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Rating: I know, I know, there are already two reviews on "Never Say Die!", and both slap a solid 4 stars on this disc!! 4 stars for "Never Say Die," are we out of our minds?!!?!
"Never Say Die" is one of the lowest points in the career of the Tony Iommi Band. Only the cover, truly stunning, deserves to be among the best, while the rest of the album is a confused and patchy mishmash of easy rock sounds with progressive elements and even jazz-swing (!!!!!!). Its predecessor, Technical Ecstasy, while not being a masterpiece, was at least catchy, fun, and contained some truly beautiful riffs and melodies that held up even with repeated listens. In many parts (a lot of parts), "Never Say Die" verges on the utterly ridiculous, and in others, it is simply boring, but let's delve into the details.
NEVER SAY DIE: an easy rock tune to hum in the shower, "Back Street Kids" had a fairly original pace and an intriguing melody, here there's nothing at all, it could easily be on a Scissor Sisters album, even vocally, we're not that far off, RATING 5
JOHNNY BLADE: now this is truly a great track, one of the top 10, if not top 5 Black Sabbath pre-RJD. Beautiful keyboard intro by Don Airey and great work on guitar and synths that make this song a real evolution in a heavier direction of the already excellent "You Won't Change Me". Perhaps if it were one minute shorter it would be even more incisive, but it's fine as is, RATING 8.5
JUNIOR'S EYES: awful, awful, awful! This song is total garbage: slow and soporific bass play, not to mention Tony Iommi as incisive as a toothpick and especially an Ozzy Osbourne interpreting the tear-jerking lyrics with the same passion as a dishwasher. A pointless drag that goes on for almost seven minutes, enough to make anyone lose the desire to listen to the album. RATING 3
A HARD ROAD: cute, it picks up the mood of the title track in a more elaborate way. The initial riff is nice and the melody is pleasant, certainly not a masterpiece but not to be thrown away either, it's unclear why it's six minutes long, four would have been sufficient. RATING 6
SHOCK WAVE: the attempt to insert a "doom" lyric on a cheerful melody had already been done with "Gypsy" with excellent results, this instead is just a very banal easy rock song totally devoid of charm. RATING 5.5
AIR DANCE: and finally! this is a really nice song, a kind of slightly more baroque and jazzy "Solitude", still very original and ecstatic, especially for the interplay between piano and acoustic guitar. RATING 7.5
OVER TO YOU: the happy interlude of "Air Dance" ends and we are plunged back into total darkness: apart from that kind of background music box in the chorus, this song communicates absolutely nothing. RATING 5
BREAKOUT: it is said that Ozzy left the band after seeing the saxophones for this instrumental: given the total absurdity of these 2 minutes of pseudo-jazz I can't help but agree, for once, with the bat eater. RATING 4
SWINGING THE CHAIN: but is it really Bill Ward singing!? the same Bill Ward who performed the beautiful "It's Alright" with such intensity and passion? Here judging by the slurred voice he must have been extremely drunk, and after all, you would really have to be drunk to have the courage to sing this horrid imitation of third-rate uninspired Doors. RATING 4
In conclusion, an album born badly (also due to the personal situations of the band members, Ozzy first and foremost) and developed even worse. Apart from "Johnny Blade" and "Air Dance", it is the classic album to use as a coaster. Such a beautiful cover definitely deserved better. Thankfully, in 2 years, a certain Ronnie James Dio would arrive, and from there the epic of "my" Black Sabbath would begin.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Never Say Die (03:49)
People going nowhere, taken for a ride
Looking for the answers that they know inside
Searching for a reason, looking for a rhyme
Snow White's mirror said "partners in crime!"
Don't they ever have to worry?
Don't you ever wonder why?
It's a part of me that tells you
Oh, don't you ever, don't ever say die
Never, never, never say die again
Sunday's satisfaction, Monday's home and dry
Truth is on the doorstep, welcome in the lie
All dressed up in sorrow, got no place to go
Hold back, `till it's ready, taking it slow
Don't they ever have to worry?
Don't you ever wonder why?
