This is probably my favorite ozzy sabbath album aside from their debut and sabotage. Vol4 is my least favorite although probably the most iconic album cover. I can't understand why people aren't fans of this album. Never say die ,a hard road , Johnny blade etc all killer tracks . Not a weak song on this album in my opinion.
My sab favorites are black sabbath, sabotage, never say die, heaven and hell and born again and master of reality. Paranoid is good . I gravitate towards fairies wear boots, war pigs and hand of doom. Although iron man was the first sabbath song I heard as a child and got me interested I've become disinterested in that song. Paranoid is my least favorite sabbath song. Too simple, too boring.
I agree with you, Jeff. It's a good, solid album. The title track is in my Sabbath Top 10. I also don't understand why so many people say it's a bad album. Probably these people have never heard the album and claim it's a bad album because they heard it somewhere on the internet.
@@gianthills only the title track is poppy. They borrow the riff of Thin Lizzy’s Boys Are Back in Town. Probably inspired from Lizzy opening for them obviously. But nowhere else is there accessible pop rock.
Air Dance, yes! I don't expect Sab to revist that, but why hasn't Iommi never gone back to those jazz fusion meets hard rock chops on a solo project? That should have been a whole new "thing."
I love this album. I was already into Sabbath, and I was like 15 when this came out, and my friends and I grew up with this album. Johnny Blade, the base riff on Junior's Eyes is just killer. I have only heard one cover that actually played it right. Shockwave. I know the band didn't care for this album because they were in a bad place. I think it's a great album.
@@montbob100 I didn't get a chance to see this tour in Seattle. My best friend saw them, and it was the opposite. VH was so drunk they were very sloppy, and then Sabbath stole the show. It just goes to show you that things can change from show to show.
Never Say Die and Hard Road are 2 of my all time favorite Sabbath Songs. I love the Never Say Die album. If you don't like this album you got a terrible problem with your ears and hope get them fixed
A hastily conceived, oddly mixed/produced (to my ears) album but still has a lot to offer. Junior's Eyes, Air Dance, Swinging the Chain, I could go on. That the album was born of so much internal tension and unraveling of the band but still holds up speaks volumes of just how much of a juggernaut Sabbath was.
Dude this series you put together is going to live in infamy for many years to come to current and future generations of Sabbath fans....well done 👍 Wow....my favorite Black Sabbath song of all-time is Hard Road.....never knew there was a video 😳😍 Love this album and video so much I am now going to get my minty OG copy and give it a spin....or two? Cheers 🍺
Thanks! I only have a repress but it sounds great to me. I’m happy so many viewers are sticking up for this album. Hopefully it starts getting the recognition it deserves.
Jeff, you are saying all of my exact thoughts of this album, as you did with Technical Ecstasy. I liked this album when I bought it and still do. Side two wanes slightly but overall, it's a solid effort. One slight knock on it is that Ozzy gets a little pitchy at times and the mix seems sterile. I still have my 1978 vinyl and remember it had a strong chemical smell when I first peeled the shrink wrap. Maybe it was the ink they used for the artwork but it had a distinctive odor. It was similar to the smell of mimeograph ink. It has faded over the years but I still give it a whiff to see if it's there. I not only enjoyed the sounds but I enjoyed the smell of Never Say Die!
NSD is a great, loose album. I love it. I dig every song on it. I think sometimes artists recall being in a bad spot in their lives when they create a peice of art and associate that dark spot with the artifact. This is a really good record even if the participants werent happy at the time. Heck, NSD makes me happy and to that i say, "Thanks, Sabbath."
A truly groovyesque masterpiece of unfathomable proportions. Most people either despise or like this album least of the Ozzy era catalog, but for me, hearing it for the first time at age 13, it grew on me in no time (no pun intended). Loved it from day 1, even though my dad had "warned me" that it lacked that iconic Sabbath riffing and sound, but I truly beg to differ on that in totality. This is probably one of my top four Sabbath LPs behind Sabotage, debut LP, and Master of Reality that is. This album just tastefully captures the spirit and essence of 1978 in its fullness of quality and degree and I feel like I time travel back to that year every time I hear this splendor of sound. I consider this album and 'In Through the Outdoor' by Led Zeppelin a perfect duet of that mysterious late '70s sound which tends to capture that specific era in music history so perfectly. I really wouldn't mind dressing as one of those pilots for Halloween either or just for the sake of nostalgia and homage therewith. Keep on groovin' comrades.
I think this album has some great riffs and everyone here sounds in top form. Not sure what the haters are hearing that turns them off but this has always been a fun listen for me.
Got to see this tour with Van Halen as an opener. What a tough act to follow with DLR running across the stage...I'm on Fire 🔥 This is a Great album for the time in the bands history. Gezzers bass lines Alone hold the standards high! He's my Main influence on picking up playing the bass. ✌❤
I like parts of this album. Johnny blade, Junior's eyes, swinging the chain, a couple others. I don't really care for the title track. I don't know why. . Even as I think about it, I don't know why I don't care for it. Maybe because it's the end of an era and it made me sad. Yeah I think that's it. They did have a reunion later down the road and Sabbath did put out some other good albums with Dio. That's another era of Sabbath. . I guess we have to take what we can get. They are a great band and they've given us a lot. That's what I know. By the way I enjoy your editing. I don't know where you get these little snippets of film and historical bits and pieces. It's fantastic!
