Black Sabbath: Classic or Dud?

Judging by this twitpic on their official Twitter, they are playing the Whiskey today?

http://p.twimg.com/Ad-2s7aCMAAoPFq.jpg

Or what?

Nevermind, its a reunion press conference being held there, hosted by Rollins.

yeah this is on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU3SZjfbcpI

So, wait, within the last few years did the band ever officially break up? I know they were suing each other, but I think it fishy to call it a reunion when it's really only been, you know, a few years off.

well it's a reunion of the original line-up which hasn't played together since 1978 so I think that it qualifies.

That's not true at all! I saw the original line-up a couple of times within the last decade. Unless you mean different than Ozzy, Geezer, Iommi and Ward? Because they've already reunited the hell out of this thing.

most interesting thing about that (basically awesome) youtube clip is: new album 2012.

(to be released on the rinse FM label, no doubt)

Yeah, this lineup has been reuniting every few years since 1997 or thereabouts. I saw 'em in 2004 on Ozzfest.

There is NO way this isn't going to suck balls. I had the displeasure of hearing some live reunion thing they did recently (2xCD - from the early aughts maybe? Dunno) and omg, Ozzy, please, for the love of God, STOP.

There is NO way this isn't going to suck balls.

I disagree. The Rubin treatment could really do something special. Live, yeah, for sure, avoid, but the record might be the first interesting thing Sabbath has done in a good long while.

Not if Ozzy's singing. Resurrect Ronnie James and, yeah, maybe. But this is gonna be awful. Mark it. I hope I'm wrong. But I'm not. Ozzy sucks. He's sucked since The Ultimate Sin and the decline has been a long, sharp one.

i want to hear ozzy deliver a long, incoherent, slurred response to your critique.

Wait a second, assholes could fly. Reunion was actually good. Especially if you are a true Sabbath fan-we were jacked to hear deep cuts like Behind The Wall of Sleep and Spiral Architect. Second, I saw Sabbath with Dio just two years ago, the band was fucking ON (granted different drummer and singer). No reason to believe this won't kill.

is rick rubin producing it, really? interesting and odd combination.

If anybody isn't psyched about this, get the fuck off the Sabbath thread.

even belle & sebastian are psyched about this.

Ozzy can sing fine. He wasn't a fantastic singer ever, all he has to do is hit the notes and keep time and be himself - and current engineering trends mean he doesn't really have to do the first two to make a good record.

Rubin has produced slayer, metallica,trouble,etc. All bands that would not exist withotu the originators, and true masters of the form: Sabbath.

excited.

Daniel, Esq. I was not trying to take u down on my post. I am using my blackberry which causes serious delays. I was responding to assholes could fly

lol, understood.

I hope this is not tied to some Ozzfest stupidity. I want a full set. I want supernaut , wicked world, megalomania,tomorrows dream. I don't want "hits". Please.

dude you're never going to get "wicked world," c'mon.

You know the point I'm trying to get across.

I just hope Rubin puts an effort into this album like he did in the '80s and early '90s, because hasn't his style as of late has been to let his underlings do all the work and he just nod in approval?

Wicked world does kick ass though.

I can't tell you how excited I am about this. I can't wait. This band has meant a lot to me since I was young, I know how silly that sounds. But they are very important to me.

You're all crazy. This is gonna make Loutallica sound like Budgie.

Hahahahaha

I just hope Rubin puts an effort into this album like he did in the '80s and early '90s, because hasn't his style as of late has been to let his underlings do all the work and he just nod in approval?

that was always his style - he doesn't even actually engineer - IIRC he does not actually know how to twiddle the knobs, etc. what he does is listen to stuff and give it the thumbs-up or thumbs-down

Ozzy sounded decent on his latest studio album (too bad the songs weren't really there) and the rest of the guys sounded fantastic backing up Dio, so I have no reason to think the album is going to be awful. Not really expecting it to blow me away either though.

that was always his style - he doesn't even actually engineer - IIRC he does not actually know how to twiddle the knobs, etc. what he does is listen to stuff and give it the thumbs-up or thumbs-down

If the Dixie Chicks documentary is any indication, he doesn't even show up to the studio. He does, however, offer such monumentally indispensable nuggets of wisdom like, "Nice chorus" and "I like the chorus" and "That's a good chorus."

His work on Ballbreaker was tremendous, though (and more engaged/hands-on, iirc); hopefully he'll do Sabbath the same way.

I'm with jon. Ozzy sounded pretty good on his last album (and really good on tour, btw; the set list and length of set were both unprecedented). I'm cautiously optimistic.

I have low expectations. If wiki is at all accurate, the four original members of Sabbath worked with Rubin back in 2001 but eventually abandoned the project, and I would be shocked if the new album is not composed largely of these decade-old sessions. And the last time I saw the original four live, back in 2004 on Ozzfest, I thought they were turgid and terrible, and Ozzy was at the peak of his cheerleader clownishness. Iommi and Butler I imagine will be in OK shape, but the idea of Ozzy and Ward with an extra decade behind them is a scary thought. Those guys looked like they were going to die on stage.

why not pick a more relevant producer? rubin's track record hasn't been great in the past 10+ years. everything he does sounds so clean and polished and devoid of any character.

i'd like to see sabbath produced by justin broadrick.

Sanford Parker producing Sabbath, now that would be something.

really hope Rubin approaches this like he did for Johnny Cash

^^^ if Rubin goes all in that way it could be really interesting. Hard to imagine Iommi going for it though

"It's now or never. We are getting along great. Everything's really good," said Iommi.

"It's like putting on an old glove. It's fantastic."

Oh man, who the fuck isn't psyched about putting on an old glove?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/oj%20glove-thumb.jpg

I don't know, I saw them back in maybe 2002 and it totally lived up to my expectations in every way, and I know the guys in the band still totally kill it. HOWEVER in between 2002 and now i've seen Ozzy solo 2 or 3 times and although the first time in maybe 2004 was good, the ones a few years later were really really awful - i think he hit the point about 5 years back where he just can't do it anymore and it's a bit of an embarrassment. I hope i'm wrong, but I can see him dragging this down pretty badly.

Go figure.

I'll say it again, Ozzy and Ward are the weak links. Ozzy is a clown and Ward has lost his muscle.

Also, they all clearly hate each other, which tends to dampen spirits. And Sharon has a way of killing everything she touches.

^^^ Iommi sock spotted.

Again, I disagree on Ozzy's weakness. I saw him play last year and the set was more than two hours long, something like 17 or 18 songs, and his voice was strong throughout. I think he knew with Rob Halford as his opening act, he had to step his game up, but he's just staging a for-real comeback in the last few years. I just saw the movie God Bless Ozzy Osbourne last night and it seems he's been clean and sober for real for the last five years, so he really is in better physical health than when I saw him with Sabbath in '05 (when he'd just started to clean up). Now Ward is not the drummer he once was. But as long as he retains his sense of swing and can lock in with Butler the way they did in the '70s, triggering can solve problems of actual force live.

I think you also nail why Ozzy was good when you saw him. That guy's voice live these days is not exactly ... unsweetened. At least, that's my suspicion. But hey, I hope this is awesome.

Is there anyone in any field more overrated than rick rubin?

Classic for their run of work from 1970 until 1975, definitely. I'd put the first album with Dio on the classic pile as well. Dud for pretty much everything else, although there are moments here and there which could be kept. Any live version of 'Dirty Women' beats the pants off the studio cut.

Dude you just dissed mob rules prepare to dire