On the Black Sabbath "The Dio Years" compilation there is a song called Shadow Of The Wind that has that same masterclassical feel as Falling Off The Edge Of The World. Chef's kiss brilliance!🤘
@@scottricci5063 I used to have the cd. Dunno what the hell happened to it, only that it “got lost in the wreckage.” I was maniacal nutjob back then…..
Heaven & Hell was massive at our school (well for the music heads) - brilliant record and a great cover. Bought mine in Underground Records (a great shop back in the day) in Southampton and being very excited. Wasn't disappointed.
Gotta shout out Lady Evil. It’s a quintessential Ronnie tune and a nice groovy interlude between the two epic songs of children of the sea and heaven and hell
Agreed! It was actually the first song I heard off the album (on the radio, when it was released in 1980) and I think it's easily on a par with the rest of the classics on side one. Love the bass, and Ronnie's vocal delivery was stellar.
Come on!!! Mob Rules rules, by a country (girl) mile over H&H, though the four stand-out songs on that record are indeed brilliant. But Mob Rules is much much more consistent and somehow more substantial, and I really like Over And Over as well as the closer. The mellow part in Falling Off the Edge of the World is spine-tingling!! Pure Ronnie 💜
Great discussion about Black 🖤 Sabbath Riff Worship 🙏 and Dio .. i purchased both remastered and remixed records with the seperate Double live album and fits this little pocket of some of the BEST Black Sabbath albums back to Back again 😃👍
Some fans have mentioned ‘Lonely Is The Word’ being Bill Ward’s best drumming on the H&H album. It was good of Hack,Pete and Martin to reference the Rock-Metal-NWOBHM era, that a Dio fronted Sabbath were suddenly in-amongst. Allegedly Craig Gruber had a hand in writing ‘Die Young’. I wonder if any of Graig’s original bass lines survive for the Heaven And Hell tracks? I hope that the Heaven And Hell album will get a Classic Albums-DVD presentation someday soon.
Enjoyed this show immensely thanks Hack. Pardo's passionate words regards H&H the song was touching. For me both albums are equal but if forced it'd be H&H as both are phenomenal albums cheers \m/
Hi guys Excellent show. I have always wanted Pete and Martin to rank the songs in these two albums but this will work. First of all, I prefer Mob Rules by a hair over Heaven and Hell. However, I cannot agree with you on Lonely Is The Word. IMO it is a top 5 Sabbath song for me. Sorry. We all hear things differently.
Heaven and Hell was the first Black Sabbath I heard around the age of 11 (thanks to my big brother). I thought the title track was heavy, mysterious, and poetic. It seemed like serious music that was saying something. Now I'm 53. I still think it's a masterpiece.
I bought H&H in July 1980 when I was 18 years old. I’d been a Sabbath fan for a few years prior, and was astounded by the opening track. “Neon Knights” could be an anthem, and to this day remains my favorite tune on the album. And I agree, “Heaven and Hell” is one wicked track.
Both are phenomenal, without question and Sign Of The Southern Cross is my all time favorite Sabbath song but H&H was my introduction to Sabbath so for sentimental reasons I’m going with H&H.
In recent years, about the last 10 - 15, Mob Rules is the one I return to more often than not of the two. And maybe this is because I played the hell out of H&H since the late 80s. I certainly played it a lot more than Mob Rules. If push came to shove then I'd sway with Mob Rules of the two, but it is almost unfair to make a choice, both are incredible, even the songs you guys don't like I like. I just can't fault these two albums. Country Girl has a Wicker Man vibe about it to me, the Geezer and Tony dual soloing on Slipping Away, "AH COME ON" that Dio screams on MB... I could go on, great album. Great albums.
In interviews Bill said that he just didn't feel that the band was the same without Ozzy, and he was very much not into the vibe. This (along with health issues) could absolutely have impacted his "enthusiasm" behind the kit on Heaven and Hell. I love Bill's drumming, but comparing Heaven and Hell to his early work in Sabbath is night and day.
I was a 18yrs old and working in a record shop and had no idea of a new Sab album coming out(the boss was all Eagles,Fleetwood Mac,etc never would tell me what he ordered.)Really surprised when I flipped the cover over and there’s Dio.Had no idea he was no longer in Rainbow.This lp saved Sabbath.Btw I have always loved Wishing Well.Great chords and for my money one of Tony’s greatest solos like Kill in the Spirit World of Headless Cross.I cannot understand the dislike for the song.And Die Young is ok but really I prefer Wishing Well.
