There are two types of people in this world. Those you need to hear Black Sabbath running through Wheels of Confusion 6 times in a row and those who do not. I fall into the former category and it is people like me who this set is designed for.
Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne is my 2nd favourite band of all time and I feel the first 6 albums they created together are all essential. Vol . 4, is the 2nd album in that line up to get the “Super Deluxe” treatment, with Paranoid being the first a few years ago. Unlike Paranoid which came with two live shows and a stereo “quad mix”; Vol. 4 is loaded with two discs worth of studio outtakes and a live show that you might have already.
I opted for the CD version since I already have Vol. 4 on vinyl and I didn’t feel the need for studio outtakes in super hi fidelity. After listening to the entire box set, I’m about 85% satisfied with this decision.
Disc one is the newly remastered Vol. 4, and I gotta say that it impressed me. I usually do find remasters of remasters to be a waste of money unless they didn’t do it right the first time, but there are exceptions. They somehow got a bit more bottom end with Tony’s guitar tone sounding thicker over the 2009 version. Don’t get me wrong, if your happy your 2009 copy, you don’t need to run out and get this. But having a version of Vol. 4 that sounds this good is a pleasant surprise.

Disc 2 and 3 are Outtakes/new mixes/alternate mixes/false starts/and studio dialogue. I can confirm that all of these are indeed on here. All are previously unreleased and have been remastered from the original analog multitrack tapes by Steve Wilson… although if they haven’t been released before, I suppose they were just mastered…
Anyway, I found the changes on the different takes to mostly be subtle with exceptions.
Exceptions like Supernaut as it is played at a slightly slower tempo and it is missing the “heavy metal samba” with Bill Ward drumming solo over the break instead. And it is noticeable how Ward toned down the drum fills on the completed product for a lot of these songs. It was fun to hear him going all out on the outtakes.
For the most part though, the tunes sound close to finished save for the lyrics. There is one version of Under the Sun that has Ozzy “da da daing” his way through it, but for the most part his lyric sound like he is making it up as he goes. Some versions of Wheels of Confusion on here had me appreciating the finish product.
Disc 4 is a live disc that is complied from a couple of UK shows in 1973. It was partly released before as Live At Last in 1980, but the audio has been cleaned up and the set list is better intact. You get a bunch of tunes from Vol. 4, several classics like War Pigs and Children of the Grave and a pre Sabbath Bloody Sabbath version of Killing Yourself to Live. I even enjoyed Bill Ward’s drum solo on this and I usually get bored when listening to drum solos without a visual aid. Maybe I’m becoming a Bill Ward fanboy!

As for the packaging, each CD is given one of those mock LP cardboard sleeves with an anti static sheet like you bought this set in the ’80s. A hard cover book is also included with plenty of photos and words to entertain you. I particularly enjoyed the photos of the sleeve you’d get with the singles back in the ’70s. And finally you get a poster that the collector in me will never be able to hang.

Although I’m a little disappointed that Vol 4 Super Deluxe doesn’t pull back the curtains far enough on the writing process, I do like this set a lot overall. I think I would have preferred to have the studio album and the live show on vinyl with the outtakes on CD, but that is just a nit pick. The album sounds great, the live show is very good, and overall I’m thrilled to have this.
4/5

