Best Of Black Sabbath

Performer: Black Sabbath
Distributor: MSI Music Distribution

Notes: This particular Best of Black Sabbath compilation should have, in big bold letters on the cover, "without Ozzy." These ten tracks are taken from the IRS albums the band recorded in the early '90s. Younger heavy metal fans may get a kick out of tunes like "When Death Calls," "Devil and Daughter," or "Headless Cross" but most die-hard fans would agree this does not represent the best of Black Sabbath. ~ Al Campbell Unless you're a die-hard fan, it's quite difficult to keep track of all the different lineups that have toured and recorded under the name Black Sabbath after Ozzy Osbourne's exit in 1979. The only original member to remain with Sabbath through thick and thin has been guitarist Tony Iommi, who by the early '90s was briefly joined by a rhythm section of session musicians widely known within the British heavy metal community -- drummer Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck, Michael Schenker, Rainbow, etc.) and bassist Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Gary Moore, etc.) -- in addition to singer Tony Martin. This version of Sabbath would go on to record a pair of largely ignored albums together, 1990's TYR and 1995's Forbidden, which serve as the basis for the 2001 compilation The Best of Black Sabbath. It's a tough sell to issue a Sabbath "best-of" and not include such metal standards as "Paranoid" or "Iron Man," but this ten-track collection sticks to the aforementioned latter-day era (for the most part at least -- a few tracks from 1994's Cross Purposes, which saw Murray briefly replaced with Geezer Butler, are included). Although Iommi came under great criticism for keeping the Sabbath banner alive during this time (many felt these titles should have been credited solely to Iommi as solo releases), the guitarist still retained his knack for penning mammoth riffs, as evidenced by such tracks as "Guilty as Hell," "Virtual Death," and "The Sabbath Stones." If you're looking to see what Iommi was up to during this forgotten period, The Best of Black Sabbath will serve its purpose. ~ Greg Prato Spanning 32 tracks and two discs, Sanctuary/Castle's The Best of Black Sabbath is arguably the best overview/introduction of the legendary metal band yet assembled. Although this does dip well into the late '80s, running through most of the hits of the Dio years, this gets the edge over many of its companions because it keeps its perspective even as it tries to cover a lot of ground. That means that it spends most of its time with the classic Ozzy years -- not just the first disc, but a portion of the second as well. This is only appropriate, since that's where the legend was built, and the remainder of the second disc, with its right blend of Dio selections, helps tell the story. Along the way, all of the anthems are unleashed in fine remastered sound and the whole thing is capped off by Hugh Gilmour's fine liner notes. Although such individual albums as Paranoid, Master of Reality, and Vol. 4 are metal landmarks, as a summary this pretty much can't be beat. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Black Sabbath's classic 1970s output has been repackaged countless times over the years, but undoubtedly one of the best collections to surface is the aptly titled Best of Black Sabbath on Sanctuary. Comprised of 32 tracks on a pair of discs, Best Of focuses primarily on the "Ozzy years," but does include a small sampling of the short-lived Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan eras. What makes this collection such an appealing one is that it manages to include all the favorites, as well as a multitude of oft-overlooked (but just as strong and classic) album cuts. Many would agree that the entire heavy metal genre was based on such Sabbath classics as "Black Sabbath," "N.I.B.," "War Pigs," "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Sweet Leaf," "Children of the Grave," and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," all of which are included here. But if you're a newcomer to Sabbath, you're in for a special treat upon hearing such underrated gems as "The Wizard," "Into the Void," and "Supernaut," as well as a pair of tracks from 1975's neglected Sabotage -- "Hole in the Sky" and "Symptom of the Universe" (oh what some Sabbath fans wouldn't give to hear the latter two tracks performed live once more). And if you've forgotten about the post-Ozzy years, here's a little secret -- the Dio/Sabbath era was a great union, as evidenced here by "Heaven and Hell" (the Gillan era, on the other hand, doesn't fare as well). Few Sabbath compilations manage to cover all the bases like Sanctuary's Best of Black Sabbath does. ~ Greg Prato

Uncut (8/00, p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The primal, black, tarry essence of true heavy rock..."

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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