Is Black Sabbath the best Metal band ever?

Originally posted by VType
Im just wondering what a lot of you out there think on this subject.

In a word...yeah...

But only if, as others have said, you exclude Led Zeppelin from the list...

I was in the military '72-75. I had the album (real vinyl, mind you) that had Iron Man as one of the cuts. There was also a cut called (I think) War Pigs...they banned us from playing it in the barracks Stateside...Overseas was a different story...

I've gotta tell ya though, one of the best concerts I ever went to was one in Munich at the Olympic Stadium: Jethro Tull, and the lead act was Golden Earring...I'm pretty sure my present level of hearing loss was earned about 1/3 the way through



[edit on 6/12/2006 by apocalypticon]

I bet! These lyrics are powerful...

War Pigs

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!

Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
All right now!

(c) 1970 Iommi/Osbourne/Butler/Ward

I get chill bumps just reading the lyrics!! I love it!

Hey queenannie38,

I hadn't thought of that song in years but as I was reading the lyrics you posted all the sound came rushing in just where it's supposed to

Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Golden Earring, Jethro Tull, The Doors, The Who, Hendrix, Yes, Black Oak Arkansas, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Bad Company, Rufus, ...man, it goes on and on...thanks for the memories...

Wish I still had all that old vinyl I used to have...It was a stack almost 4 feet high.

Ah well...

I'm right there with ya, only I was listening to all that a few years later than you, it would seem--I was born in 1968 (certainly a very good year, all around).

And I'm still listening to the same old stuff--new and improved on optical disks.

But I got about a 4 foot stack of vinyl, myself! If you're ever around my neck of the woods - more truthfully, though, I should say 'my corner of the New Mexico desert'- come a sit a spell and we'll go 'living in the past'....

Originally posted by queenannie38... come a sit a spell and we'll go 'living in the past'....

Ahhhh...Jethro Tull...

If I ever get the chance I will...

Originally posted by queenannie38
Oh man, Zeppelin being my all-time personal favorite, I can't say Sabbath is #1. So I'll go for #2, only in regard to the 'Ozzy years.'

I'm not that stoked on Iommi, but I really think Ozzy is both misunderstood and under-estimated, talent-wise. Really, that is applicable to the whole band. Ozzy's got a voice you either hate or love, but if you listen with a critical ear, that dude can really sing! And their lyrics I think are deep and full of deep insight that is not at all about what the general public believes...

I love Symptom of the Universe and Spiral Architect--Snowblind is another favorite, and the words to War Pigs never seem to lose their pertinence (sad to say.)

Did anyone see this year's induction show for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame? I never watch TV hardly at all, but I happened to hear they were inducted this year (about #@*$ing time !!!) and then I got lucky and somehow caught the show on VH1.

They didn't perform--Metallica did the honors, and I think they did Sabbath justice as well as themselves. The Sex Pistols declined their invite by sending a somewhat nasty, but hilarious, letter which was read on stage... It was totally in character, though, IMO.

But #1 for me has got to be Zep. Something about that combination was total magic! It was fitting they decided to dissolve not soon after they found Bonzo dead.

I did get to see Plant and Page live when they were touring for their 'Unledded' album, around 1995 I think it was--which was done with the help of the local symphonies, similar to the performance of Metallica's S & M--although Zep toured and I think Metallica just did one show, with SF Symphony. That was truly a dream come true for me--I have listened to those guys almost all of my life!!!

The really talented metal bands, combining with symphonic orchestration is AWESOME. You might not think it would be, but it is indescribable. Totally

Zep is my 2 nd fav you could say but I wouldnt consider them Metal more Rock or Hard Rock and in those categories I rate Zeppelin Number #1. I guess tone and musical preferences are subjective though. Great responces so far.

You know, I'm not sure what 'rock and roll' really is, or 'heavy metal' or whatever.
Personally (and I'm totally prejudiced) I think LZ is genre-less, and many others, as well.

Those that stand out, stand by themselves.

The term 'heavy metal' was first coined by a reporter for Rolling Stone (?) who was describing Jimi Hendrix's music as 'heavy metal falling from the sky.'

Now that fits, in a way--because of the word 'sky' no doubt.

But Jimi Hendrix, while also on my highly-venerated-musical-genius-sent-from-God list,
he is definitely not what I would think of as 'heavy metal,' and I doubt there is much disagreement.

When I was in high school 'heavy metal' was typified by Judas Priest!

I know I'll get slammed for this but to me Zeppelin isnt metal. hard rock, maybe. I would say they were more talented on all levels than Sabbath, or most anyone for that matter. they were just too hippie to be metal. kinda like when Sabbath was Earth or even when they were Polka Tulk Blues Band. I wouldnt call that metal either. same goes for Iron Butterfly to an extent and definitely Blue Cheer. metal is more than hitting power chords now and then. its the combination of heavy sound, the point it makes & the attitude. Zep SOMETIMES had the metal sound but rarely made a metal point & didnt have the attitude. not to say they werent good, just that its hard to categorize what Zeppelin did. noone had done it before and noone has done it since! I like to think of them as epic stoner rock. more melodic than metal, more textures, more depth, long songs that were composed well enough to garner fame during ANY period of time. its rare to see a legitimate metal song that would go over well when played by an orchestra. I know Metallica did their thing and well, it is what it is. considering post black Metallica isnt legitimate metal and the pre black songs like Ktulu were more Zeppelinesque with some metal riffs mixed in, therefore only metal to a minute degree. so even if S&M had been good(the orchestra wouldnt have been my choice & the newer songs are bad in any form) its still questionable how much of it was even metal. enough of my rant though. I'm off to dream about Trans Siberian Orchestra pulling off Dyers Eve or Slayer's Dittohead :w:

Well if you listen to led zepplin allot of theire songs are metal. Some or just 70's hippie hard rock.