt, Cozy Powell, Laurence Cottie, Neil Murray and Bobby Rondinelli. Some of these folks I never even realized had been members over the years but indeed they have and I thank them for their own offerings to the legendary name. Continue reading “Thank You & Farewell” to Black Sabbath (1968-2017)→
Artist: Black Sabbath Title: “Black Sabbath” Label: Vertigo Records Release Date: 2/13/1970 Genre: Heavy Metal/Blues Hard Rock
I could think of no better present on a Friday the 13th than to share with the heavy music fans of the world the news that Black Sabbath’s own debut (and self-titled) release “Black Sabbath” is having its 45th Anniversary today. The phrase “It Begins Here” was never truer based on so very many listeners viewing this as the crushing beginning of the Heavy Metal sound. It was different from the type of Rock that bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Cream had delivered before them and while holding some similar roots in the Blues area with a little more amplitude, the stuff that Sabbath delivered on this debut was much heavier, darker and had numerous ominous and occult references. Just look at how it began in the title track of “Black Sabbath” and you quickly see the sinister tone that the band was out to deliver to their fans and whoever might take a chance on it. Continue reading Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” Debut; 45 Years Of Heavy Metal Influence (1970-2015)→
The Digital Age of Music is going to get a little bit blacker thanks to this news for it seems that at long last the classic catalog of the great Black Sabbath will go digital for the very first time in the United States and be available exclusively on the iTunes Store. The tremendous news was released to fans the other day.
Press Release: Black Sabbath The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1978, go digital for the first time in the U.S. Exclusively on the iTunes store – features all the classic works from the Original Black Sabbath lineup
LOS ANGELES – When Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terry “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward formed Black Sabbath in 1969, they created a signature sound that set the blueprint for heavy music and influenced generations of disciples for years to come. For the first time, the full catalog from the original Black Sabbath lineup is now available digitally in the U.S. and has been mastered specifically for iTunes, ensuring the delivery of the music to listeners with increased audio fidelity, more closely replicating what the artists, recording engineers, and producers intended. Available exclusively on the iTunes Store worldwide (www.iTunes.com/BlackSabbath), fans now have the ability to download all albums in one newly created bundle (THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS 1970-1978), eight legendary studio albums, two classic compilations, or simply purchase each song individually. Continue reading Black Sabbath The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1978: Now Available Exclusively On The iTunes Store→
