I thought Technical Ecstasy was an underrated album, "You Won't Change Me" and "Dirty Women" are definitely up there with their best songs, I also really enjoyed "Back Street Kids" and "Gypsy".
Doobie 75 - with the exception of, "all moving parts." You have highlighted the album. Three songs kinda' detract from the album; very good/underrated album nonetheless...
Nothing wrong with the album at all. It just was a little different due to "It's Alright" - every other song is 'typical' Sabbath and the whole album is very good. This album is like a TEMPLE compared to the post-Gillan/pre-reunion years records. Those were all pretty mediocre.
And the machines having sex on the escalator on the front cover is fantastic graphics and then on the back they maybe should have had one having a cigarette! Lol 😊
Technical Ecstasy was my introduction to Sabbath. I was a freshman in high school and an older guy brought the tape to school for me hear. I’ll never forget it! Long live Black Sabbath (all eras)
The record was a hard rock departure from the heavy Sabbath origins. It’s special to me because of DIRTY WOMEN, RNR DOCTOR, ALL MOVING PARTS, BACK STREET KIDS, and GYPSY, but also because I had just started junior year in high school and was beginning to feel my oats.. I will always tie my life circumstances to music and this was prominent in my experience. 💫
I just listened to this album this morning on youtube, which is obviously why this video popped up in my algorithm. It's probably been 20 years since I last listened to technical ecstasy, and I forgot how great it was. I was a die hard Sabbath fan in junior high and high School, and I got into the band between the time heaven and hell and mob rules came out. I bought all the albums, and I loved all of them. But as the years went by, I visited them less and less frequently. I listened to heaven and hell about a year ago, and I listened to sabotage and Sabbath bloody Sabbath back to back about 6 months ago. But for the most part, it's been a decade or more since I really dug into the Sabbath catalog. I got a hankering to listen to this album this morning, and it had been so long since I heard it that I was able to hear it like it was fresh. I never really appreciated all the cool keyboard playing on it when I was younger. There's some keyboard parts that are downright funky, and some that are spacey and trippy. It's not doom and gloom Black Sabbath of the early '70s, but I can see why Tony Iommi (who basically did everything except writing the lyrics) wanted to mix things up and challenge himself by trying new things. Well, I guess I'm going to have to listen to never say die next...
Love this box set, the remix disc I think sounds great! Really dig the live disc. Love that they didn't mess with it, as I like hearing the band as is, even if it wasn't one of their 'on' nights. I do collect everything Ozzy era Sabbath, and have bought stuff every time they re-release it. My only question is where is the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Master of Reality, and debut album box sets!!!!
Yeah, that's my complaint, too. I do understand if there's not enough material for the debut. But "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Master of Reality" should have some and really need to get the Super Deluxe Treatment.
wow, boomer, you actually look old enough for that to be true, yet i still don't believe ya, man! but that's okay, i'm just kiddin' anyway and it probly doesn't matter what you say but be careful: you could be betray'd by anything-you-do-say, haha!
Black Sabbath is my all time favorite band. I have yet to get any of those box sets. I know I’m not completely alone in saying: all the extras, I’d probably listen to once and probably not listen to again. So, fiscally, I’d rather put that money towards other albums. Great review though! Pretty in-depth and honest.
they were my alltime favorite even in 1975 when i was ten, man, and still are up til this very year, well there's maybe a few others to be fair, but there's a lotta great bands/various artists out there, yeah?
The vinyl box set is a steal at $ 110 U.S. 5LPs, great hardcover book, poster, tour book, and the new remix is great. And the live tracks help fill in the gaps in Sabbath live history.
Enjoyed your discussion of the remix and the comparison to the Steven Wilson mix and what you hear differently between the two. Thanks for the review of this new super deluxe set. Would have enjoyed hearing just how many times you have purchased or acquired this album in its many forms as fitting tribute to the SoT maxim "The CURSE is REAL/" Thanks, Pete, for another latest product review and detailed discussion of the its contents.
@@manuelper It is now, I was speaking historically. After all, I'm the one who in '86 was watching the Series with friends & I actually said this in the top of the tenth when they took a two-run lead: "This game is over". One of my friends never forgave me & blamed me for costing the Sox the pennant. However I still don't hate Bill Buckner (or reliever Calvin Schiraldi) - just as I don't blame any of the panelists for owning 10 remixed copies as part of this particular CURSE (as long as it's not me)
Can't wait for the Born Again Remaster that Iommi is supposedly working on, if there ever was an album that is in dire need of remixing that's the one!. Hope it gets a similar treatment to this.
Dream on. It’s not coming out anytime soon. According to the latest interview with Iommi. I just don’t think that there’s enough record company interest at this point. But I’m like you and many other fans... it would be a dream to hear it cleaned up.
I can't wait until they release Black Sabbath's "Never Say Die" Super Deluxe Edition! Such a criminally underrated album. I love the experimentation, which they had been doing ever since Vol. 4, culminating in Never Say Die, which imo, is a much better album that Technical Ecstasy!
@@tinfoilhatter nope , plenty old and a huge Sabbath fan. Several albums that are better but I like this album because it’s different . The trio of this , Sabotage and Bloody Sabbath are my Faves but I would Say Paranoid and Masters are there best ( Ozzy period ) but I would put Heaven and Hell above all of themAs I said, it was my first Sabbath album . This album is a preview of where both Sabbath and Ozzy would end up in 1980. It’s all subjective of what we like . This album gets dogged and overlooked. It shouldn’t be
@@Wolfdog65 i was learnin' the first album when i was thirteen, it's 1978, and i've still got me red guitah from those days~ it's been with me ever since the last day of the seventh grade, me thirteenth birthday...
My favourite Ozzy era Sabbath album just got even better - as with the Sabotage set the price in the UK was very high , so as I had to have this one I bought it from Amazon US where it was lterally half the price of the UK - including shipping -interestingly UK Amazon dropped the price as a promotional offer on the day I received it, so I wonder how many of us in the UK did the same thing? Steven Wilson has done another great job with his remix - as you say you can now hear a lot more of what is going on and Geezer's bass in Back Street Kids raises that to another level. I see the outakes as being a kind of live in the studio type release - they're different enough , for me, to warrant more than just an initial listen. The Live show is, according to the general consensus on various internet chat rooms, the King Biscuit Flower Hour recording from Pittsburgh on December 8th 1976. Some of those internet sites decry that its taken from an mp3 source rather than a Wav surce, but to be honest it sounds fine on my gear. Maybe if I was a strict audiophile I'd be annoyed however I'm not and its fine and great to have live versions of the three TE songs. I've got a boot of the Pittsburgh show but this boxset version sounds far better - although the running order of the songs on this isnt as they were played - then again who really cares - I can re-order them if I want to; they also cut out about 10 minutes from the guitar and drum solos - which is ok except that also cut out the short section of Rock and Roll Doctor which is a shame as its from this album. They also left off Iron Man - but who really needs another live version of that? Now if they can get or if they have got Steven Wilson to remix Never Say Die and if they get a full live show that'll be anoter definite buy - though I wonder if for that one they'll just use the soundtrack to the Never Say Die live video? Another definite buy would be the Sabath Bloody Sabbath box if and when that ever gets released. I just hope that by buying this set I dont get fully afflicted with 'the curse', I have to admit I am partly afflicted but have managed to keep it pretty well under control over the past three or four years - its helped by the majority of sets being just far too expensive and/or unappealing due to already having a lot if not most of the content, I have, however, just preordered the Tull Benefit box - but then they do do them right and at a good price point
This is the first Sabbath box set that I was *genuinely unsure* if I would buy, as "Technical Ecstasy" is my least favorite of the Ozzy-era albums. (I'm with Steve Keeler in *actually loving* "Never Say Die," and I do hope we get a box set for that album!) Wih all of this said, the review and discussion of this set, both over at Lair of the Alchemist, and here too, have really warmed me up to the idea of buying it! :-)
Never listened to this album until last year (2020). Love it. My fave BS album. Never Say Die is good, too (sounds like KISS/Destroyer). Both are good prequels to Blizzard Of Oz.
