Master of Reality | 
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| Artist: Black Sabbath
Label: Sanctuary UK
Category: Music
List Price: $11.98
Buy New: $6.74
You Save: $5.24 (44%)
New (12) Used (7) from $6.74
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 46846
Format: Import, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
UPC: 766482301126
EAN: 5050749203328
ASIN: B00022TPT8
Release Date: May 31, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Sweet Leaf | | • | After Forever | | • | Children of the Grave | | • | Orchid - Black Sabbath, Iommi, Tony | | • | Lord of This World | | • | Solitude | | • | Into the Void |
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Album Description
1996 reissue on Castle of their top 10 1971 album for WarnerBrothers. Digitally remastered from the original master tapes with the original cover art intact. Contains all eight original tracks, including 'Sweet Leaf', 'Into The Void', 'Lord Of This World' and 'Children Of The Grave'.
Album Details
Digitally Remastered 2004 Edition of the Heavy Metal Supergroup's 1971 Opus. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne Maintained their Peerless Tradition of Hard Rock Anthems on this Set, which Ranged from the Guitar Riff Magic of "Sweet Leaf" to the Majestic "Childen of the Grave".
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| Customer Reviews:
Sabbath At Their Career Peak March 4, 2007
Tom Chase (London)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Master of Reality" is the epitome of Black Sabbath's monolithic riff-fuelled rock. If you want music with heavy, bluesy and infectious riffs, melodic vocals and breath-taking guitar solos, then look no further than "Master of Reality".
This is one of those special albums where every track has become a classic over the years. It all starts with the fantastic "Sweet Leaf", which was initially my favourite song on the album. "Sweet Leaf" kicks the album off in style and lays down the foundations perfectly. The opening cough/splutter sample gives meaning to the title, and sets up one of the most prominent themes and influences for the band - marijuana. This was truly the start of stoner rock. Please don't think that this stupefies the music in any way - an accusation I have heard many a time when listing stoner rock as one of my favourite genres. Yes, this album is a great experience when ripped, as are the best of the modern day stoner albums, but don't be put off thinking a sober state will forge no rewards. Bong or no bong, this is one of the best rock albums ever made.
The riffs. Let me talk about some of the timeless riffs on this album. Riffs that over the years have become massively influential and classic in every sense of the word. It is through no chance or overreaction that people nowadays refer to some guitar riffs and leads as "Sabbath-esque" or "Sabbathy". The grand onslaught of these riffs starts with the simplistic and contagious lead to "Sweet Leaf", one of my favourite riffs ever conceived. The glory to this riff, and with the majority of Tony Iommi's genius craft, is the simplicity - sacrificing complex timings, extra ghost notes and fancy finger work for simple motifs. The emphasis is put firmly on execution and groove. Take for example the riff changeups in the fine closer "Into The Void", going from the fine rolling and laid-back intro riff to some ferocious muted riffing, all complemented perfectly by Ozzy's high and melodic vocals. All of this combines to make one of the album's finest moments. Then there's "Children of the Grave" which stretches the simplicity to a basic rolling note, repeated in a galloping time signature, augmented by the occasional menacing chord progression. This song was really ahead of its time, paving the way for the galloping marches of the finest Iron Maiden. What makes these riffs even better is the structure of the songs, which are intelligent and keep the various riffs fresh. For example, the changeups in "After Forever" evolve around a repetitive lead riff which gives way to various themes and new riffs, but always returns to retain the original flow and groove. Call them stoners, but this is intelligent song writing, and something ensued throughout the album.
So the song writing is clever. It keeps the riffs fresh and interesting and manages to hold the fantastic groove. However, it is the overall writing and structuring of the album as a whole that I find most impressive. The balance of "Master of Reality" is perfect and superior to any of their other albums. There are no overly long songs, as all are between 5 and 7 minutes. The effect of this gives the album a special kind of flow that is often lacking in their other releases. "Embryo" and "Orchid" are short little pieces that act as introductions rather than fillers, and again retain the sense of flow as they are not too long or boring.
