Seventh Star - Black Sabbath

[Stillwell]

(Hopefully this ain't a double post. I clicked submit, but it didn't show up).

Speaking of albums that get no respect.... Black Sabbath’s Seventh Star (Featuring Tony Iommi).

What ever, it was supposed to be a solo effort. What ever, Ozzy isn’t on it. What ever, Dio and Geezer are gone. Can this “lost” album be judged on the material presented?

With all the slagging this album gets, you’d think you were listening to Iommi eating a thumb-tack ridden burrito. Not the case, you get nine tracks of pure 4 star quality. Hughes’ powerful and soulful vocals combined Iommi’s more bluesy than heavy riffs make an interesting and thought provoking combo. A lot of emotional tracks like No Stranger To Love, In Memory, and Heart Like a Wheel make this a refreshing and ear quenching departure from previous Sabbath and future Sab albums. It’s kinda like a cross between Come Taste The Band (Deep Purple) and Heaven and Hell.

Favorite Tracks o’ mine: No Stranger to Love, In for The Kill, In Memory, and Seventh Star (the most unique song in Sab history.

[bueno bob]

I'm gonna call it average.

In a nutshell, I thought it had some grate moments, along with some not-so-grate.

"In for the Kill" - a good opening track with some interesting vocal harmonies present. Tony's sound is grate and sets the stage for the whole album...the lyrics are somewhat bland D&D stuff, and while I've never been a huge Glenn Hughs fan, it's a good number to kick things off with. 1-10 gets it a 7.5.

"No Stranger to Love" - It's an OK song, but it's not all that hot, even for a ballad. The video was pretty cool as I remember. I wouldn't call it outstanding, just basically average...1-10, I give it a 5.

"Turn to Stone" - Don't like it. To me, this song is just a very blase', color by numbers generic rock track, nothing outstanding to it at all. Very below average for Sabbath and/or Tony. 1-10 sees it score in at a 3.

"Sphinx (The Guardian)" - Not much to say about it, just a lead in introductory instrumental to the title track, and for that, it's fine. 8 of 10.

"Seventh Star" - A very different, very original song. Good chorus, even if the lyrics are kinda lame...call it a 7.

"Danger Zone" - Basically, the same review I gave to "Turn to Stone"...kinda sub-par, so far as I was concerned. 3 of 10.

"Heart Like a Wheel" - THE standout track of the album, I think. Tony goes deep into his blues roots, and had the whole album sounded like this, it would be right up in my top 3 Sabbath/Iommi albums ever. 9 of 10.

"Angry Heart" - Just kind of an average track to me...5 of 10.

"In Memory..." - A more or less quiet way to close out the album...it's OK...not grate, but not bad...6 of 10.

Overall ranking: 5 of 10, average across the board with the exception of "Heart Like a Wheel".

[tydhurst]

Don;t like Sabbath, never have, sorry Andrew!