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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Wheels Of Confusion |
| 2. Tomorrow's Dream |
| 3. Changes |
| 4. Fx |
| 5. Supernaut |
| 6. Snow Blind |
| 7. Cornucopia |
| 8. Laguna Sunrise |
| 9. St. Vitus Dance |
| 10. Under The Sun |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Vol 4 both consolidated Black Sabbath's massive transatlantic success and marked the beginning of the end. Thematically, the band continued to move away from cod-Satanism towards an apocalyptic Science Fiction based on the abandonment of a world turned irrevocably bad. Relationships were now explored, in "St. Vitus Dance" and the maudlin, piano-led "Changes", and drugs, which the band were now consuming with dangerous enthusiasm, remained a concern, "Snowblind" being a celebration to match 1971's "Sweet Leaf". But the increasingly complex and varied music--the sweet instrumental "Laguna Sunrise", the pure ambient percussion of "FX", and additional keyboards--caused vicious arguments that would eventually culminate in break-up. Hard to believe, as much of it was as crushingly heavy as ever, an obvious precursor of both industrial metal and grunge. In fact, Ministry's Al Jourgensen would later cover "Supernaut", and Seattle's Screaming Trees would cover "Tomorrow's Dream". --Dominic Wills
Product Description
Many a man's favourite Sabbath, perfect in a Metal kinda way....
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It's fair to say that the first six Sabbath albums were defining classics of the heavy rock genre. With Vol 4 (or should I say Snowblind, its working , drug orientated original title) Sabbath began to put a bit of finesse into their music. From the epic eight minute "Wheels of Confusion", a true Sabs fan can see that whilst the band had not lost any of its pummelling brutallity, the band had actually began to write some rock classics, the best of which would probably be "Snowblind" and "Supernaut". However if your like me and pure heavy Iommi riffs and Banshee screams, check the downtuned "Cornucopia" and "Under the Sun" to see just where the Soundgardens andf Metallicas of this world came from. Add to these the beautifully subtle, Morriconesque "Laguna Sunrise" and I suppose you have the perfect album and a wonderful predecessor to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath".
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
To say that Vol 4 was the beginning of the end for Sabbath, the start of the long downward spiral into break ups and infighting, as some have commented is a bit of an overstatement.
The year was 1972. The band had only been going as a professional unit, with albums under it belt for 2 years ! If anything, Vol 4 consolidated everything that the band had put into previous efforts, tweaked the problems and brought the good stuff to the fore.
If you want to hear it start to go wrong, or at least go awry, buy `Sabotage'.
Vol 4 is in my opinion a monster of a record. From the opening distraught guitars of Wheels of Confusion, to the last notes of Under the Sun, this album shows Sabbath doing what they do best, experimenting with sound and pulling it off.
Sure the inclusion of tracks like `FX' and `Changes', are all a bit unnecessary, the former track being regarded by Tommy Iommi now as a complete waste of time.
Vol 4 has after all some of Sabbath's greatest live songs on it. Supernaught, not only a distinctly "Sabbath track" but one of rocks all time best tunes. Snowblind, again, shows off Sabbath's knack of going from pretty mid paced, melancholic ramblings, to all out vehement aggressive rock. And that's what makes them great.
Iommi's crushing guitar riffs, Butler's bass punching the music out of the speakers, bill Wards drumming, strangely furious in places, in others almost stoned. And of course Ozzy's strangled, some times sorrowful, sometimes violent vocals.
The riffs on tracks like Supernaught and St Vitus Dance just reaffirm why Sabbath are the true granddaddies of modern metal. With songs like the ones mentioned above, and Tommorows Dream as another great example, its very hard not to want to tap your foot or nod your head to the infectious "groove" and thick slab riffs.
Not Sabbath's heaviest album featuring Ozzy, that accolade goes to `Master of Reality', and maybe not their most dynamic or spontaneous effort, (Their debut and Paranoid both pip it) but certainly an amazing collection of songs, certainly 100% Sabbath.
The year was 1972. The band had only been going as a professional unit, with albums under it belt for 2 years ! If anything, Vol 4 consolidated everything that the band had put into previous efforts, tweaked the problems and brought the good stuff to the fore.
