VOL. 4 (Black Sabbath, 1972)
Artist: Black Sabbath (C+)
Recording Date: May 1972
Release Dates: September 25, 1972. UK
Record Label: Vertigo
Producer: Patrick Meehan & Black Sabbath
Rating: 8.5
Era: Metal (1970-???)
Subgenre: Metal
Best Song: Wheels Of Confusion
Tracklist: 1) Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener; 2) Tomorrow's Dream; 3) Changes; 4) FX; 5) Supernaut; 6) Snowblind; 7) Cornucopia; 8) Laguna Sunrise; 9) St Vitus Dance; 10) Under The Sun.
Well, after their great debut and the two fantastic albums that followed, a dip in quality from the band was to be expected. While not a bad album by any means, Vol. 4 shows that tendency of bands that reach their peak and then embark on a bit of experimentation, expanding their sound, taking risks. And in a way, that's appreciated; I think they really pushed their sound to its limits on Paranoid and Master, and a continuation in the same vein wasn't the best option. The thing is, in that search for new horizons, they don't always hit the mark. The best tracks on Vol. 4 are indeed those that maintain and even improve upon the formula of the first three albums, and there are some truly classic ones, but… something just doesn't work the same way anymore.
The thing is, if we ask ourselves what cocaine sounds like, the answer, I suppose, is Vol. 4. Legend has it that they filled amplifiers with the powder to smuggle it into the studio, and some say that Ozzy never managed to get off the plane after that period. The album was even going to be called Snowblind, like the sixth track, but the record label strictly forbade it.
But let's take it one step at a time. After the monstrous world tour that put Sabbath almost on par with Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and the Rolling Stones, the band took a break and reunited in Los Angeles in June of '72 to record their fourth album. They had rented a mansion in Bel Air, where they stayed, rehearsed, and threw parties, which they then extended to the Record Plant studio, where the recording sessions took place. For this album, they fired producer Rodger Bain, with whom they had worked on their first three albums, and although the band's manager, Patrick Meehan, is listed as a co-producer, the truth is that Tony Iommi handled almost all the work.
The sessions were a complete disaster. Half the budget went to cocaine, half the sessions took place in a festive atmosphere, and the other half in a tense and paranoid environment that began to create rifts within the band. Ward spent a week absolutely certain he was going to be kicked out. One day he was nearly killed after a prank they played on him; he passed out and was left naked in a drunken stupor, and Ozzy found some cans of gold spray paint in the basement of the house… Who would have thought that painting your drummer gold could send him to the hospital with chemical poisoning?
On the other hand, not everyone was very happy with the expansion of their sound. Ward would say he hated "Cornucopia." "FX" is a track that resulted from a session in which Tony got the crucifix he always carried to ward off witches tangled in the guitar strings, and he liked how it sounded. Drugs seeped into the music, but above all, into the lyrics. For some, they're the band's best, but, well, to me it sounds like Ozzy completely out of it, trying to sound interesting. In any case, I've always said that rock is good despite its lyrics, and if it turns out that some band is capable of writing interesting lyrics, all the better, but I don't think that's the case with Sabbath.
At some point, Ozzy began to wonder where the hell all the drugs were coming from, increasingly pure and potent. Iommi would admit that they completely lost control. Ward, who was famous for drinking bottles of whiskey without getting drunk, knew he'd hit rock bottom when one day he arrived at the mansion and the girl he was with didn't recognize him. Towards the end of the sessions, heroin also appeared, although Ozzy, in his defense, would say it was only snorted, never injected. The fact is, Bill couldn't have summed it up better: "At that time, drugs and alcohol stopped being fun".
Iommi is still capable of those impressive, seat-knocking riffs. Butler is half-buried in the mix (that's what happens when the guitarist produces), and Ward is still at a high level with complex rhythms and handling the band's intensity. Ozzy sounds less ferocious, like he's on drugs… err, wait! But hey, he still sounds good with his helium voice.