I love the remix disc. It gave me a new appreciation for the album. I've listened 3 or 4 times to that disc so far and the live disc twice. This is a much better album than I thought.
Gerald Jezz Woodruffe played keyboards and guitar for Sabbath on the Sabotage tour 1975 and the Technical Ecstasy album and tour 1976-77 later went to record with Robert Plant.
Back Street Kids was the first Sabbath song I heard, and it sounded so different to the AC/DC stuff I'd been listening to up until then. A very different style of heavy.
If they release a Never Say Die set, please secede the throne for one review and let Chris Alo do it. Great job as usual, Pete. Technical Ecstasy has long been a favorite of mine and this set looks tempting.
Absolutely. To hear Chris review an album he hates but talking about how he’s on his 13th copy - it would be gold. I did just order this set and the Sabotage one a few minutes ago. I caved. Looking forward to it.
I was really into Sabbath with Sabotage and one day, I had the opportunity to pick up a friend's Ric bass. I don't play bass so thought I would try the most Sabbath sounding bass line I could think of. It turned out to appear on Technical Ecstasy as the intro to You Won't Change Me. Not saying that Tony heard me play, just that it was a real happy coincidence for me.
I absolutely love every one of these Black Sabbath box set album versions. Not only do I have them all(the vinyl versions), but have all of the Sanctuary Edition deluxe cds too and many other editions of the Sabbath albums. I am a Sabbath fanatic. I've seen them live 26 times, met them with the original line up and also met Ozzy a 2nd time. The cd versions of the boxsets might sound slightly better, its a matter of opinion, but the extras inside the vinyl sets are way better. Huge in size. I recommend the vinyl boxset versions. The hardcover books inside the vinyl are huge, the posters are huge, and the tour programs are the real size. But I do love both. I think both are incredibly awesome..
Great review! Also can you tell me what the basic specs are on the white Strat hanging up behind you? Is it an American standard, alder body and what kind of pick-ups? Thank you
I may get this after your unpacking Pete. ANYTIME Geez and Bill get more upfront representation, it’s a really good thing! Awesome to hear about Steven Wilson’s RE-mix. Always love outtakes and rough cuts too..
Saw Heaven & Hell in 2010 a few months before Dio passed away. Extremely great concert. You could see that Dio was ill but he still shined. They had Scott Warren on keyboards. You could just spot him on a platform in darkness. After the show had ended and the lights were turned off he walked over the scene in the dark using his phone to see. He hopefully were well paid to be anonymous
I picked this up on the vinyl format and really like it. Thought that the contents beat the Volume 4 release. Even through I like Volume 4 as an album better. I also was about 10 when this was first released, but I did start listening to them at about age 9, when they released sabotage. I've always liked this album allot. I Know it's not a favorite for most. Love all remixes by Steve Wilson. I thought the alternate take of she's gone was very good. Almost sounded like something you'd hear in a small club. Less strings and more instruments. I was happy to pick it up.
Great box set love the detail the remix and extras. Vol 4 are and Sabatage are great also. Collectors like me and Pete love box sets like these I'm like a kid with a new toy
I already have The Black Box. I want this for the Steven Wilson remix, and I actually like this album a lot. Still, I don't know if I should buy the set. It's funny that Pete mentioned the Clavinet on All Moving Parts(Stand Still). That's what stood out for me. I also dig the full band version of She's Gone with the spooky Mellotron.
@@wolf1977 Yeah, everybody agrees the first four albums are really the "Classics" but I think people are missing out if they just dismiss Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die. Their loss, I guess.
Hey Pete something you may want to check into Tony Iommi, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton have all contributed to Ozzy Osborne's next solo album!🤔 no need for me to buy the Deluxe technical ecstasy box set I bought it on vinyl, 8-track LOL the day it came out back in 1976! Even went to see them twice on that tour in Charlotte and Fayetteville North Carolina 1977. Keep up the good work cheers
Blimey I just had a dream last night that this box set arrived on my doorstep and I didn’t know it was in the works and had been released.Yes these box sets keep us poor.Just found the spare cash for Sabotage and Tulls Stormwatch the other day and now this.I think TE may have been the first Sab album I heard as a friends elder sister had just bought it new and it was blazing away in her room.And a disco boy mate gave Master of Reality and Vol4 which someone had left at his place(it’s crap!!!)and I was hooked.Bought Never Say Die as soon as it hit the record shop.Loved it.Now to find some spare cash for this box set.
Yo love to all the TE listeners! This album is amazing! And thanks Daniel man i had no idea that a steven wilson no 2 s w remixes were available plus live stuff oh yeah!🤘🏼🤩🤘🏼
Nice overview and looks like a fine box, however, these deluxe editions often seem like missed opportunities to me - they really should contain a high res version of the album on Blu-ray as well as the CDs (see the stunning Marillion sets, which have set a standard).
This would have been a "Super Deluxe" if it had a Hi-Rez and Surround DVD included. The Steve W. Yes albums should be the benchmark for what a Super Deluxe version should include. Surround mix, Hi rez version, outtakes, alternate takes and even a needle drop from a 1st or early pressing.
Totally agree, I don't have those Yes remixes but have heard some of it (on a good/surround sound system) & they sound fantastic. Goes to my earlier point about the source master tapes needing to be of high quality to make this remix process worthwhile. It's like when they take old films from the 40's & rescan them in 8k - why (other than to digitally preserve them forever but you don't need 8k for that)? You can clean up the original up to a certain point but beyond that you're not adding anything new that wasn't originally there. Also the general sound of BS I don't think lends itself to remixes. Some will want this set for the bonus live tracks rather than the new versions
I have had the 2012 remastered CD sitting sealed for some time. I finally took it out to play it over the weekend. I expected it to be lackluster based on the blah reviews over the years. But I thoroughly enjoyed it during a couple of listens. I am going to get the Super Deluxe Set! It's crazy how it went from nothing to me to something interesting virtually overnight. Thanks for the unboxing and review! - Heather 🙂
Totally progressive and I ❤ , outstanding album 💿 and maybe the best guitar 🎸 works you ever heard from then , mainly the bass is outstanding on the hole album 💿
That would be due to compression, don't know specifically what Steven Wilson does on his though. Pete talked about increased instrument separation that brings out the keyboards more, I'd want more guitars if anything (and not a result that's less "guitar driven" - this is why I listen to Sabbath)
All Moving Parts (Stand Still) is my favorite song on this album its like Tony Manero Saturday Night Sabbath . The outtake ruined it for me my favorite tune coupled with least favorite instrument (harmonica). As much as Pete seems to dislike harmonica I'm surprised how he recommends that. But, other than the harmonica I dig it too.
Easily my favorite Lp by them and considering Ozzy and Ward were constantly fucked up? Yes I’m totally on board with this one ☝️ Also I am the same age as you Pete so it’s really the first time I heard it all on my sister’s boyfriend’s 8-track tapes! Remember those things back in the day! Sincerely Yours Truly, David J Goldbaum Boston Massachusetts 02134 USA 🇷🇺 🇨🇳 Amerikkka of course
Love the Sabbath box sets for the packaging and "memorabilia" alone :-) Although they are a bit pricy...but you can't beat the curse...it IS real. I agree about the Steven Wilson remix: really cool, really enjoying the album in that version. I think the alternative "full band" version of She's Gone is also very interesting (cool bass by Geezer on there as well). Great review!
I’m not sure I’ve ever even *heard* this album. I’m going to fix that right now. I was huge into Sabbath when growing-up in the 70’s & 80’s (I’m 51), but this one slipped through the cracks.
@@wolf1977 I have that one! It’s a classic. My uncle turned me on to them & he didn’t like this one or ‘Never say Die” very much. I guess I just overlooked those albums based on *his* review. I’m listening to this right now. It’s .. OK. I’m only a few songs in. Ozzy sounds strained … great guitar tone though.
