Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- My first experience with Black Sabbath IS my first experience with the beginning of heavy metal and it was great! This is another example of a great use of ”diabolus in musica” - the tritone. It really sets a great atmosphere! Check it out!
Here’s the link to the original song:
• Video
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by Black Sabbath
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![N.I.B. (Live & Studio) [Black Sabbath Reaction] Behind the Wall of Sleep - Birmingham 2017: The End](/img/1.gif)
Hi everyone! Please drop under this comment your questions ONLY! I will do my best to answer them all!
1. What do you think of heavy metal in general so far?
2. When are you going to do more Pink Floyd?
3. Where is your accent from?
Also I always watch both videos.
Amy, since it doesn't take you long to do your first reaction, what do you think about selecting the top two songs in the chat for the winning band in the monthly poll? You could then do two first reactions of these back to back, and then choose one out of the two for your in-depth analysis. This will allow you to do more videos, since your ratio will be two short videos to one long video. If you're really interested in both you could still choose to do two in-depth reactions. It also gives you more exposure to a single band.
Will you get to Between the Buried and Me some day?
Would you consider giving us something to listen too? We’re just a bunch of rock n roll guys for the most part. lol
Ozzy, speaks a language only his wife can understand but sings crystal clear
HELP, YOURE RIGHT 💀
SNL had made a funny sketch about that, where Ozzy's crew would tell him to sing to them what he wanted to order for lunch because they couldn't understand him when he was talking. Too bad it's not on RUclips.
I thought I'm the only one who couldn't understand what he is mumbling about 😆😂
@@hakimanozz1974 no no, that's only bcs you didn't marry him 😅
@@hkndincer ha ha ha correct
Bear in mind they were 22 years old when they wrote this music, with no precedent. And they made 2 albums in the same year.
They were phenomenal.
Also, they recorded this whole album over one night, after playing a gig, if I recall correctly.
@@RCAvhstape I don't remember the specifics but they played the whole thing live, and I think in the middle of a tour. xD
Check out the band Coven, they were doing dark satanic themed music before Black Sabbath. But the music wasn’t as heavy.
@@GilaMonster971 Same with Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 50s rock with creepy goth themes.
@@GilaMonster971 It wasn't heavy guitar based music, but I've been aware of them for quite a while...and the bassist called "Oz Osbourne" and their song called "Black Sabbath". Wild coincidence or not, the Sabbath we all know and love clearly surpassed them by a longshot.
Bill Ward, the most under rated drummer in the world!
10000000% correct.
Bill Ward is the TRUTH the whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH!!!! He’s a beast on the drums. He never gets enough love. He called himself a percussionist. All the best drummers started with jazz.
Yes less is more
blabla... everybody in the music business knows the quaulity from ward... only dumb badsses dont know him...
Who underrates Bill Ward?
No one has mentioned how lovely this woman is and how magnificent her mind is, she has great intelligence and it's fascinating to hear her talk and blush as she is listening for the first time. 😊
Plus I think she's hot 👄
I agree. She is so nice to watch. A wonderful, gentle soul.
Thats her selling point
She reminds me of my favorite teacher Miss Wild from way back in 1964. Same mannerisms etc. Wonderful.
Yes, I've thought the same. She is a lovely, warm, intelligent and elegant woman
Even by today's standards, this song is heavy as hell. I can't imagine what it was like hearing it in 1970.
I was scared of this song when I first heard it. I was 9 in 1970.
IT WAS AMAZING
@@texasveteran5304 Yes indeed, I was 11 years and the "old" teenager across the street leant my brother and I his record, we were scared as hell !
@@texasveteran5304 I'm with you! I used to look at the album cover and listen to the song. Scared the crap out of me...
Kept the music. Left the hair,drugs and politics behind 45 years ago,ha ha.
The oldsters were in shock and though Ozzy was in league with the devil.
"I can understand this singer, whoever he is, I have to look that up."
Oh man. Oh man oh man.
I love when people discover legends for the first time.
😀❤ The man known for mumbling. However, I can understand him 90% of the time.
Really??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Sometimes I feel like she's trolling us... 🤣🤣
She is so young. And this is not her world.
Aye! Aye! Aye! I'm goin' off the rails on a crazy train...Let's go!
I'm old, I saw the fledgling Sabbath playing small clubs in the North of England, it brings tears to my eyes, to hear you listen to this iconic piece just as much as it would to hear you listening to a late Beethoven piano sonata. Thank you.
Oh man I can't imagine that experience (seeing Sabbath in the clubs). How amazing!
@@MotownGuitarJoe not just Sabbath but bands such as Camel, Uriah Heep, Free, Gentle Giant, Barclay James Harvest and and in bigger venues Tull, Deep Purple, Yes, the Who, Strawbs, Traffic, Curved Air and quite a few more, never saw cream, early Zeppelin (sadly) or Hendrix or King crimson, it was a time of revolution in rock music, very exciting to be there, always a concert to go to from local bands to bands on tour, travelling around in a Ford Transit van. I was lucky to have lived in that time.
I am beyond envious. I wanted to see the original Sabbath so badly but my prohibitive home environment would not permit it.
They did TWO free gigs as a thank you to fans in Les Leyton's COSMO club, Harraby, Carlisle. One the first one, Ozzy forgot his harmonica and asked "Has anyone brought a harmonica tuned in D?" One fan came forward and handed him one! Ozzy said: "I don't know who's the more stupid **** - me for losing it or you for bringing one!"
@@thebones Fucking love Gentle Giant. They gave so little shits.
