Them Changes
With the band not really having a time limit, they began to expand more. One of the more notable was Tony's placing some piano on the album. Iommi was playing around on the piano located in the house. Iommi didn't have any background in playing this instrument, but it caught his attention. But as luck would have it, a friend of the band, Rick Wakeman of Yes fame, and Ozzy walked in together. Iommi was doodling this simple song. Both Rick and Oz liked it. Ozzy started to sing a melody and some words to it. After the bare bones of the song took shape, Geezer also took a liking to it. Geezer came on with this mellotron that was lying around the studio. Thus, Changes was born in the Sabbath catalog. This was one of the songs on which Ozzy had a big hand in the lyrics and melody.
Changes was a dead stop to the heavy blasting of the Sabbath sound. A mellow track that has gained more respect as time goes on. But this isn't the only more melodic and tasteful treat to come out of the house. Laguna Sunrise is a beautiful track inspired by the sunsets off Laguna Beach. Pure Iommi at his best. With some background string orchestra work. Those two tracks, along with Solitude and Planet Caravan, give a whole new angle to the band. A calming to the storm type of treatment. Types of songs you can play to your mom before another song comes on and gets the "turn that noise down" mark. Some guitar feedback sounds make up the entire song FX. Feedback is the musician's way to explain it. In fact, the birth of the song was when Iommi hit his guitar with the metal cross around his neck. The rest of the band joined in, hitting the guitar. And that stupid bit of fun became a song. One of the heavier vocal meanings exists in Wheels Of Confusion. Its birth came from another song written titled Illusion. That song went nowhere, so the lyrics switched over to WOC. Verbally about growing up and the loss of innocence. One of the more personal feelings grabber. The anti-rally rally song. One of my favorites. Just reading the lyrics is pure poetry. At the time, it was one of the most complex and multi-structured compositions in Sabbath's library. |
Tomorrow's Dream is a slice of the hard rock/heavy metal radio playable pie. Quick and to the point, a heavy yet commercial riff. I can't listen to it without turning up the volume on whatever I'm hearing the song on. I'm amazed it didn't become a song staple at every Sabbath concert. Supernaut, A sonic sounding track is perhaps the easiest way to explain it. With a stellar drum/cymbal solo tacked in the middle. When I was a novice Sabbath fan, I thought that the song was something I'd expect to be on a Led Zeppelin album. Little did I know then the irony. When the band went back to England to finish the album at Morgan Studios, a surprise visit came. Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and John Bonham came down and heard the tracks of Supernaut. Well, the infamous Led Sabbath jam ensued. Rumors of this jam being caught on tape have gained much popularity over the years. The scene-setter on this album is the classic Snowblind. No doubt named after the drug of choice during those days. A perfect outlet for all things great about the band. Stellar interplay with Geezer and Bill. Iommi exercises every note that can be played on a guitar. It lumps along at the correct times, while it peaks up just when it needs to. A true highlight of Ozzy's mellow, tuned voice. It's one of the songs that only Ozzy can sing. Hands down, no other voice could work. Altogether, this song is what a band that has their sh*t together would sound like. Every music school should have this as a course of study.
The most overlooked song on the album would be Cornucopia. Another is that I must turn the volume up when I hear it. The midsection mini-song, as I call it, always gets my attention. Very heavy and melodic, and a great Ozzy vocal "People Say I'm Happy". The guitar parts grind to a halt as we come to this midsection. It makes you speechless, the riff says all you need to say. The lyrics of the song take a look at the evil of consumerism. The origin of the word comes from a Latin saying meaning Horn Of Plenty. The dictionary says it means a symbol of abundance and nourishment. St. Vitus Dance isn't just a made up title. Saint Vitus is the patron saint of dancers, kids, and dogs. There is a disease named after him, Saint Vitus Dance, aka Sydenham's Chorea. Which causes spasms, sometimes called dancing mania. The music was led by one of the heavier Iommi riffs. Closing the album with Under The Sun, which lyric-wise is the brother of After Forever. Most noted for Bill Ward's increasing frustration trying to get it correct. Leading to the band renting several studio spaces for him to get it done. But in all seriousness, the ending is the best song ending and album ending that has ever been recorded. PERIOD!
Outside of the 'in the studio music making' some real troubles began to slip in. In several interviews, Bill Ward expressed some of his feelings about the Volume 4 recording. Some insight he has given from this period of time goes like this. That outside pressure was gaining speed. Fatigue and being burned out weighed on him especially. But that white powder got up their noses while the women were bouncing around. So it took away a lot of the real business they should have looked at. The band had always jammed and came up with songs for an album. But it changed in the direction that they were 'writing' songs to go for an album. That moment's energy turned into restrained writing. During the recording of Cornucopia, it got ugly between Ward and the other guys. He said he hated the track, while the others pushed him to do it. It almost led to him losing his spot in the band. Iommi told him that he should just go home until he was ready to work.
The most overlooked song on the album would be Cornucopia. Another is that I must turn the volume up when I hear it. The midsection mini-song, as I call it, always gets my attention. Very heavy and melodic, and a great Ozzy vocal "People Say I'm Happy". The guitar parts grind to a halt as we come to this midsection. It makes you speechless, the riff says all you need to say. The lyrics of the song take a look at the evil of consumerism. The origin of the word comes from a Latin saying meaning Horn Of Plenty. The dictionary says it means a symbol of abundance and nourishment. St. Vitus Dance isn't just a made up title. Saint Vitus is the patron saint of dancers, kids, and dogs. There is a disease named after him, Saint Vitus Dance, aka Sydenham's Chorea. Which causes spasms, sometimes called dancing mania. The music was led by one of the heavier Iommi riffs. Closing the album with Under The Sun, which lyric-wise is the brother of After Forever. Most noted for Bill Ward's increasing frustration trying to get it correct. Leading to the band renting several studio spaces for him to get it done. But in all seriousness, the ending is the best song ending and album ending that has ever been recorded. PERIOD!
