Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Song By Song

[Zzzptm]

Gonna skip ahead to the 5th album because I can.

This song is, to me, *THE* best opener of any Ozzy-era Sabbath album and I won't get too far ahead of myself about which song is their best closer, but we *will* be talking about it in a few days...

There is a great variety to the parts of the song, with the lighter choruses and bridge section contrasting with the driving, growling, hammering riff-based verses. The end half gives us a different set of piledriver chords before taking us on a guitar flourish to end the piece.

Lyrically, the song shows amazing maturity. We don't have poetry set to music, nor do we have the copying of another style. We have actual *lyrics*, delivered powerfully by Ozzy in his prime.

I've been wanting to do this album for a few weeks now, and that's how much I love it that I couldn't take the wait anymore. We can do Master of Reality another day. Today, it's SBS time!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I think it is safe to say that this is my favourite album of all time (just beating out Sabotage)... I think I may have mentioned this fact here before, I forget!

And the title song is my favourite song off my favourite album, even after 40 years it sounds as fresh as the first day I heard it.

[Typhon]

The title cut is another of my Top 5 favorites.  Enough said. 

[Zzzptm]

Man, I gotta play it again!

DUNNUH DU-NAH DUNNUH DU-NAH DA DA DA DAAA DAA

[Jack the Stripper]

Thought we might’ve done MOR next seeing the first two and Vol 4 are out of the way 

Anyhow. SBS title track is a classic! Amazing riff and the slow part features one of Ozzy greatest vocal melodies. Just such a clever and brilliant song from a band that was hitting its peak both as musicians and songwriters.

[Charger]

Yeah why jump MOR? It is the best Ozzy era album!

Well.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath has one of of Tony's best ever riffs. Ozzy probably does one of his most challenging vocal preformance ever, the only real let down of the song are the silly lyrics. God knows as your dog knows? Bog blast all of you? Come on... But then again they were doing more and more drugs at the time so naturally that would have an effect on Geezer too.

All in all I'd say Sabbath Bloody Sabbath as an album features some of Geezer's most outlandish and incomprehensible lyrics. I'm sure they might have made some sense to him at the time but...

Anyways. The title track is among the top 5 songs from the original line up that's for sure. The drive of the song is just relentless. But in the end it all comes down to that riff...that amazing intro riff. Which once again proves that Tony Iommi was/is and will forever be the driving force of the band.

[Jack the Stripper]

Ok moving on...

A National Acrobat is another heavy mid pace groover with a mesmerising riff. The different melodic passages are quite complex in the song and feature some of Geezer’s most interesting  lyrics and again Ozzy’s vocals and melodies really lift the song...Love it

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

A National Acrobat is another stone cold classic. The lyrics are again great, I also really like the closing riff, the tone change used to give me goosebumps (a musical dunce here so I'm not sure what the correct tern is!).

It's a top 20 Sabbath track for me (they can't all be top 5/10!!).

[Typhon]

Just to clarify, "God knows as your dog knows" means God doesn't know anything.
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A National Acrobat gives a haunting and menacing type of feeling which is a perfect fit for this album.  I love the various melodies throughout the song.  A terrific piece of music.

It's a top 20 Sabbath track for me (they can't all be top 5/10!!).

  There is just so many killer tracks, what can you do?

[Charger]

Just to clarify, "God knows as your dog knows" means God doesn't know anything.

I know what it means...but it still doesn't make it a good lyric!


Anywas on to National Acrobat..

Another great heavy riff from the riff master! It carries the song on very well indeed.
It is yet another quite complex piece of work, there's a good ammount of tempo changes and melodies here.
This is also lyrically without a doubt the best track on the album no god dogs or bog blasts or metaphoric motor replays (!?!?!?!?!?) here. Just a nice story about love, hate and life.

This is one of those truly forgotten Sabbath classics that should have also been a live staple instead Killing Yourself To Live.

[Zzzptm]

Before I hit National Acrobat, I'm going to nominate Charger as the one to kick off MOR. I had to go to SBS because I do love it so.

A National Acrobat hits us with that slow roll riff that's a variation of the SBS theme. We get to the middle part which has another slow roll riff, just as compelling and hypnotic as the first. Best lines of SBS' lyrics here, as well, which we see at the top of the forums here.

Break it down and then speed it up with a key modulation to the major and sail on out with a beautiful Iommi solo.

When I first heard it, I was let down that it wasn't a raging teenage rocker. By the middle of that first listen, though, I got it. Such a sweet tune, this one.

[Jack the Stripper]

We move on to the beautiful and gentle instrumental composition that is Fluff

The various acoustic parts are beautifully woven together with the piano and what sounds like some Hank Marvin inspiration on the background electric guitar. Having it 3 tracks in is a bit odd but it does seem to flow nicely into the next track. Love me some “Fluff”

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I do like Fluff, my only criticism is it is maybe a minute too long!

[Charger]

Fluff is the definition of an over long overly repetetive instrumental.

Would it be around 1:30 or maybe even 2 minutes it would work well but as it is now it really doesn't. Skip skip skip track.

[Typhon]

I agree that the BFTO track that is Fluff, is a minute too long.  However, it does flow nicely into the next song.