Iommi has the ability to create riffs that stick in your brain like a dagger. He’s incredible.
Absolutely unreal mean ass tone.
This is still the scariest most ominous sounding song of all time to me.
I chose to listen in the daytime. I'm a scared cat 🙀
The first time my dad gave me the "We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll" vinyl he would tell me how he and his brother bought it blindly without knowing what they would find (coming from albums like the beatles) and that song really scared the hell out of them lmao
I'm not sure it's been mentioned in the comments but, this whole album was recorded in one 12 hour session, quite amazing considering they were basically inventing a whole new Genre ....
Imho, Sabbath didn't mean to invent anything, or start some new era in music, though that's what they did. It seems that so many of the world shifters are just toying with things, pressing buttons, when some inception happens, something they didn't plan on.
My understanding is that they had been on tour for almost a year, UK, Switzerland and playing those songs over and over and over, sometimes changing lyrics and song arrangements... when they got to the studio they had most of these tunes pretty well nailed down... still, an amazing accomplishment by todays standards! And funny how you can find early renditions of songs like Paranoid with totally different lyrics than what made it to the record!
"I'm able to understand this singer, whoever he is." Got me laughing. Happy you plan to look him up too! 😊
The Ozzie paradox. One of the easiest rock singers to understand when he's singing, completely incomprehensible when speaking. What a legend.
@@Patrick-857 Ozzy*
You are entering in a new realm. Be welcome
The musical proficiency of Black Sabbath is often understated because of the "heavy metal' label that was adhered to them, but they were steeped in jazz and blues and very influenced by Cream - Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton - who were considered to be the 'Cream' in the Jazz, blues rock field at that time. Sabbath just added distorted guitars and horror and occult themes to that sound. It was an incredibly compelling mix.
When I started listening to more Black Sabbath. I was surprised at how bouncy they are, such as In Fairies Wear Boots. Bill Ward's jazz style drums and Geezers bass are a forgotten secret weapon in Metal Music.
@@chaddubois8164 hey easy tiger! You left out Tonni in that mix. He is Black Sabbath, was there through all its incarnations and maintained its Heavey metal credentials.
@@glaight6362 I totally agree about Geezer. Personally, without Geezer and Ozzy, I think they were pretty forgettable. Like the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, it’s the complete package. I think Geezer took care of a lot of lyrics too.
@Chad Dubois: No, no. No, they aren't forgotten, that's for sure!
@@mechanicalman1068 Heaven & Hell with Dio is a great Sabbath album as well!
They recorded this whole album in 12 hours. They recorded it playing like they were in a concert.
Studio time was expensive and they had to do it in as short of time as possible. Recording with such limited time really demonstrates the level of skill they had at the time, especially a monumental trail-blazing record like this! As far as I know there is no song in history before this that compares to the title track, with that evil creepy sound and the distorted tritone guitar riff.
It always amazed me that self-titled riff seemingly came out of nowhere with no precedent for it. (and yes I do know about how it was influenced by Gustav Holst Mars) I mean the heavier guitar stuff you heard before this song was Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf, Cream, etc. The Doors were also "heavy" for the time, of course not as far as guitar riffs go, but more for the deep subject matter and general dark vibe of their music. But NONE of those bands were ANYWHERE near this level of heavy guitar. You would think it would have been a slower evolution over time until a band arrived with this sound, but they did it with one song and changed the game forever.
It's why they got the words wrong 🙄
@@yearginclarke The short record time shows not only skill, but dedication. They had to have practiced a lot to get the material so tight that they could get all those songs recorded in a short time. Something that really doesn't happen very often in music production today.
And as to the heavy-ness of the guitar sound are you aware of the hand injury the guitar player sustained on the very last day of the job he left when this band was signed ?
@@SalAvenueNJ Yes I agree. I don't follow new bands very closely but I doubt there are very many doing it the way Sabbath and tons of other bands did. And yes I do know about the injury to his fingers. That shows true determination on Tony's part.
Yeah I heard they almost recorded it in mono and made the stereo recording on a coin toss
How in hell can such a group of inexperienced youngsters produce this amazing piece of art ?
Tony Iommi,the guitarist, was already a fantastic guitarist who played in a different band before Sabbath, originally the Polka Tulk Band, before he lost some of his fingers
their brain?
@@GyzelE Tips of fingers
For at least the first 6 albums, it is said there was a 5th member of Black Sabbath. A 5th member who was not of this realm. A 5th member whose influence was strong on the other 4..
@@Komet163Bwhom
Don't stop your 2nd videos. It's like my childhood piano teacher breaking apart and explaining my favorite songs(which would never happen).
I can't get over how awesome your channel is. You are a shining star in the midst of so much "blah, blah, blah."
Anyone who loves music owes it to themself to check out your videos.
Your utter lack of pretense, and your willingness to really explore are truly inspirational.
And with all that, comes your vast knowledge of music, which you so tactfully and gracefully share.
This channel is destined for greatness! I'm so glad I found it.
A lot of nonsense spoken of and written about listening to music on RUclips but what I am after is your natural and true response to listening to an origial piece of music to your ears. As john a Fagerquist says, you are an original and a breath of fresh air. Its not the music its your perception of the music which you're listening to which is the joy.
I can appreciate this as a first Sabbath song choice.
Absolutely! My favorite Sabbath song.
It was written based on a personal experience Geezer had. Waking up out of a dead sleep, to see a "Figure in Black" standing at edge of his bed.
It’s a very bad choice because it’s quite unrepresentative - it fits a stereotype of the band … a much better song to have listened to is the live version of War Pigs from the 1970 Paris concert …much more definitive representation of the band and their style and why they were such a massive influence on all heavy music to follow .
