I'll happily take part, though my favorite tunes from this band revolve unpredictably.

"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"

It's patent sneaky Sabbath nihilism with a touch of betrayal in a loose theme, powered by a killer Iommi riff. Also, it shows some range Ozzy hadn't displayed prior, particularly in the ballad-y chorus.

I don't know, though I told my wife about this survey and without hesitation she said, and I quote, "Iron Man, because it made me feel sexual." We just got back from a very nice sushi dinner and had some sake, so I'm not questioning any further! Perhaps she'll elaborate privately.

For me, I'd say (and this is not dinner and drink talking) War Pigs, because the vocal melody sticks with me more than any other. That said, I love Children of the Grave (that riff!) and for the Ian Gillan-set, Trashed and Zero the Hero. Dio rocks, too. Heck, it's all good.

Mine was always NIB. Something the killer blues-metal riff combined with the "B" section (not sure if it would be called a chorus), which is an almost properly pretty progression.

You will hear people say the name stands for Nativity In Black, but "nib" was really a jovial nickname for Tony Iommi's sublabial facial hair appendage.

In general, I agree with my man Killick: "it's all good." But, just for the moment, my current favorite is from (gasp) the Dio years: "Neon Knights." Amazing song. But my all time favorite is still probably "Into the Void."

"Changes". It's a beautiful song.

Glad to see some participation here, please keep ‘em coming…

Sorry, Massimo, “Changes” is one of the few Sabbath songs I actively dislike. “Sappy” is a word that springs to mind & Ozzy’s extra-whiny vocals tend to grate on what lies beneath my pate.

My pick would probably be “Supernaut”, for the slick Shaft-style cymbal syncopations that lead into that roaring buzzsaw riff and one of Bill Ward’s best showings. Ozzy’s nonsensical lyrics also take it over the top. “Lord of This World”, comes a close second for Geezer’s bass lines.

I don't have one. Never liked them much. Can I nominate an ACDC song instead? ("The Jack")

"Sorry, Massimo, “Changes” is one of the few Sabbath songs I actively dislike. “Sappy” is a word that springs to mind & Ozzy’s extra-whiny vocals tend to grate on what lies beneath my pate."

I had no doubt that my choice would have caused this kind of reaction, Derek. But take the Ozzy whine out and it's a good song. Not like Elton John's "Tiny Dancer", but still a good one. I also like the idea of choosing a soft piece for a hard rock group...

I agree with Jason, "Into the Void" is my favorite Sabbath tune (and "Master of Reality" my favorite Sabbath album). My other two favorite tunes would be "The Writ" (off "Sabotage") and "Fairies Wear Boots".

I agree with Jason, "Into the Void" is my favorite Sabbath tune (and "Master of Reality" my favorite Sabbath album). My other two favorite tunes would be "The Writ" (off "Sabotage") and "Fairies Wear Boots".

'Masses' rhymes 'masses'...is that not funny?

I'd probably also pick Into the Void, though Electric Funeral and Hand of Doom are killer also. I also only really enjoy the first 3 albums. I remember being lent a tape in high school that had Paranoid on one side and Master of Reality on the other and being just a little bit afraid of the music, in a good way.

I dunno about Sabbath, but Fudge Tunnel do a mean version of "Sunshine of Your Love."

When I was 12, (this was around 82) we thought it was cool to listen to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and solo Ozzy with Randy but that old Black Sabbath was for the guys who hung out on the corner at Cherry Ave. for too long. For some reason, I stayed away from them until I was about 20, after I found a bunch of their albums on old cassettes that were in those solid black slipcases. They just looked perfect and I had a walkman and thought why not. Well, I never listened to anyone else for some months. They were worn down old tapes but they were fine with me and I didn't even want to find their records. I just walked around San Francisco with these tapes plugged in all the time. I told my friend and roommate, who came from Wisconsin, that the band made me feel like I was 15 and instead of growing up in New York, I grew up in the sticks somewhere in the Mid-West. That touched a soft spot in him as he grew up with the band back there and that is what the music was doing to him. Later I found 'Master of Reality' on vinyl for the house and the other three roommates (one, a lesbian metal head who loved Priest's Defenders of the Faith--a tour I was lucky to go to so that bonded us) and every time I hear 'Sweet Leaf' it brings me back to this time of strong coffee and bong hits and good times in general. So, I think I went over the word quota but at least I got to my answer. Oh, and don't forget Technical Ecstacy and Never Say Die. Purists tend to disagree but I can listen to them more than 'Blizzard of Oz' and "Madman' nowadays.

I also like the idea of choosing a soft piece for a hard rock group...