Mention should of course go to Ozzy Osbourne. In my opinion Sabbath simply isn't Sabbath without Ozzy on the vocals. His voice has become one of the most distinctive and acclaimed in rock history, and rightly so. He has what all the best rock singers have - the ability to hit the right notes, often quite high ones, and an idiosyncratic style that is instantly recognisable. The Black Sabbath sound is rounded off perfectly by this master vocalist, best highlighted by his inspired deliveries on "Children of the Grave" and "Into The Void".
Any fan of rock music should enjoy this album. It has every ingredient that makes rock so enjoyable - powerful and inspired vocals, stunning guitar solos and riffs, solid bass playing and some stellar drumming. Black Sabbath at the pinnacle of their career.
Another 5-Star Classic! March 28, 2006
D. Haralson (Jackson, MS USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
How do you top "Paranoid?" That had to be the question that was often hurled at the members of Black Sabbath in 1971. For me, the answer must have been, you don't. So let's not try to top it and do what we want to do. That is what Sabbath continued to do up through "Sabotage." While "Paranoid" might have been the closest to perfection, all of these albums are 5 star quality and "Master of Reality" holds up right along side them all, although it was the shortest and probably the least known.
1. Sweet Leaf-5/5. One of the bands most beloved songs. The lyrics are about marijuana opening up the mind to a heightened sense of awareness. The riff is alow and chugging, and this was an early hint at the psychedelic sounds that the band would later experiment with.
2. After Forever-5/5. The best song on the album by far. This one is an upbeat rocker. The lyrics are great with an attack on atheism. The music is superb with constant changes going in several different directions. Perfect!
3. Embryo-4/5. An interesting but rather pointless guitar instrumental track. It's about 35 seconds long and segues right into the next track. Not bad.
4. Children of the Grave-5/5. One of Sabbath's heaviest ever. Tribal drums add to an already heavy percussive song. The lyrics are great and the vocals are perfect.
5. Orchid-4/5. An acoustic finger picking guitar instrumental. Pretty, like "Embryo," its a bit unnecessary, but not bad.
6. Lord Of This World-5/5. Another great super heavy riff with more great vocals. Slow and gloomy with some weird lyrics. Excellent!
7. Solitude-5/5. Similar to "Planet Caravan," this one is an underrated gem. Slow and soft with some of the most beautiful guitar work this side of Pink Floyd. Perfect.
8. Into the Void-5/5. Another great riff. Heavy and driving, this is an excellent way to close the album. Excellent lyrics and vocals.
As I stated previously, you can't go wrong with any of the first 6 Black Sabbath albums. They are all unique in their own way. My only complaint about this one is the two short, but useless instrumentals and the fact that it is considerably shorter than the rest. It is still just as good as the rest of the albums. Highly recommended.
Black Sabbath perfect their own sound May 29, 2005
S. Wilkinson (Yorkshire, England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Master of Reality (1971.), Black Sabbath's third studio album
Black Sabbath in the early 1970's were a completely unique entity, as no-one sounded quite like them. Sadly, at first this meant that they gained little praise from the critics, even if they did gain quite a large following of fans. The band's first two albums were nothing short of excellent, with their second effort 'Paranoid' being a classic which is still hailed by many to this day. Eager fans in early 1971 were promised by lead-guitarist Toni Iommi himself that Black Sabbath's next release would be their heaviest and darkest yet. 'Master of Reality', Black Sabbath's third studio album, released in July 1971 was exactly what the band had promised; an album heavier, stronger and darker than any of their previous work.