@@jayedwards4787 For many, perhaps most Sabbath fans, the opening track on their Debut Album was their first time hearing Sabbath. I still remember it. They made an incredible 1st impression.
@@ub2bn no, most Sabbath fans were introduced to Sabbath via the single Paranoid and the album of the same name ….or learned of the band over subsequent years .The song “ Black Sabbath” would not be in my Top 20 list of Sabbath songs …and it’s unfortunate that people are introduced to the band by this song , because it fits every shallow stereotype about the band .
Ozzy Osbourne might not be a classically trained singer but he emulate so much emotion in his vocals which are quintessential for Black Sabbath because this song ultimately is about fear and creating something insidious inspired by Italian horror films by Mario Bava.
You're right - I always thought he sounded like he was about to start crying.
Right. In reality Dio had a much better voice than Ozzy but Ozzy's voice is very effective for this genre.
@@scottzappa9314 I consider the Dio years as a band different from Black Sabbath, wich was equially good, but no quite the same feeling as the Ozzy vocals
Yah I Love Ozzy's vocals...its unique and created something new in rock n roll.
I heard the bass player from Black Sabbath recounting that the guitar riff was strongly derived from Holst 'Mars bringer of War'. He played it one day in their practice studio for fun and the song evolved the next day. Very enjoyable to listen to your thoughtful analysis.
watching your breathing change and throat tense on the first 3 notes confirms the power of the tri tone is real
Always a pleasure when people discover the greatness of Black Sabbath.
For me, this channel is all about your analyses. I love everything about them and watch them all, even if I don't know the song. And I am really sorry that people don't want to give it a try, at least. Because what you do here, on the channel and in those second videos is something so unique, educative and really interesting. And you offer us a completely new perspective to songs and bands we might have listened for years or decades, which happened to me with "Ohne dich".
I think people are making a huge mistake avoiding it. But I guess that not many people really tend to get deep into music. Most people listen to music just for entertainment, so I guess they think there is nothing to be anylized about music and, certainly, nothing interesting about that.
I fully agree. The first listen is fun but the real heart of the channel for me is the in-depth analysis. That’s where the real magic of this channel is.
totally agree
I am pleased you have found Sabbath but definitely not the first to play this genre, you have to go back to the early sixties and listen to the Kinks not as heavy but definitely the beginnings of heavy Rock, a bit later try Mott the Hoople and the fantastic Spooky Tooth
now they are heavy and brilliant! from the early to late sixties! Sabbath came later!
Agreed. it's valuable!
thats so fuking true
I ALWAYS watch the in depth video, it's what makes your channel stand out in a sea of reaction videos
Same !
I was 12 years old in 1970 when I bought my first Black sabbath album. In those day this music was not played on the radio hardly at all. U had to listen on the FM STATIONS at 2-3am in the morning to hear this stuff. I first saw them at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Jouston in Aprril 1972. I turn 65 in 2 months and as u can see I forever will be a Sabbath fan
Your facial expressions are PRICELESS! I was a teenager when this album came out and still enjoy it to this day. The lyrics burn the fear of GOD right into your soul...
More like - burn God from your soul.
When they started out, they noticed that people were lining up to go see horror movies in the movie theatre, essentially paying money in order to get scared. So they got the idea of making the equivalent of that but with music, which I think really shines through with this their first song. Perhaps less so with some of their other songs.
The style of this song is what would today be described as "Doom Metal", I believe. Obviously it wouldnt have been back then, but as Heavy Metal grew and developed, more and more (and more and more and more) sub-genres were defined (to the point of ridiculousness, honestly, but thats my opinion)
And we're still paying today to be scared
Absolutely.
And Black Sabbath is also the English translation of the 1963 Italian Horror Movie "I Tre Volti della Paura" by the Italian Horror Master Mario Bava.
One of the most influential albums of all time and a special moment in music history
All that noise caused by the electric guitar (chaos) is called distortion, and it is created by the sine wave (sound wave) being "clipped", to where the new shape of the wave is no longer a true function of sine; i.e., the new wave shape is a square, triangle, or otherwise. The amplifier can cause this by "overdriving" the vacuum tubes inside of the amplifier (with electricity) but there are overdrive and distortion pedals that are designed to create this distortion of the sine wave, hence the namesake (there are also solid-state amplifiers that achieve this with transistors instead of tubes--guitarists sometimes choose amplifiers based on this because the kind of distortion will differ). Additionally, the harmonics and overtones of a note or chord played with distortion will (in most cases) all be present in that one note or chord (combination of all harmonics and overtones possible) with the fundamental harmonics most prevalent. So when Tony Iommi plays that G5 chord with distortion, you can tell that it's a G chord of some sort because the fundamental harmonics are what you predominantly hear. All of the other chaos/noise is just all of the other harmonics and overtones. It's really quite amazing from a math/physics perspective, but also it just sounds so cool! I use 3 distortion pedals when I play set to different levels. The amount of energy that you can create with distortion is amazing and fun! :)
Thanks for the detailed explanation. Musician's like myself (although 'Geek's like myself' is probably more accurate), who also have an interest in electronics and physics find this kind of stuff fascinating. Of course most amateur guitar players just think, "wow, if I turn this gain/overdrive knob way up to the right it sounds really cool."
@@LeeKennison ok……Hi Lee! 👋
@@w.geoffreyspaulding6588 Hi. Now I see you.
