Black Sabbath Vol. 4 Song by Song Thread

Changes is one of those tracks that, for me at least, fit in perfectly as an album track, as a change of texture/pace, rather than something I'd listen to separately.

Not allowed to talk about FX yet

 

Very well put. As much as I love parts of the album, I always had a problem getting into it as a whole because of its sound or feel. I blamed it on the production, but your explanation delivers a much more fitting (and to me, revealing) cause.

 

This, more or less... Those extra titles were put on the US versions to make fans believe they get more music/songs for their bucks.
I guess the band wasn't even included when those titles were decided, meaning the titles came from some creative directors rather than the boys.

 

You know, it's amazing: I got into Sabbath in early 1987, meaning that when I first heard Volume 4, it was 15 years old (the same as me, ha!) and back then, 15 years seemed like ancient history. Compare that to today: 15 years ago was 2003, which seems like--if not yesterday, then maybe a year or two ago!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that listening to early 70s Sabbath in the late '80s felt like you were being treated to the most interesting parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, like it was the wisdom of a long-departed age!

 

@dkmonroe is a very talented writer. His reviews were some of the very best of the Black Sabbath album by album thread. Way better than mine!

 

Yeah, and the members of Sabbath, Zeppelin etc. who were about 40 years old were considered ancient by the press. Not to mention the Stones.

 

One of the best I've read so far. You, Tim, Musicman 1998, RRB, Jeff and him (I assume male, I haven't checked) are the one's I've liked the most so far. Y'all are great.

 

No kidding, just read his review on Vol.4 and it was fantastic!

 

Vol. 4 is so weird. How could they have even known what they were doing? Or even have done it at all?
Cocaine really is quite the drug.

 

I beg to disagree, great musicianship is quite the very first and foremost 'drug' needed (and abused) by Sabbath for making timeless music that up to this day keep inspiring every new generation of musicians.

 

It just baffles me, the sheer amount of Cocaine that they were consuming and still they were able to function. That is all I mean. And, I can't imagine that the drug use did not have an effect on the music that they were producing. You will never hear me say that they did not have great musicianship.
I think that part of me thinks Vol.4 is weird because it takes me all over the place. I will probably get bashed for saying this but I have never thought, "Eww, I hate this song." (of Sabbath) until I heard 'Snowblind'. It has grown on me over the past couple months but that is what I mean by weird. And weird to me to have that kind of response.

 

Yes, not hip artists like T’Pau and Chris Deburgh.

 

Yes, the drugs might have helped it seem weird, but it’s immense musical talent that created that far-out music.

 

One of the best stories from this time is when Bill pressed the wrong button on the wall, and all these cops showed up, thinking something was wrong. All that pharmacutical Merck coke was flushed down the toilet before they opened the door. I'm sure some of the people in the house went Hoover on it as well. So the cops figured nothing was wrong, and they left. So what does the band do? Call the dealer and score more coke.

Their habit was pretty big, to the point where their dealer would follow them carrying a briefcase. IIRC, there's a story where one of their suppliers worked for the DEA. Apparently the band had the best stuff, as it came to them in glass vials with rubber seals on them with the Merck logo. Pure as the driven snow!

 

Late to the game, but still legit...

I rate Master Of Reality as my favourite Sab album, but Vol. 4 is right up there as well. There's a weird, off-kilter quality to it, probably because of their hedonistic lifestyle at the time (blatantly referenced at in the liners). It's also where the prog influences become more apparent.

Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener
Awesome, awesome opener. The slow passages have a dreamy quality to it, but then there's that revolving riff, along with the rattling snare drum, that sends the song into the stratosphere. Full props also to that breakdown in which they hit the gas pedal full-stop. I love the end part of that when TI starts playing this slow, groovy riff over the fast rhythm before Ozzy returns. The Straightener sounds like it's from a different session. It sounds much clearer than the Wheels part and it sounds a bit tagged on to me. Don't get me wrong, I totally love that coda, but I do notice that and it probably also didn't help that I got to know the song through the Blackest Sabbath compilation on which Wheels lost the Straightener coda and is mistitled as Snowblind!!

Tomorrow's Dream
Probably my favourite track on the album. It's got it all: A driving rhythm, ultra-heavy slow, eerie riffing, amazing breakdowns, amazing solo, you name it! It's got enough ideas in it's 2,5 minutes to fill up an album. The sound of a band on fire!

Changes
One might think it's a cheesy ballad, but I think there's an eerie undercurrent that saves it from becoming a bore. Surprisingly (especially at this juncture in his career), Ozzy's voice is well-suited to this kind of thing. Love the mellotron here, it adds drama and seems to drift off into eternity after the chorus. I've always thought FX is well-sequenced after this. It's almost like it belongs together.

On to the weirdness, please!!!!

 

The ironic thing to me is that anything from 2003 sounds more dated to me than Vol. 4, which, in my humble opinion, sounds absolutely timeless!

 

The Charles Bradley version made me realize how good of a song it actually is.

Similar to Nilsson cover of Bad Finger's Without You. It took someone other than the original artist to really do it justice.

 

I was thinking about something regarding "Changes" that was kind of different for its time.

How many of Tony's peers would suddenly sit down and crank out a piano ballad?

Pretty unusual. I'm not remembering Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, Page, Blackmore, West, Gallagher, Lee, etc. having a sort of "Elton John" side.

And oddly, the album didn't even cite who played the piano. When Sabbath Bloody Sabbath came out Tony was credited with piano parts on several tracks but even for years after that I remember it often being assumed that Rick Wakeman played piano on "Changes".

And speaking of Elton John, had he written "Changes" and thrown it in next to "Crocodile Rock" or something I don't think anybody would have batted an eye regarding the "twee" piano riff. With Sabbath it wasn't expected. A playful side? They were supposed to the kings of so-called "Downer Rock".

 

Most of the “guitar hero” dudes cranked out ballads albeit not just straight up piano. However, the thing with “Changes” is the piano riff is pretty rudimentary and, frankly, it sounds like it’s played by my twelve year old daughter who is in her third year of piano lessons.

 

"Changes/FX" is the only thing I skip on Sabbath's classic albums. Not a fan.

 

You nailed it. I think that may be why I like the piano part. It's endearing. You should teach it to her.

Really though, was that huge leap of faith? And, were they all producing, or was it mostly Tony doing that sort of work? If so he was branching out big, no?

 

No Supernaut today? Looks like I have to wait to post my 2 cents.

 

Yes, after Rodger Bain, Iommi was the de facto producer for all of the Sabbath albums up until Ozzy’s departure in 1979. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was the album where Iommi brought out every instrument you could think of plus a couple of more. Instrumentally speaking, it’s their most ambitious, but Vol. 4 laid the groundwork for that kind of experimentation. Basically, you’re looking at a band that had the time to create and dabble instead of quickly done sessions like the first three albums.

 

IIRC it was the first tune TI wrote on the piano and he had not been playing for long. I think it is all white keys.

 

I’ll post tomorrow for FX and Supernaut (since it doesn’t make much sense to dedicate a whole day to FX)