The Devil You Know - Song By Song

[Zzzptm]

This is a song that should have started the album out. Double the Pain has a good groove to it and moves along smartly. I'll agree the chorus needs work, but I've been starved for something quick, so I'm all over that riff like a donkey on a waffle.

[Scott]

Double the Pain feels laidback, but it does have that Geezer vibe which I do love.

[Jack the Stripper]

I’m happy to be one out on this but I absolutely love Double the Pain. From Geezers doomy bass intro to Tony’s crushing riff the song is a monster to my ears and in the top 2-3 tracks on TDKN
I also think it’s one of Ronnie’s best vocal melodies with the lyrics he’s singing from the album.

Shocked you’s all don’t rate this song...

[Scott]

I’m happy to be one out on this but I absolutely love Double the Pain. From Geezers doomy bass intro to Tony’s crushing riff the song is a monster to my ears and in the top 2-3 tracks on TDKN
I also think it’s one of Ronnie’s best vocal melodies with the lyrics he’s singing from the album.

Shocked you’s all don’t rate this song...

I also rate it, but I'll admit that it's one I slept on for the longest. I also wonder if lyrically it's an allusion to Strange Highways (as is 'Fear' in parts).

[Jack the Stripper]

I’m happy to be one out on this but I absolutely love Double the Pain. From Geezers doomy bass intro to Tony’s crushing riff the song is a monster to my ears and in the top 2-3 tracks on TDKN
I also think it’s one of Ronnie’s best vocal melodies with the lyrics he’s singing from the album.

Shocked you’s all don’t rate this song...

I also rate it, but I'll admit that it's one I slept on for the longest. I also wonder if lyrically it's an allusion to Strange Highways (as is Atom and Evil in parts).

Interesting take, I’ve never seen that connection. On the surface the lyrics seem to come across as someone that gets off on having pain inflicted on them by others, like a masochist, but that’s probably the simplest interpretation. Who really knows with Ronnie, could be something completely different which is why I would’ve loved him to do a book explaining his own interpretations of his lyrics. I think he liked that his lyrics were open to be interpreted in different ways though.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

@Jack

To be honest I thought I might be the only one who doesn't really like Double the Pain. I'm sure over the years I've only heard good things about it.

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Next up we have Rock and Roll Angel. This is one of the best songs on the album, a nice slow heavy riff, a good vocal performance from Ronnie (but the lyrics are little weird). But what makes the song is the solo, gentle start bulding over a chunky riff. Yep great!

[Jack the Stripper]

@Jack

To be honest I thought I might be the only one who doesn't really like Double the Pain. I'm sure over the years I've only heard good things about it.

That’s cool, I just love the song that much I’m surprised others don’t...

===================

“Rock And Roll Angel” is a good song and a nice change up from the slow and methodical doom to this point of the album. The lyrics are a bit silly and Ronnie’s vocals a little pedestrian but Tony’s riffing and emotive solo lift the song enough to make it a winner for me.

[Charger]

Rock 'n Roll Angel is another classic Sabbath sounding track with the tempo changes and the doomy atmosphere.

The main riff is just killer. Ronnie's vocals are excellent on this one...The lyrics are bit overly cryptic, even for Ronnie's standards...I'd love to know what the thought behind the line Caravan to superman was...that has always puzzled me the most.

All in all this is probably the least heavy song on the album and it's still pretty damn heavy....which again makes it classic Sabbath. Tony's guitar solo here is probably the best on the album.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Turn of the Screw, is one that I've not listened to much since the album came out (along with Fear, Double the Pain and Eating the Cannibles), so the last week or so I've heard them a few times now. TotS is a strange one in that I don't dislike it -- the riff is good, the vocals aren't bad -- but it just feels like a filler track, I guess it's because there is nothing exceptional about it.

[Charger]

Turn Of The Screw is a bit of an odd one cause it has a fantastic riff and the song moves along very nicely and has some good lyrics but Ronnie's vocals aren't 100% right on it for some reason. Can't really put my finger on it though...

Might be my second least favourite on the album...still a good song, but just not quite up there with the rest of the brilliance...just like Double The Pain.

[Jack the Stripper]

Turn of the Screw is one of my least favourite tracks on the album. Musically it’s ok I suppose and has quite a neat solo from Tony but Ronnie brings the song down with his weak and uninspired performance. One of the letdowns on this album for me is Ronnie’s singing and at times rather bland melodies. It’s obvious age at caught up with him by this stage and his vocals were sounding a bit weathered and shallow by his previous standards and it’s particularly glaring on Turn of the Screw.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Eating the Cannibals is probably the fastest song on the album, it has a nice riff, but little else going for it. It's not a bad song, the vocals are solid, but the lyrics are silly. Not the worst track on the album but it's no Neon Knights!

[Charger]

Eating The Cannibals is a nice fast song with a rather clever lyrical idea depicting the government as Cannibals and the people uprising against them by eating the cannibals.

The main riff is what I think lets the song down a bit. It's not catchy enough as what you'd expect from a fast song. Neon Knights, The Mob Rules, TV Crimes all had very catchy riffs that you could sing a long...but on this one the riff is bit too "complicated". It's almost like Tony tried to get overly clever with it.

Ronnie's vocals are brilliant again and on a song like this it's really hard to imagine he was 66 years old! Such immense power in that voice still.

This could have been a great song but is let down by the main riff...which isn't something that happens a lot with a man called Tony Iommi.

[Jack the Stripper]

“Eating the Cannibals“ is another welcome change of pace on the album but doesn’t really hit any great heights or elevate the album in any way.  Quite like the lyrical content on this one though... Very much relevant to what’s going on at the moment. Some nice soloing from Tony too. 

All in all it’s just a fun little rocker that sets up the crusher that’s about to come.

[Scott]

I’m happy to be one out on this but I absolutely love Double the Pain. From Geezers doomy bass intro to Tony’s crushing riff the song is a monster to my ears and in the top 2-3 tracks on TDKN
I also think it’s one of Ronnie’s best vocal melodies with the lyrics he’s singing from the album.

Shocked you’s all don’t rate this song...

I also rate it, but I'll admit that it's one I slept on for the longest. I also wonder if lyrically it's an allusion to Strange Highways (as is Atom and Evil in parts).

Interesting take, I’ve never seen that connection. On the surface the lyrics seem to come across as someone that gets off on having pain inflicted on them by others, like a masochist, but that’s probably the simplest interpretation. Who really knows with Ronnie, could be something completely different which is why I would’ve loved him to do a book explaining his own interpretations of his lyrics. I think he liked that his lyrics were open to be interpreted in different ways though.

Fair point. It's probably me just hearing 'Evilution' in 'Fear' (not 'Atom and Evil', my bad) and putting two and two together.