8:44 The drums gives it this feeling of..... DOOM.. It's the word you're looking for.. 🙂
Pioneers of Heavy Metal, however, they always said "We're just a Rock N Roll band" or "Blues Rock". The same was true for the other early proto-metal bands in the 70s such as Deep Purple, Rainbow, Budgie and Motorhead.
The first band to embrace the term and say "We are a Heavy Metal band and this is Heavy Metal music" was Judas Priest.
I just wanted to note that Vlad's own artistic contributions to the video editing doesn't go unnoticed. The theme of skipping frames when Amy puts the headphones on and takes them off are an example. If it was done once you might call it a mistake, but when repeatedly done it is art. Kind of like the saying in music that goes something like, "if you play it like that once it is a mistake, if you repeat it several times it is jazz." Some people use that saying derisively, while those who can appreciate art and experimentation take it as a complement.
When I'm doing that it's that I'm covering for my error with blind courage and feigned intent, but it does occasionally come out jazzy lol
@@NotBenCoultry Yeah, I know what you mean. When I accidentally do something like that I just call it creative inspiration (makes me feel better about my abilities). Saying, "I bet you never heard anything like that before." Truly original.
Lol. An old timer guitarist once told me if you play a bad note, play it again, and make it fit. The audience will think you did it on purpose.
This song is a recounting of an experiance had by Geezer Butler (the bassist). He had a facination for the occult. He had purchased a book which I don't think you or I would even touch, much less read. He read the book until late in the night. Some time after he had fallen asleep, he was awakened by a figure in black with red glowing eyes. He recounted this story to Ozzy (the vocalist) later. And they ended up making this song about it.
I want to know the name of this book, heh
@@_EvilKam if i remember correctly it was an aleister crowley book, i forget the title though
and you actually believe that? 🤣
@@thesoundlikechameleons2082 They talked about it in a live interview. ruclips.net/video/WzJ2zNM-VAU/видео.html Jump to twenty eight minutes and 28 seconds.
@@AgentOrange921 probably goetia
There are at least two reasons that people watch reaction videos. One of them is educational, the other is the purely emotional response, and I think is closely associated with a desire to see someone else responding in the same way, emotionally, that they have. It’s a feeling of shared experience, and I think it’s what most people get out of reaction videos. The RUclips algorithm will drive traffic from the fan base of each artist/song, so you’ll get a lot of transient traffic.
Some people are interested in education, some in self-affirmation, and some both. Many are not at all interested in being educated.
Perfectly said. With clarity
hey good thoughts there. I feel they're missing out if they don't watch the accompanying video though, but also I knew the views would end up like that when breaking up the content into two parts. Not sure if it's good or bad, if counting by views only there will be more views because there are two videos.
Spot on, it is especially affirming given that classical musicians used to 'look down' on rock. It wasn't until Sgt Pepper that the press started to review rock records in a serious manner.
lol...or maybe ppl are not interested in a composition analysis of a song that repeat the same tritone over and over again
In a world of social media, reaction videos have replaced friends(hips).
They're one of those bands that you couldn't create, you couldn't predict. It was a coming together of 4 people who were all necessary to create this amazing band. Bill Ward's drumming is amazing, Geezer Butler's bass lines are so integral to what they were, and of course Tony Iommi and Ozzy are unbelievable. It's alchemy, it's the same with Led Zeppelin. It's like some magical spell that created these two bands at the same time. And they were all freinds.
She's the only one that makes these videos worth watching. She truly is wholeheartedly genuine. I'm sure she can attest that when someone here's a piece for the first time and is enjoying it it's truly emotional.
As a reactor, yes, I agree with you. Add in Rick Beato, and you have a duo that covers the musical experience spectrum with intelligent insight and dialogue.
8:38 "And also, the drums gave this...uh....feeling of....I don't know" is a totally legit response to rock, especially metal. Those of us without formal training will usually talk about the "feel" of music.
Yes, I loved how the drums & base entranced and Amy got to feel and let her imagination flow, rather than be analytical and pick out keys and progressions like a composer tends to do.
She realizes Bill Ward is more than just your average rock / metal drummer. What he did with a a tiny drum kit is phenomenal.
There comes a point when you can over analyze something that’s meant to elicit an emotional response rather than a technical one.
Just saying.
it's a jazz thing. ward knew how to swing-it's all ove the first 4 sabbath records. not that this swings, per say, but it's got that fluid/jazz time. mix that with the tympani vibe over the verse theme (holst's mars), and presto....instant creepy
.
The Bill Ward Effect
Well, the first notes of this song laid the foundation for all metal music. Let us remember that it was 1969, what kind of music was listened to and what culture was generally like, we all know. And these two notes stick us in a comfortable seat and turn the whole world upside down + creepy Ozzy's vocal ... It's like "listening" to a horror movie instead of watching it .. Because if you were to watch Boris Karloff movies with Black Sabbath soudtrack it would even fit together, wouldn't it?
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath Black Sabbath is where it started. A clearly defined new genre of music. Not Blue Cheer because they had distorted speakers, not Deep Purple because they played fast, not the Beatles because they put distortion on one riff, not Led Zeppelin because they palm muted one song, not Hendrix because he used a fuzz pedal. This was it. The birth of practically every sub genre of metal. Metal, heavy metal, doom metal, groove metal, stoner rock, stoner metal, progressive metal, gothic metal, sludge metal, it can all be found in the riffs of Tony Iommi.
^^^ this ^^^
Yes on all counts! Well said!
The Riffmaster 🤘
Spot on!
You're reducing every one of those bands to something you can write off, as if they only do one thing. Hardly. Every one of those bands are as influential as BS for developing and creating new music.