@@bernardgranite oh hell yeah. The tune is my Dio era favorite. I bought the album in July of 1980, on 8 track. I was two months from turning 19. Yeah, I just dated myself but I don’t give a shit.
I know it's a contrarian view but I give Mob Rules a *slight* edge. Side 1 of H & H is as perfect a side of heavy metal as has ever been laid down on vinyl, but things drop off a lot on side 2 IMO, while I find Mob more consistent throughout.
Both albums are excellent. Something that is often overlooked is just how amazing Bill Ward's drumming is on H&H. Cool that Popoff mentions him. The other guys don't understand drumming, evidently 😅
Never Say Die( the song)was basically Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town . Dumbed down and added distortion, easier to play Never Say Die, but basically the same chord progressions key wise
It has to be Mob Rules for me over Heaven And Hell, although both are obviously classics. These two albums are probably the two Sabbath albums releases I play the most out of the entire catalogue
Heaven and Hell, and Mob Rules are my favorite Sabbath albums. I think Heaven and Hell is probably the best song on either of these two albums, but I think Mob Rules is the best overall album.
I prefer Heavier and Hell. But it's splitting hairs here. Two great albums. It's like choosing between Blizzard of Oz or Diary of a madman. I love them both but I like Blizzard better. That doesn't mean Diary sucks. These are four of my favorite albums of all time.
As a complete album Mob Rules wins. However, Heaven and Hell has three classics that are so perfect nothing else touches them on Mob rules save maybe sign of the southern cross
I have always rated highly ‘Over And Over’ and Ronnie’s vocals are filled with emotion.. I don’t know if Ronnie is singing about Depression/Mental Health. Of course the band bring-it too. The fillers for me are : Walk Away,Lady Evil,Slipping Away & Country Girl. I have read that the lyrics to ‘Country Girl’ referenced Wendy Dio, and the ‘old country’ is an expression for England (Essex) where Wendy originally came from. Home taping my Dio -Sabbath cassettes back in the day, and cherry-picking favourites those two albums.. good times!
Mob Rules is a 10, one of the best metal albums ever made. Deep tracks like Slipping Away, Country Girl and Voodoo are incredible. Heaven and Hell is an 8, Wishing Well and Walk Away are not bad but definitely a step down from the rest of the album.
I've got to go with Sir Guitar Hack. Mob Rules sounds like the band put it all together and improved upon a great thing. Both lp's are timeless, though.
It’s bizarre because ‘Walk Away’ is possibly my favourite song from the album. Still trying to get into Dio era as it’s never grabbed me Iike Ozzy or Tony Martin. Love Dehumanizer though. I think it’s because Dios voice can be a little overpowering for me. Ideal on Dehumanizer.
I think country girl is criminally underrated. it should've been a massive radio hit. That riff is extremely catchy and it sounds like Ozzy era sabbath, but they were able to condense that song down to a length where it could've easily been a single. Love the mellow break and the blistering guitar solo. I like heaven and hell, but I love mob rules. I always go back-and-forth between Mob Rules and Sabotage for my all-time favorite Sabbath album. mob rules doesn't get the credit it deserves. I have always liked it better than Heaven and Hell. I think Bill is a great drummer, but when Rhoni is singing with Sabbath, I would rather hear Vinny on drums.
Heaven and Hell slightly over Mob Rules. For me, “Country Girl” and “Slipping Away” are *slight* low spots. Nevertheless, two of my favorite Sabbath albums.
The bass sound is a little better on mob rules so as a bass player im taking mob rules but a Heaven and Hell has the best song with Children of the Sea
Both are good, but Blizzard and Diary are better, in my opinion. I was like 14/15 then, and Ozzy VS Dio was a big thing, and I was always an Ozzy guy. Still saw Sabbath on both these tours though and they were great.
