All language subtitles for eality

- [Narrator] After the
band's massive success

with 1970's "Paranoid"

which had reached number one in the UK,

Black Sabbath had been put on
a rigorous touring schedule

to support the album.

Playing a stint in Australia,
two tours of the US,

as well as all of Europe,
which left the group exhausted.

Yet their label, Vertigo,

wanting a quick follow
up to take advantage

of the sales and buzz from "Paranoid",

put the tired overwork
band back in the studio

in the first part of 1971,

to record what would be arguably

their heaviest album
ever "Master Of Reality."

(rock music)

It's July 17th, 1970 and Black Sabbath

had just released their single "Paranoid",

the title track from their upcoming album.

This is only the band's second single.

The first was "Evil Woman",

off their self-titled debut album.

♪ Evil woman ♪

♪ Don't you play your games with me ♪

Not a song the band
particularly felt strong about.

For one, it wasn't even their own.

"Evil Woman" was instead a top 20 song

by the obscure American group Crow

and Sabbath felt like they
had been forced to release

their throwaway cover by management

and all for nothing,

since it resulted in zero
success on the charts.

Ironically, "Paranoid"

was considered a throwaway song as well.

Bassist Geezer Butler explained.

"The song "Paranoid" was
written as an afterthought.

We basically needed a three
minute filler for the album

and Tony came up with the riff.

I quickly did the lyrics

and Ozzy was reading
them as he was singing.

It took 20 to 25 minutes
from top to bottom."

But this time, unlike "Evil Woman",

"Paranoid" would become a smash hit

and generate good and
bad things for the band.

(rock music)

Behind the scenes, the band had been lured

into believing that Don
Arden's former right hand man,

Patrick Meehan and his henchman Wilf Pine

would elevate them to worldwide success

while their local promoter
and current manager,

Jim Simpson did not have what it took.

Of course, "Paranoid" had already made

Black Sabbath a worldwide sensation.

Still, the band struggled with self-doubt

and the perception that a
hungry London based management

would take them into the big leagues

was too good a temptation to pass up.

Black Sabbath would get what they wanted,

but it would come at a cost

that they would pay for
the next decade and beyond.

(rock music)

On September 4th, 1970,

just 14 days before the "Paranoid"
album would be released,

Jim Simpson was served papers

stating his services
were no longer needed.

And the band was now managed by Meehan

and his company Worldwide Artist.

Although this came as a huge blow

to the kind hearted Simpson,

he would later take it in stride

after winning this case
five and a half years later,

stating, "I was with Sabbath
for their best two records."

(rock music)

After the September 18th
UK release of "Paranoid"

and only six months
after their debut album

released in February, 1970,

Meehan wasted no time pushing
them into the limelight

by getting them a spot
on the popular mainstream

British music TV show, "Top Of The Pops."

On Thursday, September 24th, 1970,

Black Sabbath pantomimed "Paranoid"

into millions of homes across the UK.

The appearance not only helped the song

move up the UK charts to
the number four position,

but it also helped the band
take over the number one spot

on the UK album chart.

Dethroning Simon and Garfunkel's

popular album "Bridge
Over Troubled Water."

In October of 1970, Mark
Plumber wrote in Melody Maker

about Sabbath becoming
a victim of fan worship.

Sudden mainstream popularity
proved a double edged sword.

On the one hand, it was
gratifying to reap their fruits

of all their hard work.

But on the other hand,

pop fans were turning up at their shows,

which made it seem like
Sabbath was selling out.

Although the group initially
welcomed the attention,

it ultimately made them uncomfortable.

Guitarist Tony Iommi recalled,

"Top Of The Pops attracted a
lot of younger screaming kids.

We weren't that type of band.

It felt wrong to us."

Lead singer Ozzy Osborne said,

"the kids who came out were okay,

but it wasn't what we
were trying to achieve.

Bubblegum bands come and go.

We were attracting
people who were just fans

for the minute, mostly women.

And then of course, they
eventually disappeared.

We didn't wanna attract
that type of fan base.

We wanted fans who were genuine."

Even one of their early
supporters came out

against the Sab Four
once they were famous.

♪ It's National ♪

♪ Radio One ♪

- John Peel was a DJ on
BBC Radio Station Radio One

where he hosted a show called "Top Gear."

In one of his regular
segments on that show,

known as the "Peel Sessions",

he would have an artist
come into the BBC studio

and record up to four songs live.

This was a powerful way to promote a band.

And often the first
major national coverage

many performers achieved.

As early as 1969

and long before today's
social media celebrities,

John Peel was known as an influencer.

Peel first tried to sign
Sabbath to a small record label

after seeing them play
on September 4th, 1969,

but the band turned him down.

Then on November 11th, Peel gave Sabbath

their first opportunity
to be on the radio.

They recorded four songs;

"Black Sabbath"

"Walpurgis"

"War Pigs" with alternative lyrics.

"Fairies Wear Boots"

and "Devil's Island,

later renamed, "Sleeping
Village, A Bit Of Finger."

The recording was broadcast
on November 29th, 1969.

No copies of the recording
are publicly available

or have been proven to still exist.

But in 1971, after Sabbath
saw tremendous success,

Peel said, "Black Sabbath will sell

because it sounds like something else.

You get a process where
each band that is successful

is a watered-down version
of something else."

In another statement referring
to bands like Sabbath,

Deep Purple and Emerson,
Lake & Palmer, Peel said,

"Those bands have lost the
spark somewhere down the line

and are basically going
through a routine."

In response. Iommi said,

"That's one we really can't understand.

We got on really well
with John to begin with,

but something seems to have upset him.

We were really pleased
about getting on TV."

- Oh God, please help me.

Oh, no.

- [Narrator] According to Tony,

the band had no say in
choosing their first single.

"The single was just one
track taken from the album

by the recording company
because they thought

it would sell and was
representative of something we did.

We don't specifically record singles

and the decision to release them

rests with the record company.

But now we have got
hassles with people saying

that we sold out for
getting into the top 10.

It's something of an
achievement and it's okay,

but there won't be a follow up single."

