Black Sabbath, the grandfathers of metal, some of the greatest albums ever in music. Your job now is to pick two albums from their catalogue that you love the most. Just 2 mind...
It's like asking your favourite Maiden album, I'd have a different answer every day. My favourite has always been Master Of Reality, some of their best stuff on there (is there a better song to jump around like an eejit to than Children Of The Grave?). Lord Of This World & Into The Void, two absolute doom classics there.
As for another, at the moment it'd be Vol. 4. The closing section of Wheels Of Confusion is heavy as balls when it kicks in, you have Supernaut, Cornucopia, Under The Sun, Snowblind... even Changes I don't mind.
Choice of the first six really, isn't it? Never Say Die and Technical Ecstasy were crap and the ones after aren't Sabbath albums despite the name being attached, but you're spoiled for choice with those first six.
This is like asking should you take the Ferrari, Porsche, or Lamborghini out to the country house at the weekend :laugh:
Master of Reality is nailed on as my favourite for sure. It blew my mind hearing it for the first time in 2000, so that was filtered through a few years of listening to Metallica, Slayer, etc. it must've been a revelation hearing it back in 1971.
Tempted to put Paranoid second, purely as my favourite Sabbath song is on it, namely Hand of Doom :abbath:
Quote from: Carnage on November 29, 2023, 02:30:51 PM...and the ones after aren't Sabbath albums despite the name being attached, but you're spoiled for choice with those first six.
Easy now!!! :abbath:
I think Heaven and Hell is well in the mix too, I know Mob Rules has its supporters but yes for me the first six are where it's at.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is my personal favourite. It was the second Sabbath I heard after buying Technical Ecstasy, which is a hot mess, and I still love it.
After that I think the debut is my favourite, there really was nothing like it around. I know Paranoid has the big songs and Master of Reality is savage but 1.Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 2. Black Sabbath.
I genuinely think Heaven & Hell is one of the worst albums I've ever heard. My initial reaction was actual laughter, it's AOR pap.
Quote from: jobrok1 on November 29, 2023, 03:17:28 PMQuote from: Carnage on November 29, 2023, 02:30:51 PM...and the ones after aren't Sabbath albums despite the name being attached, but you're spoiled for choice with those first six.
Easy now!!! :abbath:
Nope. Iommi, Butler, Osbourne & Ward - that's Sabbath, they all brought something to the table that couldn't be replicated by any of their 'replacements', and the magic simply wasn't there with any other line up. Anything after the first eight is an Iommi solo album.
Mental take on Heaven and Hell. Amazing album.
Ozzy Era - Sabotage
Dio Era - Mob Rules
Master of Reality and Paranoid.
Found that easy tbh
Probably Paranoid and Heaven & Hell
Always had a soft spot for Never Say Die and Technical Ecstacy too. When I was just getting into Sabbath I picked up those two because they were the cheapest (I know why now with their reputation) but, as you did back then, played them constantly to get my monies worth
It's like asking which of your children is your favourite!
Harder actually ;)
Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
A tie then between Master of Reality and debut
Sorry Vol 4, Paranoid
Yer mother is calling ye
Heaven and Hell is a fucking banger
1. Master of Reality. 2. Heaven and Hell. Honourable mention for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Can't really go wrong with any of their 1970 to 1975 material.
Quote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 06:00:28 PMMaster of Reality and Paranoid.
Found that easy tbh
This with Dehumanizer coming in 3rd...
Quote from: The Great Cull on November 29, 2023, 07:52:02 PMQuote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 06:00:28 PMMaster of Reality and Paranoid.
Found that easy tbh
This with Dehumanizer coming in 3rd...
I've never heard Dehumanizer. Not even one tune iirc. Who is singing on that one?
Dio. TV Crimes was a decent tune, if memory serves.
Quote from: Carnage on November 29, 2023, 08:28:56 PMDio. TV Crimes was a decent tune, if memory serves.
