Black Sabbath, Vol. 4

Track Listings
1. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener    
2. Tomorrow's Dream    
3. Changes    
4. FX    
5. Supernaut    
6. Snowblind    
7. Cornucopia    
8. Laguna Sunrise    
9. St. Vitus Dance    
10. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes    

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4, Music, Black Sabbath, 70's Rock, Album Rock, British Metal, England, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, Popular Music, Rock
Black Sabbath, Vol.4
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 4.5 stars.....Sabbath in their prime
  • A Slab o' Sabbath . . .
  • Supernaut man, Supernaut
  • a volume of greatness
  • Possibly Sabbath's best and most down to earth
Black Sabbath, Vol.4
Black Sabbath
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
DynastyDynasty | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Master of Reality
  2. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
  3. Black Sabbath
  4. Sabotage
  5. Paranoid

ASIN: B000002KE2
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener
  2. Tomorrow`s Dream
  3. Changes
  4. FX
  5. Supernaut
  6. Snowblind
  7. Cornucopia
  8. Laguna Sunrise
  9. St. Vitus' Dance
  10. Under The Sun/Everyday Comes & Goes

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars.....Sabbath in their prime.......2007-06-05

This is a very consistent Black Sabbath effort, although lighter on the gloom and doom than previous efforts. It seems the band was expanding horizons, almost like the Grand Funk hippie version of Black Sabbath. But most of these songs still rock, not in a heavy metal sense, but just good old hard '70's rock. For example, songs such as "Wheels of Confusion" start the album off simply, but then change tempo and work themselves into a shark feeding frenzy of intertwining drums, guitar and bass. Other songs such as "Snowblind" are straight ahead classic Sabbath in it's purest form. This was the real Black Sabbath, with Ozzy up front giving the peace signs...not the comic book trash of the post Ozzy eras (save for Heaven & Hell). I'll never forget opening the record jacket to find pages of poster quality photos of the band in concert, huge crosses dangling from their necks...Bill Ward thrashing away at his drum kit so furiously that you couldn't even see his face. This is recommended listening, and a must have for any serious '70's hard rock collection.

4 out of 5 stars A Slab o' Sabbath . . ........2007-05-24

Given the excellence of their first three albums, Vol. 4 was generally considered a small step backward for Black Sabbath, but it delivers nonetheless. With the exception of Changes, which can be called nothing if not trite, and FX (a short work of noise, strictly for stoners), the album is classic Sabbath. The rest of it more than makes up for these two indulgences. Indeed, heavy and hard driving tracks are the rule with everyone in fine form and obviously fired up (drug reference not necessarily intended). Laguna Sunrise offers a break from the assault, but fits uneasily between the walls of metal before and after. That said, it is also Tony Iommi's finest instrumental moment. Despite its contrast with the rest of the album, it's still a very beautiful piece and the album would be something less without it. All in all, an excellent Sabbath album and another defining monument to metal.

5 out of 5 stars Supernaut man, Supernaut.......2007-04-26

The supernaut has seen the future and has informed me to leave it behind.

5 out of 5 stars a volume of greatness.......2007-04-14

"wheels of confusion" opens this experimental album from the Sabbath boys. It's such a lengthy song that goes here, there and everywhere. I love the final few minutes of the song where it turns into a 3-minute intense guitar jam. The first part of the song is more along the lines of typical Sabbath sludgery that reminds me of an airplane ride, hot-air balloon ride, and a roller coaster ride, all wrapped in one! This song is also the first time in Sabbath history where a WEAK guitar riff is played behind a MEMORABLE Ozzy vocal melody. Hard to believe, but true!

I honestly don't understand the people who believe this album marks Sabbath's experimental period into progressive rock. Really? Didn't they do that with "hands of doom" and the Sabbath melody on the first album? Sure sounds like it.

"tomorrow's dream" is supposed to be one of Sabbath's hits. Why don't we hear it on the radio then? Dunno. Let's all make fun of "changes" for being a silly Ozzy ballad. Nah, it's a good song. It's just a pretty ordinary ballad, and that's the only thing going against it. Are those mellotrons I hear in the background? If so, that makes the song better. I love those things.

Just what the HECK is the point of "FX"? It sounds like in high school when I used to flap a metal ruler up and down on the side of a table to get the teachers attention. However, immediately after this song, it sounds like Deep Purple's "woman from tokyo" is about to play, but it's actually "supernaut". A song that reminds me of soaring to the moon! Apparently it reminds Ozzy of the same thing.

