Last night I watched an unofficial documentary on the making of Black Sabbath’s 1972 Vol. 4 album, originally Snowblind, a title the band, under pressure from Vertigo and Warner Brothers, was forced to abandon. The documentary (link provided at the end of this essay) inspires me to revisit Sabbath’s 1972 offering, an album with which I’ve had a love-hate relationship since I first heard it back in the 1970s when I was in high school.
After reviewing the history of the album, I’ve learned that I am not alone in my feelings about Vol. 4. Although the album contains some outstanding production—most notably the track “Tomorrow’s Dream” and the acoustic instrumental “Laguna Sunrise”—much of the record suffers from production choices that have frustrated fans. They have certainly frustrated me. While production is the main problem with Vol. 4, there are other reasons Vol. 4 is a lesser album in the Sabbath catalog.
The recording context and timeline of Vol. 4 are essential to understanding its production flaws, and the documentary I watched last night, its relevant claims confirmed by additional research, was helpful to this end. “Tomorrow’s Dream” was recorded in January 1972, during sessions closely following Master of Reality, the band’s third album, which was recorded in December 1970 through early 1971, and released in July 1971. This track’s relatively superior sound quality stands in sharp relief to the rest of Volume IV, much of which was recorded later that year following the completion of the second leg of the Master of Reality tour. It is in these later sessions that the production quality noticeably declines.
One cannot discuss Vol. 4 without acknowledging the band’s growing cocaine use around 1972. The drug abuse reportedly began during the Master of Reality era but became more entrenched during the Volume IV sessions. Guitarist and principal riff writer Tony Iommi was particularly impacted by the drug. The lifestyle and its associated chaos undoubtedly contributed to the difficulties in maintaining focus and achieving the sonic clarity present on earlier albums. There were other drugs involved, as well. Bill Ward, struggling with alcohol dependency, was almost canned because of his inability to grasp some of the compositional elements in “Cornucopia” and “Under the Sun.”
But it wasn’t just the drugs. Where an album is recorded has a lot to do with the sound. “Tomorrow’s Dream” was recorded at the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the same studio where Master of Reality was recorded (according to the documentary, it was in LA that the band was introduced to cocaine). However, most of Vol. 4 was recorded at Island Studios in London. This likely had something to do with the production. Indeed, in many ways, “Tomorrow’s Dream” stands as a bridge from Master of Reality to the rest of Vol. V.
Critics and fans alike have noted that, for most of the album, the drum sound is underwhelming, with the kick drum buried low in the mix and an overall lack of presence or punch that diminishes the impact of Ward’s performance. Overall, the drums sound thin. The bass guitar similarly feels submerged, failing to provide the driving low end that had characterized previous albums. Most fans would acknowledge that much of Sabbath’s sound is due to Geezer Butler’s bass playing and unique tone. Most glaringly, Iommi’s guitar tone, once thick and heavy under Bain’s guidance, comes across as brittle and thin throughout much of the album—except again on “Tomorrow’s Dream,” which preserves that earlier warmth, as well as the drum and bass sounds familiar on Master of Reality.
One cannot ignore ego in all this. In the documentary, during that period, both Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne express dissatisfaction with Bain’s production, feeling it didn’t fully capture their sound. For Vol. 4, the band, in particular Iommi, served as the producer, with Mike Butcher engineering. In interviews, the band said that Vol. 4 was the first time they really had control over production and could achieve the sound they wanted. Their opinion testifies to the importance of having a producer who is not in the band (Judas Priest’s albums produced by Glenn Tipton likewise suffer from not having a producer like Tom Allom or Chris Tsangarides at the helm). Compare Sabbath’s work produced by Iommi to albums produced by Martin Birch (Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules).
Following Vol. 4, Sabbath’s production improved notably on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Iommi co-producing alongside the band and Butcher. This album’s sound is richer and more layered, with greater attention to detail and experimentation in the studio. However, the subsequent album Sabotage (1975) presents a mixed picture. While the production overall is solid, some guitar tones, such as on “Symptom of the Universe” (a killer track otherwise), don’t capture Iommi’s signature tone, with a rawness that some may interpret as either a stylistic choice or the result of technical limitations or time pressures in the studio. I admit that taste is a subjective matter, but it’s worth noting that internal tensions and ongoing substance issues were escalating throughout his period, which could have influenced these inconsistencies. In the end, these problems led to Sabbath firing Ozzy in 1979 and Sabbath charting a new path with Ronnie James Dio.