Ah no wonder I never heard it so. Dio is like a dirty word to me when it comes to Sabbath. All they had to do was make up a new name. Like Sepultura with Greene, it's not that it's bad it's just not what it says on the tin
There's a track off it in Wayne's World, Time Machine.
Tough question to answer. Debut, Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Heaven & Hell... Debut has to be there for me, but tough to pick one out of the other three, or the other two if sticking to classic line-up.
Quote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 06:00:28 PMMaster of Reality and Paranoid.
Found that easy tbh
Same here really. Although the more I here Dio tracks, the more I enjoy it, but I usually only hear them live as covers (I couldn't tell you how often I have seen Craic Sabbath lol)
Small story in a related thread but at a gig a few months back, my wife was talking to a guitarist in another local band here who mentioned they were getting an Ozzy tribute band going.
"Oh right," she says, "and what sort of stuff will you be playing?"
"Well Ozzy stuff", he laughs back.
"What, like AC/DC? and - jesus I can't even think of anyone else."
Further brief confusion before he told her no, he didn't mean an Aussie tribute band.
Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on November 29, 2023, 09:36:26 PMThere's a track off it in Wayne's World, Time Machine.
Tough question to answer. Debut, Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Heaven & Hell... Debut has to be there for me, but tough to pick one out of the other three, or the other two if sticking to classic line-up.
I've never really enjoyed the debut beyond a couple of tracks. I get it's groundbreaking and all (Bobby Liebling might say different when he's taking a break from beating his old mother for drug money, but that's somewhat debatable in the sense he'd be telling her about how Pentagram might have been slightly ahead of Sabbath with the dark tones) but it's just a little bit too bluesy for my tastes. Still, the title track alone is enough to make it worth it.
Quote from: ochoill on November 29, 2023, 10:06:51 PMQuote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 06:00:28 PMMaster of Reality and Paranoid.
Found that easy tbh
Same here really. Although the more I here Dio tracks, the more I enjoy it, but I usually only hear them live as covers (I couldn't tell you how often I have seen Craic Sabbath lol)
You should go see the hologram he's meant to be unreal in it. Oh wait no that's his solo stuff. It would take the extra few pence to get that in the Sabbath name :laugh:
Paranoid and headless cross.
That Tony Martin album just doesn't get the love it deserves. Or any of his albums.
I can't pick just two.
But depending on which way the wind is blowing, the size and position of the moon and whether the tide is in or out.
It might be any pair of the following...
Paranoid, Master of Reality, Vol.4, Mob Rules, Headless Cross, Tyr or Dehumanizer.
Quote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 09:01:48 PMQuote from: Carnage on November 29, 2023, 08:28:56 PMDio. TV Crimes was a decent tune, if memory serves.
Ah no wonder I never heard it so. Dio is like a dirty word to me when it comes to Sabbath. All they had to do was make up a new name. Like Sepultura with Greene, it's not that it's bad it's just not what it says on the tin
Hot take, but I agree (about Dio at least, as I fucking love some of the Greene-era Seps stuff :laugh: )
I also think Dio is vastly overrated in general. He had a great technique/was naturally gifted as a vocalist, but he also bored me to tears. Doubly so with the D'n'D/dork bent to his lyrics.
Ah man, Against is one of my favourite Seps albums if we are calling it the same thing but it's not really a Sepultura album at all without max, is it?
Just get a new name and enjoy the buzz of playing without that lad you fell out with.
Look at Fear Factory for example
This is gone way off topic.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
This discussion probably should have it's own thread. Loads of bands to pick apart for it, like.
Quote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 10:12:56 PMQuote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on November 29, 2023, 09:36:26 PMThere's a track off it in Wayne's World, Time Machine.
Tough question to answer. Debut, Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Heaven & Hell... Debut has to be there for me, but tough to pick one out of the other three, or the other two if sticking to classic line-up.
I've never really enjoyed the debut beyond a couple of tracks. I get it's groundbreaking and all (Bobby Liebling might say different when he's taking a break from beating his old mother for drug money, but that's somewhat debatable in the sense he'd be telling her about how Pentagram might have been slightly ahead of Sabbath with the dark tones) but it's just a little bit too bluesy for my tastes. Still, the title track alone is enough to make it worth it.
