7 Days of Sabbath! Day 4: Dirty Women Live 1978

Holy smokes! I NEVER expected to find my second favorite song from Black Sabbath's 1976 seventh studio album Technical Ecstasy live on YouTube, but I guess the algorithm is getting to know me these last two weeks and, what's more, actually do something useful, because this was literally waiting for me when I logged in just now to find a track to post.

Technical Ecstasy is unfairly maligned pretty much across the board, but I dig the entire record - yes! including "It's Alright," the Fleetwood Mac-esque track sung by Bill Ward. 

First favorite track is "You Won't Change Me," and it proves that keyboards were definitely not the downfall of the band. There are some thick-ass spooky vibes on this track, and I love it. But album closer Dirty Women - the LP's centerpiece, according to those wonderful liner NOTES I memorized long ago - is a close second. Sure, the lyrics on this record don't come anywhere near, say, Sabotage, but the music and arranging is fantastic and one of Ozzy's gifts was delivering vague or even goofy lyrics in a manner that made them feel, if not exactly profound, then inevitable. I've never listened to a Sabbath song and thought, 'awful lyrics' even if maybe sometimes they might be.

I really can't tell you how excited finding this has me.

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7 Days of Sabbath Day Day 3: Cornucopia Live 1973

Black Sabbath performing the criminally underrated "Cornucopia," one of my favorite tracks from 1972's Vol 4. 

This recording, which was apparently included in the Vol. 4 box set Rhino released a couple of years back, is fantastic! When I went looking for clean copies of this song live, I never dreamed this was out there. I guess I should have sprung for that box set!

Posted to YouTube by the aptly named R. Supernaut - go give this channel a browse and a follow. Lots of great tracks from Sabbath, Bowie, Danzig to name but a few. 

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Watch:

I had the honor to once again sit in on the Dread Broadcast, this time for their July recap panel discussion.

This aired live last night from 7:00 PM CST until 9:30 PM, but it's up in perpetuity and totally worth your time. So many great films and books covered, and we kicked it off with special guest Writer/Director/Actor Chris Riggi, whose new film Abduct blew both K and I away when we watched it this past Wednesday night.

This one has such a unique tone! Abduct is not a comedy, but it's funny in the way that a film about a group of friends undergoing an extremely messed-up situation can be funny. It's also not afraid to get a little mean and a lot Weird. This is currently a $2.99 rental on Prime and available for free on something called Fawesome. Either way, HIGHLY recommended. 

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Read:

A little bit of personal historical data. 

The first time I saw Ozzy Osbourne live was August 23, 1992. I would have been 16 years old. This was the "No More Tours" tour. Goddamn, do I wish I still had the concert t-shirt I picked up!

Edit this setlist | More Ozzy Osbourne setlists

Personally, I definitely could have done with more of the heavier No More Tears tracks, but the two they chose are favorites, so it's an even trade, as this would have also been the first time I ever heard any Sabbath songs performed live. I remember this show in a very vague way: I remember the World Music Theatre (now called something else) and the way the seats were, the lawn, the metal chicks who were, to my sixteen-year-old eyes, ravishing. I remember Ozzy and excitment of seeing him on stage, but I don't really remember the performance overall. Seeing this set list (thank the stars for Setlist.com. I mean, really), it all seems like a remember it, but I can't be sure I'm not just remembering the decades of knowing what Ozzy does live and grafting it atop the memory. Either way, Glad I went to this, which would have, I think, been my third concert ever.

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Playlist:

Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Black Pyramid - The Paths of Time are Vast

Comic Tropes - Marvel Cancelled FF Out of Spite

Deftones - Ohms

Windhand - Eternal Return

Black Sabbath Live Paris 1970

Goblin - 2013 Tour EP

Ennio Morricone - The Thing OST

Escape Driver - No Fate

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Queen of Cups

• Two of Wands

• XVI: The Tower

Deep emotional connection and a union of Wills lead to a paradigm shift. Hmm... 

When I turned 49 in March, I made the statement that for my upcoming 50th year, I want to finally make the short film I've been talking about for the last few years. K is on board - she's Magick with a camera - and I have some rough ideas, but I've had a hard time knowing where to start. I think the cards here are telling me that I should perhaps consult more with her, and figure out a game plan together, as opposed to keeping it in my mind to just bring her in as camera. Props to Chris Riggi for, I think, indiretly planting this idea in my head.