I would definitely rank Mob Rules as the stronger of the two albums overall. I do, however, have a few opinions that may go against the flow somewhat here. While I TOTALLY agree with everything said here about how EPIC "Falling Off the Edge of the World" is, every time I listen to it I'm so frustrated by how abruptly it just ends. More than just wishing that this glorious song would go on longer, for me it just lacks some final element it needed to resolve in a satisfying way. For that reason it will always feel rather incomplete to me, and one step shy of the epic classic track that it could've, should've been. The drama of the build up and the almost classic-Sabbath prog-iness of it deserved a better finish. I LOVE the song... but it frustrates me! And, I have to say, I've NEVER understood the collective shrug that "Over and Over" has received from fans over the years. For me, it was the realization of what "Lonely Is the Word" was trying to be. It carries the monstrous heaviness of the rest of the album off into this huge, crushing, bluesy finale that I think works beautifully. And there's so much damn PASSION in both the singing and the playing. Ronnie and Tony are just pouring everything they have into it, and it will always rank among my favorites of their remarkable partnership. Fun analysis here, guys. Now we need a part two - DEHUMANIZER and THE DEVIL YOU KNOW(!).
Mob Rules might be better song by song and sound wise but I’d have to give it to H&H as my two favorite Sabbath songs period - Neon Knights and Heaven and Hell appear on it
I'm with Hack on this one. Actually I love both albums but Mob Rules is waaay ahead of Heaven & Hell. Lady Evil is too Foreignerish,especially the opening.Lonely is the Word ends,despite Tony's great solo,with keyboards that echo the rhythm guitar during the solo of Zeps Stairway to Heaven,but I never skip those songs at any rate. Mob Rules has got that unbelievable production,probably Martin Birch's best,more consistent songs,more powerful,heavier,more agressive,Ronnie's most snarling vocal ever,probably due to the tension that was going on within the band at this point,but it only adds to the power of the album, I agree also with Hack in that these two albums have the greatest Dio of his entire career,even though I have to side with Martin that I really love those daringly creative latter Ozzy era albums,and yes I love Never Say Die!
Mob Rules. Everything is better on it, songs, the production. On H&H there are few songs they are not on the same level with H&H and Neon Nights and the production is uneven and dry.Mob Rules has only one lesser song, Country Girl, but the production is fantastic and it Has the best BS song ever Sign of the Southern Cross. Turn Up the night, Voodoo and Falling Off The Edge Of The World are all high quality BS.
Mob Rules doesn't contain any of the goofy 1970s Honky Tonk Boogie tracks like Lady Evil, Wishing Well, Lonely is the Word, and the extremely outdated Walk Away ( Ronnie's last attempt at keeping the spirit of Elf alive). Plus there is nothing as menacingly Heavy as Voodoo, Country Girl, and Sign of the Southern Cross on Heaven and Hell. But Children of the Sea ,Die Young, Neon Knights, and Heaven and Hell were just better songs than anything on Mob Rules. Mob Rules is arguably Black Sabbath's Heaviest album. I listened to it back to back with Born Again, and Mob Rules just decimated Born Again in pure power and driving Heavy rhythms. Dio just delivered a louder harsher Voice than Ian Gillan's whiny delivery. I liked Ian's Voice with Deep Purple, and his solo band, but other than his high screaming sections he sounded weak and whiny with Black Sabbath. Maybe he was trying to sound more like Ozzy Osbourne.
I don't rate dio as much of a lyricist, geezer butler is far superior. I also hate the title of die young, i think it could have been called stay young and be just as powerful. I don't listen to it because of the repeated die young die young.
Heaven & Hell every song is excellent, but Mob Rules has one shit song and that song is called Over and Over garbage tune depressing, get rid of that song it would be better off, a comparison also hell bent for leather the song evil fantasies also the last song . Even the last song DIO did with Rainbow………. The last song should close with a banger but not those 3 albums.
HEAVEN AND HELL is the best album DIO/RAINBOW.....NEVER made....its good but NOT heavy enough for SABBATH....MOB RULES has that dark satanic gypsy vibe....
The guitar solo in Lonely is the word is one of Iommi's best, incredible guitar!!
Im surprised the panel don't rate it as highly as other songs on both albums. Really. 🤔
@@gordy3714great song.
@@GregThomson-nb2tr a little Keyboard line from Geoff Nichols sounded reminiscent of ‘Catch The Rainbow’ to me, in ‘Lonely Is The Word’.
The intro to falling of the edge of the world is the finest piece of music ever written
In The Devil You Know album, its sister song, Bible Black
On the Black Sabbath "The Dio Years" compilation there is a song called Shadow Of The Wind that has that same masterclassical feel as Falling Off The Edge Of The World. Chef's kiss brilliance!🤘
@@scottricci5063 I used to have the cd. Dunno what the hell happened to it, only that it “got lost in the wreckage.”
I was maniacal nutjob back then…..
