Cross Purposes

Last updated

Cross Purposes
SabbathPurposes.jpg
Studio album by
Black Sabbath
Released31 January 1994 [1] [2]
Recorded1993
StudioMonnow Valley Studios (Rockfield, Wales)
Genre Heavy metal
Length47:27
Label I.R.S.
Producer Leif Mases, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath chronology
Dehumanizer
(1992)		Cross Purposes
(1994)		 Forbidden
(1995)

Cross Purposes is the seventeenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released through I.R.S. Records on 31 January 1994. The album marked the return of Tony Martin as the band's lead vocalist, after the second departure of Ronnie James Dio.

Contents

In 2024, a remaster of the album was announced as part of the box set Anno Domini 1989–1995 , marking the first time the album has been officially reissued. The CD edition of the album contains the Japanese bonus track "What's the Use?". [3]

Background and recording

Dehumanizer saw the reunion of Mob Rules -era Black Sabbath, but, after the tour, Ronnie James Dio (vocals) and Vinny Appice (drums) departed. They were replaced by former Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin and former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli. Geezer Butler remained with the group, although he would depart later in the year again before the recording of the Forbidden album. Rondinelli left the recording sessions for Quiet Riot's album Terrified to join Black Sabbath. The album was recorded at Monnow Valley Studio, in Wales. [4]

Songs

Tony Martin explained during the show at Roseland in NYC on February 12, 1995, that "Psychophobia" was about David Koresh, and the Waco, Texas, incident. [5]

A promo video in black-and-white was shot for the song "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle". Tony Martin explained in a 2011 interview with Martin Popoff that he wrote this song about Beverly Allitt, a children's hospital nurse in England who was convicted of serial infanticide in 1993. The video features a young girl, assumably in reference to this. [6]

The song "Cardinal Sin" was originally intended to be titled "Sin Cardinal Sin" (or "Sin, Cardinal Sin") but a printing error on the album sleeve caused the first word to be removed. Sabbath simply adopted the title "Cardinal Sin" as the name of the song.

"What's the Use?" was released only on the Japanese edition of Cross Purposes, which also contained a free sticker of the artwork. A nearly identical version of the "burning angel" image was featured on the Scorpions single Send Me an Angel three years earlier.

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Entertainment Weekly D [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Select Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]

Bradley Torreano of AllMusic rated the album 3 stars out of 5, praising it for bridging various aspects of the band's different eras. He said it was "the first album since Born Again that actually sounds like a real Sabbath record" and "probably the best thing they'd released since The Mob Rules , even with the filler tracks and keyboards." [7] In July 2014, Guitar World magazine ranked Cross Purposes at number six in the "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list. [11]

Sales

The album peaked at number 122 on the US Billboard 200 charts but made it to number 41 on the UK album charts. [12] In both Finland and Sweden, the album hit #9.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Witness" Tony Iommi, Tony Martin, Geezer Butler 4:56
2."Cross of Thorns"Iommi, Martin, Butler, Geoff Nicholls [lower-alpha 1] 4:32
3."Psychophobia"Iommi, Martin, Butler3:16
4."Virtual Death"Iommi, Martin, Butler5:49
5."Immaculate Deception"Iommi, Martin, Butler4:15
6."Dying for Love"Iommi, Martin, Butler, Nicholls5:53
7."Back to Eden"Iommi, Martin, Butler3:57
8."The Hand That Rocks the Cradle"Iommi, Martin, Butler4:31
9."Cardinal Sin"Iommi, Martin, Butler, Nicholls4:20
10."Evil Eye"Iommi, Martin, Butler, Nicholls, Eddie Van Halen [lower-alpha 2] 5:58
Bonus track on Japanese edition & 2024 remaster
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."What's the Use?"Iommi, Martin, Butler3:03

Personnel

Black Sabbath
Technical personnel

Charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [13] 23
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [14] 85
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [15] 9
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] 32
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [17] 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 9
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] 41
UK Albums (OCC) [20] 41
US Billboard 200 [21] 122

Notes

The angel artwork depicted on the cover originally appeared on the 1990 single Send Me An Angel by the German hard rock band Scorpions.

  1. ↑ Nicholls is uncredited on the original release of the album but is credited on the 2024 box set Anno Domini 1989–1995
  2. ↑ Van Halen is uncredited as a co-writer due to restrictions from his label, Warner Bros. Records

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Sabbath</span> English heavy metal band

Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define the genre with their first three albums Black Sabbath, Paranoid and Master of Reality (1971). Following Osbourne's departure in 1979, the band underwent multiple line-up changes, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout their history.