Quote from: ochoill on November 29, 2023, 10:06:51 PMQuote from: astfgyl on November 29, 2023, 06:00:28 PMMaster of Reality and Paranoid.
Found that easy tbh
Same here really. Although the more I here Dio tracks, the more I enjoy it, but I usually only hear them live as covers (I couldn't tell you how often I have seen Craic Sabbath lol)
You should go see the hologram he's meant to be unreal in it. Oh wait no that's his solo stuff. It would take the extra few pence to get that in the Sabbath name :laugh:
N. I. B?
Quote from: ochoill on November 29, 2023, 10:12:03 PMFurther brief confusion before he told her no, he didn't mean an Aussie tribute band.
:laugh:
For me, it has to be "Vol. 4" above all else and then "Paranoid" (which was in a hard fought battle with "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" but "Paranoid edges it).
I think that with a lot of classic band back-catalogues your favourites can depend on where you drop in. For example the first Sabbath album I ever heard in full (besides "We Sold Our Soul For Rock N' Roll") was "Vol. 4" and I near played it to death. Then came "Paranoid" and then the rest.
I doubt a lot of us on here were around for Sab's first run (if you are, fair play) and I would think that most of us are of the brother/friend's older brother/cousin "here, listen to this" tape generation.
It wasn't that easy (or affordable) to become familiar with an entire discography. So we probably only had one album to listen to for ages until it became ingrained.
I listened to Paranoid last night and instantly became unsure of my previous pick :laugh:
Might need to have a run at the whole lot for a proper reminder! :abbath:
Paranoid is in that bucket of albums with Master Of Puppets and Reign In Blood where I ran the thing into the ground as a youngster and would be very unlikely to sit down and listen to it end to end these days. It's certainly the hits.
Master Of Reality and Heaven & Hell. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in there too.
I don't think I'd be labelling Never Say Die as shite, either.
Quote from: Kunt 4 Life on November 29, 2023, 11:15:37 PMThat Tony Martin album just doesn't get the love it deserves. Or any of his albums.
Yeah there's some absolutely brilliant stuff in there. I'm hoping next year is when they'll finally get the reissues out for the Martin era
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the peak for me, just love the variety. I've a soft spot for Technical Ecstacy and Never Say Die, too. They're good, just not as good as what went before. Master of Reality is probably #2 from the Ozzy era. Dehumanizer is my favourite Dio effort, though I acknowledge Heaven and Hell is probably better overall. The Eternal Idol deserves a lot more credit than it gets, too. The title track is as good as anything Iommi ever put his stumpy fingers to. The only ones I'd ever say I couldn't be arsed listening to again are Forbidden, Cross Purposes and 13.
Quote from: Carnage on November 29, 2023, 03:50:52 PMI genuinely think Heaven & Hell is one of the worst albums I've ever heard. My initial reaction was actual laughter, it's AOR pap.
Iommi, Butler, Osbourne & Ward - that's Sabbath, they all brought something to the table that couldn't be replicated by any of their 'replacements', and the magic simply wasn't there with any other line up. Anything after the first eight is an Iommi solo album.
You simply cannot describe H&H as 'AOR pap'. That's just wrong.
I agree that the original line up had a vibe/magic to them that was never replicated since, but it's only Seventh Star and the Martin albums (apart from maybe Cross Purposes, since Geezer is on that one) which can be classified as Iommi solo records.
Iommi and Butler and the sound they make when playing together are the core of the band, the engine room and energetic life force driving everything. Any record with both of them on qualifies as a Sabbath album IMO.
Best two albums? Sabotage is one - cocaine psychosis on record, an album made by a band with their backs to the wall and middle fingers in the air. A wild ride that even now sounds groundbreaking, fantastic production job too. Definitely their career peak.
Master of Reality is the next best one, but I agree that Vol. 4 is a good choice and I think that would be my other favourite. Great range of songs and moods on there, some of the the heaviest riffs in their discography.
