Label: Vertigo Records
Release date: 09/25/1976
Production: Black Sabbath
Album length: 40.35 min
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 9.0 / 10
In the second half of the seventies, after the masterful album “Sabotage” (1975), Black Sabbath slowly but inexorably found themselves in commercial decline. Musical trends were shifting fast and the outlook wasn’t exactly rosy for heavy rock and prog rock, with punk already starting to raise its dirty head, while most of the youth, the middle class especially, would rather hang out on disco dance floors than at heavy metal gigs. All four of them had their problems with intoxicating substances, white powder leading the pack, but Ozzy was of course the front-runner, getting more and more problematic for everyone around him thanks to his alcohol-fueled meltdowns, even though in the studio and on stage he somehow still held onto just enough composure, surprisingly, to get another excellent album out of the lineup with him in it. At the same time, this was the period when they decided to take their fate fully into their own hands, in both songwriting and production, so nobody could lecture them about ‘which direction would be the most rational right now’.
A little tired of the ‘doom & gloom’ concept that had earned them worldwide fame as the fathers of heavy metal in the first half of the seventies, on “Technical Ecstasy” they decided to offer the faithful fans something new, yet still fundamentally recognizable. That meant the door stayed wide open for interesting sonic experiments, but they kept all the trademark Black Sabbath finesse, led by Ozzy’s unique ‘whining’, Iommi’s brilliantly inventive guitar phrases, Geezer’s melodic bass lines and Ward’s massive drum fills. The break from occult themes and gloominess, which gave way to social issues in the lyrics, is plain to see from the ironic, comical cover alone, with a male and a female robot doing it on an escalator.
Despite the many headaches that dogged them offstage and onstage alike, the Birmingham legends didn’t run short of brilliant songwriting ideas, as the opening wrecking ball “Back Street Kids” shows, a proper charge through thick and thin where Ozzy rules with his one-of-a-kind vocal outbursts, like a raving fanatic in the middle of withdrawal, while the galloping rhythm of the Butler-Ward duo and Iommi’s barbed guitar phrases keep him company. Keyboard additions from guest keyboardist Gerald Woodruffe add to the massive sound. The central message of the lyrics is that, despite all the material comfort and abundance commercial success brought them, all four original members of Black Sabbath still remain simple lads from the gray streets of working-class Birmingham in their souls. The dark love confession “You Won’t Change Me” is another totally unique achievement of their career, where a heavy Iommi riff, Geezer’s temperamental bass line and a thoroughly ‘broken’ Ozzy create a first-rate apocalyptic atmosphere, in sharp contrast to the melodic but still fatalistic chorus. A whiff of gloomy futurism is also brought in by Woodruffe’s schizophrenic-sounding keyboard textures.
The loveliest surprise on the whole album, though, is the wonderful, uplifting-yet-nostalgic ballad “It’s Alright”, one of Black Sabbath’s most unusual experiments of the 70s, where drummer Bill Ward takes over the lead vocals. He was supposedly quite shy before the recording, but Ozzy eventually managed to coax him up to the mic, and the result was truly fascinating, surprising even Ward himself. Ward’s voice is completely different from that of his singing buddy, smeared with all those ointments and existential fears, as it’s blessed with an uncommon warmth that fits the rousing chorus and pleasant melody perfectly. It inevitably makes you think what a damn shame it is that Ward didn’t sing more songs in their story, since technically he beats the ‘claustrophobic’ Ozzy across the board, but the legendary drummer simply didn’t sound ‘evil’ enough for regular Sabbath needs. “Gypsy” is an authentic Sabbath classic with a rolling opening rhythm, where the excellent vocal harmonies, drum fills and piano intervals stand out most. The mood is once again distinctly dark, with a conspiratorial guitar riff, while the lyrics, the only ones on the album with traces of occultism, tell of a mysterious Romani fortune-teller supposedly in the ‘devil’s service’, which is more or less just another metaphor for a failed love affair.
“All Moving Parts (Stand Still)”, whose lyrics portray the sky-high corruption of politicians of every stripe, is one of the most unusual and fun creations in the birmingham legends’ entire career. Odd rhythmic shifts alternate nicely with vocal harmonies and razor-sharp guitar passages, while the composition still keeps its melody and makes sense from start to finish. The lyrics for the bouncy, mid-tempo heavy rocker “Rock’n’Roll Doctor”, where their blues roots are clearly felt, were inspired by a real person, the late Dr. Max, Elvis Presley’s notorious former dentist, who regularly kept the band supplied with intoxicating substances. “She’s Gone” is a harrowing love ballad with an inconsolable Ozzy, a moving guitar melody and a subtle rhythmic backdrop, blessed at the same time with a gorgeous orchestral arrangement directed by Mike Lewis.
The fatalistic classic “Dirty Women” is the longest, most complex and also best-known piece on the album, and the only song from it that was played live when the original lineup reunited in 1998. Ozzy’s vocals are here in their nastiest possible state, while the central structure is held together by dynamic rhythmic finesse and Iommi’s melodic passages, which are once again finger-lickin’ good. Above all, the final transition feels great: from a distinctly punchy motif with raging vocals into a subtle, hypnotic section with repeating vocal harmonies, gourmet guitar soloing and a build-up of wild drum fills all the way to the end of the song. The lyrics, as the title already tells you, deal with the hedonistic appetites of the dark foursome led by Ozzy, who could hardly wait to indulge in every excess involving one kind or another of ‘ladies of the night’.
“Technical Ecstasy” may indeed not be a classic ‘doom & gloom’ Black Sabbath album by most fans’ standards. Regardless, it’s one of their sonically deepest efforts, where the creative cohesion among the original four members burned one last time with the magnificent flames of unbridled musical adventure and turned up a few truly interesting results for music connoisseurs. Despite wrestling with numerous problems, they still had enough studio energy, mutual solidarity and inventive ideas to create the best unconventional Black Sabbath album. The fact that “Technical Ecstasy” is cherished by music gourmets of a very special kind is also underlined by a neat tidbit: one of the levels in the popular 1995 video game ‘Rise Of the Triads’ carried this album’s title, while “Dirty Women” is still a must in the live set of the original lineup.
author: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Back Street Kids
2. You Won’t Change Me
3. It’s All Right
4. Gyspy
5. All Moving Parts (Stand Still)
6. Rock ‘n’ Roll Doctor
7. She’s Gone
8. Dirty Women
Lineup:
Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Bill Ward – drums, lead vocals on “It’s Alright”
Guest musician:
Gerald Woodruffe – keyboards
