"Technical Ecstasy" is (oddly in my opinion) one of Black sabbath's more underrated albums. Coming at the tail-end of the first Ozzy Osbourne period, there is a common idea tha the band were beginning to lose some of their sparkle by this point. However, the music proves otherwise. "Back Street ... Read review
Advantages: Solid and consistent quality Disadvantages: Ozzy's voice!
"Technical Ecstasy" is (oddly in my opinion) one of Black sabbath's more underrated albums. Coming at the tail-end of the first Ozzy Osbourne period, there is a common idea tha the band were beginning to lose some of their sparkle by this point. However, the music proves otherwise. "Back Street Kids" is intense, driving and straight to the point, and "You Won't Change Me" boasts some classic, monolithic Sabbath riffs. ...down really is Ozzy's voice, which let's face it has never been that great, but on this album it does start to grate a little more than usual. This is most noticeable on the ballad "She's Gone".
There are a couple of poor tracks- "Rock 'n' Roll doctor" is just silly, and "It's Allright", despite featurng Bill Ward on vocals, really sounds less than relevant compared to the rest of the album. However the ... more
"Technical Ecstasy" is (oddly in my opinion) one of Black sabbath's more underrated albums. Coming at the tail-end of the first Ozzy Osbourne period, there is a common idea tha the band were beginning to lose some of their sparkle by this point. However, the music proves otherwise. "Back Street Kids" is intense, driving and straight to the point, and "You Won't Change Me" boasts some classic, monolithic Sabbath riffs.
The only thing that lets this album down really is Ozzy's voice, which let's face it has never been that great, but on this album it does start to grate a little more than usual. This is most noticeable on the ballad "She's Gone".
There are a couple of poor tracks- "Rock 'n' Roll doctor" is just silly, and "It's Allright", despite featurng Bill Ward on vocals, really sounds less than relevant compared to the rest of the album. However the closing tracks "Gypsy" and "Dirty Women" groove and rock as hard as anything before them and bring the album to a good conclusion.
Advantages: The essence of GNR live Disadvantages: Few unless you are not a fan
away does it?
All the ones you would expect are here: "Mr Brownstone", "It's So Easy", "Welcome To The Jungle", "You're Crazy", "You Could Be Mine", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City". There is also a rarely-heard personal fave of mine from the "Lies" album - "Used To Love Her". Great to hear that one live.
"Move To The City" also stands out more than it did in the studio, with its extended brass section. The one unreleased track is "It's Alright", recorded by BlackSabbath on "TechnicalEcstasy" in 1976. A strange choice, this is a three-minute Axl and piano job - hard to imagine the Sabs doing this.
There is no doubt that this does a magnificent job of capturing the essence of a live GnR experience, but leaves us with a great sense of what a waste of a great band. Their comparatively paltry output over the six years is ...
Advantages: Fantastic Music Disadvantages: Couple of weaker moments
away does it?
All the ones you would expect are here: "Mr Brownstone", "It's So Easy", "Welcome To The Jungle", "You're Crazy", "You Could Be Mine", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City". There is also a rarely-heard personal fave of mine from the "Lies" album - "Used To Love Her". Great to hear that one live.
"Move To The City" also stands out more than it did in the studio, with its extended brass section. The one unreleased track is "It's Alright", recorded by BlackSabbath on "TechnicalEcstasy" in 1976. A strange choice, this is a three-minute Axl and piano job - hard to imagine the Sabs doing this.
There is no doubt that this does a magnificent job of capturing the essence of a live GnR experience, but leaves us with a great sense of what a waste of a great band. Their comparatively paltry output over the six years is ...
Advantages: Tony Iommi wanted to try something new. Disadvantages: Tony Iommi tried something really old.
, and none apart from keyboard player Geoff Nicholls had been associated with the band prior to this.
The deliberate departure from the sound Iommi and his previous band members had pioneered and developed throughout the seventies and early eighties makes this a difficult album for long-time fans to appreciate, but the orientation towards a more commercial sounding form of rock would continue through the next three albums, assuring this record's influential place in the canon. I should probably point out at this stage that this is my least favourite BlackSabbath album for all the common reasons, but still has enough in its favour as a release that was attempting to diversify to rate it at least equally to the albums 'TechnicalEcstasy' and 'Forbidden' that capture different incarnations of BlackSabbath at their most tired and apathetic ...
Product Information for "Technical Ecstasy - Black Sabbath" »
Product details
Title
Technical Ecstasy
Performer
Black Sabbath
Genre
Heavy Metal
Release Date
24/05/2004
Recomended Retail Price
8.99 GBP
Original Release Year
1976
Label / Distributor
Sanctuary / Universal Music
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
5050749203724
Catalogue Number
SMRCD 037
Additional notes
Album Notes
Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass); Bill Ward (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel: Gerald Woodruffe (keyboards). Recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida. British release featuring original artwork, photos, lyrics, and an essay by Hugh Gilmour. By the mid-'70s, a number of problems were threatening to break up the original line-up of Black Sabbath. The stress brought on by lengthy touring, drug use, and alcoholism had begun to dilute the band's original, influential heavy metal. Sabbath began to drift away from the straight-ahead power rock of such classic albums as PARANOID and SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH, as evidenced by its final two albums to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, 1976's TECHNICAL ECSTASY and 1978's NEVER SAY DIE. However, TECHNICAL ECSTASY does contain some intriguing, overlooked tracks. The best known song of the bunch is the album-closing rocker "Dirty Women," which explores the topic of prostitution, and was later featured on the original line-up's 1998 live album, REUNION. Drummer Bill Ward sings his one and only song with the band, "It's Alright," which is amongst Sabbath's most pop-friendly compositions ever. Also featured is the pacing album opener "Back Street Kids," the heavy blues and funk of "All Moving Parts (Stand Still)," and the somewhat predictable "Rock n' Roll Doctor." Osbourne would grow disillusioned with the band and would leave after the completion of TECHNICAL ECSTASY's subsequent tour, but would eventually return for one final album and road jaunt.
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10/07/2003
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