Shockwave imo may be the most underrated 70' Sabbath track. Those riffs and melodies are hauntingly beautiful. 23:15 That Ozzy vocal harmony is some of the best he's ever sounded in his career. Way better than his solo stuff after No More Tears. I would actually take Never Say Die over a bunch of his albums and Sabbath's post Ozzy. This entire album is sparkled with some of the best melodies they've ever done. It can be hit or miss, but when it hits it rules. I also like it more than TE too. Quite a bit actually. With that said, I think their experimentation peaked with Sabotage.
My younger brother got into this album before I did and his praises also got me hooked on it. It's very modern sounding and Ozzy's vocals are amazing considering how he said he was drugged up during the recordings. I do believe this album would have benefited from a few "You Bastard"s placed here and there in the songs. The keyboards sound like I'm at a baseball park. AIR DANCE is brilliant. At times sounding like The Doors. Unbelievable. Can you imagine if Ozzy stayed for the next album? Sensational. And yes, Bill Ward proves that he was the secret weapon of the band. A+ If anyone is wondering what their next album may have sounded like, pick up anything from the British Progressive Rock band, Audience. They always sounded like Sabbath with a saxophone to me.
A few “you bastards” would have definitely made the album better. 😂 I would love to hear some AI of Ozzy singing Heaven and Hell. Unfortunately Ozzy had to make a pain in the ass of himself right when the band was doing some of it’s most interesting work.
Oh man, I love that you picked up on the whole 'You Bastards!' thing. While it is a serious thing in terms of what it means on 'SBS' I can't help but find it FUNNY at the same time
I tended to ignore this for 40 years. Oddly enough, it was Bill Ward's solo albums that led me back to Never Say Die. It's amongst my favorites now. It's an outlier for sure, as much so as Born Again. I like that too.
I am with you 100% on this. I was waiting for the typical criticisms of this album, but was pleasantly surprised to hear your opening statement about the album. I also consider it the 7th best effort of the Ozzy era, with Technical Ecstasy 8th, and the Rick Rubin debacle of an album that was 13 coming in dead last. What a wasted opportunity that was, but that’s a whole other topic in itself. Regarding Junior’s Eyes, I never really considered the beginning of the song in the context of “ something different” from Sabbath. But upon looking at it in this light, I think you have a point. It reminds me most of Led Zeppelin in the early incarnation like around 1969 maybe. Especially the guitar has the same sort of acerbic or acidic tone if that makes any sense, with the Wah wah as well. And also yes, you are right about Bill ward’s drumming. He is a monster on this album. In fact, I feel he was in the middle of a monster run that begins with Sabotage and continues on through Heaven and Hell. You could probably even include Born Again in this run,. You look past the really bad production values of this album, and the drumming is again phenomenal, continuing the run the beginning back in 1975. And yes, Shock Wave is a complete absolute Sabbath classic in my mind. Definitely a peek into the direction things would be going with on Heaven and Hell, and the kind of song that I could see Dio singing, perhaps more than any other song on Never Say Die. I also agree that Hard Road is a much better song than most Sabbath fans may think. It’s a somber song, and a slow plodder, but it has a lot of feeling. Kind of an introspective song, someone trying to make sense of all the craziness of life. I see Over To You in this light as well, and to always consider these two songs is being tied together in this context. And also definitely Air Dance is great. I love Tony Iommi when he gets all proggy. And I think it was named something other than “Air Dance” - which is an obvious reference to the battle over the skies during WWI - but just sounds kinda fruity. Like until I realized what it was about I thought it was about a ballerina or something. But maybe if they named it something else like “Fokker Scourge”, perhaps more people might have given it more of a chance. But probably not. It’s just too different. But I love it as well. I could listen to Tony Iommi noodle away for hours and hours in jazzy/proggy mode ala Planet Caravan or Air Dance and never get tired of it.
Considering the circumstances under which it was recorded this album had no business being as good as it was. If they were coked and boozed out of their minds it certainly doesn’t show it. If Ozzy hadn’t gotten himself kicked out the band I wonder what direction they would have gone in next. Thanks for watching!
Great as always Jeff. Good point on Bill’s drums. Ok I have to admit I was hoping for more cheesecake on the Air Dance clips, damn it lol. I agree that this album doesn’t suck like we’d been led to believe. I actually just recently got a vinyl copy of this one finally. Enjoying this series!
This is a my favorite BS album. I had “we sold our souls …. “ Greatest hits album. But this was my first studio album. Bought it 1980, I was 15. Absolutely love it still. The songs are constantly playing on my playlist.
Sounds great as a hard rock/prog album in its own right. It's not difficult to understand how some folks may not hear the Black Sabbath they want on this album, though.
Killer video Jeff! I do like this album but it’s my least favorite of the Ozzy era! Ozzy comes across as a sort of buffoonish caricature of himself in the footage! I guess that was the excesses taking their toll🤣🤣 phenomenal job on the video once again brother 👍🤘🤘
Thanks Aaron! He seems very animated in the live footage, almost exaggerating his facial expressions. I have no doubt it was the coke and alcohol at work. 😱
I totally agree. I never understood why this album got so much flack and hate. This is actually one of my favorite Sabbath albums. It may be a little different and experimental than the first six classic and iconic albums, but that's not a bad thing. The bottom line is that this album is hard and heavy as hell. Just the two tracks alone, Johnny Blade and Junior's Eyes, may be harder and heavier than anything they ever did. It's like people are listening to or hearing a completely different album than those who love it and defend it.