Black Sabbath are my second favourite band too, but the whole band and all their eras, in my case
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That’s cool. There is some great stuff in the band’s other eras, especially those first two Dio albums. I just like other bands better than non-Ozzy Sabbath.
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Can’t say I can’t see why. There’s a tonne of great bands out there.
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Second favourite, eh? I don’t know where I would rate Ozzy Sabbath… but Ozzy Sabbath > all other Sabbath.
This is my second favourite Sabbath album and I’m tempted by this set and would likely pick it up if I saw it for a reasonable price.
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I adore those 6 albums so much. They would be my fav if not for AC/DC. Master of Reality is still my top album from them, but probably because it was my first. I hope you do find it for a decent price!
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Master of Reality is my favourite, too. It’s such a perfect album. But there’s really not much separating those 6 albums. Incredible stuff.
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Agreed. 100%.
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I watched your unboxing of this on STC. I was pretty anxious watching you unfold the poster as we all recall what happened when Bill did it to his kids poster lol.. that was must see TV.
This is a cool looking set Kev make no mistake about it and I will add that you opening paragraph was classic man. Big hearty giggle at 5:30am
Cheers pal..
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My poster is still intact, lol!
Thanks, Deke!
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This is a nice set. I really need to get this and Paranoid in the super deluxe edition. Hoping I can find one at a decent price one day.
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I hope you do! I think you’d like them.
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Super, now I have 3 different copies of Live at Last. GRRRRR.
This looks like a disappointment, but hey, mine’s there sealed waiting to be opened.
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4 copies…I forgot vinyl. 4 copies of a shit live album that they keep reissuing/milking.
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A different show would be more ideal, but this is the best version of “Live at Last” I’ve heard. You might upgrade your opinion to something better than shit after hearing it, lol
And hey, you can donate some of those inferior copies to Aaron now!
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No it’s not a great live album. They knew it when they hurriedly issued it in 1980 (unauthorized!) and I suspect they still know it now. If Sabbath deemed it not good enough then, the only difference now is the need to milk it some more.
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I like it. It’s rough and raw. I’ll take it instead of overdubs. They have offically released it before as “Past Lives”… which I’m now just relizing how I have most of this show on vinyl now too, lol… Oh boy…
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Past Lives has a great bonus disc.
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Agreed.
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Ohhhh. Look at it!
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looks pretty comprehensive. nice job!
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Thanks, man!
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Not going to lie, I only know who Ozzy Osbourne is because Hannah Montana, an old Disney Channel show, did a hilarious impression of him! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CziX1-meWJU I’ve heard good reviews about this album though, still don’t get why it’s called Volume 4, but that was the band’s decision so.
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That was terrible, lol. Yeah, he became a parody of himself with that MTV reality show. They pumped him full of prescription drugs and let him loose. Kind of sad but that is Sharon for ya.
If you want to get into his music, I suggest Ozzy Osbourne the Randy Rhoads Tribute. That was my gateway. For Sabbath, Master of Reality. Again, my gateway.
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I’ve heard not so good things about Sharon. If you’ve seen Sea of Tranquility, they talked about the worse concert experiences and one of them had to do with Maiden where Sharon got the audience to throw things at Bruce and the band.
I was going to buy Master of Reality because that Kiss ‘Songs with the Same Title’ post got me hooked on “Into the Void,” but I haven’t bought it yet.
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Into the Void is my fav track on that one. Everything you heard about Sharon is sadly true.
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I never cared for Sharon either when I saw her on reality and talent shows, but I didn’t know she was THAT controversial!
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She is ridiculous and very lucky that Ozzy has some hardcore fans.
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Well I wouldn’t say Ozzy is any better, but yeah he’s very lucky he has fans who’ll stick by him through stuff like that.
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I haven’t jumped on the Sabbath anniversary releases yet.
I do love this album.
I’ve got it on vinyl, the cover is almost falling apart and it’s been a long time since I played Wheels Of Confusion over and over again. Lol.
I guess today is a good time to start again.
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Go for it!
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My favourite Sabbath LP by far, but I have absolutely no interest in all the studio versions etc so I didn’t pull the trigger on this one, although I did toy with the idea. I’d happily pay for the book though, separately.
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Yeah, I can’t recommend this set on the studio outtakes alone. You probably could find something like the book out there that would be comparable.
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Mick wall’s book on Sabbath is superb, if you haven’t read that.
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I have not. Actually, I don’t believe I have read any Sabbath books yet. Just Ozzy’s auto.
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I’d recommend Wall’s one as it goes into proper detail about later sabbath line-ups and all the skullduggery and horrific business dealings.
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That sounds interesting!
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