The backlash from fair weathered fans

for selling out was one thing,

far more concerning was public perception

that the members of Black
Sabbath were actually Satanists

and practitioners of black magic.

This PR nightmare had been
brewing ever since the band

changed their name from
Earth to Black Sabbath.

And even though the song Black Sabbath

was written as an
anti-black magic Satan song,

the band could not shake being tagged

as dark and mystical cultists.

In countless interviews, the
band members explicitly stated

that they did not practice black
magic or worship the devil.

Yet, they continued to
receive negative press

and attention from
self-professed Satan worshipers

asking them to perform at black masses.

While the mystique brought them attention

from those on the fringe,

it also kept them from the kind of success

enjoyed by bands like Led Zeppelin.

Clear from interviews in early 1970,

the band had grown
irritated with questions

about the occult as it was
overshadowing their music.

In March, 1970, Ozzy made
those feelings clear by saying,

"You're going to ask about
black magic", he said,

anticipating the line of questioning.

"It's rubbish.

Geezer wrote a song called Black Sabbath.

And at the time we were called Earth,

but we were constantly being confused

with another group with a similar name.

And so we changed it to Black Sabbath.

(rock music)

Sabbath was about to embark
on their first US tour,

the holy grail for any up and coming

European band at the time.

But instead of excited anticipation,

the band was more afraid that
their unwanted satanic image

they had gained in the UK

would follow them over to the states,

uncomfortably aware of how
badly that could hurt them,

an easy rider country.

They had good reason for concern,

the trial of Charles
Manson and his followers

after the brutal sleighing
of Sharon Tate and six others

was in the news almost daily.

Geezer said, "We just hope we don't get

all the black magic confusion over there.

We are frightened by the
thought of the extremists.

We don't want anything to do
with the Charles Manson thing.

We will just be going over there

as a British hard rock band.

Tony added, "We might change
some of the words of the songs,

so we don't have any trouble.

We were never into black magic.

The lyrics were chosen to
go with the heavy music.

The kids are always
trying to interpret lyrics

and they often create
things that aren't there.

The music of Black Sabbath
is simple, basic stuff.

Everybody thinks we're
a black magic group,

but we just picked the
name because we liked it.

I agree some of the numbers on the LP

are about supernatural things,

but that's as far as it goes."

But it wasn't just their
name and misunderstood lyrics

that pushed the critics
to cry, "Satanists."

Black Sabbath was often confused

with another British
band named Black Widow,

a band who leaned hard into the satanic

and black magic imagery
and wanted the notoriety

of being the band for devil worshipers.

During one of the tours,

Black Widow has secured
the services of Maxine,

wife of England's chief
witch, Alex Sanders,

to appear in their stage
show as Lady Astaroth,

a tormented girl from the 18th century

who was driven insane
and jumped to her death.

Maxine would end up
naked at the show's end

and simulate sex with
the band's lead vocalist.

Ironically, their biggest song was called

"Come To The Sabbath."

but there was another
more direct connection

between the two bands.

Black Sabbath's new
manager, Patrick Meehan

had previously managed Black Widow

and produced their last
album "Sacrificed."

Ozzy said, "a lot of people
have a grudge against us

because of this black magic thing,

but it has gotten all out of proportion.

At one time, we got so
confused with Black Widow,

It was unbelievable.

We're two completely different bands

in music and everything."

Black Sabbath's confusion with Black Widow

got so bad that the
band actually considered

changing their name again.

But the Meehan's had convinced Sabbath

that Black Widow would
be changing their image.

Ironically, when Black Widow

did back down on the occult
imagery, their notoriety faded.

(rock music)

Being associated with the devil

never went away for black Sabbath

or even Ozzy as a solo artist.

But to be fair, Sabbath and
Ozzy both used this imagery

to their advantage as the years rolled on.

And it's also fair to say
that the British record label

Vertigo and manager Jim
Simpson knew the occult

was seen as a powerful
marketing strategy to tap into

or create the next big
thing in the youth market.

Long hair no longer shot,

bright and patterned
clothes no longer shot,

drug use no longer shot.

So the occult, perhaps the
last taboo along with sexuality

was willingly deployed.

Simpson later admitted that he did

make up stories for shock value.

Vertigo didn't help things

by releasing the first
album on Friday the 13th,

or having an inverted cross
on the inside of the album.

Although the second album saw
a shift from the perceived

satanic preoccupations
of the debut release,

"Paranoid" was still an album
shot through with dark themes.

In the process of backpedaling
away from the supernatural,

the band refused to celebrate

the witch's Sabbath at Stone Hinge.

This rejection allegedly caused

Alex Sander's, head witch in England

to cast a spell on Sabbath.

This story, which would
be denied and affirmed

over the coming years would become part

of the Sabbath mythology
in a way that illustrates

the awkward push, pull that existed

between the band and their
co-opting of horror imagery.

Uncertain what to expect in the US,

the band decided to test the
waters across the Atlantic

with a small exploratory
tour in the fall of 1970.

(rock music)

Sabbath had looked at coming
over earlier in the year,

but the reasons why
they didn't are cloudy.

Some statements indicate it
was because of the unrest

with college students
protesting the Vietnam war.

Part of this theory came from
the rumor that Black Sabbath

had canceled the US tour
before it even started

after the Fillmore East and West

shut down for the summer of 1970,

due to the possibilities of violence.

In reality, neither Fillmore Club

ever closed during this time.

Another theory, was that in early 1970,

Sabbath was in talks
with Patrick Meehan Jr

about hiring him as a manager.

Still, since they hadn't
officially signed with them yet,

they needed first to ditch Simpson,

and then they could
resume pushing the band

to the land of the yanks.

The final theory, as
Butler mentioned earlier

was at the same time in July

as Sabbath was planning
to play San Francisco,

the Charles Manson trial began

and worried about Sabbath's
supposed controversial lyrics

and how audiences might respond,

the record company, Warner Brothers

may have squashed the whole outing.

Now with the Meehan
family, junior and senior

firmly in place as their managers

and "Paranoid" tearing
up the charts in the UK,

it was time to go spread
the sound of Sabbath.

