GREATEST HITS

Summing up the highlights of the first (and classic) era, "Black Sabbath's Greatest Hits" may well be all a casual listener needs from these proto metal giants. The choice of material helps to accentuate the contrasts and moods of the group, which is a characteristic too few modern bands have adopted. Even keyboards play a surprising role in some songs, such as "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and the beautiful (!) "Changes". The group also pioneered a style in which the vocals exactly mirrored the movements of the backing instruments, noticeable on "N.I.B" and "Iron Man", and the latter seems to nod toward King Crimson's own early metal cut "21st Century Schizoid Man". Of course, the eminently accessible "Paranoid" and the monumental "War Pigs" are also included. An acoustic solo "Laguna Sunrise" is even thrown in. There are numerous times when one marvels at the diversity contained herein, especially given the relatively short period from which the material was drawn, although the drudgery of "Sweet Leaf" sounds like the Sabbath that even the uninitiated might be able to identify. Highly recommended to those who want just one Sabbath album, such as those prog folk aficionados who want to be seen as inclusive and tolerant. It's great stuff.