It's been a winding road for Black Sabbath fans, likely anxious over the band's somewhat perilous reunion late last year. Original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward announced their plans late last year to tour and release a new album in 2012 - a plan that's been semi-sidelined by Iommi undergoing treatment for lymphoma and contractual disagreements with Ward. Only three dates have been announced for the band this year, including a pair of overseas gigs and a stint at Lollapalooza in August.
That said, Sanctuary, the controller of the band's catalogue in Europe, is planning a modest push for new fans with the release of a new compilation this summer. Iron Man: The Best of Black Sabbath is a 14-track disc featuring material from six of the band's first eight albums, all of which featured Osbourne as lead vocalist.
If you've purchased the many, many releases of the band's back catalogue, there's certainly nothing here you don't already own. But new fans might want to spin "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Snowblind" and other killer cuts, and they'll have a shiny new disc with which to do so when this appears in shops on June 4.
Check out the track list after the jump.
Black Sabbath, Iron Man: The Best of Black Sabbath (Sanctuary (U.K.), 2012)
- Paranoid
- Iron Man
- Changes
- Fairies Wear Boots
- War Pigs
- Never Say Die
- Children of the Grave
- The Wizard
- Snowblind
- Sweet Leaf
- Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games)
- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Black Sabbath
- N.I.B.
Tracks 1-2 and 4-5 from Paranoid (Vertigo, 1970)
Tracks 3 and 9 from Volume 4 (Vertigo, 1972)
Track 6 from Never Say Die! (Vertigo, 1978)
Tracks 7 and 10 from Master of Reality (Vertigo, 1971)
Tracks 8, 11 and 13-14 from Black Sabbath (Vertigo, 1970)
Track 12 from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (WWA Records, 1973)
Geez... not only is there nothing new on here, it's not even their best stuff! "Changes" but not "Supernaut", really? "Evil Woman" but not "Megalomania"? No thanks!
I wouldn't exactly call this upcoming release the Best of Black Sabbath. A better compilation for casual fans would be the 2002 Rhino set, Symptom Of The Universe which includes the listed tracks above and then some. But if you want everything from the Ozzy Era, get Rhino's 8 CD Black Box set which is the ultimate grab, but I think it is now out of print.
Although I have every cd Sabbath has released, I have to ask, is "We Sold Our Soul For Rock And Roll" out of print?
Sure seems to me that would be a good place for someone that doesn't own any Sabbath music to start. I don't see what makes this compilation any better (or worse) so what's the point? (It's a rhetorical question. We all know the answer. Because someone can squeeze out a few more dollars by putting out a pointless compilation of previous material with NO VALUE ADDED).
Oh yeah... and Evil Woman???? Terrible song. Brings down the overall impact of the entire album. How does that even end up on a compilation like this?