The thing is, too many things were combined on this album, and what's truly miraculous isn't that it's a cohesive album after all, but that they didn't die of an overdose during its recording. Sabbath arrived at the studio having released three gems that cemented an entire genre with that dark proto-doom. Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality are classics, each heavier than the last, without which we probably wouldn't have the universe that metal has become. I suppose Iommi was lucid enough to realize there was no way to surpass Master of Reality by following the same path. And the eternal question, "Now what?" Well, expand, look for a mix between soft and heavy that had more or less worked for Zeppelin. The thing is, it seems the cocaine made them lose their footing, focusing more on partying than on the music. The lyrics portray Ozzy in a messianic/destructive light, as seen on the iconic cover, one of the most parodied album covers ever. Certainly, there are some incredibly powerful tracks, with the band's signature sound, that absolutely kill it. But there are others that, while not bad, seem out of place. “Laguna Sunrise” is a beautiful song, but it doesn't fit the album's overall mood. “FX” is a bad joke, thankfully brief. Or the festive, almost danceable atmosphere of “St. Vitus.” And the controversial “Changes,” which for some is Sabbath's worst song from this early period, and for others is simply a lovely track that earned them a lot of airplay on commercial stations. We have pianos, an orchestra, a Mellotron… and despite the power of some of the songs, they seem to have been recorded on autopilot, without any real polish. Which is basically what happened…
The album kicks off brilliantly with “Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener”, which boasts a spectacular intro: slow, bluesy, cavernous, yet dark and menacing, which, in my opinion, is the best part of the entire album. At the 20-minute mark, the tempo shifts, and the song thumps with that incisive and colossal, kick-ass riff, a signature Iommi sound, resonates powerfully. It's essentially a tone, full of distortion but with exceptional power, which blends with Ozzy's voice in a mid-tempo, hypnotic melody. The lyrics speak of the loss of innocence, of that world of fairy tales that, without us realizing it, gradually turns dark and bitter: “Soon the days went passing into years, Happiness just didn't come so easy, Life was born of fairy tales and daydreams, Innocence was just another word…” I love how he finishes with the question, “Was it illusion?” He sings with an almost hollow voice. I can't say it's devoid of emotion, and whether that was intentional or the result of so much drug use, it sounds chilling at times. Around the two-minute mark, Iommi launches into another series of riffs that end with a kind of arpeggio. Then comes a bridge, and the mood of the song completely shifts, with Tony's formidable guitar work, Ward attacking the cymbals, and Butler effectively providing a subtle, albeit somewhat hidden, background sound. Iommi plays high-pitched slides that create a certain apocalyptic feel. At 3:40, Ozzy reappears with a short bridge as the band continues to accelerate, returning to that colossal riff that ends with notes weeping flames. At 4:15, we're back in that onslaught with the main riff. Osbourne continues to philosophize pessimistically, trying to sound clever, but… it's not exactly clichés, but it sounds like the ramblings of a drunken man at the crack of dawn. The song fades out at 5:15, and the clean, arpeggio-like blasts and guitar work begin, creating a contrasting combination that leads into the coda of "The Straightener", returning to the multi-part structure of previous albums. Tony shines even brighter, blending sonic blasts with that arpeggio-like riff and an unforgettable guitar solo. "Wheels Of Confusion" kicks off the album in monumental fashion, giving the impression that they're continuing at the same level as Master, and setting the bar very high for the rest of the tracks.
We continue with “Tomorrow's Dream”, which has a catchy, punchy riff, but something else... err... I don't know how to define it. Is it raw or primitive? Basic? It sounds somewhat unfinished, and although it initially seems fun, almost danceable, or at least suitable for headbanging, it eventually becomes a bit irritating. I don't know, something in the tone or the riff itself that just doesn't quite work. Ozzy shouts the lyrics, a kind of impassioned farewell. The best part is the bridge at 1:30, where the song slows down and becomes more melodic, Ozzy delivers a better vocal performance, and Iommi performs splendid arpeggios with a great sequence. Then they return to that primitive riff for one more verse before closing. The song is short, fast, dynamic, and note that it doesn't have a chorus. But there's something that doesn't quite gel, and it feels like it has potential, but is ultimately unfinished.
