Crate Digger’s Gold: Black Sabbath – Master of Reality

Master is Reality is my favorite Black Sabbath album and this is the first vinyl edition I have owned.  I picked it up at the recent Rock N Roll Sale for $7. It is in great shape with the green Warner Bros. center label and black on black embossed cover. Unfortunately it does not have the original “envelope sleeve” containing a poster of the band.  It is a great addition to my collection – it has long been on my  wish list (it is not rare, but I did not want to spend more than ten bucks).

The album starts with Tony Iommi’s pot induced cough that is the appropriate intro to “Sweet Leaf.”  The song is classic Sabbath riffs and lyrics that drip of teenage pot induced profundity. For example, “You introduced me to my mind.”

“After Forever” opens with a riff that must have inspired Tom Petty and then rips into classic Sabbath grunge. I typically think of Ozzy’s as a clown, but lyrically here he is pondering some tough theological questions.

“Embryo/Children Of The Grave” opens with a medieval sounding intro and then rips into heavy metal.  At least a thousand bands have been inspired by Tony Iommi awesome riffs like the ones on this song.

Side Two begins with “Orchid/Lord Of This World.” “Orchid” is a baroque acoustic guitar solo, that in classic Sabbath style, transitions into heavy metal. “Lord Of This World” It is turgid slop. Devil worship with a cynical and knowing eye.

“Solitude” is the mellow side of Sabbath.  This sets the agenda for many metal albums to come that it is cool to compose pretty melodies.

“Into The Void” is more classic Sabbath riffs of goodness and you can see the foreshadowing of punk and Metallica. Tony Iommi single-handedly creates so much thick sound.

This is a classic album in the heavy metal genre and Black Sabbath are cornerstones of that genre.  This is Black Sabbath at their finest.