Poll: Black Sabbath "13" or Deep Purple "Now What?!"

Yeah, I know the piano player was Don Airey. However, I'm not choosing a side in this ridiculous argument, I'm looking forward to BOTH of these new releases. I've enjoyed the recent DP albums and Iommi's more recent material. I've been a fan of both groups since my pre-teen years. I'm guessing I'll always be a fan of these bands.

I would also never choose one being better than the other; both groups are legendary, both groups were groundbreaking and both groups had their own very distinct sounds. I think the element they have most in common is generally being undervalued...how narrowly many people view their music. So many people seem to think that BS only released Paranoid and DP only released Machine Head...it's a disservice to their legacies.

 

Don Airey

 

Agreed. Judging by his various comments one could make the case that he has never heard a Black Sabbath record. Of course how would he have time when his listening habits are consumed by dozens of Deep Purple albums which are unassailable masterpieces.

 

It's just hysterical. He says:

but admittedly Sabbath play it extremely safe by never really expanded on their musical palette.

Admittedly??? Did someone from Sabbath come out and say this in an interview or something? Perhaps he has no clue what admittedly means?

 

Of course no one in Sabbath ever "admitted" they never expanded on their musical palette. There's absolutely no basis in that statement at all.

Sabbath must have had a pretty massive musical palette to begin with, if they never stepped outside it. I'd go so far as to say that the original band touched upon more areas musically than Purple ever did. I'm a huge fan of both, but I never thought Purple's sound had all that many dimensions to it -- particularly when it comes to the classic Mk II lineup, which for most people is Deep Purple. Were they better musicians? You bet they were. Did they play a wider variety of music than Black Sabbath was playing at the time. Most certainly not.

 

Great post! Agreed 100%.

 

Guys, step out of your nostalgic bubble. You clearly didn't get what I was saying. Perhaps my fault. I agree Sabbath grew and changed with each album up thru the 70's, that's why I love them too. But the Sabbath of the 80's and beyond fell into a musical rut and became very boring for me.

Agreed. That's why I also find it funny Black Sabbath are called the kings of heavy metal. That crown could have been based on classic rock radio hits from Paranoid.

 

As I see it Black Sabbath fell into a musical rut after Born Again in '83 with the exception of a couple more decent albums after that point. I also think Purple fell into a musical rut after Perfect Strangers in '84 with the exception of a couple more decent albums after that point.

 

Maybe true -- but are you implying that Deep Purple did not?

 

Then why did you say this about Air Dance...a song by the classic line up from 1978?

Makes perfect sense.

 

I was confused by your statements because this is a reunion of three of the four original Black Sabbath members so talk of the Sabbath lineups where Tony was the only original member should not have much bearing on the upcoming release. I will agree with you that what I remember hearing of those Tony only albums was definitely more one dimensional and less interesting than what I heard from Deep Purple's music from the same era.

 

A musical rut after Perfect Strangers in '84? It's moments like this that Deep Purple just can't win.

I guess you are talking "rut" like music isn't up to snuff? Let's put aside our tastes in music and focus on the stylistic rut (which is what I was talking about originally).

The 1987 album The House of Blue Light was trying something different (ie: Lord's keyboard color for example), and 1990's Slaves and Masters is pop rock and nothing like the previous albums...and The Battle Rages On is closer to the spirit of Perfect Strangers but incorporates more color via HOBL. Then, Purpendicular...

 

House of Blue Light is interesting and Purpendicular is a pretty great record...but giving praise to Slaves and Masters and The Battle Rages On is just silly, in my opinion.

One could argue (although I wouldn't, I'm only doing this to make an example lol) that Seventh Star was a foray into pop-rock "nothing like the previous albums" and give praise to the last few Tony Martin era albums. I will say that The Eternal Idol, Headless Cross and Dehumanizer, and The Devil You Know are all interesting and are generally at the same level as Abandon, Bananas, and Rapture of the Deep (if not a bit better).

Also...what exactly do you mean by "color" ?!?

 

This was not about praise, it was about Purple not falling into a stylistic rut. By the way, "color" was refering to various keyboard sounds.

 

That's not true, it's very much like the previous albums. Straight Between The Eyes, Bent Out Of Shape....

 

I've always said it was the best Rainbow album w/ Joe Lynn.

 

Well, that's not exactly high praise, IMO....but I don't disagree.

 

Exactly.

 

I think we have the same taste in Sabbath, and I will also be the first to pan the new record if it stinks. I don't have a lot of "brand loyalty" for bands. I'm not going to waste my money on stuff that's awful.

 

Another pointless jab. Try keeping things on a musical level. Not down in the dirt.

 

DP. Got a feeling the Sab is gonna sound like an Ozzy album with Tony/Geezer as guests.

 

Ah...you mean like this?

 

Nope. Of course you didn't include the tacky post (see below) that I was responding too. Good job!! Now we've added even more pollution to the thread.

 

Believe it or not, the man is entitled to his opinion...even if it means despising Deep Purple.

 

Then what the hell are you even doing on every Deep Purple thread? Just trolling as you usually do?