"snowblind" is a pretty song about making snow angels, having family snowball fights, happily building snowmen... okay, it's not about that at all. It's about drugs. Drugs are not for children. This is a really good song because the way the guitar riff is played, it actually *feels* like you're doing drugs just by listening to the way you can feel sensations in the music. Strange, but true.

"cornucopia" brings out a VERY heavy and sewer-like maze melody that goes all over the place. There's a really tasty blues rhythm somewhere in the middle of this song, right after Ozzy sings about going insane. This song is so good *I* just might go insane.

"laguna sunrise" is a pretty instrumental that reminds me of bright yellow images in the morning sky, and the next track is called "st. vitus dance" and, maybe I'm wrong, but I think the song is about relationship problems within the band. The track that really catches my attention is "under the sun/everyday comes and goes". Perhaps starting out with some of the heaviest riffs on record, it soon progresses into something much deeper. Ozzy starts singing about how it's important to just live your life and not let anyone interfere with your thoughts and not to ever change who you are inside. Ozzy must have been having a bad day when this song was recorded because he sounds very angry and serious and determined for us to pay attention to the lyrics.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this if you like Master of Reality type heaviness.

5 out of 5 stars Possibly Sabbath's best and most down to earth.......2007-02-05

While not as raw and heavy and depressing as Master Of Reality, Vol.4 is possibly the best album Black Sabbath ever released. Every song seems to represent every possible human emotion and never let up. From The Wheels Of Confusion to Under The Sun, this album reads as somewhat of a commentary on the ups and downs of life from naive childhood to the state of young adulthood where you struggle to find your own way in life with every other influence cracking at your skull, trying to manipulate you into conforming to it's standard. I don't think this is just an album for metal heads, musically and ideal-wise it goes way beyond certain boundaries of metal. I certainly can't find anything about Judas Priests' British Steel that is anywhere as remarkable or thought-provoking as this album. My biggest musical loves are punk, and other forms of alternative music and I think that anyone who has a musical taste even slightly like mine can truly enjoy and appreciate Vol. 4. I think that this album could suit the tastes of anybody who's into the Beatles and Pink Floyd just the same as those who'd prefer Black Flag and The Circle Jerks. I've owned this album in cd and vinyl form for almost seven years and it is still important to me. Hell, I personally think this beats the hell out of overrated release like Dark Side Of the Moon. I could be over-analyzing but I strongly suggest that any lover of true music at least give this one a listen.
Vol. 4
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Different, But Not Bad
  • spreading horizons
  • 4.5 Stars - Black Sabbath going through 'changes'
  • Uneven but still excellent
  • Incredible!
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
Manufacturer: Castle Music UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
Classic RockClassic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Master of Reality
  2. Paranoid
  3. Black Sabbath
  4. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
  5. Sabotage

ASIN: B000005RFK
Release Date: 1998-09-22

Tracks:

  1. Wheels Of Confusion
  2. Tomorrows Dream
  3. Changes
  4. FX
  5. Supernaut
  6. Snowblind
  7. Cornucopia
  8. Laguna Sunrise
  9. St. Vitus Dance
  10. Under The Sun

Album Description

1996 reissue on Castle of their top 20 1972 album for WarnerBrothers. Digitally remastered from the original master tapes with faithfully restored artwork, it contains all 10 original tracks, including 'Supernaut', 'Tomorrow's Dream', 'Snowblind' and 'St. Vitus Dance'.

Album Details

Sabbath's Monstrous 1972 Album Digitally Remastered and Reissued in 1996. Includes Original Art, Liner Notes and Track Sequence. Features "Supernaut", "Snowblind", "St. Vitus' Dance" and More. Additional Band Notes by Hugh Gilmour.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Different, But Not Bad.......2006-03-28

This is the album from the Ozzy era that tends to get panned the most. The reason? Coming off the heels of three superb bluesy and heavy classics, this album expanded their range a bit. This has some mellotron, some piano, and some weird sound effects that normally are found on King Crimson albums. Does that mean that this album is bad? Nowhere near it.