Dehumanizer is the wild card of their career - really really underrated album, blows away anything else post Mob Rules, just savagely heavy and brutal.
A lot of folk like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath but I have to admit that it's never been a favourite of mine. Some classic songs there but a couple of them lose the awesome riffs halfway through and go into 70s bar room rock jams and the whole album has a weird vibe to it that one really has to be in the mood for.
Mob Rules and Headless Cross.
Sabotage and Sababth Bloody Sabbath close behind.
Mob Rules and Headless Cross will do for me too. Never was a big Ozzy fan.
Master of Reality and anything after that pending on what mood I'm in..although saying that the older I'm getting the more Dios vocals on anything after Rainbow grate on me to the point I find it unlistenable
Yeah, listening back to the albums isn't at all helping narrow this down haha
It's okay though, a prick mate just messaged me "Best intro to a song?" so now I'm agonizing over that instead :laugh: :abbath:
Hell Awaits is the first that comes to mind.
I'm picking:
Headless Cross
The Eternal Idol
Love the Ozzy material but the aforementioned are my current favorites.
Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on November 30, 2023, 10:15:20 PMYeah, listening back to the albums isn't at all helping narrow this down haha
It's okay though, a prick mate just messaged me "Best intro to a song?" so now I'm agonizing over that instead :laugh: :abbath:
Man I was going to start a thread here called Best Kick Ins before I got the random metal thoughts out instead
Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on November 30, 2023, 10:15:20 PMYeah, listening back to the albums isn't at all helping narrow this down haha
It's okay though, a prick mate just messaged me "Best intro to a song?" so now I'm agonizing over that instead :laugh: :abbath:
"Monarch of the Sleeping Marches" by Disincarnate is my go-to for this :abbath:
Headless Cross and Sabotage
Not exactly on topic, but I heard the Stuck Mojo cover of Sweet Leaf earlier and it's almost certainly the worst version possible of anything, at least until someone does one of those breathy tinkling ad versions of it anyway.
Anyone else had the misfortune?
Quote from: astfgyl on December 05, 2023, 05:52:50 PMNot exactly on topic, but I heard the Stuck Mojo cover of Sweet Leaf earlier and it's almost certainly the worst version possible of anything, at least until someone does one of those breathy tinkling ad versions of it anyway.
Anyone else had the misfortune?
Haven't heard that one, but I can't imagine it being worse than Machine Head covering Hole in the Sky
Quote from: Trev on December 05, 2023, 06:14:14 PMQuote from: astfgyl on December 05, 2023, 05:52:50 PMNot exactly on topic, but I heard the Stuck Mojo cover of Sweet Leaf earlier and it's almost certainly the worst version possible of anything, at least until someone does one of those breathy tinkling ad versions of it anyway.
Anyone else had the misfortune?
Haven't heard that one, but I can't imagine it being worse than Machine Head covering Hole in the Sky
It's worse than that by a mile it really is
https://youtu.be/3WRUZzMMMbo?si=CywNedjiowvxD1gI
Jesus christ. That's so bad it gave AIDS to my cancer.
I was thinking what's wrong with ye, that's not so bad....then he started 'singing'.
Even as a young lad who listened to my fair share of dubious bands (and not good dubious ;) ) I thought Stuck Mojo were jokers. I must give that cover a listen out of morbid curiosity.
Don't say I didn't warn ye lads.
And I'm the sort of cunt that listens to Snapping Necks about once a year if the sun is shining.
Surely the worst cover possible
Quote from: Eoin McLove on December 05, 2023, 08:32:52 PMEven as a young lad who listened to my fair share of dubious bands (and not good dubious ;) ) I thought Stuck Mojo were jokers. I must give that cover a listen out of morbid curiosity.
They're a terrible band really I don't dispute that at all
I like it :laugh:
Never heard of Stuck Mojo before so wasn't expecting rapping, but I got a RATM buzz off of that so I did. That guitar solo is a bit shit though.