Patrick Meehan Senior stayed in the office

and mainly served as an overseer

while Patrick Meehan Junior's
role was more hands on.

(rock music)

The band touched down at JFK airport

on Wednesday, October 28th, 1970.

It was the first time that
any of them had set foot

on American soil and they didn't care

that it was a low budget tour

since they were playing
some of the most prestigious

small gigs on the east and west coast.

According to Iommi, one of
the stupidest things they did

was haul their entire PA system

instead of renting one in the US,

not realizing the US had a
different electrical system,

Sabbath promptly blew out the power

in the first place they played.

With a ticket price of a $1.50 to $2.50,

the band played their first gig

at Glassboro State College
on Friday, October 30th.

This contradicts Ozzy
and Tony's autobiography

where they state that the first gig

was Unganos in New York.

But the proof of this newspaper ad shows

they did not play Unganos until three days

after the Glassboro gig.

Their tour promoter, Rick Green
confirmed that Glass Barrel

was in fact their first gig in the US.

He said, "The group didn't
arrive at the college

until 11:30 PM for an 8:00 PM concert.

And didn't take the stage until 1:00 AM.

A minute into the first song,

they blew out the power to
their enormous sound system.

But about 10 minutes later,
it was all back to normal.

They started playing again,
but this time they blew out

not only the power in the gym,

but the campus and most of the
power in the neighborhood."

You can also see the promotional flyer

Green's little sister
created for the show.

This flyer would later be sold

at Christie's Auction in 2007.

The last bit of proof is
on Ozzy's own website,

showing Glassboro as the first

Sabbath concert on US soil.

Sabbath would play in 10
cities with over 18 shows

for the next five weeks.

According to one music critic,

they blew headliner, Rod Stewart

and the faces off the Fillmore East Stage.

According to Tony,

"When we went on, the crowd
went absolutely mental.

Then Rod Stewart came on and the crowd

began throwing things at him.

It was just incredible.

And from then on,

we became like the
underground band in America."

(rock music)

Originally they were supposed
to open for Alice Cooper

at the Infamous Whiskey A
Go-Go Club in West Hollywood.

But when Cooper canceled,

Sabbath went from opener to headliner

for their five dates with
two shows and nights.

(rock music)

At the Fillmore West, they
shared a four night stand

with future Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh

and his band, The James Gang.

Iommi said, "We did the Fillmore West

in San Francisco with them.

And Joe Walsh was smoking
this bloody angel dust.

Right before the gig, Geezer said,

'I'll just have a puff of that.'

Ozzy joined them.

They thought they were
just smoking a joint."

But maybe the most significant
name they played with

was still relatively unknown at the time,

that came on their last date
before heading back to England,

when they played in Ashbury, New Jersey,

their opening act was the Steel Mill band,

featuring a young Bruce Springsteen.

Overall, the exploratory
tour was a huge success.

Just as America loved Sabbath,
so Sabbath loved America.

Ozzy said, "It's every
British band's dream

to play the states."

Coming from Birmingham where
the fucking son never shines,

it was magic to us."

Before we move on, I'd
like to call out one

Black Sabbath rumor that
is not entirely true.

And even Tony Iommi got it
wrong in his autobiography.

Anton LaVey, the very real
founder of the church of Satan

never held a parade in
honor of Black Sabbath.

What did happen, was there
was a parade in San Francisco

where the record company had a float

promoting Black Sabbath.

A man resembling Anton
LaVey rode the float,

but was it him?

If you look at the video,
it sure looks like LaVey,

but there is no further
evidence to back this up.

LaVey doesn't mention it
in his authorized biography

and has been outspoken in his
dislike of heavy rock music.

All the video shows is
a parade that included

a single Black Sabbath float,

paid for presumably by Warner Brothers.

(guitar riffing)

At the end of November, 1970,

the band returned to England
and immediately started

a mini tour of Europe from December 5th

in Liverpool, England,

to December 19th in Paris
at the Olympia Theater.

They would have 12 days to rest

before starting to record
their heaviest album.

1970 was a whirlwind of
a year for Black Sabbath.

They started the year as virtual unknowns

and by the end, they had
released two iconic albums,

hated by critics, but loved by fans.

From this point forward,
Sabbath would be known rightly

as the fathers of heavy metal,

even though they were
all under 23 years old.

(rock music)

Five decades later, it's
challenging to take in

just how frantic the pace was

for the most successful bands

in the late 60's and early 70's.

Whereas, acts these days

record an album every three or four years,

Sabbath was picking at
a time when turning out

two albums every 12
months or so was the norm.

As a result, they were
already thinking about

their next record when
their first US tour ended,

as the band struggled to work around

their frantic touring schedule,

"Master of Reality" would
be the first Sabbath LP

that was recorded piecemeal

rather than in a concentrated
burst of activity.

On the very first day of 1971,

Black Sabbath entered
the studio to start work

on what would be one
of the most influential

heavy records of all time.

The band went to Island Studios

and worked with for the last time,

the same duo who pushed the sliders

on the first two records,
producer Roger Bain

and engineer, Tom Allom.

Tom would end up being the
future Judas Priest producer.

In addition to having a bit
more time in the studio,

they also went from having
a poultry eight tracks

to record on, to a true
multi 16 track recorder,

which meant they could do more overdubs

and experiment with their sounds.

(rock music)

Amongst the handful of tracks
recorded at this stage were;

"After Forever" and "Into The Void."

Although the latter, was
still known at this point

by it's working title "Spanish Sid."

Both songs were played during
the band's brief UK tour

in January and during their
subsequent American jaunt,

although "Spanish Sid"/"Into The void"

was still being lyrically refined.

Arguably, the most bizarre
recording to be taped

during that session at
Island was something

the band called "Weevil Woman '71."

(rock music)

Presumably, a mocking
reference to "Evil Woman."

The song they'd been forced to
cover as their debut single.

At the same time the band
was going into the studio,

Their album "Paranoid" came
out in the United States.

When "Paranoid" was released in the UK

on September 18th, 1970,

their debut album was
selling so well in the US,

a half million copies in the first month,

Warner Brothers decided
to delay the release

of their second album.