1. Wheels of Confusion-5/5. This one is a great choice for an opener. The first thing that strikes you is that the production has a more psychedelic feel to it. The lyrics are excellent and the music alternates between slow and heavy to create an excellent track.
2. Tomorrow's Dream-5/5. Not quite as heavy as most of the other songs from this era, this is still an excellent rocker with some great guitar playing and a flawless vocal from Ozzy.
3. Changes-5/5. This is the song that most fans hate, but I happen to love it. It consists of Ozzy, a piano and a mellotron. The music is beautiful and Ozzy's vocals are very emotive. Excellent.
4. FX-2/5. Pointless sound experiment. A sound collage that is absolutely unnecessary with no redeeming qualities at all.
5. Supernaut-5/5. An upbeat, heavy rocker with a very psychedelic feel to it. The lyrics are especially strange, but the vocals are excellent.
6. Snowblind-5/5. Probably the best song on here. The lyrics are about the dangers of using cocaine. The vocals are flawless and the music is very well written and performed. An excellent mid-tempo rocker.
7. Cornucopia-4/5. The emphasis on the song is heavy guitar. That is the thing that sticks out the most. The vocals aren't particularly good and I can't really understand what is being sung, but the music is still very cool.
8. Laguna Sunrise-5/5. An absolutely beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental. Very atmsospheric.
9. St Vitus' Dance-3/5. Not bad. A heavy midtempo rocker with a repetitive fast guitar riff that gets a bit annoying. Vocals and lyrics are simply average.
10. Every Day Comes and Goes-5/5. An excellent closing song with one of the coolest riffs ever as the song fades out. Great lyrics and vocals from Ozzy.

Yes, this album is quite a bit different than the three that preceded it, but its not so far out of left field that it is without its merits. I personally think it is an excellent album, but its not a good starting point. Highly recommended for fans.

5 out of 5 stars spreading horizons.......2005-09-22

I've read many controversials about this record, most of them saying that this is a sabbath's uneven record. The very first thing that comes to mind when you think about Sabbath's vol.4 is experimentalism. So far, a heavy metal band, Sabbath decided to sound a little more expansive. I can certainly point a psychedelic influence in the whole album atmosphere, not only the riffs but also the lyrics without devil rubish. The album is melancholic sometimes, but also happy, it floats like that, sounding refreshing, younger and reckless.

It's a turning point from heavy metal to mid seventies hard rock sound the band would further develop.

If you listen to this as a hard rock record from the beginning of the 70's then you get the spirit, I mean it's anacronical listening to this only as metal record. They had already created their own style and begun, from this point to diversify, and of course th influences will be everything that was going on around during that time. So you can hear the start of a compostion process that will be further developed on "Sabbath bloody sabbath", and yet you may recognize the typical Sabbath heavy riff from the previous records on "Cornucopia" and "Under the sun".
after all said and done, let's see the tunes here.

Wheel of confusion - marvelous opening track. Perfect example of what is yet to come through the intire album. Melancolic, heavy, fast and slow, reflective. yes it's a new Black Sabbath 10/10

Tomorrows dream - great song, great riff short and sharp. Perfect for a single release. The cowbell always helps - 10/10

Changes - sorry, but for me is boring, not much for the synthetizers simulating a string session, but Ozzy's voice is over here. - 5/10

Fx - overexposure to psychotropics. - 5/10

Supernaut - Here's another example of a new Black Sabbath spirit, the song has a very groove feeling, with lots of percussion, maybe one oft he best Bill Ward's work on Sabbath during the 70's. A high time upbeat song hard to find on Sabbath's records. - 9/10

Snowblind - Amazing hard/psychedelic track, the major hit of the album along with "Changes" and "Tomorrows dream". Despite the fact that the subject is quite sad (cocaine addiction), the song is very beautiful. - 10/10

Cornucopia - the song opens with a dark riff like the previous records and develops onto a psychodelic track with nice lyrics and a groove part in the middle. simply astonishing - 9/10

Laguna Sunrise - It's clearly a derivative of the instrumental parts on "Master of reality" and a prepararion for "Fluff" on the next record. It's OK but repetitive. - 6/10

St. Vitus dance - Wierd song with Ozzy giving love advices!!!. Anyway, i like it a lot. - 8/10

Under the sun - Another gloomy riff and then things go lisergic and then goes a short track inside speeding up everything and then back to heavy/psychedelia until the increasing slowing dynamic that close the record. 8/10

I still have my vol. 4 cover t-shirt, and i still get some good thrills listening to this. Certainly one of the 20 itens to take with you to that famous desert island.