Couldn't really understand the lyrics through the laptop speaker, did a search but couldn't find them online.
I did however, find some statement which reckons that the lads named the song "Sweet Leaf" from a label on a pack of Irish fags which read "it's the sweet leaf". Cool if true.
And it also seems that the bauld Iommi lifted the riff from the first track of Frank Zappa & the Mother's of Invention's debut album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0JTNVkhyS8
Cheeky!
It's not really a 'cover' though, is it? They took the guitar parts and put their own lyrics on it.
Did they actually? I thought he was just taking the same ones and doing them that badly tbh
I literally cannot make out a word he's saying. :-[
I remember hearing a rock/rasta/reggae version of The Wizard that came on during a movies end credits before.
Was a fair bit cringe, but also oddly catchy.
No idea who did it, though.
Cool topic! This is easy for me...If I HAVE to choose 2 Paranoid and Master of Reality easily. but honestly I think the first 6 are the archetypes of (what came to be known as) heavy metal. and despite being a big Ozzy dude I actually love all the eras of Sabbath. I cmon the fuck how can you argue DIO wasnt incredible man. and the Born Again album with Gillan is fun as fuck if your locked on a good buzz! and even the Tony Martin albums are class. I mean its fucking Tony Iommi man he is a fucking god.
I have to say too 13 is a fucking solid record. I'm really glad they did it. I just wish they hadn't fucked Bill Ward over and not included him at least on the record ffs. I actually kind of like Sharon Osbourne for some reason, I even watch a bit of the Osbournes podcast, but she really is a Cunt the way Bill Ward is photoshopped out of classic Sabbath photos STILL on their website man. If she has any part in that, which I think she does, I honestly think its shameful.
"Vol.4" twice in a row.
The Today is the Day cover of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is great, if you want the antithesis of the Stuck Mojo fiasco
Master of Reality for the heaviness and Vol 4 for the sheer quality of the songs.
Cannot stand Ozzys voice so for me Dehumanizer and The Eternal Idol
Vol 4 and Mob Rules for me
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Paranoid
Listen to way more Sabs these days than previous, younger years. It's great for the kids in the kitchen, making breakfast, dinner etc. Heaven and Hell is astonishingly good in its own right. Saw the band performing as "heaven and hell" at Hellfest circa 2010 . Was super to see Dio.
Tony Martin set is on the way. :abbath:
------------------
Black Sabbath - Anno Domini 1989-1995
The set contains newly remastered versions of Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), and Cross Purposes (1994), plus a new version of Forbidden (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.
Several albums make their vinyl debut in the LP version of ANNO DOMINI, while the CD version contains three exclusive bonus tracks: the B-side "Cloak & Dagger" and the Japan-only releases "What's The Use" and "Loser Gets It All." A booklet comes with the set featuring photos, artwork, and liner notes by Hugh Gilmour.
The collection also contains a Headless Cross poster and a replica concert book from the "Headless Cross Tour."
ANNO DOMINI picks up Black Sabbath's story in 1989, two decades and multiple lineup changes into the band's groundbreaking career as metal originators.
At the time, membership had solidified around riffmaster and founding member Tony Iommi, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck, Rainbow, Whitesnake), singer Tony Martin, and longtime Black Sabbath collaborator and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (Quartz, Bandy Legs).
· Headless Cross, Tyr & Cross purposes newly Remastered
· Forbidden Newly remixed by Tony Iommi
· 1989 Headless Cross tour replica concert book
· 40-Page Book with photos, artwork & new liner notes
· Replica colour tour poster .
Great news, has the pre order gone up? Price point?
No Cross Purposes Live or Eternal Idol, though.
Wonder if they'll do separate releases for them? Already got Headless Cross and Forbidden, but I'd like the other two to finish off the collection without paying Discog prices
There was a deluxe release of Eternal Idol a few years ago, came with the Gillan recordings too. This set is the stuff on IRS, EI was on Vertigo. It just leaves Dehumanizer as the only album which hasn't been revisited.
Have the deluxe CDs for Born Again, Eternal Idol and Seventh Star.