I saw Ronnie with Heaven & Hell in 2009, "Sign of the southern cross" just brought me to tears. Thanks for the show🍺🤘!!
I have always loved Lonely Is The Word and Over And Over. Maybe due to the solos, but I like the whole songs.
Heaven & Hell was massive at our school (well for the music heads) - brilliant record and a great cover. Bought mine in Underground Records (a great shop back in the day) in Southampton and being very excited. Wasn't disappointed.
Hey Hack, I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your channel.
@@jimiwolfsolos3119 Really appreciate it. Spread the word. Cheers
I love Lonely is the Word and Walk Away. Tony's solos on the album closer are two of my favorite solos of all time!
Great show/ two phenomenal records. Thanks. Hack/. Martin & Pete 👍💯
Gotta shout out Lady Evil. It’s a quintessential Ronnie tune and a nice groovy interlude between the two epic songs of children of the sea and heaven and hell
Agreed! It was actually the first song I heard off the album (on the radio, when it was released in 1980) and I think it's easily on a par with the rest of the classics on side one. Love the bass, and Ronnie's vocal delivery was stellar.
@@Polymorphia1965 totally agree. The bass is wonderful and it feels like Ronnie is having fun singing it the whole time
It’s an unheralded gem.
Mob Rules is strong, gets better with age, Heaven and Hell is one of the greatest albums ever made, imho.
Come on!!! Mob Rules rules, by a country (girl) mile over H&H, though the four stand-out songs on that record are indeed brilliant. But Mob Rules is much much more consistent and somehow more substantial, and I really like Over And Over as well as the closer. The mellow part in Falling Off the Edge of the World is spine-tingling!! Pure Ronnie 💜
I agree, for me it's the better of the two as well it feels more adventurous and for some reason '81 had better sounding Birch productions than '80...
FINALLY... some love for "Over and Over"(!).
I love Over and over.
Lonely is the word is fantastic
It’s an underrated gem for sure
Great discussion about Black 🖤 Sabbath Riff Worship 🙏 and Dio .. i purchased both remastered and remixed records with the seperate Double live album and fits this little pocket of some of the BEST Black Sabbath albums back to Back again 😃👍
Voodoo is a top ten song all-time for me. I think Tony did his overall best playing with Ronnie in the band.
Totally agree. Tony was a whole new beast and voodoo is awesome
Love Voodoo. It might be my favourite song from both of these albums.
Mob rules I like every song
Awesome! Great show!
Love the bass on H&H. Why wouldn't you want it up? Perfect mix in my opinion.
Some fans have mentioned ‘Lonely Is The Word’ being Bill Ward’s best drumming on the H&H album. It was good of Hack,Pete and Martin to reference the Rock-Metal-NWOBHM era, that a Dio fronted Sabbath were suddenly in-amongst. Allegedly Craig Gruber had a hand in writing
‘Die Young’. I wonder if any of Graig’s original bass lines survive for the Heaven And Hell tracks? I hope that the Heaven And Hell album will get a Classic Albums-DVD presentation someday soon.
The use of Mob Rules in the Heavy metal movie!
I've always preferred Mob Rules just slightly more than Heaven and Hell. Awesome analysis as always!
Personaly Heaven and Hell is the perfect album of all time RJD finest piece of work IMO every track is 100%
Mob Rules😈🤘
Enjoyed this show immensely thanks Hack. Pardo's passionate words regards H&H the song was touching. For me both albums are equal but if forced it'd be H&H as both are phenomenal albums cheers \m/
Hi guys Excellent show. I have always wanted Pete and Martin to rank the songs in these two albums but this will work. First of all, I prefer Mob Rules by a hair over Heaven and Hell. However, I cannot agree with you on Lonely Is The Word. IMO it is a top 5 Sabbath song for me. Sorry. We all hear things differently.
Love them both a lot, but nowadays Mob Rules get a lot more listening time from me. Phenomenal album.
Ronnie took a bit of rainbows light and shade to Tony’s riffs
Agree they are my favorite tonull albums by Black Sabbath hands down
Turn up the Night is in F major
Heaven and Hell was the first Black Sabbath I heard around the age of 11 (thanks to my big brother). I thought the title track was heavy, mysterious, and poetic. It seemed like serious music that was saying something. Now I'm 53. I still think it's a masterpiece.