"Paranoid" would reach
number 12 on the US charts

and quickly go platinum.

Then on January 27th,
they flew over 42 hours

with multiple stops to
arrive in Adelaide, Australia

to headline at the my Myponga
Festival on January 31st,

this would be the first
time they played down under

and the first time they would headline

a multi-day music festival.

Next, they had intended to
play some dates in Japan,

but were denied entry due to
their spotty criminal records.

Ozzy for burglary and Tony
and Bill for marijuana.

It was rumored they ran
into the same problem again

in April of '72, when they
attempted to revisit Japan.

As it would turn out, Black
Sabbath did not perform in Japan

until November, 1980 while
Ronnie James Dio was in the band.

With Japan out of the picture,

they had a few extra
days of R&R in Australia

before another 40 hour
trip to the Netherlands

where they played two dates
on February 6th and 7th.

At the time, Sabbath was
still the four Musketeers,

ordinary lads from Aston

who were all for one and one for all.

And the band was the number one priority.

Despite their jet lag

and without stopping
to catch their breath,

they flew from Amsterdam to England

and traveled straight
to the studios in London

to resume work on their next album.

(upbeat rocK music)

But time in the studio
would again be cut short.

It was time to fly back to the US

and officially tour for
the "Paranoid" album.

Unlike the us tour just two months ago,

this time they would headline most dates.

The exception being Grand Funk
Railroad and Mountain gigs.

Now, they would be playing
in front of a thousand

to 15,000 Black Sabbath fans nightly,

sometimes playing two shows a night.

On this North American trip,

they would cross the border twice

for the first time to play in Canada.

Future mega bands like Fleetwood Mack

and the J Isles Band opened.

Only the year before,
they were making 50 pounds

for playing the Bankland's Youth Club.

And only six months before that,

at the same club they
announced their name change

from Earth to Black Sabbath.

On the second night of
the tour, February 18th,

they played an uncommon
stop for most rock bands.

Union Catholic High School in
Scott's Plains, New Jersey.

The student body contacted
the band's booking agent,

asking if Sabbath would
play at their school.

Tired of the usual dull
bake sales and dances,

the students at Union
Catholic endeavored upon

a novel approach to fundraising.

It first started with The Who
concert at the school in 1967,

followed by other notable
bands, such as Chicago,

Blood, Sweat And Tears and Cream.

Black Sabbath would be the
last band to play there.

(rock music)

One firsthand account said,

"As the concert started,
Ozzy came out with his band

from our left, then froze mid stage,

facing him right up front where rows

of seated priests and
nuns in the audience.

I still remember the
puzzled look on his face.

He then shrugged his shoulders and began.

Apparently the nuns and priests

had commandeered the first two rows.

The Marsist Brother who was
assigned to the student council,

took one look at Ozzy,

wearing a big cross and
chain around his neck

and turned to a member of
the student body and said,

"Finally, you booked a Christian band."

No one had the heart
to tell him the truth.

The sold out concert with an
estimated 2200 in attendance

would gross over $8,803.50.

That's over $62,222.

Black Sabbath would go down as
the biggest revenue generator

in all of Union Catholic High
School's concert history.

Sabbath's generosity to help raise money

for charity was not a one off.

On the same tour a few weeks later,

they would play another benefit
show in Paramus, New Jersey,

the St. Matthew's Episcopal
Church Coffee House

sponsored Sabbath on March 9th.

Profits for the two shows
went to work projects

and inner city missions

and local bands got to
audition to open for the Brits.

This is just one of the reasons

Sabbath is considered
a band for the people.

(rock music)

The US tour lasted from February
17th until April 4th, 1971.

And when they returned to
England around April 6th,

the boys headed back into the studio

for a quick couple of
days before heading out

on April 14th for a 10
date Scandinavian tour.

Then on April 26th, they
ended the "Paranoid Tour"

triumphantly at the Royal Albert Hall,

where just four months earlier,

the hall had refused to let them play

in fear of fan violence.

At this show, they were awarded

their gold records for "Paranoid."

Around this time, 21
year old Ozzy found out

that his then girlfriend was pregnant

with their first child.

Ozzy had met Thelma Riley,
also known as Thelma Mayfair

at the Rum Runner Bar in Birmingham.

That's where Thelma worked
part-time as a waitress

when she wasn't teaching.

After living together for a few months,

Ozzy decided the proper
thing to do was marry Thelma

before the baby arrived.

So in July, 1971, Ozzy and
Thelma got married quietly

at the Registry Office.

Some said that they were
married on April 1st,

but that could not have happened
since Sabbath played a gig

in Rochester, New York on that day.

Months later, Ozzy would adopt
Thelma's five year old son,

Elliot Kingsley from a previous marriage.

Among Thelma's various talents,

she was a gifted seamstress

and designed all of the stage outfits

Ozzy wore on tour throughout the 70's.

The following year on January 20th, 1972,

they would welcome Jessica
Starshine Osborne to the family.

In 1975, Ozzy's second child with Thelma,

Lewis was born.

♪ Now I'm sorry ♪

♪ For the things I've done ♪

Ozzy would later admit to
being a horrible father

and husband to his first family.

Adultery, spousal abuse, animal
cruelty and child neglect.

Ozzy said years later, "Thelma
really suffered with me.

And I really regret that.

If there's one thing
I wish for in my life,

it's that I could take it all back,

but of course you could
never take violence back

of any kind and I'll take
this to the grave with me."

Ozzy and Thelma divorced in 1982,

and in the same year he married
his manager, Sharon Arden

with whom he had been having an affair.

(rock music)

There are various accounts
of when Black Sabbath

finished recording "Master Of Reality",

but most reports point
to the last week of May,

as the band prepared for the studio,

Ozzy warned the press that the
new record was going to rock.

Telling one reporter that the
third album was going to be

"The heaviest we've done.

It's going to be heavier than before

because that's what people want.

I don't know whether Led
Zeppelin made a big mistake

or not with their third album,

but personally I think a lot
of people were disillusioned.

If we ever decide to go
acoustic with the band,

we would do it gradually.