4 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars - Black Sabbath going through 'changes'.......2005-05-07

Vol. 4 (1972.), Black Sabbath's fourth studio album

'Volume 4', Black Sabbath's fourth studio album, released in 1972 marked the beginning of a transitional period for the band. Black Sabbath were pretty much unique with their sound in the early 1970's; the godfathers of heavy metal were louder than most and had a distinctive sound which no other band really came near to having a similarity to. However, after producing three albums ('Black Sabbath', 'Paranoid' and 'Master of Reality') with their classic, straight out heavy and powerful style, Black Sabbath decided to start to diversify and add some different styles to their music. 'Volume 4' was the end result and Black Sabbath certainly did not let any of their fans down with their diverse style on this album!

Very simply, 'Volume 4' brings the house down from start to finish. I find this Black Sabbath album to be a particularly great listen every time I play it because, as I have already pointed out, it has so much to offer. It has the riff-packed, heavy rocker styled tracks that we all know Black Sabbath for, whilst throwing in some different effects. There's tracks with guitar experimentation and also some lighter, but still very powerful songs. I also find with this album that, certainly in the case of the heavier tracks, there is great consistency throughout the album. Some of these are top draw rock songs, with some mean guitar riffs. Toni Iommi shows again why he is a guitar legend - jamming out some classic solos, such as on 'Snowblind'. Ozzy Osbourne puts his mark on the tracks in classic fashion - especially on the piano driven 'Changes' track - not bad seen as he was just recovering from severe laryngitis whilst making this album!

The remaster for 'Volume 4' is pretty solidly done, as is true for practically all of the Sabbath remasters. The 10 songs on the album have been remastered very well, however sadly no rarities or extra tracks have been added to exemplify this pretty creative period for the band. The inner booklet you get is very much like the LP original, which displayed various pictures of the band in concert, aswell as the song lyrics. However it also does contain some info. about the making of the album and Sabbath's touring activities at the time.

There's nothing weak about this album, the songs range from good to doubly excellent. 'Wheels of Confusion' starts the album off in great rocking fashion. This 8 minute epic is packed with great riffs and excellent vocals. It build to a great climax with an excellent outro. the end part of the track is often called 'The Straightener'. 'Tomorrow's Dream' follows were the first track left off in great style. Next up is 'Changes' which is were we begin to see a break from the Sabbath norm. Here its just Ozzy, a piano and a mellotron - its a great change of pace on the album and its title sums up the developing style of the band. 'FX' is an interesting follow up - 2 minutes of experimenting on the guitar ... i think, with various cracking and tapping noises - nothing amazing but I definitely admire the idea to experiment! Then we return to the classic matal sound of Iommi's guitar with 'Supernaut' and this is followed up by 'Snowblind', a real classic with a real atmospheric style. 'Cornucopia' is more downbeat and 'Laguna Surprise' is another change of style. Its softer, with acoustic guitar styles - its pretty hypnotic when you listen to it. 'St. Vitus Dance' and 'Under the Sun' rock out the album, the latter is truly excellent. Some of the riffs are like something you'd hear from a punk band except .... punk hadn't arrived yet so it just shows you how ahead of their time and influential Sabbath were!

Black Sabbath's Volume 4 is a refreshing and captivating effort. Personally I would say it just lacks that killer factor that other Sabbath albums have but nevertheless its a great album and it is great to see the band experimenting and trying out different styles because lets face it, all the great bands have that ability to change and never make their music have a replicated feel to it! I would recommend 'Volume 4' to any Sabbath fan or to any fan of heavy metal in general.

4 out of 5 stars Uneven but still excellent.......2004-05-30

Vol. 4 (1972.) Black Sabbath's fourth album.

By the time they reached 1972, Black Sabbath had already released three excellent albums - each one more excellent than the last (in my opinion anyway.) But, of course, the band was beginning to realize that they needed to broaden their horizons. And thus, Black Sabbath's experimental era began. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward all knew that their fans loved the sound they had used so far, but they knew they couldn't just keep doing the same things over and over again. The first album to emerge from their experimental era was their fourth studio album - Vol. 4. Read on for my review.