All are pretty class, to be fair.
Tempting. I wonder what kind of price it'll be...
I've seen it for £79 sterling. Yet to find anywhere outside the UK selling it yet.
Mob Rules
Eternal Idol
Quote from: Bürggermeister on March 22, 2024, 08:50:53 PMI've seen it for £79 sterling. Yet to find anywhere outside the UK selling it yet.
The vinyl box or CD?
LP here https://imusic.uk/music/4050538900880/black-sabbath-2024-anno-domini-1989-1995-lp
That's surprisingly cheap. Nice one 8)
Never heard the of that imusic site. Anyone used them before?
They're based in Denmark, so wondering if the ship from there or will it just go from the UK and the dreaded Brexit tax will apply?
My two favourite albums are Sabotage (my introduction to proper heavy metal, along with Motorhead 'Iron Fist') and Heaven And Hell.
Love all eras of the band. Looking forward to that Anno Domini boxset arriving at last.
I'll have to do some heavy metal homework from this thread, I've never heard a Black Sabbath album and could probably name 3 songs 😳😳
Does not compute.
Carnage will likely tell you that everything after the first six are crap, and everything from the 80's is AOR. :laugh:
But he's right in that you can't go far wrong with those first six, and they are the best place to start.
Although personally, I love most everything Iommi related. Aside from a few songs on his first solo album. Although that was more the choice of vocalists than his riffs. which were mint.
Sabotage & Heaven & Hell.
Sabotage for Hole In The Sky and Heaven & Hell as it was the first Sabbath album I heard when I was a kid as the older cousin had the record.
Quote from: Mithrandir on March 23, 2024, 09:04:36 PMI'll have to do some heavy metal homework from this thread, I've never heard a Black Sabbath album and could probably name 3 songs 😳😳
The fuck 😂 Man just start at the beginning and don't stop!
Quote from: jobrok1 on March 22, 2024, 11:19:07 AMTony Martin set is on the way. :abbath:
------------------
Black Sabbath - Anno Domini 1989-1995
The set contains newly remastered versions of Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), and Cross Purposes (1994), plus a new version of Forbidden (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.
Could someone explain in layman's terms what remastering, remixing are and how it changes the sound if it does,
thanks in advance.
Quote from: Uinsion on March 27, 2024, 03:06:51 PMQuote from: jobrok1 on March 22, 2024, 11:19:07 AMTony Martin set is on the way. :abbath:
------------------
Black Sabbath - Anno Domini 1989-1995
The set contains newly remastered versions of Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), and Cross Purposes (1994), plus a new version of Forbidden (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.
Could someone explain in layman's terms what remastering, remixing are and how it changes the sound if it does,
I mean why would/should I buy a remastered version?
Why would/should I buy a remixed version?
thanks in advance.
Mixing is where each track/instrument/mic can be adjusted individually (level, EQ, compression, reverb, etc) and can completely change the sound of a piece of music. A completed mix of a song is then Mastered to give a cohesive overall sound and volume level to an album.
An example of a good remix is the Relapse version of Human by Death compared to the original Relativity version. The drums and bass have been brought up a bit, there is more mid in the guitar sound. It's subtle but very well done and adds to the album. A bad example is what Mustaine did to the Megadeth catalogue.
Remastering is where an existing mix is EQ'd, compressed, etc as a whole. Any change is applied to all instruments. If the mix is shit, or if it's drenched in too much reverb for example, a remaster isn't going to fix that. In the early days of CDs, the same mastering job was used for records, CDs and tapes, which wasn't ideal. It has been a means, for a while, to simply sell a louder version of an album but occasionally can be quite dramatic and really improve the audio quality
A good example of an excellent remaster is comparing the original Spheres by Pestilence to the version which came out a few months ago. Same mix but they've brought the low end back and the thin sounding original is consigned to the past.
