Black Sabbath - Vol.4

1972, Vertigo Records

1. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener (8:01)
2. Tomorrow's Dream(3:11)
3. Changes (4:44)
4. FX (1:43)
5. Supernaut (4:49)
6. Snowblind (5:33)
7. Cornucopia (3:54)
8. Laguna Sunrise (2:55)
9. St. Vitus Dance (2:29)
10. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes (5:52)

Black Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne (lead vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums and percussion). The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members. Originally formed as a heavy blues-rock band named Earth, the band began incorporating occult- and horror-inspired lyrics with tuned-down guitars, changing their name to Black Sabbath and achieving multiple gold and platinum records in the 1970s. As one of the first and most influential heavy metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath helped define the genre with releases such as 1970's Vol. 4

Volume 4 demonstrates Black Sabbath beginning to experiment with the heavy sound they had become known for. Although some songs are in their trademark style, others demonstrate a soft, orchestral approach. This is exemplified by the song "Changes". Written by Tony Iommi, it is entirely in the form of a piano ballad with mellotron. Although the band had used piano on some songs previously, it had played only a minor role in the songs.

At least two songs on the album reference the use of cocaine. The lyrics and title of "Snowblind" is an example of this. The song "Snowblind" also had to be re-recorded because the original version features Osbourne yelling the word "cocaine!" after each verse. On the officially released version, "cocaine" is whispered quite audibly after the first verse, approximately 41 seconds into the song (During live performances Osbourne would again scream the word at the top of his lungs).
-Wikipedia

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