@@hailmaryrecordings8255 imo never say dies a lot more enjoyable of a listen than technical ecstasy, it's not very sabbath-like but its interesting and has a lot of jazz elements to it. i like what technical ecstasy is going for, its just not executed as well as it couldve been
@@ChimpusKongus Actually that's why I like both of those records (and a lot more than the "typical"/classic BS stuff) more than most of their discog, the different musical elements being employed & even some jazzy-sounding bits. Then again on my fave BS record Heaven And Hell there's almost none of that but the songwriting is so strong. BTW: Zakk Wylde was quoted as saying that no record w/o Ozzy on vocals should be called Black Sabbath, especially not Heaven And Hell (I don't agree). Sounds to me a bit like Purple fans not acknowledging any non-Blackmore album as Deep Purple
Great review. And thank Zeus for Steven Wilson, remixing all these great albums, and bringing back the dynamics of the music back into our ears. Pete, I would love to see you do a show about the "Loudness Wars", my main reason to going back to vinyl.
Not sure what you mean by "loudness wars"...? The loudest and softest sounds an LP can play is about 70 decibels (dB). CDs can handle over 90 dB. In practical terms, this means that CDs have more than 10 times the dynamic range of LPs & that's a VERY good thing. Dynamic Range is no directly related to perceived loudness but become a factor because sound engineers tend to use compression to make the overall level of a cd or record conform to a given target level, and that affects the dynamic range. When cd's are mastered a maximum peak level is chosen & many engineers choose to use a higher level (versus vinyl) due to the increased dynamic range of cd's. That only makes sense, if you have more range to use then use it. They also tend to use compression to raise the perceived level of lower sounds (and decrease that of louder ones) & squeeze the final result (which makes sense up to a point). This makes human hearing interpret that as being overall louder sounding. Since digital signals create nasty/audible clipping & distortion if things are pushed beyond the 0 db limit this is not a good thing but some engineers do this anyway to make their cd sound louder (and the human brain usually interprets louder as better). This actually reduces the overall dynamics (due to the heavy compression). MAybe that's what you're referring to, it wasn't as much of any issue with vinyl since that medium has a lot less dynamic range available to it. Having said that since my music is all in digital form I do apply a type of compression to all of my tracks using MP3GAIN, a non-destructive method (analyzes MP3 files to determine how loud they sound to the human ear, then adjusts the files so that they all have the same loudness without any quality loss & writes that info to the MP3 tag info that my decoders can read & act on). It's important to me to have every track sound like it's playing at the same relative loudness level as I've got many playlists that contain many different songs from different albums & artists. Something you could never control when playing vinyl or cd's, unless you've got a top-level processor that can do something similar in real time (it's possible but very expensive). My receiver can "re-expand" MP3's in real time on playback which I think sounds pretty good. So to me there's really no loudness war
@@wolf1977 Very detailed response. Love it. For a brief explanation of loudness war, go to the 'Loudness war' article on Wikipedia. But yes, it is basically the dynamic range of the recording, not what's available on the medium. The article says in it's 2020's section that the problem is gone because all the music services are normalizing the music anyway. But the problem is still there for those of us who still buy music in physical format, like Pete here, and myself. As you say, engineers compress the music on the CDs to the limit because they have it available, but this makes everything sound louder, and there are no dynamics left in the music, it's just a wall of sound. In vinyl they can't do that, so there's more space for the instruments to 'breathe', and the music is clearer. Listen to albums that are super compressed (most everything this century) and compare it to the same album on either the original version or the vinyl. I have multiple examples: Metallica's 'Hardwired to self destruct', Rush's 'Clockwork Angels', Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' (remaster), most anything 'Remastered' (Rush is the big exception here, their remasters have been excellent). At first you may think the louder version sounds better, but after a while, your ears will start hurting, and mine can't take that abuse anymore. I also have all of my music in digital format, but mostly ripped from my own collection. And iTunes takes care of the perceived loudness for me. What iTunes does is that it analyzes the music, and it adjusts the dB output if it's too compressed. Here's an example from my library: a song that is heavily compressed (Foo Fighter's 'Everlong' from the original album) is reduced by -6.8dB. The same song from the Greatest Hits vinyl version is reduced by -2.7 dB. Another example: Rush's 'Crossroads' ('Feedback' album). Original CD release: -11 dB. 2016 vinyl release: -1.5 dB. So when I go to the record store to buy an album, and I see there's a vinyl version, most of the time I'll pick up the vinyl, because I know that my ears won't bleed after listening to it. :)
@@cepiloyo Sure, I love this subject, (high-fidelity) audio is one of my hobbies...Yes humans will almost always interpret "louder" as "better", that's the main reason for double-blind listening tests. I have digital mp3's from both online purchases (mostly) and ripped cd's & vinyl. I also use iTunes as (one of, Plex is the other) my music library but I don't utilize their native "Volume Adjust" feature, I find this doesn't work that well & typically only works within iTunes itself which I rarely use for playback (I use iTunes mostly to organize/manage my database). Instead I manually apply MP3Gain adjustments, using a target of 92dB, to all my files before I finalize them. That info gets written to the tag info of every MP3 & can then be read by other playback software outside of iTunes so it's portable (Plex uses its own scheme that to me sounds better than what iTunes is trying to do). It utilizes the LAME3.10 encoder, a very good-sounding scheme (IMO). Volume leveling (eg "normalization") is a HUGE topic that can't be adequately discussed in this type of forum though, for that matter so is compression... Sounds like what you referred to by "loudness war" is what I thought, the concept that overuse of compression to raise the average volume level (and the perceived loudness to human ears) is negatively impacting dynamics & therefore sucking the life out of the music. Again, since the cd format has much more dynamic range available (versus vinyl) there's nothing wrong with using it, in fact it'd be pretty dumb not to. When done correctly it can for example go a long way towards accurately recreating the sound of a live recording. The problem is the overuse of compression to make your product sound the loudest (="best"), which then actually works against squeezing out more dynamic range & in fact does the opposite. That's definitely the case. However, for me personally that's not an issue because my online digital music sources seem to provide pretty good-sounding "master" versions of their tracks, much of which seems to be taken from vinyl (to your point about preferring LP versions to cd's). Also they're not monkeying with that data, some others compress their files so when I come along & use MP3Gain to normalize my music I would really be normalizing (and compressing) twice instead of once, not a good thing. And don't get me started on online music streaming services, many of them do much worse things to their files before serving them up to you. One major one in particular (you know who you are but it rhymes with "schmoo-tube") will upload you own ripped tracks & actually do what's called "music matching" to replace your track with their own version, which has who-knows-what properties & sound quality. This is so they can save storage space & only have to maintain their version of a given song. So when you stream "your" song you're actually hearing theirs, plus they never give you back access to your original version of that song (hopefully you saved it locally otherwise it's gone forever). This should be criminal, especially since they don't make this practice clear up-front. They used to have another music streaming product (rhymed with "schmoogle") that didn't do this & just uploaded your exact version like they should... So I don't hear any loudness war going on in my music library because of the above, and because I'm now 100% digital. Those still buying physical media will unfortunately be dealing with this issue for a long time to come. If ultimately ripping/converting your music to digital form you'll want to be very careful when picking your encoder(s), they're not all equal, and the exact normalization scheme (ditto). Also this is why to me these multi-channel (or even stereo) remixes don't make sense, especially for the extra $s...Just a quick plug for Plex, it's free to use (except for some upscale features), easy to install, totally portable so you can stream your music anywhere, it's secure & you control which devices/users have access, is constantly updated with new features & bug fixes, and has nice music management features (looks good too with its album cover art & additional band info). It's basically like having your own radio station that only plays the music you like. I'd put it up against any other product out there including those online music streamers
I need to pick up these last few Sabbath boxes. I still haven't gotten the Vol.4 and Sabotage boxes yet, although I may not even get the Sabotage one because I'm hearing that they sourced the Asbury Park live show from MP3's which to me is a definite no no. Why not got the original or first gen tapes and do a proper transfer of it. I've had that show on bootleg for a long time anyway and it sounds fantastic and there's really nothing extra in the box anyway to really want me to plunk down the money. This new one definitely sounds worth it though , although I wish Steven Wilson could have done a surround mix of the album as well. I think thats a missed opportunity. One more thing that kind of bugs me, is when they call the extra stuff "Alternative" mixes, which should actually be called "Alternate" mixes. Just a little pet peeve of mine that doesn't really mean much but man, for some reason, I BUGS me!!! LOL Thanks for the review Pete. Great stuff as usual.
metal probably wouldn't have happened without Sabbath. It was a genre that was influenced by Christian horror, I think. Metal has gothic Christian roots. It wouldn't have been created later because it's distinctly European. Judas Priest heard Sabbath and turned metal from their influence. Sabbath is ground zero for metal. Deep Purple was influenced in their direction from Sabbath too. They wouldn't have made metal because they ind of had more of a party sound whereas Sabbath was the death rock sound.