You might know, or find interesting, that that opening guitar part is making use of what they call in the Metal scene, “the devils tritone.” Very sinister sound. 😝🤘🏻🎸🔥
“Whoever he is…” 😂😂😂
Guitarist Tony Iommi lost two of the fingertips on his fretting hand in a work place accident and was encouraged not to stop playing by his boss who introduced him to Django Reinhardt who played with an injured fretting hand due to a fire, Tony fashioned artificial fingertips himself and used a lower tuning on his guitar to make it easier to press the strings.
As a left-handed person who played the bass guitar right-handed, and someone whose BFF guitarist was also left-handed and played right-handed, I've always wondered why Tony Iommi didn't just do the same.
@@ronforeman2556Did you learn that way from the beginning? I talked to a guitar player once who played a right-handed guitar left-handed with the strings untouched (high E on top) he said it was because he had to learn on his dads guitar and his dad was right-handed, when I asked him why he didn't switch at some point he said that by the time he got his own guitar he'd been playing that way for so long he didn't want to unlearn everything and start over having to learn everything upside down and backwards.
@@timfeeley714-25
Yes, I agree, he played guitar before and switching like that is something you wouldn't consider at all.
Even more dramatic for Tony, the accident happened on his last ever workday at the factory, and he was just filling in for a sick co-worker. Recording sessions for their first album were supposed to start the very next day. :o
@@orcaflotta7867 Great info. Thanx, did not know that.
Love your description of the imagery! I've always pictured someone on a dark cobblestone street in England with a church in the rain, but the path is blocked! The music is iconic, and Ozzy's voice has always captured the dred and terror of the scene!! Great reaction!
Amy, I think the second video might be more popular for songs that people have known and loved for a long time. Though most of the bands are well known, the songs have been less so. Perhaps people will be more interested in learning more about a song that they’re really invested in? I’m not a musician myself, and though I appreciate your careful explanations, it’s usually a bit over my head (though still interesting- I’m learning!). The motivation to learn is raised exponentially when the song is really familiar, however. Thank you both for what you do! 😊
That’s a good point.
@@Hartlor_Tayley that’s a really good point. The Dire Straits song had a greater number of people moving on to the “in depth” analysis than the Rammstein song…almost 10% higher.
@@w.geoffreyspaulding6588 it’s an interesting theory but there could be many unknown factors and variables that account for the 10% difference. It will be interesting to see if some pattern emerges over time.
I believe the song Black Sabbath was literally dreamed up by Drummer Bill Ward who had a night time vision of a figure in black with no face, like the grim reaper, standing over his bed. The band also were fans of hammer horror films, hence the interest in shall we say dark arts.
Sabbath has always struck me as a Heavy Jazz band .
Hiya. OMG. The rain started and I was transported back in time 50 years to a dimly lit terraced house front room in North London where I first played this vinyl album, which I still have. Your initial comments are so educational, I can't wait for the full analysis. Stay safe. All the best to you.
When I was a young lad, I will never forget how this sounded the first time I heard this on vinyl, it was such an awesome experience. I'm just sorry my lad doesn't share the same taste in music
Same here. In my parents rec room playing pool by myself and playing this album over and over til mom yells turn that devil music down and come and eat. Lol. But at least she didn't say get rid of it.
It's not complex in its music, it is massively complex in Mood.
I feel like a like a lot of early metal was sludgy like this album, almost like a musical representation of early horror movies or a half speed dirge, but the crescendo here always makes me happy.
I wonder if around 20% of your viewers are musicians, we might be the ones automatically continuing on to the second section
The bleak industrial landscape where they came from (which is no longer there), lent itself to their sound - the noises of heavy industry, foundries, hammers, metal against metal and so on. Sounds they heard around them and the general hub-bub of the city created this heavy metal pounding that became so awesome. Their name comes from the horror film of the same name.
Any chance you've read Leigh Harrison's "How The Industrial Geography and Working Class Environment of Post-War Birmingham Fostered the Birth of Heavy Metal"? It's the only other place I've seen that first idea from.
@@zaynelumpkin Hi Zayne! Can't say I have! The idea that noises from your own environment can lend themselves to a musical style has probably been recognised by musicians/academics well before I thought about it! I don't believe I'm actually the first to make that observation [unless I'm having a Paul McCartney 'Yesterday' moment, but I don't think so!] I've actually lived around Birmingham for over 30 years and perhaps this has been pointed out to me in the past by a knowledgeable fan? I guess only the Sab's themselves will know for sure! Having said that, I've always thought it to be true even if I don't know how I know!!!
The key here is remember that nothing sounded like that. It scared people.
My quote of the week - 'good music should never be treated carelessly'
Amy, regarding the difference in views between first listen and in-depth analysis. I bet that in-depth analysis is watched mainly by your subcribers while first listen has more accidental audience. First listen reactions is very popular type of videos on youtube, there are lots of them and they usually have big amounts of views (most of them just glorify musical pieces to simply please the audience). Not very interesting for people inclined more into analysis of music.
I agree. I also think that’s exactly what’s happening.
I agree, well said. The only thing I would add is that while the percentage is lower, which I would expect, those are still some really big numbers of people watching the in-depth analysis, particularly for the current size of the channel. All you have to do is check some channels with larger subscriber numbers, and you often won't even see the equivalent of her first watch drawing the kind of numbers you are in the in-depth. RUclips Analytics will try to convince you something is wrong, when really this is to be expected,
@@LeeKennison those are great points that I knew nothing about, glad you’re on it Lee.