I bought H&H in July 1980 when I was 18 years old. I’d been a Sabbath fan for a few years prior, and was astounded by the opening track. “Neon Knights” could be an anthem, and to this day remains my favorite tune on the album. And I agree, “Heaven and Hell” is one wicked track.
Both are phenomenal, without question and Sign Of The Southern Cross is my all time favorite Sabbath song but H&H was my introduction to Sabbath so for sentimental reasons I’m going with H&H.
If you haven’t done it already, now you have to do Blizzard vs. Diary.
@@paulcrawford138 Diary of a madman, hands down. I had both albums back in the 80s and I loved the hell out of Over The Mountain.
@@MarshDevine I’m with you 100%. Diary was the better, but I know some would argue Blizzard.
Heaven and Hell. I bought both albums, in 1980 and ‘81 respectively, and while both are excellent H&H is my preference of the two.
I love both albums but gotta pick Heaven & Hell 🔥🔥🔥
In recent years, about the last 10 - 15, Mob Rules is the one I return to more often than not of the two. And maybe this is because I played the hell out of H&H since the late 80s. I certainly played it a lot more than Mob Rules. If push came to shove then I'd sway with Mob Rules of the two, but it is almost unfair to make a choice, both are incredible, even the songs you guys don't like I like. I just can't fault these two albums. Country Girl has a Wicker Man vibe about it to me, the Geezer and Tony dual soloing on Slipping Away, "AH COME ON" that Dio screams on MB... I could go on, great album. Great albums.
I go with Mob Rules just because Sign of the Southern Cross is my favorite Sabbath tune.
Over And Over > Lonely Is The Word
They both rule.
In interviews Bill said that he just didn't feel that the band was the same without Ozzy, and he was very much not into the vibe. This (along with health issues) could absolutely have impacted his "enthusiasm" behind the kit on Heaven and Hell. I love Bill's drumming, but comparing Heaven and Hell to his early work in Sabbath is night and day.
I was a 18yrs old and working in a record shop and had no idea of a new Sab album coming out(the boss was all Eagles,Fleetwood Mac,etc never would tell me what he ordered.)Really surprised when I flipped the cover over and there’s Dio.Had no idea he was no longer in Rainbow.This lp saved Sabbath.Btw I have always loved Wishing Well.Great chords and for my money one of Tony’s greatest solos like Kill in the Spirit World of Headless Cross.I cannot understand the dislike for the song.And Die Young is ok but really I prefer Wishing Well.
Neon Knights does it for me.
Thats a tough one...🤔
Love Heaven and Hell
Did anyone else notice both Martin and Pete forgot to talk about Voodoo? Lol
Heaven and Hell by a hair over Mob Rules. Both are phenomenal albums though.
Heaven and Hell is a perfect album 💯👍%
I’m in total agreement. Though I like both albums, H&H is a masterpiece, imo. “Neon Knights” could be an anthem.
Turn Up the Night is border line corny. Neon Knights waaay better.
@@bernardgranite oh hell yeah. The tune is my Dio era favorite. I bought the album in July of 1980, on 8 track. I was two months from turning 19. Yeah, I just dated myself but I don’t give a shit.
I know it's a contrarian view but I give Mob Rules a *slight* edge. Side 1 of H & H is as perfect a side of heavy metal as has ever been laid down on vinyl, but things drop off a lot on side 2 IMO, while I find Mob more consistent throughout.
Over and Over is a killer doom track - Dio's lyrics and vocals on that are incredible - can't see how anyone sees it as "meh"
It’s such an emotional song. If I’m in a certain mood, it’ll make me tear up.
@cameronsmith8328 same here - it has a very bleak vibe - almost like would fit in on Vol. 4
Absolutely agree!!!
Both albums are excellent. Something that is often overlooked is just how amazing Bill Ward's drumming is on H&H. Cool that Popoff mentions him. The other guys don't understand drumming, evidently 😅
For me, Mob Rules edges out Heaven & Hell just by a hair. Two fantastic albums.
Never Say Die( the song)was basically Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town . Dumbed down and added distortion, easier to play Never Say Die, but basically the same chord progressions key wise
It has to be Mob Rules for me over Heaven And Hell, although both are obviously classics. These two albums are probably the two Sabbath albums releases I play the most out of the entire catalogue
Heaven and Hell, and Mob Rules are my favorite Sabbath albums. I think Heaven and Hell is probably the best song on either of these two albums, but I think Mob Rules is the best overall album.