Even though its my least favorite of the Ozzy albums there's still some great songs, I've always been fond of Junior's Eyes and Air Dance especially. Look forward to the Dio era!🤘
This is not only my favourite Sabbath album, it's one of my most beloved albums by anyone. The production is 'exotic' to be sure, but there is an emotional depth and melancholy running right through this album. The songwriting is incredible, I don't think it's a mess at all. You can argue that the 'first 6 Sabbath albums' are historically more important but for my money it's only Sabotage which matches the grandeur and uncanny depths of Never Say Die. Credit due to Don Airey too. Nicely put together doc Jeff. Will check out some others.
I always wondered the same? I think it may have been mainly down to Tony’s predominate use of his John Diggon’s SG rather than his previously recorded Gibson Monkey Sg.Whatever ever it was I still love this album and whichever Ozzy era Sabbath album I listen too just puts me in the mood of that album, no bad ones, just different ones!😊
I've never given this album a chance because everyone said it was bad but you've changed my mind. Air dance is an amazing song. Like you said, it's not a good as the first 6 but quite decent overall. These deep dives are much appreciated
Black sabbath never say die is a classic album very different from the other albums with ozzy I like this Lp its Just intresting and a different direction its one of my favorite albums in the ozzy sabbath era. Brilliant.
Black Sabbath Vol.4 was the first record I bought, and Van Halen/Black Sabbath was the first concert I ever attended. Indelible memories and timeless music!
Love, love, love it. I'm usually indifferent in the many instances that my opinion differs from consensus but with this one I get so frustrated that people can't hear something of quality, regardless of how much it departs from the doomy Sabbath template.
I loved sabbath from first time sixth album. I never got into there last two. I’m 54 years old. I loved the two dio with sabbath. Those 8 albums are all A grade
Maybe because of when it came out in my lifetime, but I always loved Never Say Die!, Junior's Eyes is probably one of my favorite Sabbath songs and Johnny Blade is up there too.
Sabbath was my favorite band when I was growing up. Their first album was released on my birthday, February 13th 1970. When I heard Never Say Die for the first time I knew it was the end of the road for them. I was bummed out after listening to it. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was really a great album. Sabotage was the last great album they did, in my opinion. Technical Ecstasy was good but the vibes were different. Dirty Women and Gypsy were the best tracks on that album. I don't dislike Never Say Die but, I think it could have been recorded better without the highs. All the big bands were dropping the ball at that time, Zeppelin, Deep Purple had disbanded Aerosmith, Foghat. It was a sad time for heavy metal. Then came Van Halen.
I just got done Re Re listened it...Swinging The Chain..shit just grew on me..and Good Lord..Air Dance...seems like every time play i find another song that i used to skip..i jam out on it❤
The title track IMO is one of their best songs, when the album came out, my band at the time, played it, and Hard Road, Johnny Blade is kind of corny, it's a decent song, but IMO, sounds like a kid in Jr.High school wrote it, Juniors Eyes and Shock Wave are great songs, they almost sound like they could have been on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, I love Air Dance, and Over To You, Swinging The Chain, another solid tune
I hesitate to call the song Never Say Die punk rock but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it was recorded during the punk movement in the UK. Again it shows Sabbath evolving their sound without compromising it.
And may I add, Juniors Eyes is one of my favorite Black Sabbath songs along with After Forever. Lyrics on After Forever are very positive in a Godly way.
Small correction. There are demos of Dave Walker singing Junior's Eyes with different lyrics and melody. So not everything was "rewritten" from scratch.
Bills drumming is superb on this record, the arrangements, muscianship and production is top notch, and the songs are good, the bass & drum intro on Junior's Eye's is amazing, be nice if they had recorded the entire album with Walker and maybe just shelved it until the appropriate time to release it, something like what Tokyo Blade did with Night of the Blade/'The Night before"
@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 there is two tracks on some footage the BBC owns from when they appeared on the "Look, Hear" Television program. Dave was fronting the band in 77 and performed 'Iron Man' and a draft of what became 'Junior's Eyes' apparently the BBC won't release the footage, but one can go an view it, the rough draft of Junior's Eyes audio has surfaced however ua-cam.com/video/3bvwMUBFAT8/v-deo.html
NSD is a great and highly underrated hard rock album, IMO. It's a different type of album for them. Is chock of great riffs, excellent playing and vocals by the band. I've always enjoyed it. The title track is some of the heaviest swing ever!
Took me a long time to appreciate this album but it's one of my favorite Sabbath albums now.The production wasn't as good as some of the previous albums but it has some really solid material.Not only can you argue that Sabbath were the fathers of heavy metal, they were also the fathers of progressive metal.Sabotage,Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Never Say Die are without question progressive.Something that often gets overlooked with Sabbath is the influence the Beatles had on the band.Listen closely and can hear it on tracks like " A Hard Road", "Over to You","St. Vitus' dance".Yes they were two different kinds of bands but Ozzy and Gezzer have said in interviews that the Beatles had an influence .Though there was a lot of personal turmoil in the band at the time they still delivered a dam good album.