@@Hartlor_Tayley I think it is easy to look at numbers the wrong ways some times. You see a big gap between one set of numbers and the next, and focus on the difference when you see a big percentage gap. I just think it can be helpful to think, "wow that is a lot of people that are interested in my in-depth analysis, even though it doesn't have the song reaction itself in it that most people want to see."
By nature I think there are more people going to be interested in the entertainment of the initial reaction itself (that is why there are so many of these channels). You can use this much larger group to select a smaller subset that are really interested in digging in deeper.
You are still impacting a lot of people with the more in-depth view with the skills you are really good at and enjoy teaching. It can just look at first like you are doing something wrong because of the big gap. And RUclips Analytics, which tries to be helpful, can even suggest you are doing something wrong, when you are not. It doesn't understand your bigger goals (stupid AI, lol).
I think the bigger percentage of people that are more interested in the Dire Straits in-depth analysis (23%) than the Rammstein in-depth analysis (14%), provides an interesting view of the various subset of viewers, but I digress...
@@LeeKennison that’s a good way to look at it. More people will come over to the analysis side over time. It takes a while to click in for most people.
Amy…I think you and Vlad should actually be rather pleased that as many people watch your in depth review as do. The algorithm will bring tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands, actually) to your channel who just want to be entertained by watching someone react to a song they like. They don’t want to think too much. Now, the people who have subbed to your channel….they are the ones who recognize the value of what you do, and are excited by the opportunity to learn something along with being entertained. That’s not that common. But the speed with which your channel has grown shows that there are tens of thousands of people out there who Do want to learn something new when it’s offered to them.
I know you want to share your passion with more people, but please, both you and Vlad, don’t be discouraged. What you’re doing is amazing.
Ozzy had a pretty incredible voice.
64 ears old. Bought Master of Reality at 14 and Black Sabbath Black Sabbath after. Albums. Now I have CDs in my car. Always will. It will be back ground music when I die.
Everyone rides Ozzy and Tony Iommi. I'm here to say Geezer and Bill Ward are what attracted me to Sabbath.
For the intro prior to the vocals, I like the disassociation between the guitar and the drums. It immediately creates a feeling of psychological dissonance.
Bow to the riff! Congratulations. Today you had a real breakthrough in understanding Rock; you found the music compelling. Your reactions are delightful and your analysis is insightful. I rarely listen to the analysis, because the selections are so uninspired, until today. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve learned about Black Sabbath. I hope listen to more of their music.
Additional comments:
1. The tri-tone is a staple that puts the “Heavy” in Heavy Metal.
2. Black Sabbath were a Blues band and they were also a Jazz band, as we hear in the first section, comprising just three notes, where the musical abstraction, as you noted, invites us to be participants in the music’s creation by filling in the abundant negative space with our imagination.
3. I’m glad you are coming closer to understanding electric guitar. Listen to Iommie’s guitar as you would listen to a vocalist.
I thought as you did. But then I found that I was learning many things from Amy….even from “uninspired” songs. You might wish to deign to listen to a couple. You might learn something too. Who knows?
They got their name from the movie Black Sabbath with Boris Karloff . When they got the idea to make their music sound like a horror movie and guess what they did . The beginning of this reminds me of the old Hammer movies in the 60's like its in a creepy foggy graveyard with the church bells ringing and the rain . Masterpiece !
Exactly....
Inspiration to this song was song Mars by gustav holst. Iommi told in interview
I also love The Wizard by Black Sabbath. Very bluesy and raw.
I’m with you on that mate. This was an awesome track.
As a kid, I could not get enough of Black Sabbath. Their hit song Iron Man was an anthem in the early 70s.
Absolutely was...
True, but I tired of constantly hearing that song. I usually liked the more obscure songs that not many knew or listened to, like Hand of Doom, every song on their first album (most don't listen to most of those). They went flat after 1975 and Sabotage, but there are still some gems on their later albums (that were with Ozzy).
Yep
Geezer Butler (the bassist) got the idea for the main tritonus riff when he was playing Gustav Holst's "Mars: The Bringer of War" which also uses tritonus, so the whole song is basically based on classical music.
I didn't know this! Thanks!!!
Yes thats is true...its huge inspiration by Holst his planet suites
Listened to this first time when I was 16...now I am 55...and it still gives me chills....this says it all...this is not only the Birth Hour of Heavy Metal.....this is an all time Classic.
Thanks for treating it like this. This piece of Music deserves it.
I'm the same age, but i have an older sister, same age as the guys in Black Sabbath, so i heard this when i was really young.
Totally infected how i think of music. Looking back, it's things before Black Sabbath and everything after. Totally unique. I never understood the whole hubbub about them being satanic and all. If anything, they oppose that stuff.
I started playing bass guitar because of Geezer. And Bill Ward for all that. The rhythm interested me so much and the sound of the bass was so BIG. I still love it.
I was in grad school, my introduction to rock was black sabbath. Blown away
"Although I have to say, I understand this singer, whoever he is. I'll have to look that up. I don't know yet"
😆 Got a genuine gut laugh out of me, both with the unfamiliarity with Ozzy Osbourne, but also that this may be one of the few moments in world history in which Ozzy is remarkable for his *intelligibility*
In 1978 i was 13 years old when i first heard this and it scared the hell out of me so naturally i had to see them in concert.
Never Say Die tour with Van Halen opening for them.
Another great "First Listen," Amy. I'm looking forward to your in-depth analysis, even though metal is far from my favorite rock music form.