@@MicahMicahel I agree with that, BS was at the forefront of "proto-metal" which later turned into metal. Also bands like Sir Lord Baltimore, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, Captain Beyond (with members of Purple & Butterfly) & others. For that reason alone they're an important band in the history of rock
Get the LP - Super Deluxe Set if you can as it sounds very very good. The Wilson Remix is Excellent for the most part and the alternate takes are worthy and different enough to make it worth the $$. The live album.....not that great imo, Ozzy isn't having a good performance but some interesting moments that Sabbath aficionados might appreciate although the Live material is lossy sourced so not my main reason for getting this set, but the remix and alternate takes made the purchase worthwhile for me.
love it Pete! and YES! THE-COURSE-IS-REAL!!! LOL Rhino has always done a great job on these box sets and i particularly like that they keep uniformity to most of them, at least the Sabbath and all the White Snake sets i have all have the same packaging design/concept. they do a great job! it's just a damn good thing they waited 30 years to do these kinds of box sets or we would have been broke as shit back in the early/mid 80's buying all of them-lol
I have re-watched this video today. What I didn't notice the 1st time around, Pete: I get the impression that you don't have the "Paranoid Super Deluxe Edition". Is that right?
@@mikekeeler6362 hey Mike have you heard that Tony Iommi Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton have contributed to the upcoming solo album by Ozzy Osbourne? Cheers brother Mike
@@richardhincemon9423 I had heard that Tony iomi Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton we're going to do something on Ozzy's new solo album but I have not heard of anything Black Sabbath and how are they going to record this when Tony can't travel and they're still in lockdown in England I don't know when they're going to do this 10 years from now and they're all dead
@@richardhincemon9423 and I don't see how Ozzie is going to travel with his Parkinson's disease England's no place to go and Tony can't travel with his condition
Sadly they used an MP3 source for the live disc...so you're paying a lot for a bunch of MP3s burned onto CD. The highlight for me was the remix of You Won't Change Me and the alt mix of All Moving Parts with harmonica.
Greetings from Northumberland, England. Yeah bought these super deluxe boxsets if you're a Sabbath fan its a no brainer but but over here they cost £100 for that much hardly seems worth it for what they deemed interesting. But hey hoo it's still a great sounding album, now bring on heaven and hell n mob rules hopefully there's more in Iommis vaults !!
I hope they do the Born Again album though I heard the Master Tapes were Lost but then again they always seem to up show later, though I don't know if Wilson is interested in doing any other albums except the Ozzy albums. The Production on the Born Again , Never Say Die,and Technical Ectasy we're the worst of them.I bought the new box and it sounds to me not so muddy and overloaded with Bass ,Wilson brought out a lot more brightness in his mix.
I'm in two minds of remasters, one they are definitely needed on albums that had no sparkle like the first Priest album for example, but I heard a Sabbath remaster while we're on the topic, and it just sounded like they'd run it thru a compressor and an aural exciter plus they deleted the between song studio banter and noodling and doing that substracts from the character of the mix IMHO
There is a two disc set with alternate lyrics for solitude, into the void, Sweet Leaf even Lord of this world with slide guitar and piano. Probably the reason for no Super Deluxe box set yet is lack of bonus material!
You mean the Steven Wilson remixes of the Steven Wilson remixes? 🤷♂️ Maybe some previously unknown cowbell parts come to the foreground...Now we're just being mean to Mr Wilson
I dig the deluxe editions. Don’t know if I’ll go there for this one though. Probably my least favorite Ozzy album. And did I miss something or have they skipped Sabbath Bloody Sabbath so far? That’s a for sure purchase.
I thought Technical Ecstasy was an underrated album, "You Won't Change Me" and "Dirty Women" are definitely up there with their best songs, I also really enjoyed "Back Street Kids" and "Gypsy".
Doobie 75 - with the exception of, "all moving parts." You have highlighted the album. Three songs kinda' detract from the album; very good/underrated album nonetheless...
Ooh yesss! "You won't change me" is absolutely brilliant and epic! Dare to say my fave Sabbath song😮😍😍🤗👍👍
Nothing wrong with the album at all. It just was a little different due to "It's Alright" - every other song is 'typical' Sabbath and the whole album is very good. This album is like a TEMPLE compared to the post-Gillan/pre-reunion years records. Those were all pretty mediocre.
And the machines having sex on the escalator on the front cover is fantastic graphics and then on the back they maybe should have had one having a cigarette! Lol 😊
It's mediocre and mainstream pop. Sabbath was on a downward spiral until Dio.
"Dirty Women" is greatest hard rock studio song ever; plus the live version is equally awesome... fax!!!
Dereksupernaut -supernaut, ain't to shabby neither...faxually speaking!
well, now, i'll agree that it's great, but i think you're forgettin' somethin', there, bucko: but it's alright, i'll, uh, let-it-slide this time~
'it's alright', in my opinion, is as-good-as-it-gets, as long as ozzy's not available, that is! haha!!
🤣
Technical Ecstasy was my introduction to Sabbath. I was a freshman in high school and an older guy brought the tape to school for me hear. I’ll never forget it! Long live Black Sabbath (all eras)
We lived a parallel life. 👍
Same story 😮
Gerald 'Jezz' Woodroffe who went on to play keyboards on Robert Plant's 'Pictures at Eleven'.
Thanks. I was wondering who was on keys and couldn't find any info on wiki or discogs. Great performance here!
The record was a hard rock departure from the heavy Sabbath origins. It’s special to me because of DIRTY WOMEN, RNR DOCTOR, ALL MOVING PARTS, BACK STREET KIDS, and GYPSY, but also because I had just started junior year in high school and was beginning to feel my oats.. I will always tie my life circumstances to music and this was prominent in my experience. 💫
I just listened to this album this morning on youtube, which is obviously why this video popped up in my algorithm. It's probably been 20 years since I last listened to technical ecstasy, and I forgot how great it was. I was a die hard Sabbath fan in junior high and high School, and I got into the band between the time heaven and hell and mob rules came out. I bought all the albums, and I loved all of them. But as the years went by, I visited them less and less frequently. I listened to heaven and hell about a year ago, and I listened to sabotage and Sabbath bloody Sabbath back to back about 6 months ago. But for the most part, it's been a decade or more since I really dug into the Sabbath catalog. I got a hankering to listen to this album this morning, and it had been so long since I heard it that I was able to hear it like it was fresh. I never really appreciated all the cool keyboard playing on it when I was younger. There's some keyboard parts that are downright funky, and some that are spacey and trippy. It's not doom and gloom Black Sabbath of the early '70s, but I can see why Tony Iommi (who basically did everything except writing the lyrics) wanted to mix things up and challenge himself by trying new things.
Well, I guess I'm going to have to listen to never say die next...
Love this box set, the remix disc I think sounds great! Really dig the live disc. Love that they didn't mess with it, as I like hearing the band as is, even if it wasn't one of their 'on' nights. I do collect everything Ozzy era Sabbath, and have bought stuff every time they re-release it. My only question is where is the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Master of Reality, and debut album box sets!!!!
Yeah, that's my complaint, too. I do understand if there's not enough material for the debut. But "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Master of Reality" should have some and really need to get the Super Deluxe Treatment.
Love TE! This tour was the 2nd time I saw Sabbath and it kicked. The openers were a new band called Boston, and Bob Seger.
When I saw him the opening band was Slade
wow, boomer, you actually look old enough for that to be true, yet i still don't believe ya, man! but that's okay, i'm just kiddin' anyway and it probly doesn't matter what you say but be careful: you could be betray'd by anything-you-do-say, haha!