But at the moment people want heavy music.

The heavier the better."

Tony Iommi said that musically,

master of reality was a
continuation of "Paranoid."

I think all would agree
that with the exception

of how they tune their instruments,

his statement is accurate.

There are three songs
on "Master of Reality",

where they all turn their
instruments down three semitones.

These are "Children Of The Grave",

"Lord Of This World" and "Into The Void."

Without getting too deep
into musical jargon,

This means they tuned
their bass and guitars

lower than most, if not
all musicians at the time.

This created a uniquely
rich, dark baritone

that no one else had.

In another interview, Tony stated,

"It was all part of an experiment,

tuning down together for
a bigger, heavier sound.

Back then all the other bands

had rhythm guitarists or keyboards,

but we made do with guitar,
bass, guitar and drums.

So we tried to make them
sound as fat as possible.

Tuning down just seemed
to give it more depth.

I think I was the first one to do that."

As far as we can tell, Tony is right.

Not only was he the first one
in popular music to tune down,

but he also started a way
of playing heavy music

that continues to this very day.

This tuning down approach helped create

many music sub genres,

including the grunge sound of the 90's,

Djent, which is a sub genre of heavy metal

characterized by low guitar tunings.

Stoner rock, Nu metal and many more.

So not only was "Master Of Reality"

a classic hard rock album,

It was an album that
influenced thousands of bands.

The album title "Master Of
Reality came from Geezer Butler.

Who said, "When you do an album,

you've got the master tapes.

So it was the master of the album

and all the lyrics were about reality."

So at the time it made sense
for the band to write a song

about the reality of their love

for the devil's lettuce, marijuana.

- This is grass.

- You mean marijuana?

- Yeah.

♪ All right now ♪

(Tony coughing)

- [Narrator] "Sweet
Leaf" begins with a cough

that moves from the left
to the right channel

as it becomes more distorted
and ends in a loop.

The cough comes from Tony.

Having just taken a toke on a joint

given to him by Ozzy.

When handed the joint, Tony was working

on a separate acoustic
track, but it's inclusion

for the beginning of
"Sweet Leaf" makes sense.

As the lyrics are essentially
a love letter to cannabis.

The cough sets up not only
the lyrical theme of the song,

but also the tempo.

(rock music)

This love song for bud was almost

a love song for someone else.

An earlier version of the lyrics
was not drug related at all

and included the line such as

♪ I want you baby ♪

♪ To be my wife ♪

♪ To love and cherish ♪

♪ For the rest of my life ♪

The love song tone remained,

but instead of the subject being a person,

it became about the jazz cabbage

after Geezer returned from Ireland.

Geezer said, "I'd just
come back from Dublin

and they had these cigarettes
called Sweet Afton,

which you could only get in the Ireland.

And we were going, 'what
could we write about'

I took out this cigarette
packet and as you open it,

it's got on the lid, 'The
sweetest leaf you can buy.'

And I was like, 'Ah, Sweet Leaf.'"

We hate to contradict Geezer's memory,

but our research shows that
packages of Sweet Afton's

actually said "The best
that money can buy."

Not "The sweetest leaf you can buy."

And there was no mention of
Sweet Leaf on the packaging,

but there was another
brand of cigarettes Ogden

that was manufactured outta Liverpool

and had the exact tagline of "Sweet Leaf."

Perhaps Geezer's mind conflated the two.

If you think we got it wrong,

let us know in the comments below.

(rock music)

Some have insinuated that
Sweet Leaf guitar riff

was taken from Frank Zappa

and the Mothers Of Invention's
"Hungry Freak's Daddy."

(rock music)

Although Geezer was a big fan of Zappa,

I think it's a Meehan
coincidence of notes.

What isn't a coincidence of notes,

is the use of the rift
in the Beastie Boys song,

"Rhymin & Stealin."

In that song, the main
guitar riff is paired

with a loop of a drum sample

from Led Zeppelin's
"When The Lovey Breaks."

The biggest song to ever give

a tip of the hat to "Sweet Leaf"

was the ending music passage of

The Red Hot Chili Pepper's
hit song, "Give It Away."

("Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.)

Chilli Pepper's guitarist, John Frusciante

is a known Sabbath fan

and intentionally wanted to emulate

the sounds of "Master Of Reality.

He said, "The template
for Stadium Arcadium

was to have an album like Black
Sabbath's Master of Reality,

where the guitars are in stereo,

hard left, hard right and it's
just the simple power chord

and sounds as thick as you'd
ever want it to sound."

(rock music)

If you have early copies of
the North American version

of the first four albums,

you have probably
noticed extra song titles

but no actual additional songs.

Those are ghost titles,

Warner Brother bands
who played longer songs

needed to give the
appearance of more songs

due to their publishing agreement.

So for Black Sabbath to feature
a minimum of 10 song titles,

those additional titles
were added afterward

to various sections of songs,
which was common practice

amongst rock bands of the era.

After "Forever's Floating"
instrumental intro

was given one of those
ghost titles, "The Elegy."

(ominous music)

(rock music)

Where "Sweet Leaf" was light in topic,

"After Forever" is like a
fist hammering on the pulpit.

A devout Catholic who once
considered becoming a priest,

Geezer Butler wrote the
words to this track,

partly to refute the band's satanic image.

Yet as explicitly pro
Christian as the lyrics are,

this fact alluded those
who refused to believe it

or look beyond the dark sounding music.

Ironically, despite the
songs pious message,

the band still managed to get into trouble

with complaints being
directed at the line ...

♪ Would you like to see the Pope ♪

♪ On the end of a rope ♪

♪ Do you think he's a fool ♪

Taken of course, out of
context by it's detractors.

Geezer said, "That song just says

that once you get to the end

are you going to be
prepared for what you find?

Have you lived a good life?"

Geezer also once put it this way.

"We were getting accused
of all sorts of things,

the whole Satan thing and everything.

And 'After Forever' is
just about all these people

that were following us around
that were into the occult

and all the so-called Jesus freaks.

So as a response to them,
I wrote 'After Forever',

it raises the question,

when you're on your
deathbed, who you gonna call,

God or the devil?"

