Black Sabbath Never Say Die! CD

NEVER SAY DIE is Black Sabbath's last LP with Ozzy Osbourne.
Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass); Bill Ward (drums).
Additional personnel: John Elstar (harmonica); Don Airey (keyboards).
Recorded at Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada.
After going their separate ways for a brief period following the emotionally taxing and drug-infested Technical Ecstasy tour, Black Sabbath and singer Ozzy Osbourne reconciled long enough to record 1978's Never Say Die! -- an album whose varied but often unfocused songs perfectly reflected the band's uneasy state of affairs at the time. Even the surprisingly energetic title track, which seemed to kick things off with a promising bang, couldn't entirely mask the group's fading enthusiasm just beneath the surface after a few repeated listens. The same was true of half-hearted performances like "Shock Wave" and "Over to You," and there were several songs on the record that sound strangely disjointed, specifically "Junior's Eyes" and the synthesizer-doused "Johnny Blade" -- as though their creation came in fits and starts, rather than through cohesive band interaction. But when it came to wild, stylistic departures, one's disappointing realization that the lurching, saxophone-led "Breakout" came from -- and then went back to -- absolutely nowhere was easily offset by the stunningly successful oddity that was "Air Dance." Arguably the most experimental song in Black Sabbath's entire canon, this uncharacteristically mild-mannered and effortlessly evocative ballad saw Tony Iommi's normally bullish guitar giving way to simply mesmerizing piano flourishes performed by leading session keyboardist Don Airey. If only it had represented a bold new direction (albeit one that die-hard fans would never have accepted) rather than just another sign of the band's quickly fraying sense of identity, Black Sabbath's original lineup may have found a way to save itself -- but Never Say Die!'s incoherent musical aggregate in fact betrayed the harsh reality that it was indeed too late. So even though those same die-hard Black Sabbath fans and completists will likely find some redeeming value in Never Say Die! after all these years, the original lineup's final gasp will hold little interest to the average heavy metal fan. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
After quitting briefly following the band's previous tour, singer Ozzy Osbourne returned to Black Sabbath for 1978's Never Say Die! The title track kicks things off with a promising bang but ultimately lacks enthusiasm; a pleasant surprise arrives in the very original and experimental "Air Dance," featuring tasteful piano flourishes from leading session keyboardist Don Airey. Never Say Die! is best suited for Sabbath completists. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
By the end of the '70s, though Black Sabbath remained a top concert draw, its albums had become increasingly erratic and sub-par when compared to its earlier master works. Singer Ozzy Osbourne's growing disillusionment with the band had reached a boiling point, especially after it took so long to complete 1978's NEVER SAY DIE, the original line-up's final album. Though the album's title might suggest that the band had reconciled its differences (Osbourne had already left the band once previously, only to return shortly afterwards), the turmoil spilled over onto the recording.
The album-opening title track remains the record's best-known track, as it was featured on Ozzy's popular 1982 solo live album of Sabbath material, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. Other hard rockers on the first half of the album, such as "Junior's Eyes" and "A Hard Road" prove to be standouts. The final deciding factor for Ozzy's permanent split from the band occurred on the ensuing tour, when a hungry young band by the name of Van Halen opened the shows, continually blowing the headlining metal veterans off the stage.