Black Sabbath is my all time favorite band. I have yet to get any of those box sets. I know I’m not completely alone in saying: all the extras, I’d probably listen to once and probably not listen to again. So, fiscally, I’d rather put that money towards other albums. Great review though! Pretty in-depth and honest.
I agree mate. Lot of $ for a live album.
The original album is great as it is. That’s why it’s a classic.
Totally agree with you. It'll only collect dust on the shelf, no matter how much we want it. Too pricey.
they were my alltime favorite even in 1975 when i was ten, man, and still are up til this very year, well there's maybe a few others to be fair, but there's a lotta great bands/various artists out there, yeah?
The vinyl box set is a steal at $ 110 U.S. 5LPs, great hardcover book, poster, tour book, and the new remix is great. And the live tracks help fill in the gaps in Sabbath live history.
@@vinylsolution2522 btw, $140 in Europe.
I imagine Chris Alo has already purchased three copies
Yes, and probably doesn’t even like it🤣
🤣
@@zoef234 LOL.....indeed. His entire life is defined by what he hates/dislike, as opposed to what he enjoys. strange dude.
He’s got more money than me.
One to listen to, one to keep and another one just in case!
Enjoyed your discussion of the remix and the comparison to the Steven Wilson mix and what you hear differently between the two. Thanks for the review of this new super deluxe set. Would have enjoyed hearing just how many times you have purchased or acquired this album in its many forms as fitting tribute to the SoT maxim "The CURSE is REAL/" Thanks, Pete, for another latest product review and detailed discussion of the its contents.
Haha! Too many times John...I had the LP, the original CD, 2 rounds of remasters, and now the box set. Five times...ugh. THE CURSE IS REAL
I'm totally curse free, especially when it comes to Steven Wilson remixes! Now when it comes to the Red Sox that's another story...😎
I bet he hasn't bought as many versions as Chris Alo!
@@wolf1977 As a Sox fan myself, the curse is long dead and buried.
@@manuelper It is now, I was speaking historically. After all, I'm the one who in '86 was watching the Series with friends & I actually said this in the top of the tenth when they took a two-run lead: "This game is over". One of my friends never forgave me & blamed me for costing the Sox the pennant. However I still don't hate Bill Buckner (or reliever Calvin Schiraldi) - just as I don't blame any of the panelists for owning 10 remixed copies as part of this particular CURSE (as long as it's not me)
Can't wait for the Born Again Remaster that Iommi is supposedly working on, if there ever was an album that is in dire need of remixing that's the one!. Hope it gets a similar treatment to this.
Dream on. It’s not coming out anytime soon. According to the latest interview with Iommi.
I just don’t think that there’s enough record company interest at this point.
But I’m like you and many other fans... it would be a dream to hear it cleaned up.
It's a cult classic Bill Ward loves the production on Born Again.
I really appreciate your reviews!!! In-depth and concise as well.
I was 15 when the album came out. The first one I bought, hence a big favorite ( although I was familiar with their earlier work by then).
I can't wait until they release Black Sabbath's "Never Say Die" Super Deluxe Edition! Such a criminally underrated album. I love the experimentation, which they had been doing ever since Vol. 4, culminating in Never Say Die, which imo, is a much better album that Technical Ecstasy!
I always thought never say die was their heaviest metal album with their best guitar solos
I agree completely. I love that album....but everybody dissed it. Always loved Tech Ect too....
It seems like that they only do a box set for every other album
@Jax Teller Why do you say that?
Love that album too
Not my favourite Black Sabbath album but these deluxe box sets never disappoint. I've got the "Paranoid" one myself and its fantastic.
Thanks a lot Pete, shame Chris couldn’t review the box set with you.
Going to get on vinyl . Thanks Pete the Steve Wilson won it for me.Love the album always have.
The constant sniffing seems really appropriate given what was going on while the album was being recorded. Nice touch.
One of my favorite Sabbath albums. Was also my first Sabbath album
well, son, i have to say it was a fine choice but you might be fairly young! surely you're now aware of few older, if-not-better ones.. yes-yes?
@@tinfoilhatter nope , plenty old and a huge Sabbath fan. Several albums that are better but I like this album because it’s different . The trio of this , Sabotage and Bloody Sabbath are my Faves but I would Say Paranoid and Masters are there best ( Ozzy period ) but I would put Heaven and Hell above all of themAs I said, it was my first Sabbath album . This album is a preview of where both Sabbath and Ozzy would end up in 1980. It’s all subjective of what we like . This album gets dogged and overlooked. It shouldn’t be
@@Wolfdog65 i was born in '65 , i can't get older since about '05, haha
@@tinfoilhatter we are the same age
@@Wolfdog65 i was learnin' the first album when i was thirteen, it's 1978, and i've still got me red guitah from those days~ it's been with me ever since the last day of the seventh grade, me thirteenth birthday...
My favourite Ozzy era Sabbath album just got even better - as with the Sabotage set the price in the UK was very high , so as I had to have this one I bought it from Amazon US where it was lterally half the price of the UK - including shipping -interestingly UK Amazon dropped the price as a promotional offer on the day I received it, so I wonder how many of us in the UK did the same thing?
Steven Wilson has done another great job with his remix - as you say you can now hear a lot more of what is going on and Geezer's bass in Back Street Kids raises that to another level.
I see the outakes as being a kind of live in the studio type release - they're different enough , for me, to warrant more than just an initial listen.
The Live show is, according to the general consensus on various internet chat rooms, the King Biscuit Flower Hour recording from Pittsburgh on December 8th 1976. Some of those internet sites decry that its taken from an mp3 source rather than a Wav surce, but to be honest it sounds fine on my gear. Maybe if I was a strict audiophile I'd be annoyed however I'm not and its fine and great to have live versions of the three TE songs. I've got a boot of the Pittsburgh show but this boxset version sounds far better - although the running order of the songs on this isnt as they were played - then again who really cares - I can re-order them if I want to; they also cut out about 10 minutes from the guitar and drum solos - which is ok except that also cut out the short section of Rock and Roll Doctor which is a shame as its from this album. They also left off Iron Man - but who really needs another live version of that?
Now if they can get or if they have got Steven Wilson to remix Never Say Die and if they get a full live show that'll be anoter definite buy - though I wonder if for that one they'll just use the soundtrack to the Never Say Die live video? Another definite buy would be the Sabath Bloody Sabbath box if and when that ever gets released. I just hope that by buying this set I dont get fully afflicted with 'the curse', I have to admit I am partly afflicted but have managed to keep it pretty well under control over the past three or four years - its helped by the majority of sets being just far too expensive and/or unappealing due to already having a lot if not most of the content, I have, however, just preordered the Tull Benefit box - but then they do do them right and at a good price point
This is the first Sabbath box set that I was *genuinely unsure* if I would buy, as "Technical Ecstasy" is my least favorite of the Ozzy-era albums. (I'm with Steve Keeler in *actually loving* "Never Say Die," and I do hope we get a box set for that album!) Wih all of this said, the review and discussion of this set, both over at Lair of the Alchemist, and here too, have really warmed me up to the idea of buying it! :-)
I much prefer NSD over Technical Ecstasy. I actually like it more than Sabbotage as well.
Never listened to this album until last year (2020). Love it. My fave BS album. Never Say Die is good, too (sounds like KISS/Destroyer). Both are good prequels to Blizzard Of Oz.
I love the remix disc. It gave me a new appreciation for the album. I've listened 3 or 4 times to that disc so far and the live disc twice. This is a much better album than I thought.
Gerald Jezz Woodruffe played keyboards and guitar for Sabbath on the Sabotage tour 1975 and the Technical Ecstasy album and tour 1976-77 later went to record with Robert Plant.
Back Street Kids was the first Sabbath song I heard, and it sounded so different to the AC/DC stuff I'd been listening to up until then. A very different style of heavy.
I pulled the trigger last week and bought this on Deep Discounts for 38.00. I'm curious to see what Steven Wilson has done with this mix.
Thanks for the recommendation. Another source for music. I plan to buy the box set.
If they release a Never Say Die set, please secede the throne for one review and let Chris Alo do it.