When I bought this album I wondered how the Ozzy-era Sabbath could ever top 'Paranoid', for the album was so good. However, 'Master of Reality' does exactly this and I personally think it is an even better album. Sadly, this album is a criminally underrated record, often overlooked in favour of its predecessor and the band's self-titled debut. The truth is though, that 'Master of Reality' has the best sense of completeness to it of the first three Black Sabbath albums. The songs are completely refined and any transitions within them are done perfectly. Furthermore, the album contains some of Ozzy Osbournes best vocal performances ever and some of Toni Iommis's heaviest, nastiest and most foreboding guitar playing is on the album. The album may well have the most uninspirational of all of Black Sabbath's album covers but don't let that put you off the album. The fact that five of the eight tracks on this album were covered on the 1994 Black Sabbath tribute album show how great this album is. 'Master of Reality' has also been one of the band's more influencial works, with tracks like 'Sweet Leaf' being a huge influence on 90's grunge bands, especially Soundgarden. The album itself has recently undergone a remaster. The album soundquality is now excellent but sadly no bonus tracks have been added to the release which would have been a great extra to pad out the CD.
'Sweet Leaf' is one of the band's great opening tracks. From the coughing start, this powerful song about drugs has been a real influence for plenty of bands. 'After Forever' is typical Sabbath, this song being critical of religious beliefs in the lyrics. That aside it has some excellent guitar play and strong bass play from Geezer Butler. 'Embryo' is a short instrumental which paves the way for one of the band's most revered tracks in 'Children of the Grave'. I think at the time, there will have been no song as heavy as this one, its a classic - the whispering, spooky finish is great as well. What was side 2 of the album, begins with 'Orchid', another good instrumental, this one being acoustic. 'Lord of this World' is another strong heavy tune but is then contrasted by 'Solitude'. This is the quiet, melancholy track on the album but it is also one of the best tracks on the album too. Do not skip this track, Black Sabbath were masters of the heavy sound but their slower, quieter stuff is fantastic as well. 'Into the Void' is a return to the heavy sound, were Ozzy sings about doom and pollution. The guitar work is so diverse on this track, from high to low in sound. Its a perfect finish.
'Master of Reality' is an unbelievable album. With this album, Black Sabbath mastered the heavy metal sound which they had done so much to pioneer. Whilst not nearly as popular as 'Paranoid', I personally think this is the better album, with its even heavier and darker style than its predecessor. This is one of Black Sabbath's best, along with 'Heaven and Hell'. Recommended for any fan of heavy metal, this is a must have.
One of the 10 best rock albums, ever! May 21, 2003
J.J. Kilroy (Dallas, TX USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The dynamics, variation, musicianship, and continuity of this album are far above the curve. Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) said this is his favorite album. There's nothing by any other heavy band that can compete with this album. The song "Solitude" is a slow sorrowful bluesy chant, "Orchid" is a beautiful instrumental with cellos, "Children of the Grave" is a head-banging metal masterpiece, "Sweet Leaf" is a powerful jubilation-alleluiah chorus to our favorite green sweet leaf, and there's so much more on this album. My personal favorite is "Into The Void". A heavy, doomy piece in an odd-time signature that tells a story of mankind's exodus from a polluted earth, Soundgarden "attempted" to cover the song, but gave up!
The arrangement and sequence of songs on the album is perfect! Forget Tool, forget Limp Biskit, forget Stone Temple Pilots, forget Soundgarden, and forget Alice In Chains, Sabbath were truly the Original Masters of heavy rock-n-roll. Cranium-expanding production for 1972!
The Album That Began My Love Affair With Heavy Metal Music. May 30, 2000
The Great Rocky Hill (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
My first experience with this masterpiece was on a vinyl record owned by (believe it or not) my father. I remember being almost afraid to listen to it. My fears were quickly extinguished after listening to the opening track "Sweet Leaf." I soon discovered that these guys were not Satanists at all but moralists. Black Sabbath didn't tell the world to "kill yer cats" but rather to "show the world that love is still alive." Just listen to "After Forever", a sonic attack on atheists and a song I'd like to force Jerry Fallwell to listen to. This album mesmerized me,especially the vivid,apocalyptic "Into The Void." This album got me addicted to the sweet electric noise that is heavy metal,and the remaster sounds fantastic! The liner notes are also an insightful read. Black Sabbath deserve eternal respect.
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