Sabotage is the sixth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1975.
Recording
Black Sabbath began work on their sixth album in February 1975, again in England at Morgan Studios in Willesden, London. They had a decisive vision to differ the sound from their previous album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Guitarist Tony Iommi, who produced the album, said that "We could've continued and gone on and on, getting more technical, using orchestras and everything else which we didn't particularly want to. We took a look at ourselves, and we wanted to do a rock album - Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath wasn't a rock album, really."[1]
Over the years, singer Ozzy Osbourne has often complained in interviews that this album marked the beginning of what he described as Tony Iommi's studio production obsession. Sabotage took considerably longer to record and produce than each of their preceding albums, making it the most costly Black Sabbath album to that point. In comparison, the band's first album, Black Sabbath (1970), took only twelve hours to record at a cost of a few hundred pounds.
Music and lyrics
The album is a mix of heavy, powerful songs such as "Hole in the Sky" and "Symptom of the Universe", and softer experimental songs such as "Supertzar" and "Am I Going Insane (Radio)", which are similar to their previous album. The title of the latter caused some confusion due to the "(Radio)" part, which lead people to believe the song was a radio cut or radio version. However this is the only version of the song. It should be noted that the term 'radio-rental' is rhyming slang for 'mental' [2]. The song itself is very different from the typical Ozzy Osbourne-era Black Sabbath song. It features no heavy guitar riff; instead, a keyboard riff is prominent. The song concludes with an "insane laugh" which carries into "The Writ".
Release and reception
Sabotage was released on July 28, 1975. For the second time, a Black Sabbath album initially saw favourable reviews, with Rolling Stone stating "Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath's best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever",[3] although later reviewers such as AllMusic noted that "the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Volume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate".[4]
Sabotage cracked the top 20 in the United Kingdom and peaked at number 28 in the United States.[5] It was certified Silver in the UK by the BPI on December 1, 1975[6] and Gold in the US on June 16, 1997, but was the band's first release not to achieve platinum status in the US.[7] Songs such as "Hole in the Sky", and "Symptom of the Universe" became fan favourites, with the latter's chugging riff even cited as an early example of thrash metal. Black Sabbath toured in support of Sabotage with openers Kiss, but were forced to cut the tour short in November 1975, following a motorcycle accident in which Osbourne ruptured a muscle in his back.
Track listing
All songs written by Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward.
Side one
- "Hole in the Sky" – 3:59
- "Don't Start (Too Late)" – 0:49
- "Symptom of the Universe" – 6:29
- "Megalomania" – 9:46
Side two
- "Thrill of It All" – 5:56
- "Supertzar" – 3:44
- "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" – 4:16
- "The Writ" – 8:09
On some of the first vinyl/cassette releases (and all of the remastered versions of the album) there is a short, 23 second hidden track titled "Blow on a Jug" at the end of "The Writ". Recorded at very low volume, it features Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward goofing around in the studio.[citation needed]
Personnel
- Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals
- Tony Iommi – lead guitar
- Terry "Geezer" Butler – bass guitar (miscredited as "Tony 'Geezer' Butler" in the story of the band on the Canadian CD issue)
- Bill Ward – drums
- Gerald "Jezz" Woodruffe – keyboards
- Will Malone – arranged English chamber choir
- Mike Butcher – co-producer / engineer
- Robin Black – engineer
- David Harris – tape operator and saboteur
Release history
Notes
- ^ Rosen 1996, p. 80
- ^ Black Sabbath Online: Sabotage
- ^ Altman, Billy (Sept 1975). "Sabotage Album Review". Roling Stone Magazine #196, September 25, 1975. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blacksabbath/albums/album/170807/review/5946986/sabotage. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
- ^ Prato, Greg. "Sabotage AMG Album Review". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gifpxqq5ld6e. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ "AllMusic Billboard albums". http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gifpxqq5ld6e~T3. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ^ "BPI certified awards". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=21459. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
- ^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum database". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=sabotage&artist=black%20sabbath&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
References
- Rosen, Steven (1996), The Story of Black Sabbath: Wheels of Confusion, Castle Communications, ISBN 1-86074-149-5
