By: William Clark
Coming off of the explosive commercial success of their past two studio albums Paranoid and Master of Reality, the members of Black Sabbath were in the midst of a seemingly limitless creative stride.
After reaching such a monumental point in their career, the majority of rock groups would focus on finding some sort of way to triumph past or at the very least match their previous efforts which were so positively received by critics and fans alike, but not Black Sabbath.
As founding member and bass player Geezer Butler would later go on to recall, “The cocaine had set in.”
The members of Black Sabbath were simply creating the music while in the middle of an apparent drug-induced state. This habit went on to have a profound influence on the end product which would later appear on the group’s fourth installment in their catalog, the appropriately titled, Vol. 4.
For example, the aptly named “Snowblind” noted reference to cocaine addiction.
While at times the habit did at times interfere with the actual recording, Sabbath managed to produce a collection of songs which showcased the staggering collective talent of its members; the wailing vocal performance of Ozzy Osbourne, the shattering percussion work of Bill Ward, the doom-laden lyrics and crunching bass lines provided by Geezer Butler, and the blistering arpeggios of Tony Iommi.
All of these dynamics welded together to run rampant throughout Vol. 4, which have allowed the album to stand up against the test of time and continue to inspire a new generation of musicians.
For those at-home guitarists who find themselves discouraged after attempting to match the characteristically Tony Iommi blues-flavored chord progressions and rocketing solos, the Black Sabbath ‘Vol. 4’ guitar tablature book from Hal Leonard comes warmly recommended.
Whether you are a self taught musician who learned how to read tablature on your own time or are an educated guitarist who can decipher standard notation, this recent installment in the label’s Recorded Versions series features the iconic album transcribed in both formats.
Familiar fans will appreciate the attention to detail in this tablature book’s actual transcriptions. Whether its the rock solid tempo changes of “Under the Sun,” the neck spanning notes which famously comprise “Snowblind,” or the slightly UFO-esque chord patterns in “Wheels of Confusion,” this release delivers.
As far as the printing quality of this release goes, it’s more than above average. A glossy, expanded version of the original cover artwork serves as this tablature book’s cover, whereas the sheet music is made from high quality paper.
In short, the Black Sabbath Vol. 4 guitar tablature book from Hal Leonard would find a comfortable home in any fan’s catalog for its commendable quality and straight up accuracy.
