Black Sabbath's Born Again

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Sassi
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Black Sabbath's Born Again

Post by Sassi » Fri Jun 16, 2006 4:45 pm

I love this album, its sounds very bold. I know that 90% of people don't agree with me. Well, fuck them.
I want to know if anybody has some information about the recording, techniques, etc. Or how to active that agressive, dark mix.
One thing I know, Ian Gillan hate it. He blames Gezzer, and advice: "Never let a bass player produce your album".


P.S.: its kitsch, but I love the album cover too.

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lancebug
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Post by lancebug » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:16 pm

Never let Ian Gillian sing on your record.

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lancebug
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Post by lancebug » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:28 pm

I guess what I'm thinking is that when Dio got a hold of the sab they were pretty wrung out creatively, and for those couple of records he gave them focus and breathed new life into them and they of course deflated again when he left. The worst part of Born Again is the singing. Then the lyrics are next. Hard to contemplate the rest of the bands contribution because I could never let that record play long enough to assess it. It might be good but Ian's parts are like drinking draino. Some of the worst lyrics ever,ever,ever. Dio is an akward and absurd lyricist, but there is some kind of ridiculous beauty to his work. He represents the zenith of ludicrous metal prose. A friend of mine and I had a read-along while listening to holy diver a few months ago. We were totally crying it was so funny. Gillian could never inspire that kind of emotion, good or bad.

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Post by allbaldo » Fri Jun 16, 2006 9:27 pm

Love that record. It's one of those recordings that while it doesn't sound "good", the recording fits the music being played perfectly. I'm sure if the production values were higher, I'd still like it, but I like how thick and dirty it sounds... plus Disturbing The Priest is one of the heaviest songs ever. There are some clunkers, but I like Gillian singing with them. I wish he'd have stayed longer.

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bobbydj
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Post by bobbydj » Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:01 pm

Uh, it's "Gillan."
Bobby D. Jones
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(Wives with Knives, Tyrone P. Spink, Potemkin Villagers et al)

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farside
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Post by farside » Sun Jun 18, 2006 1:34 am

I loooooove this record. It was the last good thing Sabbath ever did.

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bobbydj
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Post by bobbydj » Sun Jun 18, 2006 6:27 am

Trashed is ok, the rest - meh.
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Post by PeterAuslan » Sun Jun 18, 2006 8:44 am

I heard some vague rumor that Geezer had the tapes and they got X-rayed at an airport or something like that which is why the album sounds strange.

I love this album even if it does not sound "right". Zero the Hero crushes.

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lancebug
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Post by lancebug » Sun Jun 18, 2006 3:57 pm

I think you got that a little mixed up. Geezer actually has x-ray vision and accidentally burned a hole through the masters by staring at them when he was high.

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SMC Productions
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Post by SMC Productions » Sun Jun 18, 2006 10:16 pm

lancebug wrote:I think you got that a little mixed up. Geezer actually has x-ray vision and accidentally burned a hole through the masters by staring at them when he was high.
You actually made me smile....and first time today! :D
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SMC Productions
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Post by SMC Productions » Sun Jun 18, 2006 10:23 pm

lancebug wrote:Never let Ian Gillian sing on your record.
...unless you are Ritchie, Ian, Glover, and Lord...

..seriously though..

AAAARRRGGGG...

I'm the 'biggest' Sab fan around, Tony Iommi is my 'God', but Ian and Sabbath should have NEVER been!

I don't think I have EVER been able to get through that album all the way , at least at once...it's just HORRIBLE..

of course 'Never Say Die, and 'Born Again' are almost as BAD!

I actually think they went down hill after 'Master of Reality', and didn't put out a solid album until Heaven and Hell...

..not that there wasn't alot of good tunes along the way...just NOT a SOLID album!

Master of Reality is just the 'heaviest' fucking album EVER....DAMN, those riffs...

'Lord of This World', and especially 'Into the Void'
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allbaldo
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Post by allbaldo » Sun Jun 18, 2006 10:46 pm

I'm sure I'm in a huge minority here, but I really liked Dehumanizer. I couldn't stand Dio's voice until that record. The production's really cool too.

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Post by joeysimms » Sun Jun 18, 2006 10:57 pm

I remember thinking Born Again was heavy and rocking when I heard it in 7th grade, haven't heard it since. I thought Dio was and is awful.. though, now that I'm typing this the chorus for 'Rainbow in The Dark' is in my head. DOH!
beware bee wear

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SMC Productions
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Post by SMC Productions » Sun Jun 18, 2006 11:40 pm

allbaldo wrote:I'm sure I'm in a huge minority here, but I really liked Dehumanizer. I couldn't stand Dio's voice until that record. The production's really cool too.
I liked it alot too...some good tunes on there.....and the production is good...but perhaps a bit 'overdone', and it took WAY too long!

Seems like it was a year or so..

..hell, 'Master' took like, 12 hours to do! :shock:
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Roman Sokal
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Post by Roman Sokal » Mon Jun 19, 2006 12:52 am

SMC Productions wrote:
lancebug wrote: of course 'Never Say Die, and 'Born Again' are almost as BAD!
actually i think never say die is a pretty damn good album- at least the first half of it. the recording is bad though. they did it in toronto at a then new huge studio, but its terribly out of phase sounding. the one i think is terrible is technical ecstasy, though the hipgnosis artwork is top notch and up there in terms of the best art for an album(like say, top 100) by any band overall. very suggestive and surreal.

born again is a weird fluke of an album- a love/hate kind of thing. indeed its dark as hell sounding in terms of recording and mix, though some of the tracks are good.

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