The Ultimate Collection

Love great music get this

Bought this as an excuse to listen to them again and wasn't disappointed. I was also seduced by that wonderful ball of fire on the cover ! This is rock music's Rite of Spring and about as good a collection of their classic stuff as you need; although the other 'Best Of' 2CD package released some years ago is marginally better in my view and covers almost the same material. There are only a couple of weak tracks on this Ultimate Collection but the rest is marvellous.I've always had a soft spot for the first album with its mood and atmosphere and a crucial sense of space and silence that was key to its sound-scape and feel of an elemental pre-Christian world of the imagination. The original side two of the debut album was wonderful stuff with Ozzy's muscular vocal on Sleeping Village taking the listener to this pagan Britain, before the extended workout of Warning. In other hands this would just have been another blues-jam but the band develop it into something much more moody and dynamic, constantly shifting and rewarding. It's a shame that it's too long for inclusion here.Their second album Paranoid was where the sound and writing came together to produce their keystone work. A sense of space was retained, the material was very strong and the playing was beautifully tight. The jazz flavoured Planet Caravan provided the essential contrast to Tony Iommi's crushing riffs and Bill Ward's artillery barrage. It's an inclusion that I miss on this 2016 compilation. My original gatefold sleeve album would've probably been worth a few bob if I still had it ! I always thought its follow-up Master of Reality was much less interesting with its turgid down-tuned drone and relentless power chords that beat this listener into submission. Most fans loved it but I never got it at the time. I still don't. Volume 4 was a curate's egg, before the inspired achievement of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath where they really stretched out lyrically and musically. It's a shame about the mix on that album as I don't think they ever reached as high again. It just lacked the punch and attack of the first two albums.So, another great Sabbath compilation and worth it for the cover alone ! Shame that there are no decent sleeve notes though.

Excellent product just as described

There is no "Ultimate Collection Set" but this is good value for money.

Top seller will use again.

Is’nt it marvellous that you can purchase these sort of collections second hand for virtually nothing.

Fantastic 3hrs of classic Sabbath 1970-78,just listened to this in one session,lights down,beer in hand,transported back to my teen years in the 70's,the music is faultless. The 2009 remasters sound excellent,i already had the 1996 versions,so i hadnt rebought,i may need to splash some cash.The packaging however,thats another story,there has been absolutely no thought put into this,it has one of the poorest booklets ,ever,no liner notes no archive stuff,nothing,the track listing ,personally i dont mind it not being in chronilogical order but i absolutely hate when tracks are faded out for no reason,both 'Hole in the Sky' & 'Am I Going Insane' suffer this travesty. Disc 2 finishes,with 'It Alright' Bill Wards moment from '76's 'Technical Ecstacy',strange closer,maybe a olive branch to Bill?So its an easy 5 stars for the music but the packaging is poor,really disappointing.

Just wot wanted