This is probably Black Sabbath's most uneven album with Ozzy at the helm, but it's a solid album nonetheless. Rockers and ballads alike can be found on this album. They kick things off with Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener, an excellent hard rocking tune. This song will grab your attention and hold it - which is exactly what an album's opening track should do. Perhaps one of the best things about this album is that it gives us a chance to see Tony Iommi doing some acoustic guitar work - something we're not used to seeing him do. Tomorrow's Dream and Laguna Sunrise are softer, more melodic tunes that beautifully demonstrate that there is more to Mr. Iommi than a hard rocker. And, of course, we get Sabbath's classic ballad, Changes. This is a piano-heavy track that features some really cheesy and simplistic lyrics, but that doesn't mean it's a good song. And, of course, what would a Sabbath album be without some rockers? Snowblind, my favorite track on the album, is a straight-up classic metal-style rocker that will not fail to please if you like classic hard rock. Supernaut is another excellent rocker of a similar style, even if the lyrics are a bit strange. Although this album has its share of blunders (what the hell is FX supposed to be?), it's a good album overall.

THE TEXT IN THIS PARAGRAPH REFERS EXCLUSIVELY TO THE WARNER BROS. AMERICAN REISSUE OF THE ALBUM. Warner Bros. did a fine job remastering and rereleasing the Black Sabbath catalogue, as did they several other artists. Unfortunately, they didn't really do anything outside of improving the sound quality. You don't get expanded liner notes, interviews, bonus tracks, or anything. This means you might as well buy the bargain version of the album. The bargain versions of Black Sabbath's albums tend to usually pop up in gas stations, drug stores, or any other place that has a small CD selection, consisting of mostly budget-priced compilations. I'm not sure if a budget version of this album was released or not, though, so you may end up having to get Warner's reissue.

My final verdict is simple. This is an excellent album, for the most part. However, it is NOT the place to start if you're new to the band. If you're new to the band, start with the band's self-titled debut and work your way forward. Or better yet, get the recently-released Black Box and get all their albums with Ozzy at the helm at once. Don't bother with hits compilations; one of them could never do this band justice.

5 out of 5 stars Incredible!.......2002-10-08

Before Ozzy started biting heads off animals, he was in this incredible Blues-meets-Metal combo! GET IT!
Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
    Black Sabbath
    Manufacturer: Universal Japan
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
    BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Master of Reality
    2. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
    3. Paranoid
    4. Black Sabbath
    5. Discovery

    ASIN: B000LZ54GE
    Release Date: 2007-03-05

    Tracks:

    1. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener
    2. Tomorrow's Dream
    3. Changes
    4. FX
    5. Supernaut
    6. Snowblind
    7. Cornucopia
    8. Laguna Sunrise
    9. St. Vitus Dance
    10. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes

    Album Details

    Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.
    Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Different, But Not Bad
    • spreading horizons
    • 4.5 Stars - Black Sabbath going through 'changes'
    • Uneven but still excellent
    • Incredible!
    Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
    Black Sabbath
    Manufacturer: Sanctuary UK
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
    Classic RockClassic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
    RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Master of Reality
    2. Paranoid
    3. Black Sabbath
    4. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
    5. Sabotage

    ASIN: B00022TPTI
    Release Date: 2004-05-31

    Tracks:

    1. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener
    2. Tomorrow's Dream
    3. Changes
    4. FX
    5. Supernaut
    6. Snowblind
    7. Cornucopia
    8. Laguna Sunrise
    9. St. Vitus Dance
    10. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes

    Album Description

    1996 reissue on Castle of their top 20 1972 album for WarnerBrothers. Digitally remastered from the original mastertapes with faithfully restored artwork, it contains all 10original tracks, including 'Supernaut', 'Tomorrow's Dream','Snowblind' and 'St. Vitus Dance'.

    Album Details

    Sabbath's Monstrous 1972 Album Digitally Remastered and Reissued in 1996. Includes Original Art, Liner Notes and Track Sequence. Features "Supernaut", "Snowblind", "St. Vitus' Dance" and More. Additional Band Notes by Hugh Gilmour.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Different, But Not Bad.......2006-03-28

    This is the album from the Ozzy era that tends to get panned the most. The reason? Coming off the heels of three superb bluesy and heavy classics, this album expanded their range a bit. This has some mellotron, some piano, and some weird sound effects that normally are found on King Crimson albums. Does that mean that this album is bad? Nowhere near it.

