13. The Sabbath Stones from TYR [1990]
One of the two MASSIVE tracks to dominate the listing of TYR is "The Sabbath Stones", which gives Tony Martin another chance to put his signature stamp on the band's history. It grants the singer another chance to flex his vocal muscle as the song builds to its rather stirring climax. The track, which seems to continue Martin's sceptical view of religion and the worship of "so called" omnipotent beings, manages to keep the listener on edge throughout because it feels although it is forever building to something, and although the climax may be short, and slightly derivative of Iron Maiden's playing style, it does but solidify the Martin era as the (second most) inspiring period of the band's record-making. Martin's manner is satisfyingly aggressive and impassioned, something that he admittedly lost in the later records. But this is Martin in his prime, and the song deserves a 5* rating because of it.
14. Fairies Wear Boots from Paranoid [1970]
This song has a strange title, which was apparently inspired by a "bloody big fight" that took place when the band were confronted by some skinheads whilst out and about. The song, however does not re-tell the incidents of that fateful night, but instead documents one man's recurring hallucination, in which he sees fairies (who wear boots) dancing with dwarves ,(again, go figure). What I love about this track is that it represents one of Sabbath's finest bluesy moments, and when played live becomes one of the best rock 'n' roll tracks in history. Energy is the key word to use when describing this song, which ends the album with a kind of "too cool attitude" that is too damned charismatic to ignore. It's what Sabbath are all about, and its a 5* definite.
15. I from Dehumanizer [1992]
"I" is the blood-stained anthem of the anti-hero, and represents one of Dio's finest lyrical achievements. The words have an infectious arrogance that truly empower the listener, and make it one of those perfect tracks to listen to when you feel like the world has got you down. One of the many reasons why I love this track is because, although it may appear slightly dated, and even tongue-in-cheek in parts, it has an aggressive vibe that is entirely old-school. Dio doesn't need to load his songs with swearwords in order to gain a reaction from his listeners. The power and the anger is gained purely through the intense delivery and monstrous riffs. No gym-freak should be without this track in their playlist. It's a 5* track because it has a strong sense of that all too human self-consciousness and spite, contrasting against the oppressive title of the album quite well.
16. Iron Man from Paranoid [1970]
"Iron Man" is without a doubt my favourite Black Sabbath track. Call that predictable if you will, but there is a reason why it is one of the best known songs by the band. The opening riff, after Ozzy's robotic declaration of "I am Iron Man!" sums up (for me) everything that Sabbath represents. It has the powerful driving riffs, the doom-ridden lyrics and the howling vocals, and is the song I would play to someone who said they wanted to hear Sabbath summed up in one riff. Also, this track is a rarity in the band's discography, as it tells a story, something the band never often did before or after this particular song, and it makes you wish they had done more often! The tale of a man's terrifying journey through time in order to prevent the apocalypse, but who ends up bringing about the same destruction when he is turned to "steel in a great magnetic field" has a timeless and harrowing resonance throughout, and demonstrates Geezer's skill to convert complex themes: such as paradoxes and make them accessible (yet still intelligent) rock song subjects. It is a 5* track because every time I listen to it, it blows my mind a little bit more!
I shall publish the final 10 at a later hour!
__________________
'Well, I'm a common working man,
With a half of bitter, bread and jam,
And if it pleases me, I'll put one on ya man,
When the copper fades away!' - Jethro Tull
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