- Who are you?

- We're the band Sanctified.

We play metal and punk,

but with lyrics that
inspire faith in Christ.

- Yeah, we proved that Christian music

can be tough and hardcore.

- Yeah, you guys are real hardcore.

- You bet your gosh darn rear end we are.

- Say it down from Heaven!

The spirit and glory!

(rock music)

- [Narrator] "After
Forever" may be the first

Christian metal song ever written.

It would be covered years later by

the all Christian metal band "Stryper"

with all the original lyrics intact.

More influentially, it would
establish a through line

in the heavy metal genre
of songs centered on

biblical themes that
carried over the decades

with countless bands but comes
directly from Black Sabbath.

As this was not a topic
Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin

or even the acid rock
bands were writing about.

♪ I think it was true ♪

♪ It was people like you ♪

♪ That crucified Christ ♪

- Unfortunately, even positive words

can have a negative effect
on someone mentally unstable.

Apparently, serial killer
David Berkowitz AKA Son of Sam

would use Sabbath lyrics
in his rambling writings.

Ozzy said, "You remember
that guy from New York,

Son of Sam who was killing all the chicks?

When they got into his apartment,

he supposedly had the
lyrics to 'After Forever'

written on his wall.

I thought, 'Fuck me',
are we going too far?'"

The way people misinterpret lyrics

would continue to be an issue
for Ozzy for years to come.

"Embryo" is a 28 second
track for solo guitar

that gives birth to
"Children Of The Grave."

This two stream medieval jaunt is Tony

letting you catch your breath before he

and the rest of the band propel you

on a galloping ride with a
horseman of the apocalypse.

Tony said, "I'd like to come up

with some instrumental
guitar tracks like 'Embryo.'

It's a little classical thing
to give it a little space

and create some light and shade.

If you listen to an album or even a song

from start to finish and
it's all pounding away,

you don't notice the heaviness of it

because there is no light in between it.

And that's why sometimes in
the middle of songs as well,

I put a light part in to
make the riff sound heavy

when it comes back in.

(rock music)

"Children Of The Grave"
with a working title

of "Live In The Graveyard",

illustrates the continuing
Sabbath knack of making

a song title sound as if it was something

from a horror film, when in fact

the lyrics deals with a
different topic entirely.

Far from being about any kind
of undead or similar theme,

the track is another of
Butler's anti-war messages,

coupled with his belief
in nonviolent revolution.

The titular children are
marching to take over the world

in the name of peace and love,

being doomed only to become
children of the grave

if they fail this noble undertaking,

Ozzy calls it "The most kick
ass song we'd ever recorded."

With it's galloping, syncopated rhythm,

like the four horseman of the apocalypse

on their way to the
end of the world party.

It's the precursor to many metal tunes.

Iron Maiden owes a homage especially.

It's as if all the
turmoil in the inner city

of Birmingham was converted
into strident musical notes.

The benefit of a 16 track studio
over an eight track studio

gave "Children Of The
Grave, a notable extra layer

of percussion with Bill
Ward's, overdubbed tymbals

providing an unsettling tribal-like
beat over the main riff.

"Children Of The Grave" may also be a nod

to one of Tony's and Geezer's

favorite classical
composers, Gustav Hoist.

They're on record saying that

Holst's "Mars, The Bringer Of
War" from the "Planet Suite"

directly influenced their
song, Black Sabbath.

But melodically, you can also hear

"Mars, The Bringer Of War"
on "Children Of The Grave."

If you are getting a "Star Wars"
vibe too, you're not wrong.

John Williams, who did
the score for "Star Wars"

used Holst's "Mars" as an inspiration.

(rock music)

The song simply has the rolling power

of an unstoppable juggernaut

and has been a fixture
in the band set list

and Ozzy's solo set as well

ever since it first appeared.

Indeed as the years have progressed,

the song gradually took
over the ever present Encore

of "Paranoid" as the set
closer that diehards wanted.

The track ends with some
eerie sounding, echoing music

with a repeated whispered voice ...

(eerie music and whispering voice)

which would loop endlessly
in the runoff groove

on the original vinyl.

The closing sounds you hear are calliope

heard more fully on the
instrumental version

released on the Deluxe Edition.

The outro section was credited

on the initial US pressing
as "The Haunting",

but the extra title was
removed for future pressings.

Although there is no
factual evidence for it,

I like to believe the ...

(eerie ghostly voice)

In the Friday The 13th movies
was in some ways influenced

by the outro to "Children Of The Grave.

(tense music)

Where "Embryo" is medieval,

this interlude is
somewhat more Renaissance.

This one and a half minute
Iommi solo acoustic piece

is far more than another "Embryo."

Despite it's brief duration,
this is a supremely delicate

and beautifully composed piece

with a couple of brilliantly
evocative chord progressions

thrown almost casually into the middle.

The short length of the
track may be indicative

of Iommi's lack of confidence

including such a piece
on a Black Sabbath album.

And it wouldn't be until
the following years

that he'd add longer
and more developed works

in the shape of "Laguna Sunrise",

"Fluff" and the intro
to "Spiral Architect."

It may also have been
abbreviated by Roger Bain,

who is notorious for
cutting things like this.

"Orchid" is a nice,
acoustic piece with some

death finger picking
from Iommi that serves

as a light contrast before
being blasted into hell

by the cloven hoofed "Lord Of This World."

(rock music)

Many Sabbath fans claim
"Lord Of This world"

to be the heaviest tune that
Sabbath has ever recorded.

Surprisingly, this most
explicit reference to Satan

is the most thoroughly
Christian song on the album.

The message is simple.

God and the devil both exist.

And if you don't willfully
choose to follow God,

you get the devil by default.

The reference to Satan
as "Lord Of This World"

is straight out of the new Testament.

The ultra-heavy groove is
surprisingly dynamic and rich.

Geezer said, "Lord of
this world was about Satan

because it wasn't God's world.

It was Satan's world.

The devil's more in control now

and happier than ever before.

People can't come together.

There's no equality.

The higher you climb, the more
people you have to cut down.

You feel you're better than other people,

that they're inferior to you.

