Black Sabbath Vol. 4 - Song by Song

[Zzzptm]

OK, gang, let's pick this one apart and put it back together, song by song.

I'll start with "Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener" - I really don't know how this became one of my fave Sabbath songs, because there was a long time when it wasn't. As an opener, it's decidedly slow-paced with a riff that doesn't grab the listener the way SBS or Sweet Leaf does. The lead fills are slower, the vocals mellower... I felt it was kinda yuck when I first heard it... "fairy tales and daydreams?" what is this crap? Where's my Iron Man? Where's the children of the grave and stuff like that?

The bridge picks up the pace a little and then gets really hard for the vocal part, which I think planted an anchor for the song in my heart that helped me to keep coming back to it.

It goes back to the droning rhythm from before for one more verse and then... we get a slash, followed by "The Straightener". That major fourth leading into the solo jam, aw hells yeah! That's what I wanted in an opening track!

So I had a bit of a mix on my hands with a song that had one bit in the middle and the ending that were out of sight and a main section that left me confused. But I kept listening and that drone in the main part won me over. I don't see it as a price of admission to get to the end, I now enjoy it as much as I do the rest of the song. With the complicated guitar interplay at the end, I'm not surprised this isn't a concert track for the band. But it's a studio gem that really can sneak up on a body.

[Typhon]

Some of you may already know that Wheels Of Confusion is a Top 5 favorite Sabbath song of mine.  Why?  Well, as the music eased in, it eloquently began to describe life's experiences as I knew them. 

Verse 1 - you are young and innocent.  Verse 2 - innocence vanishes and is replaced by problems.  Then when the music speeds up and hardens, to me represents the turmoil in the mind trying to figure out what the heck life is about.  Verse 3 - you realize life is just a game that you can't win.  Bang.  That's a tough message.  Accept it or die.

This song grabs my mind every time I hear it.  Magnificent.   

[Charger]

I'm quoting myself here:

Vol 4 is a very dualistic album...the good tracks are REALLY good and the weak tracks are REALLY weak...and like that's not enough it's got even a couple of okay songs too...

I think overall it's probably the most mixed feeling Sabbath album of all time...Listening to it is like a massive journey of ups and downs.

And I'll add that this is a very unique album in Sabbath's catalogue...it's the only one that raises such mixed emotions. It's a fun rollercoaster ride unlike any other.

I do say this...Wheels Of Confusion, as good of a track as it is in it's own right, is probably the worst album opener of Sabbath's entire history. Tomorrow's Dream should have been the opener...or even St. Vitus Dance...or heck if they wanted something slower even Cornucopia would have done better...Wheels should have closed the album...now that would have been perfect. Under The Sun ending the first half...

[Zzzptm]

Gotta give out a +1 to Typhon for that summary. Dead on target. And Charger's on point as well, putting it at the end of the album, I think it would have been even more effective.

As it is, taken as a standalone set, Typhon's comment got me to finally make sense of the titles Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener - after declaring that the world will still be turning when you're gone, yeah when you're gone, the music stops going around and around and takes that direct, cold, hard path. I like it even more, unlocking that riddle. (Even if it's one of those times a fan reads too much into a song, I'll still go with that conclusion. )

[Zzzptm]

OK, so moving on to "Tomorrow's Dream".

This one is more direct in its riffage and lyric, doesn't take a lot of fancy math to figure this one out. We hit a lovely bridge that points the way to a lot of stuff in SBS, Tony does a fine solo, and we have another verse, pack it up and go home.

It's a simple, enjoyable piece. So why *wasn't* it the opener?

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I'm also in agreement that WoC should not have been the opener, and that Tomorrows Dream would have been a great opener... or maybe FX... I'll get my coat!

[Zzzptm]

or maybe FX...

[Typhon]

I don't know what should be the opener or closer, but Tomorrow's Dream is a very pleasurable tune.  Not too heavy, but not too light.  Tough to find a band that could successfully stick one in the middle like that, but Sabbath pulls it off.  If you are not able to float along while this song plays, then I don't think you really appreciate the talent of this band.  Bullseye!   

[Jack the Stripper]

Never had a problem with WOC being the opener. Love it in fact. Why can’t a song that takes you on an epic journey be an opener? They don’t always have to be a fast or uptempo from the get-go.

[Typhon]

Never had a problem with WOC being the opener. Love it in fact. Why can’t a song that takes you on an epic journey be an opener? They don’t always have to be a fast or uptempo from the get-go.

Dido.   

[Zzzptm]

And now we come to... "Changes".

Tony plays piano, Geezer does the mellotron, Ozzy sings as usual, Bill takes a smoke break. Tony had just taught himself piano, and I'm assuming this was Geezer's first run-in with the mellotron, so I'm attributing the simplicity of the tune to those factors. It really is an introductory-level piano exercise. Maybe not the first one in the book, but towards the late middle or end of the exercises.

Adding in "FX", and we definitely get the two most experimental tracks on the album... I'd also say the two least integral to the album as a whole. "Changes" is a nice tune, but nowhere near as effective as other Sabbath compositions. "FX" is just music to be stoned by, as it doesn't really add to the mood of the album as a whole, like E5150 does on Mob Rules.

I don't know if anything more needs to be said for "FX", but I'm pretty sure Charger has some words for "Changes".

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

With the possible exception of Am I Going Insane (Radio)... Changes is absolutely the worst song the Sab boys are associated with. Really? What were they thinking?

[Charger]

^^^^
KDC's Charger imitation was rather spot on there!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

^^^^
KDC's Charger imitation was rather spot on there!

I can't quite nail the accent though!

[Typhon]

With all due respect for the new comedy duo of KDC/Charger, I have a completely different view of these type of Sabbath songs.  For decades, I have always affectionately referred to them as a "break from the onslaught" (BFTO).  As far as FX goes, I refer to these odd shorty's as a Lead In (LI).  I have gotten use to FX being a LI for Supernaut, kind of like Don't Start (Too Late) is a LI for SOTU.

In the past, I may have mentioned that I almost always listen to Black Sabbath albums in their entirety, start to finish.  It has always been the only band I am able to do this with.   BFTO tunes are lightly sprinkled throughout the Great 8, as well as one on 13, and this formula has always worked nicely for me.  Now, is Changes one of the better BFTO songs?  No, but I still let it play as a welcome pause from the heavy material.  Chill.