My Favourite Albums: Heaven and Hell, by Black Sabbath

As I approach this post, I am thinking "This won't be so hard... I know what my favourite albums are, the ones I've loved most of all my whole life". Easy, right? Well, we shall see as I put my thoughts to the keyboard and this blog.

To be clear, I am talking about my favourite albums of all time, from any genre. And if I may be so bold, I will even reveal right off the bat what I believe is my singular fave album - just one! - the one I'd grab if I had to dash out the door to go live on a desert island for the rest of my life (with an audio system, of course).

I will start with what I think is my absolute favourite of all... Heaven and Hell, by Black Sabbath. This is where you gasp and say "but if you pick a Sabbath album, shouldn't it be Paranoid or Master of Reality, or even the debut?" Nope, I'm a Dio fan, at least a fan of his work with the mighty Sab, and his time with the band coincided with my formative metal years. It's hard to say if Heaven and Hell would have had the same impact on me if it came along five or ten years later. But when I first bought that slab of wax back in April of 1980, I was totally ready for it. I'd already been listening to the Ozzy-era Sabbath on the radio, plus other hard and heavy music of that period. The time was right, and Heaven and Hell made a huge impression on me. It was my very first Black Sabbath purchase - on vinyl, no less!

There simply isn't a bad song on Heaven and Hell. Every track is a well-crafted piece of music, and not just of metal, but of any genre. Between Dio and Iommi, the lyrics and instrumental side melded to form a whole that shook the world and made believers of many, including the naysayers (though not all of them). The Ozzy fans felt Sabbath was over after his departure. Dio did not try to do what Ozzy did; instead, he did something else: Dio wrote of the mystical and supernatural, with plenty of fantasy imagery, as was his way. Gone were the depressing and dark doomy songs of the Ozzy era. Dio brought not only a new vocal sound to the mix, but also a more positive approach that revitalized the band and knocked out a superb album, to boot.

So... that cover art. Is that metal or what? Angels smoking and playing cards. Whenever I can get my hands on a second vinyl copy of the album, I plan to frame it to display in my listening room. The front cover of Heaven and Hell has become just as famous as the music inside. Love it. Bought the T-shirt... see above.

Now the music:

The roaring, almost thrashy Neon Knights kicks off the album with its thundering pulse. The recording of the song - and the whole album - establishes a clean, sophisticated tone, one that throbs with Geezer's melodic basslines and bristles with Iommi's crisp yet wall-of-sound guitar. All of that and more is presented with class in this opening track. Ward's bright, energetic drumming propels the song on its rocketing rhythm, while Dio belts out his very quotable lyrics. 

Tony Iommi's pastoral-sounding acoustic serves as intro to Children of the Sea. Then he plugs in his electric twanger for a cavalcade of huge crunching chords. Verses are a touch softer, but things amp up again for the big beefy chorus. The fantasy lyrics as sung by Dio are alternately airy and soaring, all a wonderful showcase for the diminutive man's vocal talents.

Lady Evil - my favourite song on the album. Some might say it's just too silly and cheesy in its supernatural lyricism, but hell, I think Dio's lines here are so fun that they're worth quoting to my coworkers on a daily basis. That friggin' bass is insane... Geezer's melodies get stuck in my head for hours sometimes. And it goes without saying (but I'll say it, anyway) that Tony's crunchy power chords and riffs on this tune are among his catchiest and grooviest ever.

Next up, there's the title track, Heaven and Hell. Wow. The lumbering tempo and varied guitar techniques and riffs set the stage early on... I believe it is the bridge section close the 3:00 mark that seems to open up the heavens for an almost angelic choral moment. Then just after the 4:00 point, Ward speeds up his drum attack. As Geezer Butler locks in on bass, Iommi tears off a lengthy guitar solo that sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. Tony truly flipped to another page when he played on this album; his guitar playing went to, if not another level (though I think it did), another place from his former Ozzy-centred recordings. He eschews that blues-oriented heavy rock of the Oz-era for a blazing, shiny, fresh metallic style... where his soloing is impeccable as he picks at furious speeds, still retaining his melodic signature; and his rhythm playing perfectly suits the massive, biting, new-and-improved guitar sound. 

Wishing Well quickly sets a pumping pace, Bill Ward at the wheel, his drums truly driving this almost dance-able song. Dio seems to be the guy with the map, directing the procession with his words of hope and dreams. The super-catchy beat and great vocals by the Elf make this a fun one. A fine deep cut on an album packed with winners. 

Synthesizers create an ethereal, almost divine-experience atmosphere, pierced only by crystalline, ringing guitar notes. Die Young then charges forward with a confident power through its initial verses, heading toward a rather ingenious bridge section that features staccato bursts by guitar, drums, and bass, all overlaid by a sparkling synth... then back to that hammer-to-anvil groove.

Does this set of metal gems never end? Walk Away is another fave here, with its crisp, tight orchestration and vocal-centric structure. The band is in full form here, Geezer threading amazing bass riffs through Iommi's needle-sharp axe attack, and ol' Bill delivering an exciting, cymbal-heavy percussive foundation. Tony's guitar licks and progressions are some of his best ever.

Closing track Lonely is the Word hobbles curiously on an odd drum time on verses, joined by a grinding guitar, heading toward a steadier singalong chorus. The guitar break is lighter, quiet tasteful licks stretching out into speedy runs that guide the song to another chorus... then - another tasty solo that takes us through the fade-out. The song is super heavy until about the four-minute mark, then for the last two minutes, the sounds soften in a melancholy way. It's sort of a sad song lyrically, too, yet there is a little hope there as Dio invites the lonely one to join him on the road - not so lonely then. The symphonic synth outro is the perfect conclusion to the Heaven and Hell album. Loud and heavy and aggressive on the opener, Neon Knights... then soft, slow and light as we exit this final track. Hell, then Heaven? Something like that.

Heaven and Hell was critically acclaimed, yet fans were divided on the record. Still, it was immensely popular, Sabbath's third highest-selling album after Paranoid and Master of Reality, respectively. That says a lot. I've certainly contributed to sales of H&H, having bought the album in nearly every format out there... first on vinyl, then cassette tape, on to CD, and not long ago I re-bought it on vinyl. 

The songwriting, the band's playing, and naturally, Dio's amazing vocal performance, put Heaven and Hell at the top of the heap for me. Definitely my favourite metal album, and I think it may very well be what I feel is the best of all my faves, no matter what the genre. 


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Watch for the next instalment of My Favourite Albums, where I'll dissect another cherished recording.