I really don't understand why folks fail to view the analysis. It's what makes your videos so compelling and interesting, IMO. Perhaps it's due to our Instagram/TikTok social media culture... and dininished attention span. 😥
As a scruffy English rock musician I am loving seeing these tunes through your eyes, ears and soul.
As someone who has listened to and played this tune many times, I liked how you picked up on the relentlessness of the riff which has always struck me as the point of the song. The change up at the end provides not relief but only acceleration.
Geezer (bass and lyrics) said it came from him messing about with Holst's Mars and Tony (Guitar) came back the next day with this riff.
Amy is the music appreciation class I wish was offered when I was in college 32 years ago.
It’s so interesting to hear an educated musician and non metal heads take on the brilliance of this song👏👏👏👍👍🤘🤘
The Devil's Tritone or chord or interval... its dissonance is integral to heavy metal as it is inherently dark and "evil."
That tone sequence was actually banned by the church back in the Medieval era due to a belief that it was satanic in nature.
I love seeing the waveform of the audio in the video. please keep that for further videos...
I missed that
At best all it does is forewarn viewers of major changes, or maybe I'm missing the point. I think it's better to let the music take me on my own mystery tour. Its presence doesn't annoy me, but I ignore it.
The album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is their masterpiece
I once read an interview with black sabbath and one thing they said about where they got there influence from to play such dark and menacing music, especially as in the late 60’s in the height of the hippy era when a lot of the music coming out of America at that time had such a positive up beat vibe. They said that where they all grew up, in Birmingham it was still quite a war torn city, having been heavily bombed in the blitz and 25 years on from that very little rebuilding had happened so it was a depressing and bleak area and there music mimicked this.
Wards drumming and geezers bass is so mind blowing everything just fell into place and this is still one of the greatest tracks ever.
Well, the analysis part is what makes this channel unique.
I just got home a few minutes ago from taking my best friend to see The Nashville Symphony perform "The Planets" by Gustav Holst. And when I think of Holst, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, etc...that is what Black Sabbath is to me. Heavy metal...the GOOD stuff is birthed from orchestral music.
Very true. I'd add Prokofiev to that list, too.
Many of the early Metal musicians were fans of orchestral music.
I was raised on classical music and played in a youth symphony orchestra. I loved Mahler. My first experience of metal was this exact Sabbath song at the age of 16 and I was hooked forever.
Agree, and love the classical influence on heavy metal. Just curious if you have discovered Opeth yet?
Well, the riff from this song was based on Mars
I enjoyed your analysis. I've loved Black Sabbath from the start, but I didn't know enough musical theory to appreciate the music the way that you can. Thanks
She should have heard the basement tapes. The song is way more evil and frightening.
I loved your first reaction to this absolute monstrous beauty of a song. I especially loved the times when you fell short of words, because that's precisely the point to it. And when you carried on explaining, it was so spot on. Than you so much for such a good video. Going right now to the musical analysis
I would not have subbed to the channel without the second parts. I learn a lot of music theory bits which are fascinating. Knowing HOW (even at a minor level) an artist has achieved the effect on me.
On the other hand, the german song I barely listened to two minutes of the first one because I haven't had the time to find a translation and listen with it in front of me. So I technically am a view on the first, but not the second there.
This was most peoples exposure to Black Sabbath and nothing was like this, especially in the hippie era.
From peace, love and flowers in the hair to a figure in black that points at me... I must be very scary at that time.
Early Black Sabbath was great at painting pictures with the lyrics and music...the very next track on the album "The Wizard" is by far my favorite, and paints a very very vivid mental picture. And the harmonica rocks.
My mother did not like this song :)
This song is about my mother
Hi Amy, I think the In depth Analysis is not for everyone. I would bet that most people who watch the second part are musicians themself. For someone who had never an instrument in their hands, even the word "chord" is gibberish. If you would make a survey how many of your viewers are musicians, the answer might be around 25%. But that would be, compared to the numbers of musicians in the whole population, a really good result beacause your content is very attractive to musicians. Greetings from Germany
Sorry, but I disagree somewhat. I understand your point, but as an example, I am NOT a musician. I wish I could be, but two years of guitar class gave me the ability to play one folk style song badly. I tried and failed. I love the analysis. It's what I'm here for. I guess that most who listen to only the first part are the majority because the second parts are too long . . .and not 'entertainment' for them. Many who do watch will be like me. OK, maybe 75%.
@@ianstewart7605 Most people wish they could play an instrument. It´s kinda philosophical question: when has someone become a musician? Maybe you had a bad teacher, maybe guitar was not the right instrument for you, but you are clearly not in the category of people who never had an instrument in their hands.
I would say Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath is a very theater-esque piece, there are other bands that make their songs very theater-esque too..
Dream Theater - Metropolis, pt.2 : Scenes from a memory is a great concept album (an album that you need to listen from the first track to the last, because its all connected together to one entity) (Genre : Progressive Metal)
Therion - Theli is an experimental album, it has got it all.. Choirs and Classical instruments blended in with guitars,drums,bass and singing. And is considered as the first symphonic metal album ever. (this is a must listen to) they sometimes even have orchestras while they play live shows.
Baby steps Dani, Baby steps...
It’s a shame more people aren’t watching the analysis videos, that aspect was a huge part of why I subscribed!
The main riff was created when bassist Geezer Butler began playing a fragment of "Mars" from Gustav Holst's The Planets suite. Guitarist Tony Iommi came up with the famously dark tritone.