<i>Headless Cross</i> (album) 1989 album by Black Sabbath

Headless Cross is the fourteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in April 1989, it was the group's second album to feature singer Tony Martin, the first to feature drummer Cozy Powell, and the only album with session bassist Laurence Cottle.

<i>Master of Reality</i> 1971 studio album by Black Sabbath

Master of Reality is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in the United Kingdom on 6 August 1971 by Vertigo Records. It is regarded by some critics as the foundation of doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal. Produced by Rodger Bain, who also produced the band's prior two albums, Master of Reality was recorded at Island Studios in London from February to April 1971. Guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler downtuned their instruments during the production, achieving what Iommi called a "bigger, heavier sound".

<i>Dehumanizer</i> 1992 album by Black Sabbath

Dehumanizer is the sixteenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. It was first released on 22 June 1992 in the UK by I.R.S. Records and on 30 June 1992 in the US by Reprise Records.

<i>Live & Loud</i> 1993 live album by Ozzy Osbourne

Live & Loud is a live album recorded by the former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, released on 15 June 1993. At the time, it was to be Osbourne's final album following Osbourne's final tour before retiring, aptly titled "No More Tours". The track "Black Sabbath" featured the original line-up of Black Sabbath, the members of which were invited to join Ozzy as guest stars for the Costa Mesa Reunion shows.

<i>Born Again</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1983 studio album by Black Sabbath

Born Again is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released on 9 September 1983, it is the only album the group recorded with lead vocalist Ian Gillan, best known for his work with Deep Purple. It was also the last Black Sabbath album for nine years to feature original bassist Geezer Butler and the last to feature original drummer Bill Ward, though Ward did record a studio track with the band fifteen years later on their 1998 live album Reunion. The album has received mixed reviews from critics, but was a commercial success upon its 1983 release, reaching No. 4 in the UK charts. The album also hit the top 40 in the United States. In July 2021, guitarist and founding member Tony Iommi confirmed that the long lost original master tapes of the album had been finally located, and that he was considering remixing the album for a future re-release.

<i>Mob Rules</i> (album) 1981 album by Black Sabbath

Mob Rules is the tenth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in November 1981. It followed 1980's Heaven and Hell, and was the second album to feature lead singer Ronnie James Dio and the first with drummer Vinny Appice. Neither musician would appear on a Black Sabbath studio album again until the 1992 album Dehumanizer.

<i>Tyr</i> (album) 1990 album by Black Sabbath

Tyr is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 20 August 1990 by I.R.S. Records.

<i>Heaven and Hell</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1980 studio album by Black Sabbath

Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 18 April 1980. It is the first Black Sabbath album to feature vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who replaced original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in 1979.

<i>Reunion</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1998 live album by Black Sabbath

Reunion is a live album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 19 October 1998. As implied by the title, the album features a reunion of the original Black Sabbath lineup of vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The album represents the first new release featuring that version of the group since 1978's Never Say Die! and Osbourne's subsequent firing the following year. Black Sabbath received their first ever Grammy Award in 2000 for the live recording of "Iron Man" taken from Reunion.

<i>Forbidden</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1995 studio album by Black Sabbath

Forbidden is the eighteenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 5 June 1995. This recording saw the reunion of Black Sabbath's Tyr-era line-up from 1990, with the return of Neil Murray and Cozy Powell. It was the last album to feature Tony Martin on vocals and Geoff Nicholls on keyboards, and the last by the band until 2013 when Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler returned for the album 13. The album sold 21,000 copies in the US in its first week and as of 2013, Forbidden has sold 191,000 copies in the US.

<i>The Best of Black Sabbath</i> 2000 greatest hits album by Black Sabbath

The Best of Black Sabbath is a double CD compilation album by Black Sabbath released in 2000 on the Sanctuary Records label. Its 32 songs are presented chronologically from the band's first 11 albums, spanning the years 1970 to 1983. Black Sabbath's classic six-album run, from 1970s debut Black Sabbath through 1975's Sabotage is celebrated with three to six songs from each album. Original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne's subsequent final two albums with the band, 1976's Technical Ecstasy and 1978's Never Say Die!, are represented by one and two songs, respectively. Replacement Ronnie James Dio's early 80's stint fronting the band on two albums is acknowledged with the title track of 1980's Heaven and Hell and a track from 1981's The Mob Rules. The compilation closes with a song from 1983's attempted rebirth, Born Again, former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan's sole album with the band. The Best of Black Sabbath does not include any later material with vocalists Glenn Hughes, Tony Martin (1986–96) or the returning Dio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Martin (British singer)</span> English heavy metal singer

Anthony Philip Harford, better known by his stage name Tony Martin, is an English heavy metal vocalist, best known for his time fronting Black Sabbath, initially from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1993 to 1997. Martin was the band's second-longest-serving vocalist after Ozzy Osbourne. He has since been involved in many other projects.