Most remasters are far from essential but there are the occasional gems which breathe life into an old recording. Some remixes are not sympathetic to the vibe of the original release but, again, you can't blanket them as good or bad. When done well, they can be worth the investment. Forbidden was long overdue a remix, it was a fucking terrible sounding album. Born Again and Dehumanizer too, should have been remixed. If the jobs have been done well it should give these albums a spark, if not, it'll just be one for the collections of completists.
Quote from: Bürggermeister on March 27, 2024, 03:49:57 PMMixing is where each track/instrument/mic can be adjusted individually (level, EQ, compression, reverb, etc) and can completely change the sound of a piece of music. A completed mix of a song is then Mastered to give a cohesive overall sound and volume level to an album.
An example of a good remix is the Relapse version of Human by Death compared to the original Relativity version. The drums and bass have been brought up a bit, there is more mid in the guitar sound. It's subtle but very well done and adds to the album. A bad example is what Mustaine did to the Megadeth catalogue.
Remastering is where an existing mix is EQ'd, compressed, etc as a whole. Any change is applied to all instruments. If the mix is shit, or if it's drenched in too much reverb for example, a remaster isn't going to fix that. In the early days of CDs, the same mastering job was used for records, CDs and tapes, which wasn't ideal. It has been a means, for a while, to simply sell a louder version of an album but occasionally can be quite dramatic and really improve the audio quality
A good example of an excellent remaster is comparing the original Spheres by Pestilence to the version which came out a few months ago. Same mix but they've brought the low end back and the thin sounding original is consigned to the past.
Most remasters are far from essential but there are the occasional gems which breathe life into an old recording. Some remixes are not sympathetic to the vibe of the original release but, again, you can't blanket them as good or bad. When done well, they can be worth the investment. Forbidden was long overdue a remix, it was a fucking terrible sounding album. Born Again and Dehumanizer too, should have been remixed. If the jobs have been done well it should give these albums a spark, if not, it'll just be one for the collections of completists.
Slightly off topic picked up the Skid Row atlantic years box set on cd and stuck on slave to the grind after a few cans...absolutely drenched in reverb...Unlistenable..Fecked it off and put on the original cd...havent gone near that box set since .
Back on topic looking forward to the new Sabbath one..great stuff on them albums
The whiff of Sharon is unmistakeable, even under the cloud of Iommi's dodgy colognes.
That's mortifying for everyone involved. State of it.
On the subject of the oul Sabbath, I heard some of Steven Wilson's Technical Ecstacy remixes... it just seemed like he turned up the fluff you couldn't really hear in the original mix. As someone who actually likes Technical Ecstacy, it's fucking needless. There's nothing wrong with the original mix. Remix Born Again, yeah, but do it in a musical way, not in a "look at this shit which wasn't worth including in the original mix" way.
The first 3 albums are 3 of my favourite albums ever but if I have to choose I'll go with Paranoid and Master of Reality but all of the first 6 are classics and I really like all 3 of the Dio ones. I remember buying the We Sold our Souls for Rock n Roll compilation and Dehumanizer on cassette in Zhivago in Galway as a 16 year old and was instantly hooked, wore both of those tapes out. Born Again I like too, the mix never bothered me, I'm not too fussy about these things.
I count The Devil You Know as the fourth Dio one, it's a Sabbath album to me even though they weren't allowed to use the name.
Top 2 is too hard my top 3 would be Mob Rules, Vol 4 and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath rotating order on an almost daily basis
Mob Rules and Heaven and Hell... Headless Cross a very close 3rd.
Funnily, the Ozzy era stuff never resonated with me beyond the usual big tunes.
<Sharon Voice>"IF YOU WANT TO PUT THE BLACK SABBATH NAME ON STUFF THEN YOU'LL WORK WITH THIS CUNT"
Mob Rules and Headless Cross
Skimming through this thread it seems I never actually answered the question. I enjoy a lot of the Ozzy stuff but all the 70s albums are littered with parts of songs that don't really appeal to me- the more upbeat hippy dippy bits. But when they hit they hit hard. I think though, on balance, and given the sheer amount of time spent with them over the past couple of years my picks would be Tyr and Headless Cross, in that order.