The Eternal Idol

Last updated

The Eternal Idol
Black Sabbath The Eternal Idol.jpg
Studio album by
Black Sabbath
ReleasedNovember 1987 [1]
RecordedOctober 1986 – March 1987
Studio Air Studios, Montserrat
Air Studios and Battery Studios, London, England
Genre Heavy metal [2]
Length42:34
Label Vertigo
Producer Jeff Glixman, Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, Chris Tsangarides
Black Sabbath chronology
Seventh Star
(1986)		The Eternal Idol
(1987)		 Headless Cross
(1989)
Singles from The Eternal Idol
  1. "The Shining"
    Released: 1987

The Eternal Idol is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in November 1987 in the UK and on 8 December 1987 in the US. [3] It is the first Black Sabbath album to feature vocalist Tony Martin. It spent six weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at 168. [4] It was also the last full album of new material by Black Sabbath to be released by Warner Bros. Records (in North America), and the final album through their original label Vertigo Records until the release of 13 in 2013.

Contents

Background and overview

The album sleeve erroneously credits Dave Spitz as bass player: the bass was actually played by Bob Daisley. Eric Singer played the drums, with the percussion credit for Bev Bevan being for a few cymbal overdubs on "Scarlet Pimpernel". [5]

The album was originally to be recorded with Spitz and vocalist Ray Gillen. The former was replaced by bassist/lyricist Bob Daisley during initial sessions on Montserrat with producer Jeff Glixman. According to Daisley, Gillen had struggled with the lyrics, and management was not paying him [6] or the rest of the band. Gillen quit shortly after their return to England. [7] Daisley worked on the album as a session player, turning down an offer to join the band as he was already committed to working with Gary Moore. [8] Gillen and Singer, who left the band right after he finished his drum parts to join Daisley in Moore's touring band, later joined the band Badlands with bassist Greg Chaisson and guitarist Jake E. Lee, the latter of whom had recently been fired from original Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne's solo band. [7] [9]

A number of singers auditioned for Black Sabbath, including Jon Oliva of Savatage and a then-unknown Tony Martin. [10] Martin was hired and reconstructed the vocals under the guidance of Chris Tsangarides at Battery Studios shortly before production ended. [7] Most tracks were written by Tony Iommi and Bob Daisley (the vinyl version states that all songs were written by Iommi) although some lyrics were modified by Geoff Nicholls. Martin said he "only sang on, and had no part in writing" The Eternal Idol, but nonetheless "thought [it] was one of the better albums of the band." [11]

The song "Nightmare" was initially written for the 1987 film A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors . [12]

After Daisley's and Singer's departure, bassist Dave Spitz returned and drummer Bev Bevan, who had previously been a member of Black Sabbath during mid 1983–early 1984, was hired for a 1987 tour in support of the album; however, soon Bevan backed out on learning that Sabbath had booked dates in South Africa during the apartheid crisis.

Bevan was replaced by former Clash drummer Terry Chimes, who appears in the music video for "The Shining". Spitz played bass for a few shows before Jo Burt (formerly of Virginia Wolf) was hired as the new bass player.

The tour was one of Sabbath's shortest, totaling 20 dates: one on Greece and 6-7 each in South Africa, Germany and Italy [13]

The video for "The Shining" was filmed in-between Spitz's departure and Burt's arrival. In 1993, Martin recalled, "The bass player in the 'Shining' video was some guy that we dragged off the street. I can't remember his name but he looked the part (In another interview Martin claims the musician's name was "Steve"). [3] He said that he was a guitarist. I remember he was always talking about how he was a Red Indian, thus all the turquoise he wore! We never saw him again." [14]

Cover art

The album cover features two models in bronze paint re-enacting Auguste Rodin's 1889 sculpture "The Eternal Idol". Due to the paint's toxicity, the models were hospitalized after the shoot. A photograph of the original sculpture was intended as the cover art, but permission could not be secured. [15]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Classic Rock 4/10 [16]
The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 10/10 [17]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]

The Eternal Idol was released in November 1987. The album spent six weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at 168. [4] A three-minute and fifteen second studio outtake titled "Some Kind of Woman", written by Tony Martin shortly after joining the band, appeared as a B-side of "The Shining" single. An early version of "Black Moon"—a song that would ultimately appear on the 1989 album Headless Cross —was released as a B-side of the "Eternal Idol" single.

In 1997, reflecting to Sabbath fanzine Southern Cross, Iommi stated, "I'd like to have seen some of the stuff off The Eternal Idol be a bit more credited, because I think there's some good tracks on that album"; he cited "Ancient Warrior" as one of those tracks. [19]

The album was rereleased on 1 November 2010 in Europe as a two-disc expanded set. Bonus content includes the aforementioned b-sides "Some Kind of Woman" and "Black Moon" on disc 1. Disc 2 contains the session for the album recorded with Ray Gillen on vocals. [3] [20]

Track listing

Standard edition

Music by Tony Iommi; lyrics by Bob Daisley and Geoff Nicholls with contributions from Ray Gillen. "Black Moon" and "Some Kind of Woman" lyrics by Tony Martin and Geoff Nicholls.

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."The Shining"5:57
2."Ancient Warrior"5:24
3."Hard Life to Love"4:53
4."Glory Ride"4:43
Side B
No.TitleLength
5."Born to Lose"3:48
6."Nightmare"5:14
7."Scarlet Pimpernel" (instrumental)2:04
8."Lost Forever"4:03
9."Eternal Idol"6:28
2010 deluxe edition disc 1 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
10."Black Moon" (single B-side)3:39
11."Some Kind of Woman" (single B-side)3:16

2010 deluxe edition Disc 2

Disc 2 of the 2010 deluxe edition consists of the earlier recording sessions, with Ray Gillen on vocals.

