Black Sabbath - Master of Reality poll

After doing Duran Duran, The Cure, Billie Eilish and then Mother Love Bone this year, it just felt like I needed to go bigger.

those opening 50 seconds of "Children of the Grave" before Ozzy's vocals hit are utterly undeniable. I also weirdly love the brevity of the instrumentals within the confines of this record.

For all its repetitiveness, "Sweet Leaf" is probably the greatest love song to marijuana ever written.

i have moments where i wonder "what is the best single side of music on vinyl?" and that a-side ranks up there for me.

every non-interstitial on here is worth voting for. “after laughter” is a long time favorite, but “sweet leaf” and “into the void” are both so heavy. “into the void” is the direct father of hundreds upon thousands of stoner rock bands, and ozzy’s turn on “sweet leaf” is one of my favorite vocals of his.

“aw right yeah!!!”

original Vertigo cover FTW

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/40/Bsmor.jpg

haha that's the Warner Bros cover, sorry!

https://i.discogs.com/2TsK-8XtGAeUwPPJews9S-tDEiQpgAYvSyRTagSSupI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:588/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2MjUz/MjEtMTIzMjk2NjE2/NC5qcGVn.jpeg

call me lame but it's always been "Sweet Leaf" for me. the whole thing is meticulously assembled, and that repeating Iommi guitar lead leading into the chaotic drumbeat into the breakdown is an all-time moment for me.

but the entire album is pretty much flawless so....I could see all tracks getting votes. maybe not "Solitude", but I love that song too.

ugh impossible I'll go with Into the Void

Voted Lord of This World, could have voted almost anything

Children of the Grave, of course

I'm going with "Orchid" because it's always felt like the emotional centre to me (assuming the rest of the album is available as context)

I believe my LP of this dates from the 80s, when they had stopped embossing the album title but hadn't thought of outlining it in any other way, so it just features a purple "BLACK SABBATH" sitting above a sea of black.

"Sweet Leaf" was the first Sabbath song I heard, and still a favourite; and though the rest of the album is good and consistent, I feel a lethargy creep in soon afterwards (maybe this is a consequence of the use of that same vegetable matter). Compared to the albums before and after, the hooks aren't as sharp, Ozzy's vocal melodies aren't as imaginative or ambitious, and it's more of a mood piece than a series of discreet songs. Although, in their favour, I can't think of contemporary heavy groups that were doing something similar.

"sweet leaf" was a literal gateway drug for someone like me who was only aware of sabbath through probably the big "paranoid" hits that would only be played on radio. i'll fully admit to only listening to the album because someone here once wrote a book about it.

Lord of this world / evil possessah

Would have loved to have heard Sweet Leaf with one of the other drummers of the era to see what they would have done with that awkward bridge. Ward sounds like he’s falling down a couple flights of stairs

why do you even listen to music?

it's children of the grave for me because bill ward is fully in his moments there

upper mississippi otm, my God, first four black sabbath albums with any other drummer is a nightmare scenario, like if you live a bad life then in Hell you will have to hear that. not for eternity just the once, that will be bad enough

but the entire album is pretty much flawless so....I could see all tracks getting votes. maybe not "Solitude", but I love that song too.

I thought about voting for "Solitude," but then I realized my vote for "Solitude" was actually a vote for "-> Into the Void" if that makes sense

lol the bridge drumming is one of the most amazing parts of the song

first four eight black sabbath albums with any other drummer is a nightmare scenario

Corrected

it's children of the grave for me because bill ward is fully in his moments there

But does anyone else find that overdubbed timbale or whatever he's bashing throughout the riff kind of annoying?

The song does get extra points for the harmonium, though.

No that timbale clattering thing sounds cool as hell

yeah, that's a massive part of what makes "children of the grave" amazing

This is impossible but I followed instinct and clicked Into the Void because god damn that riff.

Feel like they found a good coke connection between this album and vol 4

into the void

So weird hearing Ozzy not sound like Ozzy on 'Solitude'.

Bill Ward rules, no notes.

Oh and it's Children of the Grave, obv

I'm lukewarm on both Sabbath (eek!) & Soundgarden but this cover (esp. the woke re-imagining) is so good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjjyLjGk4xE

Feel like they found a good coke connection between this album and vol 4

They announce it in the liner notes of the latter record!

Yup. You can really hear it

Vol. 4 is also where Iommi starts writing a lot of major-key riffs, you get a taste of that here with the introduction of "After Forever".

cough (cough) (cough) (cough) (cough) (cough) (cough) (cough)...

I heard this version before the original (and it works really well as a White Zombie song too)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upyS4VCU5uI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7V3pEGZz64

so many great things about this I don't know where to begin

into the void

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Void

Another vote for "Into the Void." I love this album, but I have never liked "Sweet Leaf." The riff is too staccato and pounding; it doesn't have the groove of Sabbath's best songs. Also, songs about weed are stupid.

No groove you say? Hmm

I didn't get a chance to submerge myself with this album before voting like I wanted to. Going to vote for "Children of the Grave" in the end.

there are good and bad songs about weed and 'sweet leaf' is a good one imo.

Someone is not a fan of roots reggae I see.

Sweet Leaf has a monster groove, utterly Funkadelic. unperson what are you on about

I mean it’s slow and loping and uneven, but a lot of great grooves have all of those features

void

ilm is a great place to get reminded that every opinion exists, very interesting!

the sweet leaf riff is an absolutely enormous groove, it contains entire worlds

Calstars thank you for posting that awesome '74 clip!

after forever flipped my wig, maybe I'm weird, love the "we're not Satanists really" lyric

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I missed this poll but the right track won.

BUT I prefer Soundgarden's cover version, which swaps in a speech from Chief Seattle, leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples, in place of the OG lyrics. Heavy as fuck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtG5d3Zd6I4

ah I see selvidge denim enthusiast Steve Shasta has already weighed in with the same correct opinion.

just realizing there are quite a few superficial similarities between "children of the grave" and blondie's "call me" lol

I always quite like the Exhorder cover (good cheesewire guitars):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxVJK6t9HVA

After Forever should have gotten more votes. It has at least three amazing Iommi riffs. Are the lyrics too corny?

i voted for it

I was the sole Lord of This World voter, do you people not worship Satan or something?

He’s okay

Bill Ward looks like an insane, raging primate of indeterminate origin in that California Jam footage, just incredible

whole band rules but he's the most amazing to watch

Children of the Grave was a particular favorite of the band, especially Ozzy.

I was the sole Lord of This World voter

To me, it's a retread of "Hand of Doom".

>just realizing there are quite a few superficial similarities between "children of the grave" and blondie's "call me" lol

chuck eddy pointed that out in "stairway to hell" iirc