If you want to hear it start to go wrong, or at least go awry, buy `Sabotage'.
Vol 4 is in my opinion a monster of a record. From the opening distraught guitars of Wheels of Confusion, to the last notes of Under the Sun, this album shows Sabbath doing what they do best, experimenting with sound and pulling it off.
Sure the inclusion of tracks like `FX' and `Changes', are all a bit unnecessary, the former track being regarded by Tommy Iommi now as a complete waste of time.
Vol 4 has after all some of Sabbath's greatest live songs on it. Supernaught, not only a distinctly "Sabbath track" but one of rocks all time best tunes. Snowblind, again, shows off Sabbath's knack of going from pretty mid paced, melancholic ramblings, to all out vehement aggressive rock. And that's what makes them great.
Iommi's crushing guitar riffs, Butler's bass punching the music out of the speakers, bill Wards drumming, strangely furious in places, in others almost stoned. And of course Ozzy's strangled, some times sorrowful, sometimes violent vocals.
The riffs on tracks like Supernaught and St Vitus Dance just reaffirm why Sabbath are the true granddaddies of modern metal. With songs like the ones mentioned above, and Tommorows Dream as another great example, its very hard not to want to tap your foot or nod your head to the infectious "groove" and thick slab riffs.
Not Sabbath's heaviest album featuring Ozzy, that accolade goes to `Master of Reality', and maybe not their most dynamic or spontaneous effort, (Their debut and Paranoid both pip it) but certainly an amazing collection of songs, certainly 100% Sabbath.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Black Sabbath's Volume 4 is an outstanding collection of mature songwriting and superb musicianship.The album doesn't have one weak track and stands beside Led Zeppelin's fourth album Deep Purple's Made in Japan and AC/Dc's Back in Black as an essential to any rock collection.Wheels of Confusion has an addictive infectious groove with a superb Ozzy vocal that leaves you singing "Long ago I wandered through my mind" long after the cd has finished.Supernaut with awesome Bill Ward drumming (check out the bass drum patterns) and Snowblind are killer tracks and Under the Sun and Cornucopia are noisy walks through the graveyard.Of course Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler are also on form too.It's a pure classic and you must have it.In my opinion it's Sabbath's finest moment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Black Sabbath Volume 4: Black Sabbath - Wheels of confusion start to...
This fourth release from Black Sabbath's classic line up, Osbourne, Iommi, Ward and Butler, is a bit of a mixed bag and a little bit of a disappointment after the mighty Master of... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Victor
vol 4 ,gives you more.
Volume 4 gives you more,of the same but even better,if 'Master Of Reality' was the culmination of the dogged early years then Volume 4 can be seen as a stepping stone. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr Blackwell
Sabbath 4 as it should be
I got Sabbath's Vol. 4 as a Christmas present in 1972. 37 years on I still think it's an amazing album. Read more
Published on 23 Dec 2009 by Mr. John Leigh
Absolute Classic
I can't say I know much about the background to this album nor the circumstances of the members as I was not really around or conscience of it in 1972; all I know is that since I... Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2009 by Matthew Thorpe
Clasic Album
This is a classic piece of rock history - and sounds every bit of it!
Published on 25 Aug 2009 by M. C. Durie
I think its the best Sabbath album
IMHO this is the best album Black Sabbath did, a true classic. The rawness and lack of technical knowledge that is evident on the previous ablums has gone and been replaced with... Read more
Published on 22 July 2009 by Mr. D. V. Beresford
Classic Sabbath you cannot live without
Volume 4 was my first Black Sabbath album - its predecessors followed in hot pursuit. But even after hearing the wonders of their first release - and my initiation into the dark... Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2009 by BevRen
Awesome album but ruined by the song Changes.
This album is brilliant. Ignore the negative reviews, this is a great album. The song Changes just reminds me of the awful cover by Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne so I do not like it, but... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2008 by MrMetalheadO'Hagan
One of the best albums I own.
Ive heard a lot of bad reviews about this album being "boring" and "disapointing" simply because its a bit experimental. Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2008 by Felgates
Changes
Plenty is said about this album already. Great tracks but for the bizarre FX. Much has been made out about the inclusion of the piano led 'Changes'. Read more
Published on 20 May 2007 by MartinG
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