Revolution In Their Minds: Black Sabbath's Master of Reality at 40

 

Black Sabbath

Master of Reality

1971

Rating: ****

In 1971, English heavy metal band Black Sabbath were enjoying success. In 1970, the band had released two albums. Their sophomore effort, Paranoid, was both a critical and commercial success. It also gave the band a hit single with the album’s self-titled track. To follow up an album like Paranoid wouldn’t be easy to do. However, the band did just that on July 21, 1971: the band released their third album Master of Reality. For many, Master of Reality is one of the best albums by the band. Some even think it’s their best yet.

            When the band went into the recording studio to make Master of Reality, the band changed a few things to their sound. Guitarist Tony Iommi, who had lost his fingertips in an accident, decided to detune his guitar to reduce string tension. Iommi had used (to this day, still does) puts small rubber caps over the fingers where he’d loss his fingertips, which gave the band a “sludge” like sound. When Iommi detuned his guitar, Geezer Butler decided to detune his bass. Detuning the instruments gave the band a somewhat darker sound, which was all good. The band entered Island Studios in London on February 5, 1971. The band finished recording on April 5, 1971. Rodger Bain was producing once again but it would be his last time producing a Sabbath album.

            Master of Reality begins with the sound of a looping cough. The cough happens to belong to Tony Iommi. The music kicks in, in which Ozzy Osbourne shouts “Alright now!” “Sweet Leaf” is an instant Sabbath classic. The song is the band’s ode to marijuana. The song title came from the name of cigarettes Geezer Butler bought in Dublin once since the tobacco was known as “the sweet leaf”. The lyrics are somewhat confusing as to how it connects to marijuana but in the end, it becomes obvious (“When I first met you didn’t realize/I can’t forget you or your surprise/You introduced me to my mind/And left me wanting you and your kind”). “After Forever” is a great rocker. The lyrics, however, take a stab at religion (specifically Christianity). How can you not love lyrics like this?: “Would you like to see the Pope on the end of a rope- Do you think he’s a fool?”. The irony of the this is that the song writer, Geezer Butler, is actually a proclaimed Catholic. “Embryo” is one of two guitar instrumentals by Iommi on the album. This is the shortest of them as it’s only thirty seconds. “Children of the Grave” follows in the vein of “War Pigs” and “Electric Funeral” as it is an anti-war hymn. Iommi’s guitar work on here is really great. It sounds like you’re right there in the middle of a war. It feels like the guitar, bass, and drums are marching and the leader of it all is Ozzy Osbourne. How can you not love that? The lyrics warn of the future: “If you want a better place to live in, spread the words today”. For me, “Children of the Grave” is the best song off the album just for its anti-war themes.

“Orchid” is the second and last of Iommi’s instrumentals. It sounds like Iommi is playing an acoustic guitar as opposed to “Embryo” where he’s playing electric guitar. “Lord of This World” starts off as this sludge rock/stoner rock number. The song transitions into this killer beat/rhythm that can be best described as tight. The lyrics sound angry at the world and the leader of it all. “Lord of this world” sings Osbourne. “Evil Possessor/Lord of this world/He’s your confessor now!” “Solitude” is very different from other Sabbath songs: it’s very soft. No one would ever think to call a Sabbath song soft but for this one, it is (if you want a ballad, then I suggest “Changes” from Black Sabbath Vol. 4). Iommi is even playing flute on this one! Some believe that drummer Bill Ward sings this song but that is a myth: Ozzy is singing on this one. “Into the Void” ends the album with a terrifying vision of the world, possibly the future. It does seem to be a doomsday-like song, but like “Children of the Grave” it is warning listeners. It’s a pretty dark way to end an album.

For me, Master of Reality isn’t as good as their debut or Paranoid but there’s no doubting that Master of Reality is an amazing album. It currently sits at #125 on my list of favorite albums. It may sound not very high but it is. I really do like Master of Reality. I think of it as the third part of a trilogy. First, you have Black Sabbath. Next you have Paranoid. Finally, you have Master of Reality.

Michael "Wurzel" Burston (1949-2011)- R.I.P.