Great job as usual, Pete. Technical Ecstasy has long been a favorite of mine and this set looks tempting.
Absolutely. To hear Chris review an album he hates but talking about how he’s on his 13th copy - it would be gold.
I did just order this set and the Sabotage one a few minutes ago. I caved. Looking forward to it.
What is Mr Alo's opinion?
Very good description of this masterpiece. The live cd is very worth it. Thank Pete…
I saw them at the Garden for this tour 🤘🤘🤘🤘
I was really into Sabbath with Sabotage and one day, I had the opportunity to pick up a friend's Ric bass. I don't play bass so thought I would try the most Sabbath sounding bass line I could think of. It turned out to appear on Technical Ecstasy as the intro to You Won't Change Me. Not saying that Tony heard me play, just that it was a real happy coincidence for me.
All Moving Parts Stand Still Geezer Butlers funkiest bass line ever.
I absolutely love every one of these Black Sabbath box set album versions. Not only do I have them all(the vinyl versions), but have all of the Sanctuary Edition deluxe cds too and many other editions of the Sabbath albums. I am a Sabbath fanatic. I've seen them live 26 times, met them with the original line up and also met Ozzy a 2nd time. The cd versions of the boxsets might sound slightly better, its a matter of opinion, but the extras inside the vinyl sets are way better. Huge in size. I recommend the vinyl boxset versions. The hardcover books inside the vinyl are huge, the posters are huge, and the tour programs are the real size. But I do love both. I think both are incredibly awesome..
Great review! Also can you tell me what the basic specs are on the white Strat hanging up behind you? Is it an American standard, alder body and what kind of pick-ups? Thank you
Iommi solo work is off the hook on this!
Just shows how great Ozzy's vocals were. By the way, Ozzy sounded great on the live stuff. Check out "Gypsy" live on here!
It's great hearing Ozzy's vocals more prominently in the mix. He's astounding on this. Yeah, I think he sounds fantastic on the live show as well...
Saw the tour, outstanding…..Jezz Wodruff on keys…..actually on stage in full display. Great clav in All Moving Parts.
I may get this after your unpacking Pete. ANYTIME Geez and Bill get more upfront representation, it’s a really good thing! Awesome to hear about Steven Wilson’s RE-mix. Always love outtakes and rough cuts too..
Saw Heaven & Hell in 2010 a few months before Dio passed away. Extremely great concert. You could see that Dio was ill but he still shined. They had Scott Warren on keyboards. You could just spot him on a platform in darkness. After the show had ended and the lights were turned off he walked over the scene in the dark using his phone to see. He hopefully were well paid to be anonymous
I picked this up on the vinyl format and really like it. Thought that the contents beat the Volume 4 release. Even through I like Volume 4 as an album better. I also was about 10 when this was first released, but I did start listening to them at about age 9, when they released sabotage. I've always liked this album allot. I Know it's not a favorite for most. Love all remixes by Steve Wilson. I thought the alternate take of she's gone was very good. Almost sounded like something you'd hear in a small club. Less strings and more instruments. I was happy to pick it up.
Love the boxes I have all 4! Great for collectors! Must have for sabbath fans!!!!
Great box set love the detail the remix and extras. Vol 4 are and Sabatage are great also. Collectors like me and Pete love box sets like these I'm like a kid with a new toy
I already have The Black Box. I want this for the Steven Wilson remix, and I actually like this album a lot. Still, I don't know if I should buy the set. It's funny that Pete mentioned the Clavinet on All Moving Parts(Stand Still). That's what stood out for me. I also dig the full band version of She's Gone with the spooky Mellotron.
Bloody ACE bro! I love this album, can’t wait to get this box set.
Not one of the strongest Sabbath albums but I’ve always had a soft spot for it.
Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die are really much better than people give them credit for.
@@nankypooh655 I agree (as a "casual" BS fan) but I suspect that the hardcore fans won't agree
@@wolf1977 Yeah, everybody agrees the first four albums are really the "Classics" but I think people are missing out if they just dismiss Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die. Their loss, I guess.
The Vinyl box version is Spectacular. The new wilson mix on vinyl sounds glorious.
Hey Pete something you may want to check into Tony Iommi, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton have all contributed to Ozzy Osborne's next solo album!🤔 no need for me to buy the Deluxe technical ecstasy box set I bought it on vinyl, 8-track LOL the day it came out back in 1976! Even went to see them twice on that tour in Charlotte and Fayetteville North Carolina 1977. Keep up the good work cheers
I've never been a fan of re-mix albums. Some of the best albums I knew have been ruined by re-mixing them.
Megadeth's older stuff got trashed that way
I saw that tour. Boston opened and were awesome.
Blimey I just had a dream last night that this box set arrived on my doorstep and I didn’t know it was in the works and had been released.Yes these box sets keep us poor.Just found the spare cash for Sabotage and Tulls Stormwatch the other day and now this.I think TE may have been the first Sab album I heard as a friends elder sister had just bought it new and it was blazing away in her room.And a disco boy mate gave Master of Reality and Vol4 which someone had left at his place(it’s crap!!!)and I was hooked.Bought Never Say Die as soon as it hit the record shop.Loved it.Now to find some spare cash for this box set.
Yo love to all the TE listeners! This album is amazing!
And thanks Daniel man i had no idea that a steven wilson no 2 s w remixes were available plus live stuff oh yeah!🤘🏼🤩🤘🏼
Nice overview and looks like a fine box, however, these deluxe editions often seem like missed opportunities to me - they really should contain a high res version of the album on Blu-ray as well as the CDs (see the stunning Marillion sets, which have set a standard).
Yes, the curse is too real for me, but I like it.
love all the Ozzy era. Especially fond of the eponymous album and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Can hardly wait for those two..
My Fav Sabbath in order. Black Sabbath, Vol 4, Masters of Reality, Paranoid, Sabotage, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Technical, Never Say Die. (Ozzy wise).
Love She's Gone great ballad
Waiting for mine to arrive. The first Sabbath box I felt was worth purchasing. And I’m a big fan of TE! Great album.
Thanks for the link for buying. in the UK this is $100
I wonder how many luxury box-set posters end up on people's walls and how many remain in their boxes for ever.
Hi Pete. Excellent review and a great box set! I need to add this one to my BS collection. The curse is definitely real for me 😀
This would have been a "Super Deluxe" if it had a Hi-Rez and Surround DVD included. The Steve W. Yes albums should be the benchmark for what a Super Deluxe version should include.
Surround mix, Hi rez version, outtakes, alternate takes and even a needle drop from a 1st or early pressing.
Totally agree, I don't have those Yes remixes but have heard some of it (on a good/surround sound system) & they sound fantastic. Goes to my earlier point about the source master tapes needing to be of high quality to make this remix process worthwhile. It's like when they take old films from the 40's & rescan them in 8k - why (other than to digitally preserve them forever but you don't need 8k for that)? You can clean up the original up to a certain point but beyond that you're not adding anything new that wasn't originally there. Also the general sound of BS I don't think lends itself to remixes. Some will want this set for the bonus live tracks rather than the new versions
I have had the 2012 remastered CD sitting sealed for some time. I finally took it out to play it over the weekend. I expected it to be lackluster based on the blah reviews over the years. But I thoroughly enjoyed it during a couple of listens. I am going to get the Super Deluxe Set! It's crazy how it went from nothing to me to something interesting virtually overnight. Thanks for the unboxing and review!
- Heather 🙂
Totally progressive and I ❤ , outstanding album 💿 and maybe the best guitar 🎸 works you ever heard from then , mainly the bass is outstanding on the hole album 💿
Thanks for the video! Hoping you do the new Beatles and upcoming Stones box as well! Peace
They didn't put the poster that was inside the tour book which was a Don kershner Rock concert poster wish they would have put that in there
I wonder if they have the multi tracks of the early albums? Not a fan of remasters. They seem to zap the dynamics out of the recording.
That would be due to compression, don't know specifically what Steven Wilson does on his though. Pete talked about increased instrument separation that brings out the keyboards more, I'd want more guitars if anything (and not a result that's less "guitar driven" - this is why I listen to Sabbath)
All Moving Parts (Stand Still) is my favorite song on this album its like Tony Manero Saturday Night Sabbath . The outtake ruined it for me my favorite tune coupled with least favorite instrument (harmonica). As much as Pete seems to dislike harmonica I'm surprised how he recommends that. But, other than the harmonica I dig it too.
