If any of you were on the old mailing list – going way back to 1997.. I was wondering if perhaps you might remember this..
Back then we were bemoaning the fact that every tribute or compilation album was full of just tracks from the Ozzy era, and we were looking to push some of the other, lesser known tracks. To that, we talked about producing our own fan created tribute CD, and it actually progressed far enough that a few of you that were in bands actually recorded songs. Today I just found the CD of that (dated Oct 21, 1997), and I was wondering..
Were any of you who actually recorded for this thing back then still hanging around? I have no notes from back then, and my email archives from 15 years ago are probably not with me anymore. If you are on one of these tracks, please drop me a line..
Track listing:
- Turn Up the Night
- The Dark / Zero the Hero
- Neon Knights
- Valhalla
- Glory Ride
- Glory Ride v2
Any tribute of Sabbath is fine regardless of the era.Yes,I wish the years with Tony Martin be reconized,but will that happen?Most likely not.Most people gave up on Sabbath after 1983 and the various line up changes.By the time-“Seventh Star” arrived,people had enough and were finished.Many did not want a Black Sabbath with only Tony Iommi left.”Seventh Star” had good moments on it,but do I want to hear Glen Hughes singing like a R&B/Soul singer on a Sabbath album?
This is not a stab at that genre of music,but Sabbath is not a band that does Soul music.Yes,I like “Seventh Star”.But,did Ozzy or Ronnie like any era of Sabbath after them?No,they did not.Glen Hughes did not like singing songs he felt belonged to Ozzy and Ronnie.Plus,having Dave Donato in the band was quite questionable.So,I can understand peoples reactions after 1984.
Whether somebody likes to admit or not,the eras of Ozzy and Ronnie are the best.The Ian Gillan and Tony Martin era was good as well.Ray Gillen had a good singing voice,as well.Rob Halford(of course)nobody can put down,if they are a loyal devoted fan of Heavy Metal/Hard Rock music.Glen Hughes was a good vocalist with-Trapeze,Deep Purple,Iommi,solo,and with Sabbath,even.Sabbath did well with all these people and with the original line up.But,Ozzy era had the best songs,hits,live favorites,and albums(along with the era of Mr.Ronnie James Dio).
I must add that Death and Black Metal bands need to stop doing- cookie monster/ dog barking- vocals on Sabbath songs.This is ridiculous non-sense.I do not like those renditions.If they did singing,I would not mind.They ruin those songs.Anyways,there are many renditions I like.The ones by-Zakk Wylde,Doom Metal bands,and Type O Negative.
“NIB” by Primus and Ozzy,”Iron Man’-Therapy? and Ozzy,”Into The Void”-Monster Magnet,”Solitude”-Cathedral,”Children Of The Grave”-White Zombie(“Yeah!”),”War Pigs”-Faith No More,”Black Sabbath”-Type O Negative,”Sabra Cadabra/A National Acrobat”-Metallica,”Hole IN The Sky”-Pantera,”Electric Funeral”-Pantera,”Hand Of Doom”-Slayer,”Planet Caravan”-Pantera,and too many to remember.
And don’t forget William Shatner (aka Capt Kirk fm Star Trek) doing Iron Man w/Zakk Wylde. Love it! LOL
I found Black Sabbath when Tony Martin was the singer and I loved the music from the first time I heard them. My first album was The Eternal Idol and my second was We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll, to me that album sounded so outdated and old compared to Eternal Idol. It took me some years to learn to like the Ozzy era music. I didn’t know anything about Sabbath at that time and I didn’t know about the lineup changes, mind you there was no www back then, I only knew that with Tony Martin Sabbath sounded fresh and good and I wanted more of it!
Later on I found the Dio era records and that sounded fresh too and I think I would have loved those records from day one if I only would have known about them. I remember The Sign of The Southern Cross giving me goosebumps first time I heard it, well actually I get them quite often hearing Sabbath songs I like but not listened to for a while. Today I absolutely love the Ozzy era records and I actually have even learnt to love Technical Ecstasy, it’s an excellent record by the way, so today I admit to love the music made with every singer that has been a part of Sabbath (well Born Again is a bit difficult to like but not because of the singer).
I don’t think I’m alone with my experience, actually I know a few people who first started to listen to Sabbath with Martin and only later on started to listen to older material. I don’t compare different eras of Sabbath and I am so grateful to Iommi for not giving up on Sabbath after Ozzy. I don’t really see the point of comparing and slagging off other singers than the one you like yourself. People seem to forget that we don’t all think alike. We would have been without so much grate music if he had. I desperately hope he will beat his cancer and continue to make music because I’m certain he still has a lot to give musically and I’m eager to hear what they’ve come up with for the new record.
I love the fact that Sabbath has changed singers and style over the years. If they had stuck to Ozzy they would have gone nowhere after the seventies. I think that would have been a disaster for everone. Ozzy made great music on his own and that should not be forgotten. Iommi was such an forerunner doing things long before anyone else. It’s easy to see the influence he has had on bands like Iron Maiden or Metallica as a couple of exemples. He is such an underrated guitar player!
Which reminds me…. Sometimes in the end of May there will be 20th anniversary of old mailing list, and well the cross. The list began in 1992 during Sabbath/Dio reformation for Dehumanizer.
I remeber this.
I wasn’t (and still isn’t) playing in a band, however, I came up with my own track list of post Ozzy songs which I liked to be included.
What is the quality of this CD, Joe?
It’s hard to judge the quality. It’s garage band level material if that’s what you mean. Some of it is better than others, but it’s an interesting relic from this site’s past.
I’m considering releasing them online as part of the past history of the site, but I want to contact people first who did it, see if they object.