 

Michael "Wurzel" Burston

October 23, 1949- July 9, 2011

(this is the best I could do for a picture. Sorry. Blame the photographers who won't share their work)

Former Motorhead guitarist Michael "Wurzel" Burston sadly passed away on Saturday July 9. He was 61 years old. Longtime bass technician for Motorhead's leader Lemmy, Tim Butcher, confirmed the news. Wurzel had died from heart disease. On the day of his death, Wurzel had been drinking Guinness and cracking jokes according a message published on Blabbermouth. Wurzel joined Motorhead back in 1984, along with guitarist Phil Campbell. It was at this time when Lemmy decided to make Motorhead a four piece band. Wurzel earned his nickname from his time in the army, as he was compared to Worzel Gummidge. Lemmy suggested to Wurzel to add umlauts to the "U" for the "heavy metal effect". Wurzel first appeared on the compilation No Remorse in 1984, which included several new Motorhead songs. Wurzel played the following Motorhead albums:

Orgasmatron (1986)

Rock N Roll (1987)

No Sleep At All (live, 1988)

1916 (1991)

March or Die (1992)

Bastards (1993)

Sacrifice (1995)

+ more

Wurzel was in Motorhead from 1984 till 1995 when he decided to leave the band. No one replaced Wurzel since Lemmy decided to make Motorhead a trio again with Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee. Before his death, Wurzel had been working on material with his new band, Leader of Down. Motorhead fouder and bassist Lemmy has stated the following:

"Wurzel was my friend and my brother and he's never going to laugh with me again or bitch me out or do...anything. And that truly and cosmically sucks. RIP Wurz. Godspeed. Good man."

As a Motorhead fan, it is sad to learn of Wurzel's passing. Although I don't own any of the albums Wurzel was on with Motorhead at this time, it's still sad. I will consider getting one of those albums now in memory of Wurzel. Wurzel is also one of the few people to share the same birthday as me so I though that was kind of cool! He seemed like a great guy and we'll all miss him. 

RIP Wurzel.

Jim Morrison: An American Prayer (1943-1971)- 40 years later

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James Douglas Morrison

December 8, 1943- July 3, 1971

July 3, 1971- Doors leader singer Jim Morrison is found dead in the bathtub of this apartment. Morrison's long time girlfriend, Pamela Courson, was the first to find out: she found him. Even 40 years after Morrison's death, it still remains a mystery as to how he actually died. There's much more myth than fact about the events before July 3. What killed the Lizard King? The death certificate said that Morrison had suffered from a heart attack. Some people don't believe this. Some say he was murdered. Some say it was an overdose. Whatever the case might be, no one know exactly how Jim Morrison died.

Jim Morrison had been the lead singer for the Doors since they formed in 1965. In 1971, the band had finished up recording their sixth studio album L.A. Woman. By this time, the Doors had fulfilled their contract with Elektra Records. They could sign with another label or stick with Elektra Records. The band decided to take a break. For Jim Morrison, he decided to live in Paris, France with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. Morrison didn't know if he was coming back to the USA. He was still facing charges from the infamous Miami gig in 1969, where Morrison allegedly exposed himself. 

Some believe that before July 3, Jim had been catching up with a friend from UCLA. He had collapsed once that day but said he was fine. At night, Jim and Pam went to the movies and/or went to a bar called the Rock N Roll Circus. It was in the middle of the night when Jim woke up throwing up blood. It is believed that to ease the pain, Jim decided to take a bath. Jim never got out of the tub. No autopsy was performed. On July 6, Jim Morrison was buried in a sealed coffin. Morrison's family and band mates never got to go to the funeral. 

The surviving members of the Doors (Ray, Robby, and John) decided to try and continue without Jim. After released two albums (Other Voices and Full Circle), the band split. Today, the music of the Doors is more popular than it ever was. Jim was also another victim of the so-called 27 club, in which rock stars die at the age of 27. Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix are examples. Another is Brian Jones, who died exactly two years before Morrison on July 3, 1969.

RIP, Jim.

Hungry Freaks, Daddy: Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention's Freak Out is 45

 

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

Freak Out!

1966

Rating: **** 1/2

1966 marked the middle of the decade. For the first half of the 1960’s, the British Invasion had certainly taken over the world of rock music. As far as American rock bands went, there weren’t really any until the late 1960’s. One of the first bands to do so was a band called the Mothers of Invention. The band, led by guitarist Frank Zappa, released their debut album on June 27, 1966. The album, Freak Out!, was released as a double album. At that time in rock music, it was rare for a band to release a double album (let alone a double album as their debut album). 45 years after its release, Freak Out! is an album that’s still relevant today. Not only was it the debut album for the Mothers of Invention but it was also the world’s introduction to the music of Frank Zappa.