Then there's the most controversial song on the album, "Changes", a ballad featuring only piano and Mellotron, with no sign of Ward or Geezer. Well, almost. Tony was experimenting with a piano he found at the Bel Air mansion, and this melody came out. His strength is definitely the guitar, but the piano line is nice, although, I insist, it sounds like a foundation to be developed further; it sounds unfinished, and after a while, repetitive. The lyrics were written by Geezer Butler, based on Ward's separation and divorce proceedings. Using the word "cliché" seems... well, it seems to me... very cliched. But there's no other way. The adjective for the lyrics: “I feel unhappy, I feel so sad, I lost the best friend, That I ever had, She was my woman, I loved her so, But it's too late now, I've let her go...” Tony and Geezer added the Mellotron, which weeps with velvety layers in the background. It's not even Black Sabbath's first ballad. We already had “Planet Caravan” from Paranoid and “Solitude” from Master, which might be even simpler in structure, but with a more… Sabbath-esque, dark feel. Even Alice Cooper surprised everyone at the time with “Never Cry,” but here Sabbath makes a song for housewives. It's nice, it has its charm, it has hooks despite its simplicity, and I think it works, but it doesn't sound at all like Black Sabbath, feeling completely out of place on the album and in the band's discography. They could have given it a darker, more polished treatment with their regular instruments.
“FX” is a terrible joke by Iommi. I mean, I have no idea what the crucifix he was wearing around his neck must have sounded like when he accidentally touched the strings of his guitar, considering they were carrying a quarter of Colombia's GDP under their noses. Maybe for them it was like the trumpets of the Apocalypse. But the truth is, it's almost two minutes of our lives wasted. They could have used a few seconds as an outro for some song, and besides, Floyd had already experimented with something similar in “Echoes.”
Next comes “Supernaut”, featuring one of Iommi’s coolest riffs, sounding incendiary and Hendrix-esque at times. Ozzy screams his lungs out like never before, Butler lays down legato notes that give the bass a watery feel and greater depth, while Ward brutally attacks his drums with unusual ferocity, particularly with the beat changes in the bridges, where he maintains tension solely through the syncopated rhythm. Even Bonzo Bonham would later admit it was his favorite Sabbath song. The riff is incredibly catchy, powerful, and dark, yet also has a playful and bright edge, with a distant Zeppelin influence. The solo at 1:40 is one of Iommi’s best, faster than we’re used to from him, and definitely with a certain Hendrix-like quality in the way he attacks and the effect. The band blends together beautifully, with all four members performing at a high level, and at 2:40 we get a kind of drum and percussion solo, with Ward keeping the rhythm without resorting to overly elaborate arrangements. The track is tremendous, with excellent timing, and is one of the album's climactic moments. Yes, despite the lyrics, which practically boast that his pet is an old shoe he takes for walks on a string. Perhaps after "Changes", it's the album's most well-known track.
The second side opens with “Snowblind”, another incredibly powerful track clocking in at over five minutes. The title, if it isn't clear enough from the lyrics and the sigh at :40, refers to cocaine, specifically the ultra-pure kind called Snowblind that they were using at the time: “Something blowing in my head, Winds of ice that soon will spread, Down to freeze my very soul, Makes me happy, makes me cold”. The lyrics are somewhat crude, but Ozzy, and perhaps the band, were convinced of them, which is what makes them so chilling. Musically, however, it's excellent, featuring another great guitar performance from Iommi, incorporating several incredibly crafted riffs, slow, crushing, and menacing, bearing the band's signature style. The instrumental breaks, like the one at 1:15, are colossal, with Iommi alternating blazing arpeggios with power chords and Ward carrying on an incredibly complex pattern. At 1:50, Ozzy changes the melody, and Iommi launches into another epic guitar solo at 2:20, perhaps not the fastest or most technically proficient, but expressive and sharp, perfectly suited to the lyrics. At 3:30, a new riff kicks in, and the song picks up speed, creating a sense of urgency at times. And at 4:15, an orchestra enters, creating an impressive backdrop for the coda guitar solo. I suppose they had some extra time left over from what they'd been paid for on "Laguna Sunrise". The solo, by the way, is more incendiary here, faster, and with dominant high notes, before fading out past 5:30. This was going to be the album title, but the record label censored it, and so it became the highly creative Vol. 4. Perhaps the greatest ode to cocaine after JJ Cale's.