Outside of the 'in the studio music making' some real troubles began to slip in. In several interviews, Bill Ward expressed some of his feelings about the Volume 4 recording. Some insight he has given from this period of time goes like this. That outside pressure was gaining speed. Fatigue and being burned out weighed on him especially. But that white powder got up their noses while the women were bouncing around. So it took away a lot of the real business they should have looked at. The band had always jammed and came up with songs for an album. But it changed in the direction that they were 'writing' songs to go for an album. That moment's energy turned into restrained writing. During the recording of Cornucopia, it got ugly between Ward and the other guys. He said he hated the track, while the others pushed him to do it. It almost led to him losing his spot in the band. Iommi told him that he should just go home until he was ready to work.
Which One Did You Get
The original LP had a band member page for each side of the inner gatefold. Featuring Iommi and Butler. While Oz and Bill got theirs on the booklet housing the record. Later issues deleted the member pages and just had a live shot covering the gatefold. The first issue on CD removed the insert and left Geezer's and Iommi's profiles. The album premiered at number 13 on the USA charts while slamming the top ten and reaching number 8 in the UK. This received lukewarm critical reviews. Some of them I've read said things like it lacks charm and structure, it sounds haggard and overreaching. And it's true that fans also had mixed feelings. Which I guess can be proven by the decreased album sales. It reached platinum, but compared to its multiplatinum brothers, it stood short. Over the years, the album has been rediscovered by many of the negative-feeling fans. Truly labeling this as a lost and found treasure.
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In the summer of 1972, Sabbath hit the road to promote the new album. Kind of odd since the album wasn't set to drop until September. Starting the tour in Wildwood, New Jersey, with Black Oak Arkansas. The tour included the main staples and tracks from the new album, such as Under The Sun, Tomorrow's Dream, Snowblind, Cornucopia, Supernaut, and Wheels Of Confusion. Snowblind would stay for the most part in all the Ozzy era concerts.
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Tomorrow's Dreams would survive thru the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath tour. And would be dusted off at a concert in 1999 at the London Astoria. Short versions of Supernaut would be included in various jams. UTS and Cornucopia would make a welcomed return during a 2001 concert. At the Birmingham Academy, Birmingham, England
So far, we only have one piece of footage from the Vol. 4 tour. 9-7-1972 Mississippi Memorial Coliseum, Jackson, MS. This is 2 minutes of silent 8-mm footage. Thanks to Larry Davis for filming this. He had this and forgot about it until 2001. He found it looking for footage he shot of the opening act and traded it for free. Most would have sold it to collectors, who often keep film for themselves. |
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1-7-1973 The Ngaruawahia Music Festival, Waikato River, Ngaruawahia, is an important stop on the tour. One of the few shows for which we get a live recording with Changes and Cornucopia. The complete setlist: Tomorrow's Dream, Sweet Leaf, War Pigs, Snowblind, Iron Man, Changes, Cornucopia, Wicked World With Jams, Embryo, Children of the Grave, Paranoid. The majority of the public first heard GOING THROUGH CHANGES on a Japanese bootleg. Released in 2003 on Lost And Found Records. This is a very clear audience recording and one of the must-have recordings in your collection. Out of the select few we have but it contains the best live version on Changes. It is possible that this festival was professionally recorded and filmed. I have just recently been in contact with a person whose dad filmed the show on his reel-to-reel camera. When he returns home from America, we'll talk about a deal to get a copy of this film. More of this is coming in the future.
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Another memorable show on this tour 3-3-1973 L'Olympia, Paris, France. Where we have a very good early version of Killing Yourself To Live.
Not In This Live
Patrick Meehan was behind a compilation live album. That compiles songs from two live recordings at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester on March 11, 1973, and The Rainbow Theatre in London, March 16, 1973.
Released without the band’s input in 1980. Which left some unsavory flavors in the band member's mouth. The tapes were cleaned up and remastered in 2002. Released by the band in a 2-disc set called Past Lives. The second disc contains live cuts from the famous 1970 PopShop film.
Released without the band’s input in 1980. Which left some unsavory flavors in the band member's mouth. The tapes were cleaned up and remastered in 2002. Released by the band in a 2-disc set called Past Lives. The second disc contains live cuts from the famous 1970 PopShop film.
Life After 40
May 19 of 2012, is at the 02 Academy in Birmingham, England. Everyone wanted a different setlist than the previous OZZFEST dates the band last played. Which was about an hour of the mainstream staples. All the original four albums were celebrating 40 years of age. With Volume 4 to reach 40 in September. To many, a surprising favorable V4 set of songs graced the stage. Tomorrow's Dreams, Under The Sun, Snowblind, and Wheels Of Confusion were played to the heartwarming crowd. The entire setlist was Into the Void, Under the Sun, Snowblind, War Pigs, Wheels of Confusion, Electric Funeral, Black Sabbath, The Wizard, Behind the Wall of Sleep, NIB, Fairies Wear Boots, Tomorrow's Dream, Sweet Leaf, Symptom of the Universe (Short Version), Iron Man, Dirty Women, Children of the Grave, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Intro), Paranoid. The show is a perfect visual companion to the celebration of theses amazing albums 40 years of life.