The Black Sabbath Story - Vol. 1 - 1970-1978 DVD

It is possible that Black Sabbath enjoy a higher global profile now that at any point in the group's long history. This, of course, is largely due to singer Ozzy Osbourne's undignified but profitable decision to allow MTV to portray him as a sort of heavy metal Grandpa Simpson. Possibly as a result of his immense celebrity, Osbourne didn't find the time to be interviewed for this retrospective documentary. However, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are on hand to provide a telling of events which, while never as entertaining as Osbourne's familiar routine, is... at least more coherent. Osbourne is irrepressibly present in the archive performance footage collected here, shot at various points between 1970 and 1978. The early stuff is especially interesting, proving beyond doubt that Sabbath--whether they realised it or not--had much more in common with the prototypical punks like The Stooges and the MC5, who were then starting to make waves in America, than they have with the uncountable long-haired and leather-trousered heavy metal bozos who have attempted to fill Sabbath's shoes since. On the DVD: The Black Sabbath Story is presented in widescreen. Sound is available in Dolby 5.1 Surround or Dolby Digital. The menu of extras is a little confusing to negotiate, but includes further interviews with band members, a gallery of Sabbath albums, and a long re-telling of Sabbath's very early history by former manager Jim Simpson.--Andrew Mueller [show more]

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