Next up is “Cornucopia”, where I agree with Ward that they tried to do something overly complex, but it sounds forced and unnatural. The melody is awful, Ozzy's singing is equally awful, shouting at times, and you can hear Bill's effort to try and make sense of the enormous disarray of the timing. It's powerful, but the riffs sound unfinished, alternating between very slow and very fast ones, making it forgettable. In the end, you don't know what the hell you just heard. The lyrics, well, Osbourne tries to criticize superficial and frivolous people and declares himself their savior. It's one of those songs that had potential in the riffs, but they crammed too many ideas together without success. I can just imagine Ward sitting in a corner, practically sucking his thumb, paranoid and thinking he was going to be fired at any moment.
We continue with “Laguna Sunrise”. Tony composed this instrumental after staying up all night and watching the sunrise at Laguna Beach. The track is absolutely beautiful, it has to be said. It's a kind of response to “Black Mountain Side”, I suppose? Not as creative, but more melodic, delicate, showing that Iommi can also use an acoustic guitar. The track has a beautiful orchestral trail that sounds like a sunrise over the lagoon, and it helps to somewhat mask the repetitiveness of the main riff. It's very beautiful and also serves as a breather after the chaos of “Cornucopia”. But it also sounds out of place, completely alien to anything the album had presented up to that point.
Then there's "St. Vitus Dance", with a very Californian riff, vaguely reminiscent of "Dancing Days", but even more upbeat and danceable. They then shift to Iommi's peculiar thick and dark tone before Ozzy enters with verses that have barely any melody. The excellent main riff is overshadowed by this mix, which sounds like two different songs were thrown into a blender. Ward delivers another great performance with his cymbal work and handling the complex time signature changes. It's even shorter than the previous track, leaving the impression that if they had focused more on that superb main riff, they could have created a truly classic song.
Volume 4 closes with “Under The Sun”, which clocks in at nearly six minutes. A sloooooooooow but apocalyptic riff, as if Iommi wanted to deflect any criticism for softening his sound on this album. Then it speeds up for the opening verses and a passable melody with another boastful lyric in which he basically tells us he doesn't give a damn what we think of him. “I wanna live my life, I don't want people telling me what to do, I just believe in myself, 'cause no one else is true”. The band falls silent between verses to let Iommi play some rapid ascending scales, but they sound almost dissonant. Then they continue adding parts and sections and tempo changes like they're Yes, but without quite making it work. Tony delivers a great guitar solo in the middle section. Around the 4-minute mark, a gong sounds, signaling the start of the song's second part, or coda, subtitled "Every Day Comes & Goes." Here, Iommi engages in a double layered solo (plus the riff, mirrored by Butler), creating a frenetic, spidery feel, before falling silent, leaving only the main riff, and slowly building again. A truly orgasmic section, but one that's overshadowed by the disorganization of the first four minutes.
The album isn't a disaster. It has some great moments and some great riffs. The problem is that it's not as cohesive and consistent as its predecessors. "Wheels of Confusion" is a great song, but there isn't a single track that comes close to the status of the great songs on Paranoid or Master of Reality. There are powerful riffs and incendiary solos, but some songs drag on unnecessarily or ruin the good moments with riffs and melodies that sound unfinished. The lack of an external producer to advise them is noticeable.
Except for “FX”, which isn’t really a song, and “Cornucopia”, which suffers from being pretentious and overly complex, there aren’t any truly bad tracks. However, not all of them quite fit the mold of what Black Sabbath had accustomed us to. It seems as if the band had too many ideas, too much mental activity, but at the same time, a complete lack of clarity in organizing and properly translating them with their instruments… As if they were suffering from snow blindness, which is ironically what the album was going to be titled. Even so, the good moments redeem the album and make it worthwhile, though it can hardly be labeled a classic, like that first trilogy. Vol. 4 is, therefore, the beginning of the end: “I’m going through changes…”
By Corvan
Oct/5/2015