I absolutely love this album and it’s better than literally ANYTHING Sabbath and Ozzy recorded later including H&H and Blizzard. A state of the art hard rock album!
Not a bad album, but it is #8 out of 8 with Ozzy in my opinion. ‘A Hard Road’ is their best song on this one. Another informative documentary, thank you Jeff!
I think when people say it sounds like Sabbath it's because we are looking back at the body of work as a collection. But this album has very little in common with the first 4 to me. I do like it but I think if you had heard the albums as they were being released you would hear a drastic evolution over time.
Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die are fantastic lps. Sabbath in essence moved from weed to crank. My favorite Sabbath lp is Born Again. A cement encased barrel dropped to the bottom of the sea and into 25 feet of sediment. Brilliance! Imo the most subversively evil Sabbath lp. Even if Ian's lyrics,as always,are firmly tongue in cheek.
This album starts out really strong but the production seems to differ between tracks. I still really like it though. You can tell they were reaching the end by the “feel” of this record. Unfortunately, the album fizzles out for me towards the end. A Hard Road and Air Dance rule though!
Albums Technical Ectasy and Never Say Die albums are more progrock and not as understandable to all the original Black Sabbath fans, but I love this albums. "Air Dance" from this album is genial awesome excelent song.
Over time I have come to love this album ...
"Johnny Blade" has one of Bill Ward's best drum parts , gotta admit .❤
I love Bill’s drumming on this record!
His playing on the quiet part of Junior's Eyes is terrific.....the interplay between him and Geezer! Outstanding!
I like a few of these songs. Always liked Johnny Blade and Juniors eyes to name a few. The title track is strong as well so not a total waste.
This is probably my favorite ozzy sabbath album aside from their debut and sabotage. Vol4 is my least favorite although probably the most iconic album cover.
I can't understand why people aren't fans of this album. Never say die ,a hard road , Johnny blade etc all killer tracks . Not a weak song on this album in my opinion.
My sab favorites are black sabbath, sabotage, never say die, heaven and hell and born again and master of reality. Paranoid is good . I gravitate towards fairies wear boots, war pigs and hand of doom. Although iron man was the first sabbath song I heard as a child and got me interested I've become disinterested in that song. Paranoid is my least favorite sabbath song. Too simple, too boring.
The magic of Black Sabbath is it never gets old
I love this album, I don't care what anyone says, give it more than 1 listen. It's a great album
Astonishing album.
I'm amazed at how many people disrespect it .
Many thanks for posting
It’s really an overlooked gem. Thanks for watching!
I agree with you, Jeff. It's a good, solid album. The title track is in my Sabbath Top 10. I also don't understand why so many people say it's a bad album. Probably these people have never heard the album and claim it's a bad album because they heard it somewhere on the internet.
I agree! Unfortunately it predisposes people to not like the album before they’ve heard it.
Because it's not Sabbath. Tell me how this pop is heavy metal.
@@gianthills only the title track is poppy. They borrow the riff of Thin Lizzy’s Boys Are Back in Town. Probably inspired from Lizzy opening for them obviously. But nowhere else is there accessible pop rock.
Every 70's album of theirs with Ozzy is equally good for me, depends only on current mood I am in which one I like more.
Zzz ,zzxz
I think that about the entire catalog ... except maybe "Forbidden." Never "got" that one.
This album is criminally underrated!
Juniors Eyes and Air Dance are some of the best Ozzy era tracks ever recorded!
And the title track, one of their best songs IMO
Agree!
Air Dance, yes! I don't expect Sab to revist that, but why hasn't Iommi never gone back to those jazz fusion meets hard rock chops on a solo project? That should have been a whole new "thing."
Yes
I love this album. I was already into Sabbath, and I was like 15 when this came out, and my friends and I grew up with this album. Johnny Blade, the base riff on Junior's Eyes is just killer. I have only heard one cover that actually played it right. Shockwave. I know the band didn't care for this album because they were in a bad place. I think it's a great album.
I agree. They took some risks for sure but I think it was a successful result.
You sound like me i got the album and saw them in concert.VH opened and Black Sabbath sucked and got booed off.Couple months later they split up.
@@montbob100 I didn't get a chance to see this tour in Seattle. My best friend saw them, and it was the opposite. VH was so drunk they were very sloppy, and then Sabbath stole the show. It just goes to show you that things can change from show to show.
I also love this album! More than Technical Ecstasy as well. Glad to hear you love it too!
Never Say Die and Hard Road are 2 of my all time favorite Sabbath Songs. I love the Never Say Die album. If you don't like this album you got a terrible problem with your ears and hope get them fixed
I agree!
Agree, very solid album!
The last dying gasp of a once mighty beast. In my top 5, no doubt. The tone, the experimentation, and some of their best songs.
The best thing about Sabbath for me....was the fact that no 2 albums sounded the same. It's all magic!🤘
Absolutely!
The opening guitar tone on Johnny Blade is crushing! Plus I love Bill’s chugging drums. Cool seeing Tony playing a Les Paul on NSD video.
Tony Iommi is miming for the NSD video on Top of the Pops BBC television show.