Geezer's baselines on All Moving Parts is serious heavy funk.
Christmas came early this year!!
Easily my favorite Lp by them and considering Ozzy and Ward were constantly fucked up? Yes I’m totally on board with this one ☝️ Also I am the same age as you Pete so it’s really the first time I heard it all on my sister’s boyfriend’s 8-track tapes! Remember those things back in the day! Sincerely Yours Truly, David J Goldbaum Boston Massachusetts 02134 USA 🇷🇺 🇨🇳 Amerikkka of course
Love the Sabbath box sets for the packaging and "memorabilia" alone :-) Although they are a bit pricy...but you can't beat the curse...it IS real.
I agree about the Steven Wilson remix: really cool, really enjoying the album in that version. I think the alternative "full band" version of She's Gone is also very interesting (cool bass by Geezer on there as well).
Great review!
I’m not sure I’ve ever even *heard* this album. I’m going to fix that right now.
I was huge into Sabbath when growing-up in the 70’s & 80’s (I’m 51), but this one slipped through the cracks.
You should also check out Heaven & Hell (again) - great record
@@wolf1977 I have that one! It’s a classic.
My uncle turned me on to them & he didn’t like this one or ‘Never say Die” very much. I guess I just overlooked those albums based on *his* review. I’m listening to this right now. It’s .. OK. I’m only a few songs in. Ozzy sounds strained … great guitar tone though.
@@hailmaryrecordings8255 I also like Never Say Die too, along with select tracks off some of their earlier albums
@@hailmaryrecordings8255 imo never say dies a lot more enjoyable of a listen than technical ecstasy, it's not very sabbath-like but its interesting and has a lot of jazz elements to it. i like what technical ecstasy is going for, its just not executed as well as it couldve been
@@ChimpusKongus Actually that's why I like both of those records (and a lot more than the "typical"/classic BS stuff) more than most of their discog, the different musical elements being employed & even some jazzy-sounding bits. Then again on my fave BS record Heaven And Hell there's almost none of that but the songwriting is so strong. BTW: Zakk Wylde was quoted as saying that no record w/o Ozzy on vocals should be called Black Sabbath, especially not Heaven And Hell (I don't agree). Sounds to me a bit like Purple fans not acknowledging any non-Blackmore album as Deep Purple
Great review. And thank Zeus for Steven Wilson, remixing all these great albums, and bringing back the dynamics of the music back into our ears. Pete, I would love to see you do a show about the "Loudness Wars", my main reason to going back to vinyl.
Not sure what you mean by "loudness wars"...? The loudest and softest sounds an LP can play is about 70 decibels (dB). CDs can handle over 90 dB. In practical terms, this means that CDs have more than 10 times the dynamic range of LPs & that's a VERY good thing.
Dynamic Range is no directly related to perceived loudness but become a factor because sound engineers tend to use compression to make the overall level of a cd or record conform to a given target level, and that affects the dynamic range. When cd's are mastered a maximum peak level is chosen & many engineers choose to use a higher level (versus vinyl) due to the increased dynamic range of cd's. That only makes sense, if you have more range to use then use it. They also tend to use compression to raise the perceived level of lower sounds (and decrease that of louder ones) & squeeze the final result (which makes sense up to a point). This makes human hearing interpret that as being overall louder sounding. Since digital signals create nasty/audible clipping & distortion if things are pushed beyond the 0 db limit this is not a good thing but some engineers do this anyway to make their cd sound louder (and the human brain usually interprets louder as better). This actually reduces the overall dynamics (due to the heavy compression). MAybe that's what you're referring to, it wasn't as much of any issue with vinyl since that medium has a lot less dynamic range available to it.
Having said that since my music is all in digital form I do apply a type of compression to all of my tracks using MP3GAIN, a non-destructive method (analyzes MP3 files to determine how loud they sound to the human ear, then adjusts the files so that they all have the same loudness without any quality loss & writes that info to the MP3 tag info that my decoders can read & act on). It's important to me to have every track sound like it's playing at the same relative loudness level as I've got many playlists that contain many different songs from different albums & artists. Something you could never control when playing vinyl or cd's, unless you've got a top-level processor that can do something similar in real time (it's possible but very expensive). My receiver can "re-expand" MP3's in real time on playback which I think sounds pretty good. So to me there's really no loudness war
@@wolf1977 Very detailed response. Love it. For a brief explanation of loudness war, go to the 'Loudness war' article on Wikipedia. But yes, it is basically the dynamic range of the recording, not what's available on the medium. The article says in it's 2020's section that the problem is gone because all the music services are normalizing the music anyway. But the problem is still there for those of us who still buy music in physical format, like Pete here, and myself. As you say, engineers compress the music on the CDs to the limit because they have it available, but this makes everything sound louder, and there are no dynamics left in the music, it's just a wall of sound. In vinyl they can't do that, so there's more space for the instruments to 'breathe', and the music is clearer. Listen to albums that are super compressed (most everything this century) and compare it to the same album on either the original version or the vinyl. I have multiple examples: Metallica's 'Hardwired to self destruct', Rush's 'Clockwork Angels', Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' (remaster), most anything 'Remastered' (Rush is the big exception here, their remasters have been excellent). At first you may think the louder version sounds better, but after a while, your ears will start hurting, and mine can't take that abuse anymore.
I also have all of my music in digital format, but mostly ripped from my own collection. And iTunes takes care of the perceived loudness for me. What iTunes does is that it analyzes the music, and it adjusts the dB output if it's too compressed. Here's an example from my library: a song that is heavily compressed (Foo Fighter's 'Everlong' from the original album) is reduced by -6.8dB. The same song from the Greatest Hits vinyl version is reduced by -2.7 dB. Another example: Rush's 'Crossroads' ('Feedback' album). Original CD release: -11 dB. 2016 vinyl release: -1.5 dB.
So when I go to the record store to buy an album, and I see there's a vinyl version, most of the time I'll pick up the vinyl, because I know that my ears won't bleed after listening to it. :)
@@cepiloyo Sure, I love this subject, (high-fidelity) audio is one of my hobbies...Yes humans will almost always interpret "louder" as "better", that's the main reason for double-blind listening tests. I have digital mp3's from both online purchases (mostly) and ripped cd's & vinyl. I also use iTunes as (one of, Plex is the other) my music library but I don't utilize their native "Volume Adjust" feature, I find this doesn't work that well & typically only works within iTunes itself which I rarely use for playback (I use iTunes mostly to organize/manage my database). Instead I manually apply MP3Gain adjustments, using a target of 92dB, to all my files before I finalize them. That info gets written to the tag info of every MP3 & can then be read by other playback software outside of iTunes so it's portable (Plex uses its own scheme that to me sounds better than what iTunes is trying to do). It utilizes the LAME3.10 encoder, a very good-sounding scheme (IMO). Volume leveling (eg "normalization") is a HUGE topic that can't be adequately discussed in this type of forum though, for that matter so is compression...
Sounds like what you referred to by "loudness war" is what I thought, the concept that overuse of compression to raise the average volume level (and the perceived loudness to human ears) is negatively impacting dynamics & therefore sucking the life out of the music. Again, since the cd format has much more dynamic range available (versus vinyl) there's nothing wrong with using it, in fact it'd be pretty dumb not to. When done correctly it can for example go a long way towards accurately recreating the sound of a live recording. The problem is the overuse of compression to make your product sound the loudest (="best"), which then actually works against squeezing out more dynamic range & in fact does the opposite. That's definitely the case.
However, for me personally that's not an issue because my online digital music sources seem to provide pretty good-sounding "master" versions of their tracks, much of which seems to be taken from vinyl (to your point about preferring LP versions to cd's). Also they're not monkeying with that data, some others compress their files so when I come along & use MP3Gain to normalize my music I would really be normalizing (and compressing) twice instead of once, not a good thing.