And it's a sin to put
yourself above other people.

And yet that's what people do."

Lyrically, this is
another piece that follows

the "After Forever" model.

Being a Christian message
couched in black imagery,

a scathing rebuke against those who pursue

materialistic, self-absorbed lives,

unaware that this is the path to Satan

as summed up in this couplet.

♪ You turn to me ♪

♪ In all your worldly green and pride ♪

♪ But now you turn to me ♪

♪ When it's your turn to die ♪

In retrospect, it was an
incredible tight rope act

that the band managed to pull off.

While most bands would've been ridiculed

for their Christian ideals,
Black Sabbath's name,

spooky imagery and uber heavy
music carried them forward.

In effect, they managed
to use the cool trappings

of the dark side common to occult bands

like Black Widow and Coven

while escaping their gimmicky natures

due to their greater
musical and lyrical depth.

All the while, making anti
satanic ideas fascinating.

Sometime when the group
was still called Earth,

before rechristening
themselves as Black Sabbath,

Osborne and Butler had
collaborated on the lyrics

to a song called "Changing Phases",

which turned into "Solitude."

Solitude is a wonderful,
weird tune for Black Sabbath.

And there were many who thought
it can't be Ozzy singing

and assumed it was Bill Ward.

Solitude is a kind of
brother of "Planet Caravan"

with fewer psychedelic effects

and more of a proggy folk rock vibe,

akin to King Crimson's "Moon Child,

or the moody blues "Vision of Paradise."

Ozzy's voice here is masterful

and it shows just how well
he could sing at the time.

♪ My name means nothing ♪

♪ My fortune is less ♪

Ozzy's voice aside, this is
really a Tony Iommi piece.

In addition to a multi-track acoustic

and electric guitar parts,

he also contributes some
excellent flute playing,

a legacy of an interest gained

during his brief stint with Jethro Tull.

Iommi said, "I tried all sorts of things

in the course of doing albums,

even though I couldn't play them.

And after being with Jethro
Tull for a short stint,

I thought I might try the flute.

I did it only to a very
amateurish extent, I must admit."

If you listen to Tony's
playing on "A Song For Jim",

a tribute to their first
manager, Jim Simpson,

you will hear that amateur or not,

he was quite proficient on the flute.

(flute music)

- Welcome back, everybody.

And the first of our
delights for you tonight

is the fantastic ...

- Jethro Tull!

(audience cheering)

- [Narrator] Here's a brief overview

for those who may not know

the tale of Iommi being in Jethro Tull.

Tull's guitarist, Mick Abrams

left the band on November 30th, 1968.

Ian Anderson had seen Earth and Iommi

when they opened for them a week earlier

at the Mother's Club in Erdington

and offered him the job.

Iommi thought it was an excellent
opportunity for himself,

but did not wanna leave
his band mates hanging.

But after the rest of the
band showed their support

by telling Iommi to go for it.

He did, but he quickly learned that

Jethro Tull was more
like a job than a band.

He was there to support Ian Anderson's

vision of Jethro Tull, not
a collective group vision.

That didn't sit right for Tony,

so he put in his notice to leave.

Ian was calm about it, but asked,

"We're in trouble now

because we're doing this film,

'The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus

and we don't have a guitar player.

Would you do that at least?"

Iommi agreed and played with them

on December 11th and 12th.

Iommi had also come up with the riff

in the Tull song, "Nothing Is Easy"

from their sophomore album "Stand up."

Iommi has consistently spoken

of the light and shade
dynamics of Black Sabbath

to provide different
timbers for the listener.

Master of Reality's "Solitude"
provides this contrast

as much as "Planet
Caravan did for "Paranoid"

with its acoustic guitar,
flute and light arrangements,

"Solitude" is both a gorgeous
ode to proggy psychedelia

and palette cleanser for the
heavy, ambitious cruncher

that is "Into The Void."

Much like " Planet
Caravan" was for "Ironman."

(rock music)

The final tune "Into The Void"

is a massive dinosaur stomper

that in my opinion, rivals "War Pigs,

in terms of it's changes and structure.

The gruesomely heavy
rift, dripping with sludge

that opens a song was another ghost title

named "Death Mask."

Originally named "Spanish Sid",

this song is a sequel to
"Children Of The Grave".

Whereas the closing of that song indicated

utopia didn't come about.

The earth is consumed by
destructive power of sin

and the fires of judgment.

And the only place to go is away.

The sons of freedom represent
a remnant of humanity

who make their way beyond
the sun to a new world.

This is also an apt metaphor
for the last judgment

as depicted in the book of Revelation.

"For the damned are condemned
to the lake of fire.

And the righteous are
transported to a new heaven

and a new earth in which they find

everlasting life, peace and happiness."

(rock music)

An absolutely monstrous and
challenging track to make,

Iommi has said that both Ward and Osborne

had trouble nailing this one down.

It was time, effort and
frustration well spent.

Bill Ward said,

"That was Black Sabbath
at it's absolute height

when it was absolutely coming alive.

At that point, Geezer was
writing really strongly

and the band at that point
was unbelievably tight.

We were really becoming confident

due to all the touring we'd done.

Sound garden recorded this for their

1992 re-release of their
"Badmotorfinger" album.

Their version substituted lyrics taken

from a speech given by Chief Sealth,

a Native American Leader in
what is now Washington State.

(rock music)

♪ The whites must treat
the beasts of his land ♪

♪ As his brothers not his enemies ♪

♪ Tell them what is a
man without the beasts ♪

♪ I'll bet he will die of loneliness ♪

Sealth, who lived 1786 to 1866

was also known as Chief Seattle

for which the city where Sound
Garden was formed is named.

Sound Garden was nominated for

a best metal performance
Grammy for the songs.

(rock music)

Before we talk about the
album cover we all know,

did you know another
image was first in line

for Sabbath's next album.

In December, 1970 Black Sabbath

bought a black and white drawing

from a German artist, Peter Reuter.

The plan was for him to come
to London in January of 1971

and create a color version
for Sabbath's next album.

Why it didn't become the cover

for "Master of Reality" is a mystery.