According to the band, the song was inspired by an experience that Geezer Butler had. Butler, obsessed with the occult at the time, painted his apartment matte black and placed several inverted crucifixes and pictures of Satan on the walls. Ozzy Osbourne gave Butler a black occult book, written in Latin and decorated with numerous pictures of Satan. Butler read the book and then placed it on a shelf beside his bed before going to sleep. When he woke up, he claims he saw a large black figure standing at the end of his bed, staring at him. The figure vanished and Butler ran to the shelf where he had placed the book earlier, but the book was gone. Butler related this story to Osbourne, who then wrote the lyrics to the song based on Butler's experience.
Black Sabbath 👏🏻
Metallica 👎🏻💩
I absolutely love your in-depth analysis of these songs. It’s also obvious that you have great respect for music in general. You have carved out a unique place on RUclips that I don’t think we knew we needed. Thank you.
I’m enjoying these reactions/breakdowns. I would love to hear you thoughts on a band like Rush. In particular ‘The Trees’.
Rush's 2112 would be a wiser choice for a classically trained harpist 😁
I can imagine Amy, "What can this strange device be? ... When I touch it, it makes a sound" plucking at strings experimentally
I enjoy the second part when you analyze and break it down more. Keep it up.
Id love you to react to Rush’s Xanadu. Yes it’s been done but I think A) you’re reaction to both their amazing ability and B) The complexity achieved by a three piece would be a real gem to witness.
Oh come on chic you don't know Ozzy? Seriously? You are a music teacher? You got to get the Lead out too! Try some lead zeppelin the immigrate song.
What do you mean see if you can Make it to the end? Play one of your instruments along with it.
You'll understand or more.
"I am able to understand this singer, whoever he is"
OMG my heart melted!!
Seeing someone discovering music like this, without being prejudiced by the pop culture that surrounds these iconic figures is really enjoyable to watch. Fizzing with pleasure, which is a joy to see.
Thank you for making a boring evening fizz for me too :-)
I'd love to see you react and analyse some of my favourite bands and songs but to be honest it makes sense to do the really big iconic bands and songs and build your audience - then take them on a journey of discovery with you. :-)
Excellent reaction. You really got it. While very simple in composition (in the 1st part), it is very effective in setting the mood through the simple tritone repetition. As you noticed the bass is repeating the root-octave-tritone pattern in the first part (the guitar mirrors this), while the 2nd part switches to a more driving triplet note pattern (with some 8th note rests within to provide a galloping feel), repeating the same bass note for the entire bar. This corresponds to a tempo shift from 68 to 126 bpm at the same time (at least in my score), contributing to that running in terror feel. I also recommend everyone watch the 2nd part where you will explain all of this much better than I can.
Sabbath taught me about the “Riff First” method. The riff doesn’t have to conform to key or chords or lead melody. Any combination of notes, if it sounds good it is good.
@@Hartlor_Tayley True, although I think most of the catchy riffs are melodic in nature, typically being relatively short and sometimes repeating melodic phrases. But at the most basic level, a rhythmic sequence of notes or chords (often root/5th power chords) that provide a catchy hook to the song. In rock typically associated with the guitar, although there are some really good bass riffs, even though they are typically classified as basslines, although a bass line has a broader meaning. Jazz and some rock also have catchy riffs from other instruments such as the sax or keys. (edit: maybe chords is a stretch, do you consider the root/4th (or is it an inverted root/5th?) opening to "Smoke on the Water" a riff?)
@@LeeKennison yes it’s a riff in my book. What is it 1/4 in each note. I think what meant was that writing a riff based song is simply about a good riff not about key , chords or lead melody, those can be added later. You have to know anything to write riffs.
@@Hartlor_Tayley Agreed. I have been continually editing my reply to try to pin it down. I think your simple statement says it best. That's the problem when we try to put a label on something, everyone has a different opinion on what it means. That is why it is probably better to stay general and not try to get to precise. Like you said, if it sounds good it is good. I would add, and sticks with you (the hook part).
@@LeeKennison anything that sticks !! That’s it Lee.
One of the first Sabbath songs I heard as a 13 year old. Goose bumps then. Goose bumps now. Thanks for reviewing.
Yep.
Oh come on chic you don't know Ozzy? Seriously? You are a music teacher? You got to get the Lead out too! Try some lead zeppelin the immigrate song.
What do you mean see if you can Make it to the end? Play one of your instruments along with it.
You'll understand or more.
you have a very nice way of hearing things i missed for 40 years. the way you "hear" people running cuz theyre scared" never made that connection. thank you
Black Sabbath is distinctive, but they had precursors in the development of heavy metal as a genre. The eponymous Black Sabbath album was released in 1970, but 1968 saw the release of the eponymous albums of Steppenwolf and of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Steppenwolf's single from it's first album, "Born to Be Wild," actually incorporated the phrase "heavy metal thunder" (referring to the sound of motorcycles) in its lyrics, while the on-stage pyrotechnics of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, using a flare gun indoors during a live performance of "Fire," caused the actual fire in Montreux, Switzerland which is the subject of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" (with the result that Arthur Brown was banned from future concerts by insurance companies). Neither of those groups had the three o'clock in the morning feeling of Black Sabbath, however.
Don’t forget to mention Coven, the original Satanic band, whose 1969 album _Witchcraft_ began with a song titled “Black Sabbath”.
ETA: Rolling Stone even referred to Black Sabbath (the band) as “England’s answer to Coven”.
Also, it was Coven who introduced the Sign of the Horns 🤘 to the musical world. And King Diamond copied the lyrics of the iconic Mercyful Fate song “The Oath” from Coven’s “Satanic Mass”, the final track of the aforementioned _Witchcraft_ album :)
The guitar break in Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" can be considered a strong metal precursor.