I prefer Heavier and Hell. But it's splitting hairs here. Two great albums. It's like choosing between Blizzard of Oz or Diary of a madman. I love them both but I like Blizzard better. That doesn't mean Diary sucks. These are four of my favorite albums of all time.
Mob Rules wins because it sounds much heavier than H&H.
Both albums in my top 20 of all time w mob rules barely edging out heaven
As a complete album Mob Rules wins. However, Heaven and Hell has three classics that are so perfect nothing else touches them on Mob rules save maybe sign of the southern cross
If you could combine the best songs from each of these albums, you might have the greatest metal album of all time
Very true.
Heaven and Hell for me, but Mob Rules has the better cover..
Martin you ever going to end up on Pawn Stars with those Sabbath albums?
Mob Rules by a hair!
Ten Years After opened in Maple Leaf Gardens
I have always rated highly ‘Over And Over’ and Ronnie’s vocals are filled with emotion.. I don’t know if Ronnie is singing about Depression/Mental Health. Of course the band bring-it too. The fillers for me are : Walk Away,Lady Evil,Slipping Away & Country Girl. I have read that the lyrics to ‘Country Girl’ referenced Wendy Dio, and the ‘old country’ is an expression for England (Essex) where Wendy originally came from. Home taping my Dio -Sabbath cassettes back in the day, and cherry-picking favourites those two albums.. good times!
Mob Rules is a 10, one of the best metal albums ever made. Deep tracks like Slipping Away, Country Girl and Voodoo are incredible. Heaven and Hell is an 8, Wishing Well and Walk Away are not bad but definitely a step down from the rest of the album.
I've got to go with Sir Guitar Hack. Mob Rules sounds like the band put it all together and improved upon a great thing. Both lp's are timeless, though.
It’s bizarre because ‘Walk Away’ is possibly my favourite song from the album. Still trying to get into Dio era as it’s never grabbed me Iike Ozzy or Tony Martin. Love Dehumanizer though. I think it’s because Dios voice can be a little overpowering for me. Ideal on Dehumanizer.
I think country girl is criminally underrated. it should've been a massive radio hit. That riff is extremely catchy and it sounds like Ozzy era sabbath, but they were able to condense that song down to a length where it could've easily been a single. Love the mellow break and the blistering guitar solo. I like heaven and hell, but I love mob rules. I always go back-and-forth between Mob Rules and Sabotage for my all-time favorite Sabbath album. mob rules doesn't get the credit it deserves. I have always liked it better than Heaven and Hell. I think Bill is a great drummer, but when Rhoni is singing with Sabbath, I would rather hear Vinny on drums.
I play mob rules far more..best produced album birch did too
Mob Rules
Heaven and Hell slightly over Mob Rules. For me, “Country Girl” and “Slipping Away” are *slight* low spots. Nevertheless, two of my favorite Sabbath albums.
Mob Rules has overtaken Heaven and Hell for me. It just has a great, dark vibe and I love the crisp drum sound.
Children of the Sea their best epic song
I prefer Mob Rules slightly over Heaven. Mob feels a bit heavier.
The bass sound is a little better on mob rules so as a bass player im taking mob rules but a Heaven and Hell has the best song with Children of the Sea
Mob Rules has no weak moments, but Heaven and Hell has Walk Away. Mob Rules also has the better production.
Wishing Well is my favorite track out of anything on both albums. I will never understand why people don't like it.
Both are good, but Blizzard and Diary are better, in my opinion. I was like 14/15 then, and Ozzy VS Dio was a big thing, and I was always an Ozzy guy. Still saw Sabbath on both these tours though and they were great.
I would definitely rank Mob Rules as the stronger of the two albums overall. I do, however, have a few opinions that may go against the flow somewhat here.
While I TOTALLY agree with everything said here about how EPIC "Falling Off the Edge of the World" is, every time I listen to it I'm so frustrated by how abruptly it just ends. More than just wishing that this glorious song would go on longer, for me it just lacks some final element it needed to resolve in a satisfying way. For that reason it will always feel rather incomplete to me, and one step shy of the epic classic track that it could've, should've been. The drama of the build up and the almost classic-Sabbath prog-iness of it deserved a better finish. I LOVE the song... but it frustrates me!