A hastily conceived, oddly mixed/produced (to my ears) album but still has a lot to offer. Junior's Eyes, Air Dance, Swinging the Chain, I could go on. That the album was born of so much internal tension and unraveling of the band but still holds up speaks volumes of just how much of a juggernaut Sabbath was.
In spite of the circumstances under which it was recorded I think it holds up surprisingly well. 👍👍
I really like the production!
Way better than Technical Ecstasy.
I bought Never Say Die back in 1978
I still like this album more and more!
Thanks for posting this!!!
Remember just looking at the cover and wondering….ok cool.
Thanks! It’s a great listen!
Dude this series you put together is going to live in infamy for many years to come to current and future generations of Sabbath fans....well done 👍 Wow....my favorite Black Sabbath song of all-time is Hard Road.....never knew there was a video 😳😍 Love this album and video so much I am now going to get my minty OG copy and give it a spin....or two?
Cheers 🍺
Thanks! I only have a repress but it sounds great to me. I’m happy so many viewers are sticking up for this album. Hopefully it starts getting the recognition it deserves.
Some great tracks, love air dance
Jeff, you are saying all of my exact thoughts of this album, as you did with Technical Ecstasy. I liked this album when I bought it and still do. Side two wanes slightly but overall, it's a solid effort. One slight knock on it is that Ozzy gets a little pitchy at times and the mix seems sterile. I still have my 1978 vinyl and remember it had a strong chemical smell when I first peeled the shrink wrap. Maybe it was the ink they used for the artwork but it had a distinctive odor. It was similar to the smell of mimeograph ink. It has faded over the years but I still give it a whiff to see if it's there. I not only enjoyed the sounds but I enjoyed the smell of Never Say Die!
Haha! Could it have been a scratch and sniff sleeve?
NSD is a great, loose album. I love it. I dig every song on it. I think sometimes artists recall being in a bad spot in their lives when they create a peice of art and associate that dark spot with the artifact. This is a really good record even if the participants werent happy at the time. Heck, NSD makes me happy and to that i say, "Thanks, Sabbath."
A truly groovyesque masterpiece of unfathomable proportions. Most people either despise or like this album least of the Ozzy era catalog, but for me, hearing it for the first time at age 13, it grew on me in no time (no pun intended). Loved it from day 1, even though my dad had "warned me" that it lacked that iconic Sabbath riffing and sound, but I truly beg to differ on that in totality. This is probably one of my top four Sabbath LPs behind Sabotage, debut LP, and Master of Reality that is. This album just tastefully captures the spirit and essence of 1978 in its fullness of quality and degree and I feel like I time travel back to that year every time I hear this splendor of sound. I consider this album and 'In Through the Outdoor' by Led Zeppelin a perfect duet of that mysterious late '70s sound which tends to capture that specific era in music history so perfectly. I really wouldn't mind dressing as one of those pilots for Halloween either or just for the sake of nostalgia and homage therewith. Keep on groovin' comrades.
I think this album has some great riffs and everyone here sounds in top form. Not sure what the haters are hearing that turns them off but this has always been a fun listen for me.
Also love this and ITtOD.
I like vol 4 and sabotage the best.
Got to see this tour with Van Halen as an opener. What a tough act to follow with DLR running across the stage...I'm on Fire 🔥 This is a Great album for the time in the bands history. Gezzers bass lines Alone hold the standards high! He's my Main influence on picking up playing the bass. ✌❤
I like parts of this album. Johnny blade, Junior's eyes, swinging the chain, a couple others. I don't really care for the title track. I don't know why. . Even as I think about it, I don't know why I don't care for it. Maybe because it's the end of an era and it made me sad. Yeah I think that's it. They did have a reunion later down the road and Sabbath did put out some other good albums with Dio. That's another era of Sabbath. . I guess we have to take what we can get. They are a great band and they've given us a lot. That's what I know. By the way I enjoy your editing. I don't know where you get these little snippets of film and historical bits and pieces. It's fantastic!
Shockwave imo may be the most underrated 70' Sabbath track. Those riffs and melodies are hauntingly beautiful. 23:15 That Ozzy vocal harmony is some of the best he's ever sounded in his career. Way better than his solo stuff after No More Tears. I would actually take Never Say Die over a bunch of his albums and Sabbath's post Ozzy. This entire album is sparkled with some of the best melodies they've ever done. It can be hit or miss, but when it hits it rules. I also like it more than TE too. Quite a bit actually. With that said, I think their experimentation peaked with Sabotage.
I never minded the experimentation or risk taking but I agree the pinnacle was Sabotage.
Thank you. I love this album.
Huge huge sabbath fan these deep dives are great to listen too keep them coming
Thanks! This was a fun series to do. 👍👍
My younger brother got into this album before I did and his praises also got me hooked on it. It's very modern sounding and Ozzy's vocals are amazing considering how he said he was drugged up during the recordings. I do believe this album would have benefited from a few "You Bastard"s placed here and there in the songs. The keyboards sound like I'm at a baseball park. AIR DANCE is brilliant. At times sounding like The Doors. Unbelievable. Can you imagine if Ozzy stayed for the next album? Sensational. And yes, Bill Ward proves that he was the secret weapon of the band. A+
If anyone is wondering what their next album may have sounded like, pick up anything from the British Progressive Rock band, Audience.
