Black Sabbath Black Sabbath/Vol.4 UK Original LP Ver.

BLACK SABBATH’s British original LP reprint series, which has always been very well received. The fifth installment is the great masterpiece “VOL.4”. There is no album more worthy of being called a British masterpiece than “VOL.4”. Their early works, such as their debut work, their masterpiece “PARANOID”, and the holy album of doom “MASTER OF REALITY”, are all masterpieces. However, they are Sabbath masterpieces and the ancestors of heavy music. In contrast, “VOL.4” is the album that embodies the brilliance of “British rock” itself and exudes the rich scent of the era. While based on the heavy sound established by “MASTER OF REALITY”, Tony Iommi’s experimental spirit exploded at once through self-production (manager Patrick Meehan is also credited, but the members themselves testify that he had no involvement). They boldly introduced keyboards and Mellotron, tried a piano ballad in “Changes,” and overdubbed guitar tracks on “Wheels Of Confusion” that were on a completely different level than before. The dazzling feeling of “FX” could be said to be an extension of “Solitude” and “Planet Caravan,” but they have such an experimental spirit that they have abandoned even the appearance of a song. This was the first album that they aimed solely at creating a “musical work” without any intention of reproducing it live (there was no keyboard player on this tour). And this album is the exact revival of the “work” they aimed for. The quality is on a different level from so-called “analog transcription.” The master was produced by an overseas audiophile, and was carefully selected in mint condition for the original release “6360 071” by Vertigo in the UK. In a high-end environment specialized in analog transcription, the first playback when the needle was dropped was transferred to digital. Despite no work having been done since the digitalization, the superb sound has been achieved without a single needle crack or even uneven rotation. This quality has been proven in previous works, but it is even more pleasing that this is “VOL.4”. The point of the previous reprints was that they were more natural than the latest remastered versions, but this work is also full of that flavor, and has a vivid three-dimensional feel that is comparable to the latest remastered versions. Of course, the three-dimensional feel is not an artificial sound pressure build-up like the remastered version, but rather a natural and beautiful mountain. Also, some of the stereo localizations are inverted, like the VICTOR paper jacket version, but of course this work is the correct localization according to the original. This vividness is only possible because of the variety of “VOL.4”. It has long been said that the sound is uneven because it has been moved to several studios, but on the other hand, the detailed layering is unparalleled. I want to express the fiercely layered guitars and Mellotron in detail and let you hear them. Iommi’s intentions are clearly conveyed from the first sound of the UK release. Even the strange sound of “FX” has a completely different depth and realism. BLACK SABBATH introduced so many different instruments that they could not reproduce them on stage and began to immerse themselves in “creating works”. What they created was not just heavy and intense metal, but the essence of British rock that incorporated rich lyricism and experimentation and was even progressive. This work is the real thing of the masterpiece “VOL.4”, which is also a symbol of that. It is a piece that accurately conveys the aesthetics and art works that Iommi aimed for when he was 24 years old. Taken from the UK original LP (Vertigo 6360 071) (43:12) 1. Wheels Of Confusion 2. Tomorrow’s Dream 3. Changes 4. FX 5. Supernaut 6. Snowblind 7. Cornucopia 8. Laguna Sunrise 9. St. Vitus Dance 10. Under The Sun