Black Sabbath's classic 1970s output has been repackaged countless times over the years, but undoubtedly one of the best collections to surface is the aptly titled
Best of Black Sabbath on
Sanctuary. Comprised of 32 tracks on a pair of discs,
Best Of focuses primarily on the "
Ozzy years," but does include a small sampling of the short-lived
Ronnie James Dio and
Ian Gillan eras. What makes this collection such an appealing one is that it manages to include all the favorites, as well as a multitude of oft-overlooked (but just as strong and classic) album cuts. Many would agree that the entire
heavy metal genre was based on such
Sabbath classics as
"Black Sabbath," "N.I.B.," "War Pigs," "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Sweet Leaf," "Children of the Grave," and
"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," all of which are included here. But if you're a newcomer to
Sabbath, you're in for a special treat upon hearing such underrated gems as
"The Wizard," "Into the Void," and
"Supernaut," as well as a pair of tracks from 1975's neglected
Sabotage --
"Hole in the Sky" and
"Symptom of the Universe" (oh what some
Sabbath fans wouldn't give to hear the latter two tracks performed live once more). And if you've forgotten about the post-
Ozzy years, here's a little secret -- the
Dio/
Sabbath era was a great union, as evidenced here by
"Heaven and Hell" (the
Gillan era, on the other hand, doesn't fare as well). Few
Sabbath compilations manage to cover all the bases like
Sanctuary's
Best of Black Sabbath does. ~ Greg Prato
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