No.TitleLength
1."Glory Ride"5:21
2."Born to Lose"3:41
3."Lost Forever"4:18
4."Eternal Idol"6:48
5."The Shining"6:30
6."Hard Life to Love"5:20
7."Nightmare"4:49
8."Ancient Warrior"4:54

Personnel

Black Sabbath

Technical personnel

Release history

RegionDateLabel
United KingdomNovember 1987 Vertigo Records
United States8 December 1987 [3] Warner Bros. Records
Canada1987Warner Bros. Records
United KingdomApril 1996 Castle Communications
United Kingdom25 October 2004 Sanctuary Records
United Kingdom16 November 2010 (2 CD)Sanctuary Records/Universal Music Group

Charts

Chart (1987–1988)Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [21] 86
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [22] 25
UK Albums (OCC) [23] 66
US Billboard 200 [24] 168

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 (1970), Paranoid (1970) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzy Osbourne</span> English musician and TV personality (born 1948)

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English musician and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness".

<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 bassist Laurence Cottle.

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

Born Again is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released on 12 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Gillen</span> American singer (1959–1993)

Raymond Arthur Gillen was an American rock singer. He is best known for his work with Badlands, in addition to his stint with Black Sabbath in the mid-1980s and recording most of the vocals on Phenomena's Dream Runner album.

<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>Seventh Star</i> 1986 studio album by Black Sabbath

Seventh Star is the twelfth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in January 1986, it features founding guitarist Tony Iommi alongside musicians Geoff Nicholls, Eric Singer, and Dave Spitz, playing keyboards, drums, and bass, respectively, and Glenn Hughes, ex-Deep Purple and ex-Trapeze vocalist, as lead singer. The album was the group's first release without bassist and primary lyricist Geezer Butler, who left the band in 1984 after the Born Again tour. It was originally written, recorded, and intended to be the first solo album by Iommi. Because of the pressures from Warner Bros. Records and the prompting of band manager Don Arden, the record was billed as Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi. Despite the issues behind the release's production, it earned moderate commercial success, reaching #27 in the UK and #78 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Robert John Daisley is an Australian musician and songwriter. A bass guitarist, he is perhaps best known for his intermittent relationship with vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, for whom he contributed bass, co-production and songwriting throughout the 1980s. Daisley has also worked with prominent rock acts including Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Gary Moore, Chicken Shack and Uriah Heep, among others. In 2013, he published his autobiography entitled For Facts Sake which has received outstanding reviews.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Nicholls</span> British guitarist and keyboardist (1944–2017)

Geoffrey James Nicholls was an English guitarist and keyboardist, and longtime member of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath until 2004. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath. In the 1960s/early 1970s, Geoff played lead guitar for the Birmingham bands The Boll Weevils, The Seed, Johnny Neal and the Starliners, and played keyboards for World of Oz.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neon Knights</span> Song by Black Sabbath

"Neon Knights" is a song by English rock band Black Sabbath from 1980's Heaven and Hell, their first album with American vocalist Ronnie James Dio.

"Children of the Sea" is a song by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell (1980).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mythology (band)</span> English blues rock band

Mythology were an English blues rock band based in Carlisle that formed in early 1967, out of The Square Chex. The band featured future Black Sabbath founding members Tony Iommi and Bill Ward.

References

  1. ↑ "Great Rock discography". p. 68.
  2. 1 2 Rivadavia, Eduardo. "The Eternal Idol – Black Sabbath". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Eternal Idol – Black Sabbath Online". Black Sabbath Online. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 "The Eternal Idol album info". Billboard . Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  5. ↑ Sharpe-Young, Garry (1 September 2003). "10". Black Sabbath: Never Say Die! 1979–1997. London, UK: Cherry Red Books. ISBN   978-1901447163.
  6. ↑ Stolz, Nolan (2017). Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. p. 131. ISBN   978-1-4422-5691-0.
  7. 1 2 3 Hugh, Gilmour (1996). The Eternal Idol (CD Booklet). Black Sabbath. England: Castle Communications ESM CD 336. p. 9.
  8. ↑ "Black Sabbath Timeline".
  9. ↑ "JAKE E. LEE Says He Found Out He Was Fired From OZZY OSBOURNE's Band From His Guitar Tech". Blabbermouth.net. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "JON OLIVA Recalls Nearly Auditioning For BLACK SABBATH: 'I Would Have Been The Best Singer For Them Besides OZZY OSBOURNE'". Blabbermouth.net. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Southern Cross No.10, May 1993
  12. ↑ Stolz, Nolan (2017). Experiencing Black Sabbath. Rowman & Littlefield.
  13. ↑ "Search for setlists: tour:(Eternal Idol) | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  14. ↑ Bauwens, Thierry (February 1993). "Interview: Tony Martin". Thank God It's Sabbath.
  15. ↑ Iommi, Tony. Black Sabbath: My Journey through Heaven and Hell.
  16. ↑ Elliott, Paul (January 2011). "Black Sabbath – Reissues". Classic Rock. Vol. 153. London, UK: Future plc. p. 112.
  17. ↑ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN   978-1-894959-31-5.
  18. ↑ "Black Sabbath: Album Guide". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  19. ↑ Southern Cross, No.19, March 1997
  20. ↑ Siegler, Joe (15 September 2010). "Black-Sabbath.com, Ray Gillen Eternal Idol to be released – FOR REAL!". Black-sabbath.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0922". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  24. ↑ "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.