It's a part of me that tells you
Oh, don't you ever, don't ever say die
Never, never, never say die again
Don't you ever say die
Don't you ever say die
Never say die
Panic, silver lining, writing's on the wall
Children get together, you can save us all
Future's on the corner, throwing us a die
Slow down, turn around, everything's fine
There's no need to have a reason
There's no need to wonder why
It's a part of me that tells you
Oh, don't you ever, don't ever say die
Never, never, never say die again
02 Johnny Blade (06:28)
Tortured and twisted, he walks the streets alone
People avoid him, they know the street's his own
Cold blade of silver, his eyes they burn so wild
Mean as a tiger, society's own child
Those who tried to burn him paid
You don't do that to Johnny Blade
He's the meanest guy around his town
One look and he will cut you down
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Life has no meaning, and Death's his only friend
Will fate surprise him, where will he meet his end?
He feels so bitter, yes he's so full of hate
To die in the gutter, I guess that's Johnny's fate
Rivals all across the land
He killed them with his knife in hand
He's the meanest guy around his town
One look and he will cut you down
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Well you know that Johnny's a spider
And his web is the city at night
He's a victim of modern frustration
That's the reason he's so ready to fight
He's the one who should be afraid
What will happen to you, Johnny Blade?
Oh he knows his future's decided
And he ain't gonna change it, no way
He was born to die in the gutter
He'll keep fighting `till the end of his days
Been alone all through his life
His only friend is a switchblade knife
He's the one who should be afraid
What will happen to you, Johnny Blade?
You fool the people
Who's fooling who?
It's time to listen
The fool is you!
03 Junior's Eyes (06:42)
Junior's eyes looked up to the skies in tears
He prayed that his maker, the giver and taker, would `pear
Junior sighed, as his hands reached out to the sky
Junior cried, the day that his best friend died
Yeah!
They're coming home again tomorrow
I'm sorry it won't be for long
With all the pain I've watched you live within
I'll try my hardest not to cry
When it is time to say goodbye
Junior's eyes, they couldn't disguise the pain
His father was leaving, and Junior's grieving again
Innocent eyes watched the man who had gave everything
Junior's sorrow, who knew what tomorrow would bring?
Yeah!
They're coming home again tomorrow
I'm sorry it won't be for long
With all the pain I've watched you live within
I'll try my hardest not to cry
When it is time to say goodbye
Junior's eyes looked into the skies once more
Now he knew well, this life was hell for sure
He desperately tried, his fingertips stretched to the stars, yeah
Reaching for reason, along with the time and the stars
Yeah!
They're coming home again tomorrow
I'm sorry it won't be for long
With all the pain I've watched you live within
I'll try my hardest not to cry
When it is time to say goodbye
09 Swinging the Chain (04:07)
It's against my uniform
To be a civil judge
All the songs are history now
`Bout rock stars and their grudge
Let us cast our minds back
To thirty years or more
You took up all the vandals
Will Hitler beat `em all?
And we're sad and sorry
Really sorry that it happened that way
Yes we're sad and sorry
But why'd you have to treat us that way?
Compare ourselves with others
And cover them in sin
Oh, God what a terrible
A terrible state we're in
There must be some way out of here
A comprimise that's right
If we cannot work it out
We're gonna have to fight
Yes we're sad and sorry
Really sorry that it happened that way
Yes we're sad and sorry
We cannot go on in those days
I'm talking about my brothers
Yeah, I'm talking `bout sisters as well
I wish you good luck
Good luck!
Oh, but the world's still on fire
Chain the hope you take on, liar
This fire
We're on fire, we're on fire, yeah...
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Other reviews
By CycoCiccio
Never Say Die is the album that Black Sabbath fans will never understand, because versatility is the prerogative of another audience.
If Iommi had released this album disguised as a solo work of a Steve Hackett of the moment, we would now be hotly debating its stature.
By Axlspark
"This song is a small masterpiece, with blues and jazz infusions scattered all around, sweet and dreamy."
"After listening to 'Never Say Die,' I feel compelled to say that it is a very valid work except for track 4 and 5, a really good job, very pleasant to listen to and a record that should be purchased."