            Frank Zappa was born on December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. Zappa grew up listening to early rock music as well as classical music. One of Zappa’s influences was an avant garde composer named Edgar Varsee. Zappa’s family moved quite often, which would explain why Zappa attended six different high schools. In 1956, the Zappa family had moved to California. When Zappa attended Antelope Valley High School around that time, he started writing and composing music. It was also at Antelope where he met Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart. Zappa graduated from high school in 1958. He tried community college but left after one semester. He even got married at the age of 20 to Kay Sherman but they weren’t together for very long. In 1964, Zappa joined a band called the Soul Giants. Zappa quickly took the role as leader in the band and managed to get the band a manager in Herb Cohen in early 1965. The band also changed their name to the Mothers that same year. The line-up at that point was Zappa, singer Ray Collins, bassist Roy Estrada, and drummer/percussionist Jimmy Carl Black. The band did have a few line-up changes before recording the debut album. Still, these four people stayed together aside from the short time Collins left the band. When Collins rejoined, the band hired guitarist Elliot Ingber as the new fifth member. By this point, the band was signed to Verve Records. The band was asked to change their name. According to Zappa years later, the record label didn’t like the name: if someone was a good musician, they were a “motherfucker”. The Mothers sounded like “a clan of motherfuckers”. With that, the band’s name was changed to the Mothers of Invention. The band began work on Freak Out! on March 9, 1966 at Sunset-Highland Studios and finished just three days later.

            “Hungry Freaks, Daddy” opens the album with a psychedelic roar. It sounds like a song that the average rock band at that point would release except better. The lyrics points fingers at America: “Mister America walk on by/Your schools that do not teach/Mister America walk on by/The minds that won’t be reached”. The sound of the guitar solo is raw, which I really like. In some way, this song could still be relevant. “I Ain’t Got No Heart” is what one would probably call soul or R&B. “Who Are The Brain Police”, however, is another stand out track off this album. The song is very psychedelic and also very dark. There’s that part when the music completely changes into this bizarre mash-up of noises before going back into the first part. The Mothers also showcase their love for doo-wop music on this album. “Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder” is a fantastic and quite hilarious song. It tells a tale of teenage woe, with line like “I gave you my promise ring at the root beer stand”. “Motherly Love” probably goes in the same league as “Hungry Freaks, Daddy” in which it sounds like something anyone could’ve put out at that time. The band gets a bit serious when it comes to song such as “How Could I Be Such A Fool”, the melodic “You Didn’t Try To Call Me”, and the soulful “I’m Not Satisfied”. The band also gets silly in “Wowie Zowie”, in which the singer doesn’t care if his girlfriend has bad hygiene or if her dad’s “the heat”. My favorite song off the album (and probably a lot of others would agree) is “Trouble Every Day”. The song is written very honestly about the country at that time. There was a war going on and events such as the Watts riots happening. The content in this song is heavy. The verse about the news channels reporting things fast is still relevant. “Hey you know something people?” says one man. “I’m not black but there’s a whole lots of times I wish I could say I’m not white”. As humorous as that may sound, there’s something dark in that statement. The album ends weird with three songs. First, there’s “Help, I’m A Rock” which is a very strange song with basically cries of the song’s title. “It Can’t Happen Here” is another weird song which has no instruments except the drumming in the middle. Zappa leads the band in verses like “Who could imagine that they would freak out in…?”. Listeners are also introduced to the character of Suzy Creamcheese in the last two songs. The album’s finale, “The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet”, is a twelve minute avant garde piece that may leave you wondering “Suzy Creamcheese, what’s got into you?”

            When Freak Out! was released in June 1966, it was not a success. The album charted at #130 and barely anything was said about the album. The album did however have a cult following, as did all the other albums that Frank Zappa made with and without the Mothers of Invention. Today, the album gets much more recognition than it did in 1966. Music critics alike say that Freak Out! is one of the best rock albums ever made. 45 years after its release, Freak Out! is still great.  

Uriah Heep rocks Jim Thorpe

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wstryder/2998889072/

Uriah Heep

Live at Penn's Peak

June 24, 2011

Rock veterans Uriah Heep rocked Jim Thorpe, PA last night with a great set of songs. The band, formed in 1969, are currently on tour in support of their 23rd studio album Into the Wild. The currently consists of singer Bernie Shaw (since 1986), guitarist Mick Box (since 1969, only original member), bassist Trevor Bolder (1977-1981, 1983-present), drummer Russel Gilbrook (since 2007), and keyboardist Phil Lanzon (since 1986).