They always sounded like Sabbath with a saxophone to me.
A few “you bastards” would have definitely made the album better. 😂 I would love to hear some AI of Ozzy singing Heaven and Hell. Unfortunately Ozzy had to make a pain in the ass of himself right when the band was doing some of it’s most interesting work.
@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486Hahaaa I'm sure some kook is in his laboratory right now working on an Ozzy version of Heaven & Hell
Oh man, I love that you picked up on the whole 'You Bastards!' thing. While it is a serious thing in terms of what it means on 'SBS' I can't help but find it FUNNY at the same time
I tended to ignore this for 40 years. Oddly enough, it was Bill Ward's solo albums that led me back to Never Say Die. It's amongst my favorites now. It's an outlier for sure, as much so as Born Again. I like that too.
This is a very solid album and I’m still baffled why it gets so little respect.
I am with you 100% on this. I was waiting for the typical criticisms of this album, but was pleasantly surprised to hear your opening statement about the album. I also consider it the 7th best effort of the Ozzy era, with Technical Ecstasy 8th, and the Rick Rubin debacle of an album that was 13 coming in dead last. What a wasted opportunity that was, but that’s a whole other topic in itself.
Regarding Junior’s Eyes, I never really considered the beginning of the song in the context of “ something different” from Sabbath. But upon looking at it in this light, I think you have a point. It reminds me most of Led Zeppelin in the early incarnation like around 1969 maybe. Especially the guitar has the same sort of acerbic or acidic tone if that makes any sense, with the Wah wah as well.
And also yes, you are right about Bill ward’s drumming. He is a monster on this album. In fact, I feel he was in the middle of a monster run that begins with Sabotage and continues on through Heaven and Hell. You could probably even include Born Again in this run,. You look past the really bad production values of this album, and the drumming is again phenomenal, continuing the run the beginning back in 1975.
And yes, Shock Wave is a complete absolute Sabbath classic in my mind. Definitely a peek into the direction things would be going with on Heaven and Hell, and the kind of song that I could see Dio singing, perhaps more than any other song on Never Say Die.
I also agree that Hard Road is a much better song than most Sabbath fans may think. It’s a somber song, and a slow plodder, but it has a lot of feeling. Kind of an introspective song, someone trying to make sense of all the craziness of life. I see Over To You in this light as well, and to always consider these two songs is being tied together in this context.
And also definitely Air Dance is great. I love Tony Iommi when he gets all proggy. And I think it was named something other than “Air Dance” - which is an obvious reference to the battle over the skies during WWI - but just sounds kinda fruity. Like until I realized what it was about I thought it was about a ballerina or something. But maybe if they named it something else like “Fokker Scourge”, perhaps more people might have given it more of a chance. But probably not. It’s just too different. But I love it as well. I could listen to Tony Iommi noodle away for hours and hours in jazzy/proggy mode ala Planet Caravan or Air Dance and never get tired of it.
Considering the circumstances under which it was recorded this album had no business being as good as it was. If they were coked and boozed out of their minds it certainly doesn’t show it. If Ozzy hadn’t gotten himself kicked out the band I wonder what direction they would have gone in next. Thanks for watching!
i am with you i like all black Sabbath songs
Great as always Jeff. Good point on Bill’s drums. Ok I have to admit I was hoping for more cheesecake on the Air Dance clips, damn it lol. I agree that this album doesn’t suck like we’d been led to believe. I actually just recently got a vinyl copy of this one finally. Enjoying this series!
Thanks Gary! I’ve always had a soft spot for this album even though it’s nowhere near my favorite.
This is a my favorite BS album. I had “we sold our souls …. “ Greatest hits album. But this was my first studio album. Bought it 1980, I was 15. Absolutely love it still. The songs are constantly playing on my playlist.
Sounds great as a hard rock/prog album in its own right. It's not difficult to understand how some folks may not hear the Black Sabbath they want on this album, though.
Tell me how this qualifies as prog.
My favorite Black Sabbath record that most people don't like 🤘
Much to my surprise based on the comments I’ve received on this video many people seem to like Never Say Die. 👍👍
Johnny Blade and Junior's Eyes are great songs!
Killer video Jeff! I do like this album but it’s my least favorite of the Ozzy era! Ozzy comes across as a sort of buffoonish caricature of himself in the footage! I guess that was the excesses taking their toll🤣🤣 phenomenal job on the video once again brother 👍🤘🤘
Thanks Aaron! He seems very animated in the live footage, almost exaggerating his facial expressions. I have no doubt it was the coke and alcohol at work. 😱
I totally agree. I never understood why this album got so much flack and hate. This is actually one of my favorite Sabbath albums. It may be a little different and experimental than the first six classic and iconic albums, but that's not a bad thing. The bottom line is that this album is hard and heavy as hell. Just the two tracks alone, Johnny Blade and Junior's Eyes, may be harder and heavier than anything they ever did. It's like people are listening to or hearing a completely different album than those who love it and defend it.
I agree. The People who say this album sucks either never gave it a chance or aren’t Sabbath fans to begin with.
Thank you for sharing this video of never say die
You are welcome!
Even though its my least favorite of the Ozzy albums there's still some great songs, I've always been fond of Junior's Eyes and Air Dance especially. Look forward to the Dio era!🤘
Thanks! Probably not the most satisfying end to Ozzy’s tenure with the band but still pretty damn fun to listen to.
