Technical Ecstasy

Performer: Black Sabbath
Engineer: Robin Black
Producer: Black Sabbath
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

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. 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.

Known worldwide as the embodiment of heavy metal, England's Black Sabbath enveloped the 1970s in a dense fog of apocalyptic imagery, monolithic guitar riffs, and horror-movie lyrics. When frontman Ozzy Osbourne left the band in 1979 for a highly successful solo career, the band soldiered on with a number of replacements, including Rainbow's Ronnie James Dio. In 1997, Ozzy and his former bandmates staged a much-publicized reunion. In the 2000s, when Ozzy got busy with solo recordings, Ozzfest, and his reality show THE OSBOURNES, Dio stepped in once again to front another incarnation of the band.

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