Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass); Bill Ward (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel: Gerald Woodruffe (keyboards). Recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida. By the mid-'70s, a number of problems were threatening to break up the original line-up of Black Sabbath. The stress brought on by lengthy touring, drug use, & alcoholism had begun to dilute the band's original, influential heavy metal. Sabbath began to drift away from the ...

Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass instrument); Bill Ward (drums). Recording information: The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California. While Black Sabbath's 1972 release VOL. 4 didn't contain a renowned heavy metal anthem as PARANOID's title track, Iron Man, or MASTER OF REALITY's " Sweet Leaf" & " Children of the Grave, for example, it was far from a lackluster effort. VOL. 4 is a consistent, complete album that contains many of Sabbath's most u ...

These guys have sometimes been described as a Black Sabbath-like b&, & the name Black Widow itself invites a comparison. Yet if that had any validity at the start of their career, by this, their third album, they really sounded more like solid mid-level British prog rockers than satanic hard rockers. This is really closer to early King Crimson & Emerson, Lake & Palmer territory than Black Sabbath, given their lengthy, shifting compositions; stress on forceful organ & vocal harmonies; sub ...

Blackmore's Night's sixth studio effort (not including 2006's holiday album, WINTER CAROLS) shows the band progressing deeper into the realms of experimental medieval folk rock. Kicking off with lush orchestration & monk chants, SECRET VOYAGE immediately transports the listener to a distant time & place. The only element of the album that places it in present time is the silken sound of leader Ritchie Blackmore's (Deep violet, Rainbow) signature guitar tone. Also featuring a rousing version ...

Black Star: Mos Def, Talib Kweli (rap vocals). Additional personnel: Apani, Common, Jane Doe, Vinia Mojica, Weldon Irvine. Producers: DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Mr. Walt, Shawn J. Period, J. Rawls. After listening to this album, one hopes that the duo of Mos Def & Talib Kweli (both respected individual artists in their own right) would make this unification thing a permanent deal. In the wake of the disbanding of A Tribe Called Quest, hip-hop needs more efforts like the one put forth by ...

Brandishing an electrifying mix of soul, funk, hip hop & gospel, BLACKstreet delivered its self-titled debut album in 1994. The disc was certified platinum in the U.S. & spawned three hit singles: Before I Let You Go, Joy & Booti Call. Their appropriately titled second album Another Level debuted at 1 on the Billboard charts – due in no small part to the Teddy Riley produced monster No Diggity. No Diggity: The Very Best Of BLACKstreet is the first ever greatest hits collection featuring a ...