    1. Wheels of Confusion-5/5. This one is a great choice for an opener. The first thing that strikes you is that the production has a more psychedelic feel to it. The lyrics are excellent and the music alternates between slow and heavy to create an excellent track.
    2. Tomorrow's Dream-5/5. Not quite as heavy as most of the other songs from this era, this is still an excellent rocker with some great guitar playing and a flawless vocal from Ozzy.
    3. Changes-5/5. This is the song that most fans hate, but I happen to love it. It consists of Ozzy, a piano and a mellotron. The music is beautiful and Ozzy's vocals are very emotive. Excellent.
    4. FX-2/5. Pointless sound experiment. A sound collage that is absolutely unnecessary with no redeeming qualities at all.
    5. Supernaut-5/5. An upbeat, heavy rocker with a very psychedelic feel to it. The lyrics are especially strange, but the vocals are excellent.
    6. Snowblind-5/5. Probably the best song on here. The lyrics are about the dangers of using cocaine. The vocals are flawless and the music is very well written and performed. An excellent mid-tempo rocker.
    7. Cornucopia-4/5. The emphasis on the song is heavy guitar. That is the thing that sticks out the most. The vocals aren't particularly good and I can't really understand what is being sung, but the music is still very cool.
    8. Laguna Sunrise-5/5. An absolutely beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental. Very atmsospheric.
    9. St Vitus' Dance-3/5. Not bad. A heavy midtempo rocker with a repetitive fast guitar riff that gets a bit annoying. Vocals and lyrics are simply average.
    10. Every Day Comes and Goes-5/5. An excellent closing song with one of the coolest riffs ever as the song fades out. Great lyrics and vocals from Ozzy.

    Yes, this album is quite a bit different than the three that preceded it, but its not so far out of left field that it is without its merits. I personally think it is an excellent album, but its not a good starting point. Highly recommended for fans.

    5 out of 5 stars spreading horizons.......2005-09-22

    I've read many controversials about this record, most of them saying that this is a sabbath's uneven record. The very first thing that comes to mind when you think about Sabbath's vol.4 is experimentalism. So far, a heavy metal band, Sabbath decided to sound a little more expansive. I can certainly point a psychedelic influence in the whole album atmosphere, not only the riffs but also the lyrics without devil rubish. The album is melancholic sometimes, but also happy, it floats like that, sounding refreshing, younger and reckless.

    It's a turning point from heavy metal to mid seventies hard rock sound the band would further develop.

    If you listen to this as a hard rock record from the beginning of the 70's then you get the spirit, I mean it's anacronical listening to this only as metal record. They had already created their own style and begun, from this point to diversify, and of course th influences will be everything that was going on around during that time. So you can hear the start of a compostion process that will be further developed on "Sabbath bloody sabbath", and yet you may recognize the typical Sabbath heavy riff from the previous records on "Cornucopia" and "Under the sun".
    after all said and done, let's see the tunes here.

    Wheel of confusion - marvelous opening track. Perfect example of what is yet to come through the intire album. Melancolic, heavy, fast and slow, reflective. yes it's a new Black Sabbath 10/10

    Tomorrows dream - great song, great riff short and sharp. Perfect for a single release. The cowbell always helps - 10/10

    Changes - sorry, but for me is boring, not much for the synthetizers simulating a string session, but Ozzy's voice is over here. - 5/10

    Fx - overexposure to psychotropics. - 5/10

    Supernaut - Here's another example of a new Black Sabbath spirit, the song has a very groove feeling, with lots of percussion, maybe one oft he best Bill Ward's work on Sabbath during the 70's. A high time upbeat song hard to find on Sabbath's records. - 9/10

    Snowblind - Amazing hard/psychedelic track, the major hit of the album along with "Changes" and "Tomorrows dream". Despite the fact that the subject is quite sad (cocaine addiction), the song is very beautiful. - 10/10

    Cornucopia - the song opens with a dark riff like the previous records and develops onto a psychodelic track with nice lyrics and a groove part in the middle. simply astonishing - 9/10

    Laguna Sunrise - It's clearly a derivative of the instrumental parts on "Master of reality" and a prepararion for "Fluff" on the next record. It's OK but repetitive. - 6/10

    St. Vitus dance - Wierd song with Ozzy giving love advices!!!. Anyway, i like it a lot. - 8/10

    Under the sun - Another gloomy riff and then things go lisergic and then goes a short track inside speeding up everything and then back to heavy/psychedelia until the increasing slowing dynamic that close the record. 8/10

    I still have my vol. 4 cover t-shirt, and i still get some good thrills listening to this. Certainly one of the 20 itens to take with you to that famous desert island.

