Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978)

Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978) is a collection of the first eight albums by the popular heavy metal band. The set contains the albums recorded with original (and most popular) frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who was fired following completion of the eighth album's supporting tour - breaking the original Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward lineup. All eight albums are digitally remastered and repackaged in mock vinyl LP packaging, along with an 80-page booklet and a four song DVD containing the infamous Beat Club footage from 1970. The only Osbourne-era Black Sabbath music not included comes from 1998's 'Reunion' album which put the original lineup back together.

The eight albums included in the set are:

1970 Black Sabbath
1970 Paranoid
1971 Master Of Reality
1972 Volume 4
1973 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1975 Sabotage
1976 Technical Ecstasy
1978 Never Say Die!

They are represented as they appeared when first released, with the exception of the debut album, which has a new track order and the inclusion of songs that were limited to alternate versions. They are kept in digipak cases, with all original LP artwork intact. The CDs themselves are entirely black, but retain the lettering used for each individual release, as opposed to a uniform stylized font.

True to its title, the nine discs are housed in a solid black case, complete with gothic imagery and lettering. Inside, there are two smaller boxes containing four CDs each. Also enclosed is a booklet, which contains the DVD in a sleeve attached to the inside back cover. The booklet traces the entire history of the band, with essays, interviews, timelines, and the lyrics to every song personally checked by Geezer Butler, the band's main lyricist. The DVD contains live footage of the band playing the songs: "Black Sabbath", "Paranoid", "Iron Man", and the Carl Perkins' classic "Blue Suede Shoes".

Previously, a 1996 remastered box set was issued by Castle Communications. This set used unknown source tapes and did not involve any input from the band. For this boxed set, issued by Rhino, all of the songs have been digitally remastered from the Warner Bros. tape archives, as was the previously released Rhino compilation Symptom Of The Universe. The result of Rhino using the original masters for this set is that the sound quality is noticeably superior to the Castle discs.

Disc 1:

1. Black Sabbath
2. The Wizard
3. Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B.
4. Wicked World
5. A Bit of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning
6. Evil Woman

Disc 2:

1. War Pigs / Luke's Wall
2. Paranoid
3. Planet Caravan
4. Iron Man
5. Electric Funeral
6. Hand of Doom
7. Rat Salad
8. Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

Disc 3:

1. Sweet Leaf
2. After Forever
3. Embryo
4. Children of the Grave
5. Orchid
6. Lord of this World
7. Solitude
8. Into the Void

Disc 4:

1. Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener
2. Tomorrow's Dream
3. Changes
4. FX
5. Supernaut
6. Snowblind
7. Cornucopia
8. Laguna Sunrise
9. St. Vitus' Dance
10. Under the Sun / Every Day Comes & Goes

Disc 5:

1. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
2. A National Acrobat
3. Fluff
4. Sabbra Cadabra
5. Killing Yourself to Live
6. Who are You?
7. Looking for Today
8. Spiral Architect

Disc 6:

1. Hole in the Sky
2. Don't Start (Too Late)
3. Symptom of the Universe
4. Megalomania
5. The Thrill of it All
6. Supertzar
7. Am I Going Insane (Radio)
8. The Writ
9. Blow on a Jug

Disc 7:

1. Back Street Kids
2. You Won't Change Me
3. It's Alright
4. Gypsy
5. All Moving Parts (Stand Still)
6. Rock 'N' Roll Doctor
7. She's Gone
8. Dirty Women

Disc 8:

1. Never Say Die
2. Johnny Blade
3. Junior's Eyes
4. A Hard Road
5. Shock Wave
6. Air Dance
7. Over To You
8. Breakout
9. Swinging the Chain

Disc 9: (DVD):

1. Black Sabbath
2. Paranoid
3. Iron Man
4. Blue Suede Shoes