Sabotage - Black Sabbath (1975)

I listened to a lot of metal when I first got into it, including the early masters. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I had no appreciation for Black Sabbath when I was a kid. Listening as an adult who has a better ear, I can hear how incredible the rhythm section is (drummer Bill Ward was a jazz enthusiast, and it shows in his skittering, shuffling attack). Tony Iommi’s guitar work is incredibly inventive, even though it might have bored me as a kid by not all being one gigantic riff. Ozzy has maybe the greatest rock n roll voice that’s ever sung, and he’s in prime form here. I didn’t know anything about the legacy of prog rock, and how it was significant that Sabbath could put together long, multi-part pieces that had varying themes. Basically, it’s amazingly grown up music masquerading as something crude. I just didn’t see past the crudeness until I was older and learned to listen better.

Sabotage is the last of the “first six,” the only six albums to feature that original, incredible lineup. There would be dozens of variations over the next 40 years or so, of wildly varying quality, but nobody disputes how great these first few albums are.

Tracks I Liked

Symptom of the Universe - I don’t know what to tell you. This is one of the best rock songs of all time, and probably only top five for Sabbath songs, so that should be kind of instructive.

Megalomania - the opening third is experimental in annoying ways, and kind of offputting. But it resolves to a fantastic and heavy track.