A perfect blend of upbeat and happy vibes (sir duke) and slower and sad vibes (black man). The first few songs have religious themes but they never feel preachy. All the upbeat and happy lyrics and instrumentals never feel corny. The album's pacing is excellent considering it is 1 hour and 45 mins long. Classic songs like sir duke, pastime paradise and Isn't she lovely stand the test of time. Considering the themes of being happy and the celebration of all parts of life the songs and their lyrics never feel repetitive as Stevie wonder examines all aspects of life and his own happiness giving it a personal and genuine touch another reason why the happy-go-luck vibes don't come off as corny but heartfelt. All the instrumentals feel different and fresh and not repetitive as Steave wonder mixes jazz, funk, Latin, and soul. Also, the harmonic solos are 11/10. The only thing I would say is the first half/side A is stronger than the 2nd half/side b as a whole.
Rating: 8/10
fav: sir duke, pastime paradise, ebony eyes, and Isn't she lovely
least favs: If it's Magic and All Day Sucker
It is a quick album at only 36ish mins with 7 tracks. The Opener Good Times is some great disco, the production great and would go on to be sampled by Queen for Another One Bites The Dust. The vocals are a highlight of this song as well. The only flaw with this song is that it is too long and loses momentum towards the end as there isn't enough evaluation in the vocals and feels a little repetitive. Out of 7 songs, 3 are over 5 mins and those other songs could also be shorter. My other issue with the album is the vocals on the less disco songs did not have the presence to match the production. The vocals are never bad but get carried by the production on the pure disco songs. The vocals on disco songs are great and match the energy of the production. The production on this album is the highlight and why I would come back to the album.
6.5/10
Fav: Good Times
Least Fav: Can't Stand To Love You
Since this is a live album the listening experience is a little different. The songs are all great and the band is putting on great performances. Hearing the crowd also gets me excited as well, especially on the disc 2 recording the crowd is especially energetic on those. Hearing live performances is always special compared to studio recordings as songs live feel much rawer and they have an energy to them the studio songs can't match. The band's live additions and extensions to the songs are generally good but on certain songs, I think they overextend went too long. Like the slow quiet section in the mule, these moments show up in a few songs and took the momentum away. Another issue I had was the repeated songs on disc 2 as Black night appears 3 times and speed king 2 times, there are only 6 songs on disc 2. While I enjoyed all the recordings it felt to repetitive listing to them again so close. I would like to single out the smoke on the water performance as it was my favourite and I really enjoyed what they did with the live version.
Fav: Smoke on the water, Black night, speed king
Least fav:
7/10 - pretty good
Some great 90's Brit pop. The entire album makes me feel 18 again. The feeling of no responsibilities, hanging out after school, doing things we shouldn't do. The instrumentals are fun and chaotic in the best ways. The songs are also very different from each other sonically while keeping the youthful album feel. From the very pop "Alright" to the punk rock "Lose It" or the punk narrative of "Caught By The Fuzz" and the more traditional rock of "Strange Ones". The influences of other great brit rock icons like Bowie and Elton can be heard. For example dongs like "We're Not Supposed To" could be on Bowie's Hunky Dory with its folksy rock vibes. The ending song "Time To Go" is the perfect ending after all the electric brit pop that came before, giving a toned down and somber ending. It's a satisfying end to an amazing album.
Fav songs: I'd Like To Know, Caught By The Fuzz, Aright, Strange Ones, Sitting Up Straight, We're Not Supposed Too, Time, and Time To Go
Worst songs:
8/10
Going into this album I had some concerns as my idea of metal was very superficial. This was my first metal album and I was surprised by the depth metal and Black Sabbath had to offer. The intro "Black Sabbath" perfectly builds up momentum and continually adds unique sounds giving the song such replayability as I hear new parts of the instrumental every time. The next song "The Wizard" has some of the best riffs I have ever heard. Plus the addition of the harmonica gives the song another dimension, it's kinda bluesy. This song is a perfect example of how diverse/multifaceted metal can be. "N.I.B" is such a well rounded song and my favourite performance from Ozzy, also the RIFFS! Ozzy's unique delivery and vocal presence throughout the album is very captivating. "Evil Woman" showcases Ozzy's storytelling skills again showing the how the wrong the mainstream idea of metal is. The final song Wicked world also shows show the range of Ozzy as he delivery is rough yet almost has a smooth blues delivery at times. ALSO the RIFFS!!
My main complaint is less about the album but the Spotify recored as it splits the audio to left and right. In some cases its seamless but in other cases it feels like one side of my headphones have stopped working.
Best Songs: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B, and Evil Woman, Wicked World
Worst Songs: N/A
9/10 - Certified Classic