I’m with you here, but think “Solitude” and “Planet Caravan” are far better efforts in that mode. You can practically smell pot smoke wafting out of your speakers in the case of either. Or maybe that's just aural stimulus cueing olfactory memory?

I hereby issue a special dispensation on word count restrictions for that sweet string of reminiscences, Ted, excellent stuff. Nearly all of my Sabbath listening these days centers on a 3-cd box set, The Ozzy Osbourne Years, released by Castle. It’s got pretty much everything I need and while the Dio Years onward aren’t represented, I don’t find myself pining for them all that much.

Full confessional time: this little poll had the ulterior motive of trying to tempt Phil “Fuck All Y’all” Freeman back into the fold for however brief a spell. So far, no dice.

I always felt there was a connection to between Coltrane's themes like "Equinox" and Serphic Light" and Black Sabbath.

As far as PDF is concerned, at least he has the decency to go away. There are other hanger-ons with just as obvious contempt and dis-interest for the music and musicians involved in improvised music/free jazz - but they don't go away.

>Full confessional time: this little poll had the ulterior motive of >trying to tempt Phil “Fuck All Y’all” Freeman back into the fold for >however brief a spell. So far, no dice.

As did my opening the comments on my latest three reviews...

I don't think Mr. Freeman can authentically say "Fuck All Y'all" as he is from New Jersey, not that there is something inherently wrong with affecting the vernacular of other regions, cultures or subcultures. Besides, I think he prefers Grand Funk Railroad.

What connection would that be, Damon? And c’mon & cop that you’d readily buy Phil a beer if you met him in person. His Sabbath-worship is legendary, only arguably superseded by his fealty as a Motörhead*.

I’m originally from the cedar-scented, salmon-spawning Pacific Northwest, but have been known to blurt out a “y’all” or two when the spirit moves me. It’s a contraction that manages to express much with little.

*always thought this ingeniously prescient on Lemmy’s part, thoughtfully saving fandom the trouble of tacking “head” onto their collective sobriquet. Deadheads, Parrotheads, Phishhead, etc. don’t enjoy the same luxury.

Just popping in to note my dismay at the absence of even a token Teo Macero obit hereabouts.

My pick: "Snowblind." The whole Vol. 4 album is fantastic - it's a concept album in all but name, all about four guys from dirt poor England being suddenly world famous and dropped in L.A. to wallow in coke, booze and broads and go crazy. What Francis Ford Coppola said about the making of Apocalypse Now ("we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little, we went insane").

Without Phil Freeman the general level of intelligence here is much higher. It's refreshing.

Bait him back only if you intend to kill him once he gets trapped in the cage.

Paranoid, because it fucking rocks.

This is a pretty boring thread. Nobody's risen to the bait and provided the 100 word mini-essay you asked for (and taking potshots at Freeman, who's perfectly good at potshotting himself when he puts his mind to it, doesn't exactly make for edifying reading either.
Dunno, Sabbath just sound dated and puerile to me, and always have done. I can still get a lot of enjoyment out of Blue Cheer, ACDC or MC5, but I just don't like Ozzy's voice, and I've never understood the Tony Iommi thrill factor either. (Though I know my pal Rhys Chatham disagrees me on that one.) I guess it's just not my thang, dunno.

Nobody's risen to the bait and provided the 100 word mini-essay you asked for

Not so Admiral Warburton, Ted bit and beyond the call of duty. I’m with you on the Freeman skeet-shooting though, waste of time and hardly warranted. He’s a better bet than me at succinctly explaining the lasting appeal of Sabbath, but I do find it interesting (& here’s where I’ll rise to your bait :) that you deem them dated & puerile, but still hold Blue Cheer, the MC5 and AC/DC in high regard, all of whom could just as easily underscore those adjectives. I mean “Come and Get It”, “Come Together” and “Big Balls” aren’t exactly bastions of musical maturity despite how hard each one rocks.

Actually, Derek asked:

"What is your favorite Black Sabbath song AND why (100 words or less)?"

"Or less" means that even three words can do it. Therefore, basically, every post did the job.

Ultimately, I find Sabbath-based reminiscences and epiphanies rather pointless, especially when having to do with one's sexual impulses (god, I thought that the "Come in my kitchen" syndrome was a thing from a distant past...

But the same is valid for any music. I mean, who gives a damn where and why I bought the "X" record in 1978? The reviews where the writer uses 800 words to describe his mood and 25 to tell us if the record is good or bad (can you hear me, Ian Penman?) are what I hate more in this trade.

So I tend to agree with Dan - the thread is a little stale now.

"Iron Man" because of the riff.