Though, given that the band and label

were trying to move away
from overtly spooky imagery,

this may have been the reason why.

(rock music)

Featuring a pitch black cover with

the band name eerily
painted in funeral purple,

the title of the record was embossed

with bubbly lettering for the UK

and North American release

so that you could feel
it with your fingers.

"Masters of Reality" looked
as ominous as it sounded.

Later editions lacked
the embossed printing

and instead render the
album title in gray.

In his autobiography. Iommi
described the cover as

"Slightly Spinal Tap-ish,
only well before Spinal Tap.

- What do you think?
- Is this the test pressing?

- No, this is it.

- It says "Smell The
Glove" by Spinal Tap--

- That's "Smell The Glove",
that's the jacket cover.

- How much more black could this be?

And the answer is none.

None more black.
- Is that good?

- I think you're rationalizing
this whole thing,

like into something that
you you did on purpose.

You know, I think we're stuck with a very,

very stupid and a very, and
a very dismal looking album.

This is depressing.

(rock music)

- [Narrator] Black and purple
were chosen as the theme

to represent mourning colors.

Many variants occurred around the world

with the majority intending
to make the band's name

more readable beyond
the straight embossing.

Post the initial pressings,

There have been several variants worldwide

of the color scheme with red, orange

and all but purple lettering
occasionally being used,

but always with the same basic design.

According to disc.com,
over 200 variants exist

of the "Master of Reality" album cover.

The original UK issues of the album

had the sleeve constructed as a thin box,

opening with a flat at
the top, like an envelope.

A large six panel fold out
poster was housed inside

featuring a sinister shot of
the band standing under a tree.

The photo was taken by
Keith McMillan, AKA Keef,

who was responsible for the cover artwork

of "Black Sabbath" and "Paranoid."

The location was Black Park,

a country park in Wexham, England.

The Bloomsbury Group who
designed the cover and McMillan,

would team up again for
Sabbath's next album "Vol 4."

This was also the first
Black Sabbath record

on which the lyrics were reproduced

on the back of the sleeve,

which should have clarified

what the band was about once and for all.

Early US pressings were the hallmark

of injudicious planning
when the title appeared

in the plural as "Masters of
Reality" on the vinyl label.

"Master of reality" was the
first Black Sabbath album,

other than cover songs that didn't include

full band credits for each song.

Initially "Orchid",
"Embryo", and oddly enough,

"After Forever" were mistakenly
credited only to Iommi.

This was changed when the
black box was released

and the tunes, even "Orchid" and "Embryo"

were credited to the entire band.

- [Reporter] Black
Sabbath has just released

their third album.

It's called "Master of Reality."

(rock music)

- [Interviewer] What do you
think about Black Sabbath?

- [Fan] I love them.

- [Interviewer] Why?

- [Female Fan] I dunno,
like they're a good group.

Couldn't explain it.

You know, they're outrageous.

- [Female Fan 2] think
Black Sabbath is fantastic.

They play what they feel
and not like put on,

Black Sabbath really
knows what they're doing.

- [Announcer] Music that
drives, Master of Reality

by Black Sabbath on Warner Brothers.

(rock music)

- [Narrator] The album
would be released in the UK

in July and in the US in August of 1971.

One of the unique promotions
that they had for the album

was lifted from the
blockbuster at the time,

"Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

Sabbath randomly inserted
500 golden tickets

into copies of a "Master Of Reality."

(triumphant music)

- You got it, you've got
the last golden ticket!

(rock music)

- [Narrator] The ticket
stated, "In 10 words or less

explain why you love
Black Sabbath's music."

The winner would get to hang
out with Sabbath for the day.

The winner ended up being
writer Metal Mike Saunders,

and the 10 words or less that
won it for him was simply,

"Black Sabbath have discovered
the secret of sound."

In the description, I
will link his article

about his experience named

"A Dorito and 7-Up Picnic
with Black Sabbath."

(rock music)

"Master of Reality" was a commercial hit,

a top five album in the UK

and a top 10 success in America.

It's the distinct point
where Sabbath proved

they were here to stay and far
from a current fad of 1970.

They were able to capitalize
on the brilliant music

they had created the year before

and enhanced to the stage further,

all the while selling a ton
of records and concert tickets

and not to mention kick
starting new genres

and inspiring musicians
who were at the time,

either toddlers or not even born yet.

1971 was a great year for Black Sabbath

and marked the turning point for them

as they became a massive
act stateside and worldwide,

yet critics still didn't get it.

Sabbath were still written
about as uncouth hoodlums

making simple music for grubby people.

Even though the album shipped gold,

went double platinum in the US

and sold nearly 5
million copies worldwide,

there were still a few critics
that hated Black Sabbath

for purportedly killing the hippie dream.

Bill Ward said, "When we
did Master, I thought,

'My God surely, this has got
to get some credibility.'

Because I love Master of Reality.

It's one of the best
albums I've ever heard."

If we look at it through the lens of time,

it's an iconic piece of music,

Billy Corgan, leader of
the Smashing Pumpkins

considers "Master of Reality"

the album that spawned grunge.

Rolling stone magazine, ranked the album

in their list of the top
500 albums of all time.

Bill Ward said "When we
completed that album,

we were, as far as I'm
concerned, truly veterans.

I always looked at the first three albums

as part of the same time period for us.

But for me, it was Master of Reality

that defined how good we'd become.

The band had sort of
reached a pinnacle with it,

while I like all those records,

This is the one where I
believe we'd found ourselves.

This is really the first
proper studio album.

It also marked the point at which we began

to develop into something else."

(rock music)

♪ All right, everybody let's go! ♪

Master of Reality was the
beginning and an ending.

Money, tours, unadulterated adulation,

and unqualified success
had come their way.

It is a marvel that black
Sabbath did survive,

albeit somewhat for the worst.

The band would go on to do their

usual routine of tour, record, repeat.

The Master of Reality Tour

is where they'd find
their love for cocaine.

Feel the wrong side of success

and start to lose their innocence.

- [Ozzy] We love you all, yeah!

Goodnight, we love you!

(audience cheering)