Black Sabbath Vol. 4 stands as a fascinating yet flawed chapter in the band’s storied career. The album’s production issues, linked to both technical choices and the band’s personal struggles, have left me (and others) wishing for a more robust sonic treatment of the material. The songwriting and performances hold up for the most part. The evolution of Black Sabbath’s production roles—culminating in Iommi’s co-production on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath—signaled the band’s determination to refine their sound despite ongoing challenges. I get the desire (a desire likely driven in part by cocaine-inflated ego). But in the final analysis, Sabbath erred in moving on without Bain or somebody who could capture the essence of Sabbath, which is defined by those first three albums.
Again, my observations regarding the production shortcomings of Vol. 4 are not isolated. Music critics and longtime fans frequently cite this album as having some of the weakest production in Sabbath’s classic era. The drum mix, bass levels, and brittle guitar tones are common points of complaint. At the same time, it is widely recognized that, despite production, the songwriting of the group shines through in songs like “Snowblind,” a remarkable composition somewhat marred by its production. “Supernaut” is another excellent track that suffers from Iommi having taken over at the helm.
Not that all the songs on Vol. 4 are worthy of inclusion on their merit, mind you. One track in particular, “Wheels of Confusion,” despite its promising beginning, collapses into chaos—and not the wicked disjunctures Sabbath is known for. The short “St Vitus Dance” seems hastily written (and fails to capture the magic of “Paranoid,” another short, hastily written track off the band’s sophomore effort). But, again, my main problem with Vol. 4 is the production. This is a shame, since most of the songs on the album are great. “Tomorrow’s Dream,” “Snowblind,” “Cornucopia,” “Supernaut,” and “Under the Sun” are superbly constructed and lyrically sublime.
Unlike the first three albums (excepting “Rat Salad,” a vehicle for Ward’s drum solo, and “The Warning,” a cover song), many of the songs from Vol. 4 don’t make my classic Sabbath playlist. This is true for the next four albums, as well, albeit this is not because of production as much as due to their creativity waning (frankly, I don’t include anything from Technical Ecstacy or Never Say Die). Vol. 4’s production is a real barrier for me, despite an abundance of excellent material, causing me to situate those songs towards the end of the playlist. I do this so my listening experience is not sonically derailed. I’ve tried for years to rationalize the production on this album, but in the final analysis, I can’t.
Needless to say (but I will say it anyway) I am a massive Black Sabbath fan. Sabbath’s first three albums, produced by Roger Bain, stand as the foundation of heavy metal. While other bands of the period produced heavy metal music (Lucifer’s Friend’s “Ride the Sky” stands out), Sabbath is the world’s first true heavy metal band. Bain’s production captured the raw power and doom-laden atmosphere that defined the band’s early sound and established the genre. Rick Beato’s recent tribute to Ozzy Osbourne provides an excellent treatment of Sabbath’s impact on the many species of metal Sabbath inspired. Here’s a link:
In reflecting on Vol. 4, an intriguing question arises: do the master tapes of the recording survive in good condition? If so, there could be potential for reengineering some of the sounds (reamping or rerecording the guitar on some songs), remixing several tracks (to approximate “Tomorrow’s Dream”), and remastering the entire album to bring everything in line. This would address the album’s production weaknesses, bringing greater balance and depth to the drums, bass, and guitars. I am sympathetic to the complaint that rerecording guitar parts alters a historical document. At the same time, a musician as respected as Frank Zappa was known for rerecording parts in pursuit of perfection (incidentally, Zappa was a huge fan of the track “Supernaut”). Such a project would likely be welcomed by fans and critics eager to hear these songs realized with the sonic clarity they deserve. Those fans who object can simply refuse to buy the remixed/remastered offering. And I could have the Sabbath playlist I always wanted.
Here’s a link to the documentary as promised:
freedom and reason 