    4 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars - Black Sabbath going through 'changes'.......2005-05-07

    Vol. 4 (1972.), Black Sabbath's fourth studio album

    'Volume 4', Black Sabbath's fourth studio album, released in 1972 marked the beginning of a transitional period for the band. Black Sabbath were pretty much unique with their sound in the early 1970's; the godfathers of heavy metal were louder than most and had a distinctive sound which no other band really came near to having a similarity to. However, after producing three albums ('Black Sabbath', 'Paranoid' and 'Master of Reality') with their classic, straight out heavy and powerful style, Black Sabbath decided to start to diversify and add some different styles to their music. 'Volume 4' was the end result and Black Sabbath certainly did not let any of their fans down with their diverse style on this album!

    Very simply, 'Volume 4' brings the house down from start to finish. I find this Black Sabbath album to be a particularly great listen every time I play it because, as I have already pointed out, it has so much to offer. It has the riff-packed, heavy rocker styled tracks that we all know Black Sabbath for, whilst throwing in some different effects. There's tracks with guitar experimentation and also some lighter, but still very powerful songs. I also find with this album that, certainly in the case of the heavier tracks, there is great consistency throughout the album. Some of these are top draw rock songs, with some mean guitar riffs. Toni Iommi shows again why he is a guitar legend - jamming out some classic solos, such as on 'Snowblind'. Ozzy Osbourne puts his mark on the tracks in classic fashion - especially on the piano driven 'Changes' track - not bad seen as he was just recovering from severe laryngitis whilst making this album!

    The remaster for 'Volume 4' is pretty solidly done, as is true for practically all of the Sabbath remasters. The 10 songs on the album have been remastered very well, however sadly no rarities or extra tracks have been added to exemplify this pretty creative period for the band. The inner booklet you get is very much like the LP original, which displayed various pictures of the band in concert, aswell as the song lyrics. However it also does contain some info. about the making of the album and Sabbath's touring activities at the time.

    There's nothing weak about this album, the songs range from good to doubly excellent. 'Wheels of Confusion' starts the album off in great rocking fashion. This 8 minute epic is packed with great riffs and excellent vocals. It build to a great climax with an excellent outro. the end part of the track is often called 'The Straightener'. 'Tomorrow's Dream' follows were the first track left off in great style. Next up is 'Changes' which is were we begin to see a break from the Sabbath norm. Here its just Ozzy, a piano and a mellotron - its a great change of pace on the album and its title sums up the developing style of the band. 'FX' is an interesting follow up - 2 minutes of experimenting on the guitar ... i think, with various cracking and tapping noises - nothing amazing but I definitely admire the idea to experiment! Then we return to the classic matal sound of Iommi's guitar with 'Supernaut' and this is followed up by 'Snowblind', a real classic with a real atmospheric style. 'Cornucopia' is more downbeat and 'Laguna Surprise' is another change of style. Its softer, with acoustic guitar styles - its pretty hypnotic when you listen to it. 'St. Vitus Dance' and 'Under the Sun' rock out the album, the latter is truly excellent. Some of the riffs are like something you'd hear from a punk band except .... punk hadn't arrived yet so it just shows you how ahead of their time and influential Sabbath were!

    Black Sabbath's Volume 4 is a refreshing and captivating effort. Personally I would say it just lacks that killer factor that other Sabbath albums have but nevertheless its a great album and it is great to see the band experimenting and trying out different styles because lets face it, all the great bands have that ability to change and never make their music have a replicated feel to it! I would recommend 'Volume 4' to any Sabbath fan or to any fan of heavy metal in general.

    4 out of 5 stars Uneven but still excellent.......2004-05-30

    Vol. 4 (1972.) Black Sabbath's fourth album.

    By the time they reached 1972, Black Sabbath had already released three excellent albums - each one more excellent than the last (in my opinion anyway.) But, of course, the band was beginning to realize that they needed to broaden their horizons. And thus, Black Sabbath's experimental era began. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward all knew that their fans loved the sound they had used so far, but they knew they couldn't just keep doing the same things over and over again. The first album to emerge from their experimental era was their fourth studio album - Vol. 4. Read on for my review.