This is not only my favourite Sabbath album, it's one of my most beloved albums by anyone. The production is 'exotic' to be sure, but there is an emotional depth and melancholy running right through this album. The songwriting is incredible, I don't think it's a mess at all. You can argue that the 'first 6 Sabbath albums' are historically more important but for my money it's only Sabotage which matches the grandeur and uncanny depths of Never Say Die. Credit due to Don Airey too. Nicely put together doc Jeff. Will check out some others.
I was just listening to it again the other day and I stand by what a great album it is. 🤟🏻🤟🏻
I always wondered what happened to the guitar sound on this album and the one before compared to SBS and Sabotage.
I always wondered the same? I think it may have been mainly down to Tony’s predominate use of his John Diggon’s SG rather than his previously recorded Gibson Monkey Sg.Whatever ever it was I still love this album and whichever Ozzy era Sabbath album I listen too just puts me in the mood of that album, no bad ones, just different ones!😊
Awesome man so excited for this
The title track is a classic, and the Top Of The Pops performance (as a Brit) was a total blast! Plus 'Breakout' is a motherfucking JAM
Hell yeah!
I've never given this album a chance because everyone said it was bad but you've changed my mind. Air dance is an amazing song. Like you said, it's not a good as the first 6 but quite decent overall. These deep dives are much appreciated
Thank you Thomas!
Black sabbath never say die is a classic album very different from the other albums with ozzy I like this Lp its Just intresting and a different direction its one of my favorite albums in the ozzy sabbath era. Brilliant.
I wish more people would give this album a chance. It’s a bit adventurous in spots but still manages to sound like Sabbath.
Black Sabbath Vol.4 was the first record I bought, and Van Halen/Black Sabbath was the first concert I ever attended. Indelible memories and timeless music!
love this Album ... Its different and still amazing
Absolutely
Love, love, love it. I'm usually indifferent in the many instances that my opinion differs from consensus but with this one I get so frustrated that people can't hear something of quality, regardless of how much it departs from the doomy Sabbath template.
I’ve never understood why this album rubs some fans the wrong way. It’s not like they did a disco album.
@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 No joke, I remember a review on rateyourmusic that said something about disco.
Never Say Die -- one of my favorite album cover designs... 😎
It's better than Technical Ecstacy imo.
I agree!
The only people who do not like Never say die, died. CLASSIC!!!!!
I loved sabbath from first time sixth album. I never got into there last two.
I’m 54 years old. I loved the two dio with sabbath. Those 8 albums are all A grade
I feel like the song never say die sounds the most like ozzy solo
Yes! That’s a great point.
Maybe because of when it came out in my lifetime, but I always loved Never Say Die!, Junior's Eyes is probably one of my favorite Sabbath songs and Johnny Blade is up there too.
Sabbath was my favorite band when I was growing up. Their first album was released on my birthday, February 13th 1970. When I heard Never Say Die for the first time I knew it was the end of the road for them. I was bummed out after listening to it. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was really a great album. Sabotage was the last great album they did, in my opinion. Technical Ecstasy was good but the vibes were different. Dirty Women and Gypsy were the best tracks on that album. I don't dislike Never Say Die but, I think it could have been recorded better without the highs. All the big bands were dropping the ball at that time, Zeppelin, Deep Purple had disbanded Aerosmith, Foghat. It was a sad time for heavy metal. Then came Van Halen.
I don’t mind Johnny blade
Junior's Eyes is my go to track on that album.
I just got done Re Re listened it...Swinging The Chain..shit just grew on me..and Good Lord..Air Dance...seems like every time play i find another song that i used to skip..i jam out on it❤
It’s a great listen!
Saw this tour in Chicago 1978, great! I think Air Dance probably the most unique Sab track
Love this album .. loved it from the first time I span it and get better the older it gets ..
It’s very underrated and undervalued!
Great review Jeff!
The title track IMO is one of their best songs, when the album came out, my band at the time, played it, and Hard Road, Johnny Blade is kind of corny, it's a decent song, but IMO, sounds like a kid in Jr.High school wrote it, Juniors Eyes and Shock Wave are great songs, they almost sound like they could have been on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, I love Air Dance, and Over To You, Swinging The Chain, another solid tune
I hesitate to call the song Never Say Die punk rock but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it was recorded during the punk movement in the UK. Again it shows Sabbath evolving their sound without compromising it.
Ozzys shirt says blizzard the future was coming hello da people wake up
Always felt that "Johnny Blade" was exceptional. "Never Say Die" and Johnny were easy to hear over and over in one day.
Agreed!
man, shockwave is like a mash up of 10 songs,…🧐
Love the earthquake clips
Thanks Josh!
Which I found funny because I always heard that Shock Wave was about demonic possession. And before that I thought it was about the Transformer lol.
Fantastic album, amazing what can be achieved under very difficult circumstances 🤘
Yes!
The title track is a masterpiece. Definitely one of my fav Sab tunes.
Agreed!
Iommy playing Les Paul?
Thank you--that freaked me out.
IOMMI is miming Les Paul for Top of the Pops BBC television show 😊
And may I add, Juniors Eyes is one of my favorite Black Sabbath songs along with After Forever. Lyrics on After Forever are very positive in a Godly way.