And don't get me started on online music streaming services, many of them do much worse things to their files before serving them up to you. One major one in particular (you know who you are but it rhymes with "schmoo-tube") will upload you own ripped tracks & actually do what's called "music matching" to replace your track with their own version, which has who-knows-what properties & sound quality. This is so they can save storage space & only have to maintain their version of a given song. So when you stream "your" song you're actually hearing theirs, plus they never give you back access to your original version of that song (hopefully you saved it locally otherwise it's gone forever). This should be criminal, especially since they don't make this practice clear up-front. They used to have another music streaming product (rhymed with "schmoogle") that didn't do this & just uploaded your exact version like they should...
So I don't hear any loudness war going on in my music library because of the above, and because I'm now 100% digital. Those still buying physical media will unfortunately be dealing with this issue for a long time to come. If ultimately ripping/converting your music to digital form you'll want to be very careful when picking your encoder(s), they're not all equal, and the exact normalization scheme (ditto). Also this is why to me these multi-channel (or even stereo) remixes don't make sense, especially for the extra $s...Just a quick plug for Plex, it's free to use (except for some upscale features), easy to install, totally portable so you can stream your music anywhere, it's secure & you control which devices/users have access, is constantly updated with new features & bug fixes, and has nice music management features (looks good too with its album cover art & additional band info). It's basically like having your own radio station that only plays the music you like. I'd put it up against any other product out there including those online music streamers
I need to pick up these last few Sabbath boxes. I still haven't gotten the Vol.4 and Sabotage boxes yet, although I may not even get the Sabotage one because I'm hearing that they sourced the Asbury Park live show from MP3's which to me is a definite no no. Why not got the original or first gen tapes and do a proper transfer of it. I've had that show on bootleg for a long time anyway and it sounds fantastic and there's really nothing extra in the box anyway to really want me to plunk down the money. This new one definitely sounds worth it though , although I wish Steven Wilson could have done a surround mix of the album as well. I think thats a missed opportunity.
One more thing that kind of bugs me, is when they call the extra stuff "Alternative" mixes, which should actually be called "Alternate" mixes. Just a little pet peeve of mine that doesn't really mean much but man, for some reason, I BUGS me!!! LOL
Thanks for the review Pete. Great stuff as usual.
I love this album. Its a sabbath classic
They left out some pictures that were in the original tour program and they did not have the
Thank Odin and Crom for the 1st 7 lps of the Sabbath discography! Where oh where would the genre be without 'em?🤘😁🤘
metal probably wouldn't have happened without Sabbath. It was a genre that was influenced by Christian horror, I think. Metal has gothic Christian roots. It wouldn't have been created later because it's distinctly European. Judas Priest heard Sabbath and turned metal from their influence. Sabbath is ground zero for metal. Deep Purple was influenced in their direction from Sabbath too. They wouldn't have made metal because they ind of had more of a party sound whereas Sabbath was the death rock sound.
@@MicahMicahel I agree with that, BS was at the forefront of "proto-metal" which later turned into metal. Also bands like Sir Lord Baltimore, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, Captain Beyond (with members of Purple & Butterfly) & others. For that reason alone they're an important band in the history of rock
Get the LP - Super Deluxe Set if you can as it sounds very very good.
The Wilson Remix is Excellent for the most part and the alternate takes are worthy and different enough to make it worth the $$.
The live album.....not that great imo, Ozzy isn't having a good performance but some interesting moments that Sabbath aficionados might appreciate although the Live material is lossy sourced so not my main reason for getting this set, but the remix and alternate takes made the purchase worthwhile for me.
This super deluxe box set is great.
Sounds cool. I'm waiting for Tony Martin Box set and the Forbidden remix.
Hey Pete Pardo :-) Is that white Fender Strat in the background a Jeff Beck signature model by chance? It looks really nice.
No, It's an American Professional. I ALMOST got the Beck model though.
@@seaoftranquilityprog I have the Jeff Beck Signature (in White), great guitar
love it Pete! and YES! THE-COURSE-IS-REAL!!! LOL Rhino has always done a great job on these box sets and i particularly like that they keep uniformity to most of them, at least the Sabbath and all the White Snake sets i have all have the same packaging design/concept. they do a great job! it's just a damn good thing they waited 30 years to do these kinds of box sets or we would have been broke as shit back in the early/mid 80's buying all of them-lol
I have re-watched this video today. What I didn't notice the 1st time around, Pete: I get the impression that you don't have the "Paranoid Super Deluxe Edition". Is that right?
that is correct!
@@seaoftranquilityprog I have to admit that I'm a bit surprised by that.
need a box set of headless cross era
They probably won't do that not enough people to buy it they'll probably just reissued it as a single album on vinyl
@@mikekeeler6362 hey Mike have you heard that Tony Iommi Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton have contributed to the upcoming solo album by Ozzy Osbourne? Cheers brother Mike
@@mikekeeler6362 there's even the possibility of them doing another studio album together. The news came out on October 2nd see what you can find out.
@@richardhincemon9423 I had heard that Tony iomi Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton we're going to do something on Ozzy's new solo album but I have not heard of anything Black Sabbath and how are they going to record this when Tony can't travel and they're still in lockdown in England I don't know when they're going to do this 10 years from now and they're all dead
@@richardhincemon9423 and I don't see how Ozzie is going to travel with his Parkinson's disease England's no place to go and Tony can't travel with his condition
Sadly they used an MP3 source for the live disc...so you're paying a lot for a bunch of MP3s burned onto CD. The highlight for me was the remix of You Won't Change Me and the alt mix of All Moving Parts with harmonica.
Greetings from Northumberland, England.
Yeah bought these super deluxe boxsets if you're a Sabbath fan its a no brainer but but over here they cost £100 for that much hardly seems worth it for what they deemed interesting.
But hey hoo it's still a great sounding album, now bring on heaven and hell n mob rules hopefully there's more in Iommis vaults !!
Could we have a ”The Curse is real” t-shirt please? Would love to wear it!
Liking haircut pete💇♂️👍, first I've seen it!
I hope they do the Born Again album though I heard the Master Tapes were Lost but then again they always seem to up show later, though I don't know if Wilson is interested in doing any other albums except the Ozzy albums. The Production on the Born Again , Never Say Die,and Technical Ectasy we're the worst of them.I bought the new box and it sounds to me not so muddy and overloaded with Bass ,Wilson brought out a lot more brightness in his mix.
"Supposedly " they found the original Born Again tapes.
@@elinino5275 Last Butler/Ward record right? So a remix would literally be a "rebirth" for this album...? 😎
I love this album.
It is tough to lay off this one. I got the Vol.4, Paranoid and Sabotage boxsets, so I might as well go for broke. Lol.
A great record but it lacks that Black Sabbath bottom the prior records have.
Always dug this album
Ozzy is not doing well health wise. Glad to see the box sets for these albums.
I'm in two minds of remasters, one they are definitely needed on albums that had no sparkle like the first Priest album for example, but I heard a Sabbath remaster while we're on the topic, and it just sounded like they'd run it thru a compressor and an aural exciter plus they deleted the between song studio banter and noodling and doing that substracts from the character of the mix IMHO
Why did they skip Master of Reality on the Super Deluxe reissues?
There is a two disc set with alternate lyrics for solitude, into the void, Sweet Leaf even Lord of this world with slide guitar and piano. Probably the reason for no Super Deluxe box set yet is lack of bonus material!
Just wait for the Super Duper Deluxe version...
You mean the Steven Wilson remixes of the Steven Wilson remixes? 🤷♂️ Maybe some previously unknown cowbell parts come to the foreground...Now we're just being mean to Mr Wilson
I'm waiting for the super duper including the Sharon pooper scooper Deluxe box set dollar sign dollar sign dollar sign dollar sign!
I also left out the Don Kirchner rock concerts poster
Not many classic Sab tunes are as doomy as "You Wont Change Me". absolute classic!!
Yes my favorite song off the album! Iommi's solos are insane on it!
agreed.
I dig the deluxe editions. Don’t know if I’ll go there for this one though. Probably my least favorite Ozzy album. And did I miss something or have they skipped Sabbath Bloody Sabbath so far? That’s a for sure purchase.