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1982: a pivotal year for Black Sabbath. Ronnie James Dio, who had infused his mystical poetry into two masterpieces like "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules," leaves the band slamming the door due to disagreements with Tony Iommi regarding the recording of "Live Evil" (a live not particularly thrilling, especially for the Divine’s performance on pre-1980 tracks) to start a solo career, followed by trusty drummer Vinnie Appice.
Tony Iommi is therefore forced for the second time to reorganize the band, and naturally, the main issue was finding a new frontman worthy of the Black Sabbath. After wooing David Coverdale, who declines the Sabbathian sirens to focus on his Whitesnake, the choice falls none other than on the legendary Ian Gillan, former singer of Deep Purple mk II and struggling with a rather unsatisfying solo career. The contract signing occurs under somewhat picturesque circumstances; to this day, old Ian does not recall ever agreeing to become the frontman of BS, and legend has it that Iommi got him drunk to secure the much-coveted consent. The lineup is completed by the return of old drummer Bill Ward (who was still grappling with his alcohol dependency, to the point that in the failed tour post "Born Again" he would be replaced by Bev Bevan) and obviously by the trusty Geoff Nichols on keyboards.
The album marks a clear departure from the hard rock sounds with epic-Rainbow influences of its two predecessors to settle into a hard, vehement, and passionate mood, making it a unique record in the entire Black Sabbath discography. The added value is indeed Sir Ian Gillan, who fills every song with dizzying high notes and ecstatic screams, showcasing all his monstrous abilities, thus rendering "Born Again" a dazzling forge of emotions.
The opener "Trashed" is one of the most devastating pieces in the entire Sabbathian repertoire. Iommi engages in sharp and distorted riffs, and Ian Gillan adds his touch by narrating in an almost epic and heroic manner a reckless tequila-fueled night (a true event) where he crashed poor Bill Ward’s car. Four minutes of earth-shattering hard rock at maximum power. Then everything calms down with the brief instrumental "Stonehenge" where Geoff Nichols' keyboard crafts fascinating and ecstatic harmonies, accompanied by the beating of a heart. And it is only the calm before the storm....
Here comes one of the songs I consider fundamental for truly understanding Black Sabbath, namely the five minutes of total madness "Disturbing The Priest". Iommi delivers razor-sharp guitar chops and, above all, Gillan outdoes himself, producing hallucinatory screams and piercing high notes in industrial quantities, reaching an impressive range of styles and registers: from the triumphant tone of the chorus to the dark and hallucinatory one of the verses. Extreme metal is born with this song. From one masterpiece to another: "Zero The Hero, launched by the brief instrumental "The Dark" is characterized by an intense and obsessive riff that repeats throughout the song, enriched by Nichols’ keyboard effects. The song features sarcastic lyrics and a perfect stadium chant-worthy chorus, complete with an echo. Dizzying and deafening, Iommi's solo.
"Digital Bitch" is a notch below the previous three masterpieces: a nice, fast-paced, and catchy hard rock piece, great attack riff, and the usual great Gillan. The lyrics speak about a woman (Sharon Arden, some say) whose identity is not certain. What is certain, however, is that the Sabs did not have much sympathy for her "She's the richest bitch in town". Then the atmosphere becomes more tortured and dreamlike, and the beautiful title track starts, one of the most poetic tracks from the Birmingham foursome, speaking of a man who has lost the will to live "The tapestries all faded, their vague and distant glory, concealed in the gloom" reminiscing about bygone times hoping for a rebirth. Gillan's high note in the chorus is nothing short of stunning, almost otherworldly. "Hot Line" is in theory the "worst" song on the album: an excellent hard/blues very passionate and fervent, which introduces us to "Keep It Warm", a kind of semi-ballad that tells the story of a man leaving his woman to live an adventurous life, but promising his return, like a modern Ulysses. Beautiful and bright chorus, fading out at the end, closing this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
But it is known, Ian Gillan's experience with Black Sabbath was not so happy: the contrasts with Iommi and the lukewarm reception from fans, who did not understand "Born Again," along with Sir Ian’s rather poor performance on pre-Born Again songs, especially those from the Dio period, led to the inevitable break-up, from which Iommi, also abandoned by trusty Geezer Butler, would manage to recover only 3 years later, but that's another story...
Horrible and disturbing cover at the same time.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Trashed (04:15)
It really was a meeting
The bottle took a beating
The ladies of the manor
Watched me climb into my car and I was
Going down the track about a hundred and five
They had the stopwatch rolling
I had the headlights blazing I was really alive
And yet my mind was blowing
I drank a bottle of tequila and I felt real good
But on the twenty-fifth lap at the canal turn
I went off exploring
I knew I wouldn't make it the car just wouldn't make it
I was turning the tires burning
The ground was in my sky
I was laughing the bitch was trashed
And death was in my eye
I had started pretty good and I was feeling my way
I had the wheels in motion
There was Peter and the Greenfly laughing like drains
Inebriation
The crowd was roaring I was at Brands Hatch
In my imagination
But at the canal turn I hit an oily patch
Inebriation
Ooh Mr. Miracle, you saved me from some pain
I thank you Mr. Miracle, I won't get trashed again
Ooh, can you hear my lies
Don't you bother with this fool just laugh into my eyes
So we went back to the bar and hit the bottle again
But there was no tequila
Then we started on the whiskey just to steady our brains
'Cause there was no tequila
And as we drank a little faster at the top of our hill
We began to roll
And as we got trashed we were laughing still
Oh bless my soul
03 Disturbing the Priest (05:48)
Let's try getting to the sky, hang on or you're going to die
Sour life can turn sweet, it's laying at your feet
Sweet child with an innocent smile watches closely all the while
Don't be fooled when he cries, keep looking at the eyes
Good life is contradiction because of the crucifixion
If you're ready and have the need, I will take your soul and plant my seed
You just gotta listen to the night at the ending of the day
You just gotta listen to the night as safety slips away
Moving out of sight are the things you need to see to feel
And as they slip away becoming so unreal unreal
You just gotta listen to the night as you're going up the stairs
You just gotta listen to the night and don't forget to say your prayers
And as you lose control to the eyes in dark disguise
And icy fingers send electric lies
We're disturbing the priest, won't you please come to our feast
Do we mind disturbing the priest, not at all, not at all, not in the least
Ahhhh, Do we mind disturbing the priest
Aahhhh, not at all, not at all, not in the least
The force of the devil is the darkness the priest has to face
The force of the night will destroy him but will not disgrace
To get into his mind and to his soul you gotta set alight
The flames of doubt so deep inside inside
The devil and the priest can't exist if one goes away
It's just like the battle of the sun and the moon and night and day
The force of the devil, that's we're all told to fear
Watch out for religion when he gets too near too near
We're disturbing the priest, won't you please come to our feast
Do we mind disturbing the priest, not at all, not at all, not in the least
Good life is contradiction because of the crucifixion
If you're ready and have the need, I will take your soul and plant my seed
Aahhhh, ahhhh, ah ha ha ha haaa!