And, I have to say, I've NEVER understood the collective shrug that "Over and Over" has received from fans over the years. For me, it was the realization of what "Lonely Is the Word" was trying to be. It carries the monstrous heaviness of the rest of the album off into this huge, crushing, bluesy finale that I think works beautifully. And there's so much damn PASSION in both the singing and the playing. Ronnie and Tony are just pouring everything they have into it, and it will always rank among my favorites of their remarkable partnership.
Fun analysis here, guys. Now we need a part two - DEHUMANIZER and THE DEVIL YOU KNOW(!).
If Mob Rules was recorded first….everyone would say it was by far the better album
Nope it doesn't come close to H & H.
Black Sabbath........ Heaven and Hell................... Rules !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Although both are brilliant, I prefer Mob Rules, for two reasons. I think the production is better and there are no weaker tracks.
Heaven & Hell by a wide margin is far superior to mob rules.
Mob Rules might be better song by song and sound wise but I’d have to give it to H&H as my two favorite Sabbath songs period - Neon Knights and Heaven and Hell appear on it
Turn Up the Night isn't good....almost corny. Neon Knights crushes it as an opener.
H&H is still my favorite BS album, no contest.
I'm with Hack on this one. Actually I love both albums but Mob Rules is waaay ahead of Heaven & Hell. Lady Evil is too Foreignerish,especially the opening.Lonely is the Word ends,despite Tony's great solo,with keyboards that echo the rhythm guitar during the solo of Zeps Stairway to Heaven,but I never skip those songs at any rate. Mob Rules has got that unbelievable production,probably Martin Birch's best,more consistent songs,more powerful,heavier,more agressive,Ronnie's most snarling vocal ever,probably due to the tension that was going on within the band at this point,but it only adds to the power of the album, I agree also with Hack in that these two albums have the greatest Dio of his entire career,even though I have to side with Martin that I really love those daringly creative latter Ozzy era albums,and yes I love Never Say Die!
Mob Rules. Everything is better on it, songs, the production. On H&H there are few songs they are not on the same level with H&H and Neon Nights and the production is uneven and dry.Mob Rules has only one lesser song, Country Girl, but the production is fantastic and it Has the best BS song ever Sign of the Southern Cross. Turn Up the night, Voodoo and Falling Off The Edge Of The World are all high quality BS.
Mob Rules is great but Heaven and Hell is classic....one of the best metal albums of all time
Wishing well is a great song to me. Very much liek Dio material. great melodies, aught in the mdle style. walk away is not great.
Heaven and Hell by a hair.
Mob Rules doesn't contain any of the goofy 1970s Honky Tonk Boogie tracks like Lady Evil, Wishing Well, Lonely is the Word, and the extremely outdated Walk Away ( Ronnie's last attempt at keeping the spirit of Elf alive). Plus there is nothing as menacingly Heavy as Voodoo, Country Girl, and Sign of the Southern Cross on Heaven and Hell. But Children of the Sea ,Die Young, Neon Knights, and Heaven and Hell were just better songs than anything on Mob Rules. Mob Rules is arguably Black Sabbath's Heaviest album. I listened to it back to back with Born Again, and Mob Rules just decimated Born Again in pure power and driving Heavy rhythms. Dio just delivered a louder harsher Voice than Ian Gillan's whiny delivery. I liked Ian's Voice with Deep Purple, and his solo band, but other than his high screaming sections he sounded weak and whiny with Black Sabbath. Maybe he was trying to sound more like Ozzy Osbourne.
Country girl sounds a bit like something grandpa Simpson would sing .
Mob Rules > H&H
I don't like the production on heaven and hell i think it sounds thinny and weak.
Heaven & Hell is way way better than mob rules.
Canadians. we're famous for not watching opening bands.
Jesus enough of the "heading to the Tony Martin years" schtick
I don't rate dio as much of a lyricist, geezer butler is far superior. I also hate the title of die young, i think it could have been called stay young and be just as powerful. I don't listen to it because of the repeated die young die young.
WTF is a barn burner ???Who TF is burning down barns?🙄.... to music ?
Heaven & Hell every song is excellent, but Mob Rules has one shit song and that song is called Over and Over garbage tune depressing, get rid of that song it would be better off, a comparison also hell bent for leather the song evil fantasies also the last song . Even the last song DIO did with Rainbow………. The last song should close with a banger but not those 3 albums.
I can’t decide between Lonely Is The Word and Over and Over.
HEAVEN AND HELL is the best album DIO/RAINBOW.....NEVER made....its good but NOT heavy enough for SABBATH....MOB RULES has that dark satanic gypsy vibe....