    This is probably Black Sabbath's most uneven album with Ozzy at the helm, but it's a solid album nonetheless. Rockers and ballads alike can be found on this album. They kick things off with Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener, an excellent hard rocking tune. This song will grab your attention and hold it - which is exactly what an album's opening track should do. Perhaps one of the best things about this album is that it gives us a chance to see Tony Iommi doing some acoustic guitar work - something we're not used to seeing him do. Tomorrow's Dream and Laguna Sunrise are softer, more melodic tunes that beautifully demonstrate that there is more to Mr. Iommi than a hard rocker. And, of course, we get Sabbath's classic ballad, Changes. This is a piano-heavy track that features some really cheesy and simplistic lyrics, but that doesn't mean it's a good song. And, of course, what would a Sabbath album be without some rockers? Snowblind, my favorite track on the album, is a straight-up classic metal-style rocker that will not fail to please if you like classic hard rock. Supernaut is another excellent rocker of a similar style, even if the lyrics are a bit strange. Although this album has its share of blunders (what the hell is FX supposed to be?), it's a good album overall.

    THE TEXT IN THIS PARAGRAPH REFERS EXCLUSIVELY TO THE WARNER BROS. AMERICAN REISSUE OF THE ALBUM. Warner Bros. did a fine job remastering and rereleasing the Black Sabbath catalogue, as did they several other artists. Unfortunately, they didn't really do anything outside of improving the sound quality. You don't get expanded liner notes, interviews, bonus tracks, or anything. This means you might as well buy the bargain version of the album. The bargain versions of Black Sabbath's albums tend to usually pop up in gas stations, drug stores, or any other place that has a small CD selection, consisting of mostly budget-priced compilations. I'm not sure if a budget version of this album was released or not, though, so you may end up having to get Warner's reissue.

    My final verdict is simple. This is an excellent album, for the most part. However, it is NOT the place to start if you're new to the band. If you're new to the band, start with the band's self-titled debut and work your way forward. Or better yet, get the recently-released Black Box and get all their albums with Ozzy at the helm at once. Don't bother with hits compilations; one of them could never do this band justice.

    5 out of 5 stars Incredible!.......2002-10-08

    Before Ozzy started biting heads off animals, he was in this incredible Blues-meets-Metal combo! GET IT!
    Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
      Black Sabbath
      Manufacturer: Japanese Import
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
      Classic RockClassic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
      RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B00005UJOM
      Release Date: 2002-04-09

      Tracks:

      1. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener
      2. Tomorrow's Dream
      3. Changes
      4. FX
      5. Supernaut
      6. Snowblind
      7. Cornucopia
      8. Laguna Sunrise
      9. St. Vitus Dance
      10. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes

      Album Description

      Japanese digitally remastered reissue of 1972 album packaged in a miniature gatefold LP sleeve.

      Album Details

      Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.
      Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Changes in FX
      Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
      Black Sabbath
      Manufacturer: Castle Music UK
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
      Classic RockClassic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
      RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B00004WHRN
      Release Date: 2001-05-15

      Tracks:

      1. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener
      2. Tomorrow's Dream
      3. Changes
      4. FX
      5. Supernaut
      6. Snowblind
      7. Cornucopia
      8. Laguna Sunrise
      9. St. Vitus Dance
      10. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes

      Album Description

      Special collector's edition reissue of the British heavy metal act's 1972 album release packaged in a miniature LP-style cardboard sleeve with the original artwork. 2000 release.

      Album Details

      Reissued in Miniature LP Packaging. Another Riff-Laden Classic, Including the Melotron-Led Ballad 'Changes'.

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Changes in FX.......2001-02-05

      I have a version of this CD titled "Children of the Grave" with that song done live as a bonus track, released on a no-name label (visit expage.com/powersound2001 for more info), with a different cover.
      Black Sabbath Vol. 4
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Black Sabbath Vol. 4

        Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B0000DESBJ
        Release Date: 2002-07-16
        Black Sabbath Vol. 4
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Black Sabbath Vol. 4
          Black Sabbath
          Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B0002BA9TE
          Release Date: 2002-07-16
          Black Sabbath / Vol.4
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Black Sabbath / Vol.4
            Black Sabbath
            Manufacturer: CD Maximum
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD

            GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
            ASIN: B000JPIIFK

            Product Description

            2 albums on 1CD -15 trx total: "BLACK SABBATH" - 5 trx & "VOL 4" - 10 trx.

            Music Review:

            1. Blues Breakers [Gold CD]
            2. Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton
            3. Blues for Salvador
            4. Bootleg Series, Vol. 3: Nearly Human Tour, Japan 90 [Live] [Original recording remastered]
            5. Born to Die [Original recording remastered]
            6. Burn/Stormbringer [Import]
            7. Children of the Grave
            8. Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits
            9. Chrysalis Years 1973-1977
            10. Classics: Selected by Brian Wilson

            Music Review

            Music Review