Juniors Eyes is an incredible track.
Wow aren't you the knowledgeable one
Small correction. There are demos of Dave Walker singing Junior's Eyes with different lyrics and melody. So not everything was "rewritten" from scratch.
I always loved this album. And from my opinion it is a return to the earlier albums before SBS.
Johnny Blade and A Hard Road hit pretty square in the face
Like Jose Ramirez
I LOVE this album. It doesn't get the credit it deserves. Not even from Black Sabbath themselves.
Absolutely! A lost classic of the Ozzy era.
Bills drumming is superb on this record, the arrangements, muscianship and production is top notch, and the songs are good, the bass & drum intro on Junior's Eye's is amazing, be nice if they had recorded the entire album with Walker and maybe just shelved it until the appropriate time to release it, something like what Tokyo Blade did with Night of the Blade/'The Night before"
I wonder if any tape exists of the Dave Walker sessions? That would be an interesting listen.
@@jeffwhitchervinyldestinati4486 there is two tracks on some footage the BBC owns from when they appeared on the "Look, Hear" Television program. Dave was fronting the band in 77 and performed 'Iron Man' and a draft of what became 'Junior's Eyes' apparently the BBC won't release the footage, but one can go an view it, the rough draft of Junior's Eyes audio has surfaced however
ua-cam.com/video/3bvwMUBFAT8/v-deo.html
You must be a comedian.
@jeffwhitc 6:07 hervinyldestinati4486 Early version of Juniors Eyes 👀
Never say die is a favorite for some reason
Damn good drumming from mr ward... swings hard!
Johnny blade sounds like a song for a thin lizzy album
Never Say Die is the most underrated Sabbath album of them all
Johnny Blade is the stand out track! Along with Junior's Eyes and Shockwave!
Great songs!
NSD is a great and highly underrated hard rock album, IMO. It's a different type of album for them. Is chock of great riffs, excellent playing and vocals by the band. I've always enjoyed it. The title track is some of the heaviest swing ever!
Agreed! I;ve never understood the hate this album sometimes gets.
Never Say Die would be a great stadium song to pump up the crowd at an NFL or NHL game.
Yes!
The title track is their answer to Deep Purple's Burn which I think they needed at the time.
I love the title track.
Yes I agree. This is actually a really good album minus 'Swinging the chain'.
Never Say Die! Is a great album. Carry On….
Took me a long time to appreciate this album but it's one of my favorite Sabbath albums now.The production wasn't as good as some of the previous albums but it has some really solid material.Not only can you argue that Sabbath were the fathers of heavy metal, they were also the fathers of progressive metal.Sabotage,Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Never Say Die are without question progressive.Something that often gets overlooked with Sabbath is the influence the Beatles had on the band.Listen closely and can hear it on tracks like " A Hard Road", "Over to You","St. Vitus' dance".Yes they were two different kinds of bands but Ozzy and Gezzer have said in interviews that the Beatles had an influence .Though there was a lot of personal turmoil in the band at the time they still delivered a dam good album.
Yes they did. Not a flawless album but a damn good listen in my opinion.
I absolutely love this album and it’s better than literally ANYTHING Sabbath and Ozzy recorded later including H&H and Blizzard. A state of the art hard rock album!
It’s sadly under appreciated in their catalog for some reason. I think it holds up better than almost anything else that passed for metal at the time.
Ozzy was right in not wanting to he on those tracks. Breakout and Swinging the Chain are the worst one's
I think if they had more time to write a new batch of songs they would have discarded them both.
Junior's Eyes has one of the best lead solos ever !!!
There's some less than stellar stuff on this album but I love it and have great memories of it.
Not a bad album, but it is #8 out of 8 with Ozzy in my opinion. ‘A Hard Road’ is their best song on this one. Another informative documentary, thank you Jeff!
Thank you! I think most Sabbath fans would rank this as #8. Not terrible but just not as great as what we had come to expect.
I live just north of Toronto it was kinda funny about how cold it was for those guys making this album
Another great Sabbath album
I think when people say it sounds like Sabbath it's because we are looking back at the body of work as a collection. But this album has very little in common with the first 4 to me. I do like it but I think if you had heard the albums as they were being released you would hear a drastic evolution over time.
great video , but i use to know that R J Dio was singing in Swinging in the chain - accord with sleeve notes on the album... i guess.
Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die are fantastic lps. Sabbath in essence moved from weed to crank. My favorite Sabbath lp is Born Again. A cement encased barrel dropped to the bottom of the sea and into 25 feet of sediment. Brilliance! Imo the most subversively evil Sabbath lp. Even if Ian's lyrics,as always,are firmly tongue in cheek.
This album starts out really strong but the production seems to differ between tracks. I still really like it though. You can tell they were reaching the end by the “feel” of this record. Unfortunately, the album fizzles out for me towards the end. A Hard Road and Air Dance rule though!
Yeah, you can sense the desperation as the band tries to work out a cohesive set of songs.
Juniors eyes
I believe Don Airey played keyboards on this album.
loved never say die
Albums Technical Ectasy and Never Say Die albums are more progrock and not as understandable to all the original Black Sabbath fans, but I love this albums. "Air Dance" from this album is genial awesome excelent song.