Let's try getting to the sky, hang on or you're going to die
Sour life can turn sweet, it's laying at your feet
Sweet child with an innocent smile watches closely all the while
Don't be fooled when he cries, keep looking at the eyes
Oh, disturbing the priest!
05 Zero the Hero (07:34)
Accept the fact that you're second rate, life is easy for you
It's all served up on a gold plated plate
And we don't even have to talk to you
Your face is normal, that's the way you're bred
And that's the way you're going to stay
Your head is firmly nailed to your TV channel
But someone else's finger's on the control panel
What you gonna be, what you gonna be brother
Zero the Hero
Don't you wanna be, don't you wanna be brother
Zero the Hero
When you gonna be, when you gonna be brother
Zero the Hero
Impossibility impissibolity mother
Really a Hero
You sit there watch it all burn down
It's easy and breezy for you
You play your life to a different sound
No edge no edge you got no knife have you
Your life is a six-lane highway to nowhere
You're going so fast you're never ever gonna get down there
Where the heroes sit by the river
With a magic in their music as they eat raw liver
What you gonna be, what you gonna be brother
Zero the Hero
Don't you wanna be, don't you wanna be brother
Zero the Hero
When you gonna be, when you gonna be brother
Zero the Hero
Impossibility impissibility mother
Really a Hero
You stand there captain we all look, you really are mediocre
You are the champion in the Acme form book
But I think you're just a joker
Your facedown life ain't so much of a pity
But the luv-a-duckin' way you're walkin' around the city
With your balls and your head full of nothing
It's easy for you sucker but you really need stuffing
What you gonna be, what you gonna be brother
Zero the Hero
Don't you wanna be, don't you wanna be brother
Zero the Hero
When you gonna be, when you gonna be brother
Zero the Hero
Impossibility impissibility mother
Really a Hero
06 Digital Bitch (03:38)
She wears her leather just to satisfy
She really throws it around
There ain't one thing she can't afford to buy
She's the richest bitch in town
Her big fat daddy was a money machine
He made a fortune from computers
She's got more money than I've ever seen
But she's a greedy emotional looter
Keep away from the digital bitch
Keep away from the digital bitch
Keep away from the digital bitch
She's so rich, the digital bitch
She's got five rollers and a fine estate
A big house up on the hill
She throws parties just to celebrate
Her life is just one enormous thrill
She buys poor people just to have around
She has a trophy for each lover
The bitch is rich but baby pound for pound
She's got a lot more to discover
Maybe she could please me if I saw beneath her veil
But she's just an imitation woman up for sale
She got so famous that she's on TV
She's got a professional smile
But I switch over 'cos she ain't for me
She disturbs me all the while
She looks so happy but she's got it wrong
She's always going faster
She sings her life to such a different song
She needs a loving and dominant master
09 Keep It Warm (05:36)
Sweet woman are you feeling right
What was it that you did last night
You made me crazy you made me fly
I can't forget the hungry look in your eye
Ooh what's the matter with me
I'm justa runner I was born free
But since I met you I can't leave you alone
I'm leaving now but I'll be coming home
Keep it warm at the place by your side
Nobody's gonna take away our magical ride
Keep it warm for me when we talk on the phone
Don't forget will you pretty one that your man is coming home
D'you hear the rumor that is going around
Say I'm ruined 'cos I'm settled down
It's not true well maybe half and half
You know I love you but I still like a laugh
Ooh I'm feeling fine I got it right for the first time
Sweet woman I can't stay for long, but every one will be proved wrong
I'm like a gypsy, I need to roam, but don't worry I'll be coming home
I need the danger I need the thrill
I need to know what is over each hill
Ooh I'm a different man I'm still running but you understand
Since I met you I can't leave you alone
I'm leaving now but I'll be coming home
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Other reviews
By Fidia
Born Again is perhaps the heaviest and darkest album in Sabbath’s discography.
If the partnership had continued, Black Sabbath would have surely delighted us with other musical gems.
By Sasquatch
The only one to blame for this MASTERPIECE is Tony Iommi.
The true gem of the album is the one that gives it its title, slow with a goosebump-inducing Gillan and the other three who are equally impressive, a true unrecognized classic.
By Rainbow Rising
"Born Again is steeped in a sulfurous, malevolent atmosphere, almost like returning to the times of that proto-doom masterpiece, Master Of Reality."
"The demo has a better sound than the final product, clearer and cleaner, revealing how Born Again was truly conceived."