<i>Cross Purposes Live</i> Live album by Black Sabbath

Cross Purposes Live is a boxed set released by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath in March 1995. The set comprised a live album on CD and a VHS tape of a concert recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on Wednesday 13 April 1994, recorded on the band's tour for their Cross Purposes album. The tour was notable for being the first time The Wizard had been played since early 1971, when Ozzy Osbourne was still lead vocalist. It is Black Sabbath's only live album with singer Tony Martin. The CD was housed within an oversized videotape case but had its own inserts and jewel case.

<i>The Sabbath Stones</i> 1996 compilation album by Black Sabbath

The Sabbath Stones (1996) is a compilation album of Black Sabbath songs taken from albums ranging from 1983's Born Again to 1995's Forbidden. It was never formally released in the US or Canada, and was the last album to be released by Black Sabbath with I.R.S. Records.

<i>Black Sabbath: The Dio Years</i> 2007 compilation album by Black Sabbath / Heaven & Hell

Black Sabbath: The Dio Years is a 2007 compilation CD of material recorded by Black Sabbath during vocalist Ronnie James Dio's tenure in the band. The CD contains remastered tracks taken from the studio albums Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981), and Dehumanizer (1992), as well as a live version of the song "Children of the Sea" taken from the live album Live Evil (1982). It also contains three songs that were recorded in 2007: "The Devil Cried", "Shadow of the Wind", and "Ear in the Wall".

<i>The Devil You Know</i> (Heaven & Hell album) 2009 studio album by Heaven & Hell

The Devil You Know is the only studio album by heavy metal band Heaven & Hell; the members had previously recorded as a group in an earlier line-up of Black Sabbath. The Devil You Know was Ronnie James Dio's final studio album prior to his death in May 2010.

<i>13</i> (Black Sabbath album) 2013 studio album by Black Sabbath

13 is the nineteenth and final studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was released on 10 June 2013 through Vertigo Records, acting as their first studio album in 18 years following Forbidden (1995). It was the band's first studio recording with original singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler since the live album Reunion (1998), which contained two new studio tracks. It was also the first studio album with Osbourne since Never Say Die! (1978), and with Butler since Cross Purposes (1994).

<i>The End: Live in Birmingham</i> 2017 live album by Black Sabbath

The End: Live in Birmingham is a live album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It features the final performance from their farewell concert tour, known as The End Tour, recorded at Genting Arena in Birmingham, England, on 4 February 2017. Performing at the show and on the album are founding Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler. They performed with session drummer Tommy Clufetos filling in for the band's original drummer, Bill Ward, as well as keyboardist and guitarist Adam Wakeman.

<i>Anno Domini 1989–1995</i> 2024 box set by Black Sabbath

Anno Domini 1989–1995 is a box set by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 31 May 2024. It includes four of five albums from the 1987–1997 Tony Martin-era of the band, with Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990) and Cross Purposes (1994) all remastered, and Forbidden (1995) remixed by guitarist Tony Iommi, making this the first time those albums have officially been reissued.

References

  1. ↑ "Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes".
  2. ↑ Cross Purposes (press advertisement). I.R.S. Records. 1994. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ↑ Blabbermouth (21 March 2024). "BLACK SABBATH: Box Set Of TONY MARTIN-Era Recordings, 'Anno Domini 1989-1995', To Arrive In May". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Blabbermouth. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Stolz, Nolan (2017). Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener’s Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 173. ISBN   9781442256910.
  5. ↑ Live recording February 15, 1994, Youtube.
  6. ↑ Popoff, Martin (2011). Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose: An Illustrated History. Da Capo Press.
  7. 1 2 Bradley Torreano (8 February 1994). "Cross Purposes - Black Sabbath | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Frost, Deborah (11 February 1994). "Cross Purposes Review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  9. ↑ "Black Sabbath: Album Guide". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "Black Sabbath: Cross Purposes Review".
  11. ↑ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com . 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Billboard album chart history-Black Sabbath" . Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  15. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  17. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Black Sabbath – Cross Purposes". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Black Sabbath Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.