The band hit the stage at 8 pm, which is pretty early compared to other bands I've seen. The stage for Penn's Peak is pretty small and back stage is actually behind two visible doors. When Mick Box arrived on stage, the crowd went nuts. With that, the band kicked into "I'm Ready" from the new Into the Wild album. After this song, Bernie said hello to the crowd and told them that the audience would have some fun tonight. "Return to Fantasy" followed (from the 1975 album of the same name) and I was impressed the band played it. It's a pretty deep cut, in my opinion. I was disappointed to see some people sit down during this song. C'mon, people! It's a rock concert. I thought we're all Heepsters! When Phil Lanzon and Trevor Bolder went into the opening line from "Stealin", people got back up. The band performed a wonderful rendition of the song. I've seen videos before of Bernie singing this one and he's really good singing this one. The late great David Byron might be the band's original and best frontman but Bernie is a great singer in his own way. The only thing Bernie did wrong: he said "Stealin" was from 1974 when it's really from 1973 (but hey, people make mistakes! Heck, Bernie wasn't even in the band yet!) The band dived into the Demons And Wizard with the keyboard led drone of "Rainbow Demon". The band went into another song off Into the Wild, "Money Talk". The band then let Russel Gilbrook show off his drumming skills with an impressive and monstrous drum solo. Russel also kicked into another song from the new album, "Nail on the Head".  Mick got out his acoustic guitar for "The Wizard", which pleased the crowd. In fact, it was the crowd that impressed Bernie after leading the crowd in the "ahhhs" in "The Wizard" (or was it after Bernie led the ending of "Stealin"? I forget. It's either one of them). So impressed he asked,

"You guys want to come on tour with us? Hey Simon, our manager...we'll need another bus!"

"Into the Wild" came next. Phil Lanzon did an amazing job at doing the intro to the Heep classic "Gypsy". The band had the crowd stomping and clapping. "Gypsy" went right into "Look At Yourself", where Mick played an explosive solo. "Kiss of Freedom" was the fifth and last song the band played from Into the Wild. "July Morning" followed, which is a great song when played live. The studio version of the song goes on for ten minutes. It was even longer live! Mick went into another solo, with the use of a wah-wah pedal. Mick got his acoustic guitar again and said hello to the audience. He thanked the crowd for coming out and supporting the band. With that, the band went into the ballad of "Lady In Black". Bernie once again led the audience in the wordless chorus (go look it up on YouTube). The band then said goodnight.

Mick came back onstage with the band after a few minutes of waiting. 

"You want to hear more?" he asked.

The crowd roared. Mick then introduced the next song by saying it came out in 1977 and it was a hit in Germany. Over in Germany, it was considered one of the first heavy metal songs. Mick chuckled at the comment and asked if anybody wanted to come on stage and "headbang". A few audience members went up onstage going nuts. When the band went into "Free N Easy", the headbanging began! I remembered seeing this one guy with very long hair doing a 360 with his hair! Mick thanked their headbangers and with that, the band soared into "Bird of Prey" which went right into the band's most popular song, "Easy Livin'". The band then said goodbye.

Uriah Heep were great and I enjoyed going to see them. My only complaints are that the band played too many songs off the new album Into the Wild. They played five of the eleven songs. I already praised the album when it came out but I would've wanted to hear something off of, say, The Magician's Birthday. Another thing : the audience was boring. People this is URIAH HEEP not URIAH SLEEP! Still, I enjoyed the show immensely. I'd love to see them again!

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011)- Just A Note

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeheth/3754321164/

Clarence Clemons

January  11, 1942- June 18, 2011

I know I'm a little late with the news. I really didn't want to make a blog post on this given that I'm not a fan of Bruce Springsteen's music (no offense). Still, I'm saddened to hear of the passing of Clarence Clemons. I know he'll be missed by almost everyone in the music business. Although he's known for his work with Springsteen, Clemons played for other artists in rock music such as Ringo Starr, Twisted Sister, Ian Hunter, Great White, and countless others. 

Rest in peace, Clarence!

Metallica and Lou Reed have recorded an album...

Earlier this year, guitarist Kirk Hammet said that Metallica would be making their next studio album. Hammet added that the project was to be "top secret". Well just recently, Metallica have revealed on their official site that they've completed making an entire album with legendary singer/songwriter Lou Reed. According to the post on the band's site, Metallica had been "kicking around the idea" of making an album with the former Velvet Underground member since they performed with Reed in 2009 at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert. The band and Reed played the Velvet Underground classic, "Sweet Jane". It also says in the article that ten tracks have been recorded. No release date has been announced yet but Metallica are very excited to get this out.
This is awesome. I will admit it is an odd pairing but I love both Lou and Metallica. Metallica isn't really known for experimenting and have been basically thrash metal and hard rock. Lou's career with the Velvet Underground was basically protopunk and early alternative rock music. When it comes to his solo career, Lou is really only known for the Transformer album and "Walk On The Wild Side". I've explored some of his amazing man's discography and there isn't anything he hasn't done: he's done concept albums (Berlin), avant garde albums (Metal Machine Music, even though most of us hate it), simple blues rock albums (The Blue Mask) and too many others to mention. This should be an interesting album. I'll be picking this up, for sure.

Metallica + Lou Reed = Loutallica!