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I can describe the latest release from Rock super group Black Sabbath for you with just one word… Outstanding!

Unfortunately, it’s not everyday that I get a CD for review that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Sabotage. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Sabotage is a pleasantly varied, mix of 8 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly outstanding musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

If you're even mildly into Rock music you'll enjoy this album. Overall Sabotage is an outstanding release. I give it my double thumbs up. You will not be disappointed with one single track.

While this entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 3 - Symptom Of The Universe, track 5 - The Thrill Of It All, and track 8 - The Writ.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Hole In The Sky. This is a great track!

Sabotage Release Notes:

Black Sabbath originally released Sabotage on October 25, 1990 on the Warner Bros. Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Hole In The Sky 2. Don't Start (Too Late) 3. Symptom Of The Universe 4. Megalomania 5. Thrill Of It All, The 6. Supertzar 7. Am I Going Insane (Radio) 8. Writ, The

Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass); Bill Ward (drums).

Additional personnel: English Chamber Choir (background vocals).

Principally recorded at Morgan Studios, London, England.

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• Black Sabbath Master of Reality Rock Music CD Review
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Thanks to Alexander Graham Bell for validating to the world that the mind is both a broadcasting and receiving station and thanks too to the work carried out by neuro scientists in Britain for their work on the benefits of upbeat sounds.

When we listen to the alpha, delta, beta and theta sound waves in a programmed environment with music added we receive magical rewards from multi dimensions. Actually if you listen to your favourite dance music whether it is disco, reggae, rap, heavy rock or even classical the benefits are greater than listening to those self appointed wonders for the mind: I speak of mind games (metaphorically and real).

In fact it has been proved that mind games have actually zero benefits for the advances of the mind but perhaps they do have a benefit just as any game does and that is the extent of their rewards or the lack thereof. Therefore go wild to Roxy Music, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath or whatever group whets your appetite for joyful exertions. One amazing and added bonus to all this participation dwells within the realms of your sex life; everything about it will improve dramatically! Sex transmutation is a different topic for later but worth being aware of regarding all aspects of life.

The good news is you probably have these in your stock supply already and thus no need to buy those silly mind games. However there are huge benefits attained from exposing your meditative techniques to sound wave recordings and worth looking into. Have some experience with these I will gladly share with you too.

Meditation is definitely the best exercise you can luxuriate your entire psyche with especially before and after physical exercise.

On this note have you ever noticed how certain athletes go through the motions of an event whether swimming auto racing or whatever their task is that commands their total attention. This practice is called simulation where the athlete goes through the motions of the event taking in all the curvatures of the track, obstacles etc and imagining a successful conclusion.

When in your meditative stance before exercising go through the motions of your actions and as the days pass make notes of how your body responds. You will be amazed at the results especially if you add excellent music to the mix instead of just daydreaming without purpose.

There you have it: meditation, sound waves and excellent upbeat music and let me know your progress and the successes you have obtained. Thanks for your time and God bless!

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The exceptionally talented Rock group Black Sabbath have released their CD entitled Master Of Reality. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Black Sabbath fans, and Rock fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Master Of Reality their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD for review that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Master Of Reality. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

The nice thing about a CD like this is with this level of talent even if Rock isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the musicians.

Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there's not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and this is clearly the work of a group of musicians in top form. So much so that if you're even mildly into Rock music you'll enjoy this CD.

While this entire CD is really very good some of my favorites are track 2 - After Forever, track 6 - Lord Of This World, and track 8 - Into The Void

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Sweet Leaf. Outstanding!

Master Of Reality Release Notes:

Black Sabbath originally released Master Of Reality on October 25, 1990 on the Warner Bros. Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

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

Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass instrument); Bill Ward (drums).

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The exceptionally talented Rock group Black Sabbath have released their CD entitled Paranoid. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Black Sabbath fans, and Rock fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Paranoid their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.

Paranoid literally grabs your attention right from the very first note with War Pigs / Luke’s Wall and doesn't let go until the very last note of the very last song Jack The Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots, which is another great track by the way.

Paranoid has a pleasantly varied, mix of 8 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly superb musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own personal experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

Overall Paranoid is an outstanding release. Quite possibly Black Sabbath's best to date. Really spectacular from beginning to end. If you're even mildly into Rock music you'll enjoy this album.

While the entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 3 - Planet Caravan, track 6 - Hand Of Doom, and track 8 - Jack The Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - War Pigs / Luke’s Wall. This is a great track!

Paranoid Release Notes:

Black Sabbath originally released Paranoid on October 25, 1990 on the Warner Bros. Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

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

Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass instrument); Bill Ward (drums).

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Ward is from Birmingham, England and was born May 5, 1948. He started drumming at shows when he was 15 years old. He made Tony Iommi's acquaintance in 1964. They were in a band called Mythology prior to meeting Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne and joining Polka Tulk, which became Earth and in turn Black Sabbath.

 Ward imparted the swing-time beat to the original self-titled album Black Sabbath. He immolated jazz drummers Gene Kuppa and Buddy Rich. He pumped his hi-hat on Wicked World on the first album and on War Pigs from the second album entitled Paranoid. Ward shows off some double bass drum work with Children of the Grave on the third album Masters of Reality. Again, on the title song of the album Never Say Die, Ward plays impressive double bass drum sounds.

Ward was the drummer for Black Sabbath, during the period considered the "classic time" of the band, despite Osbourne's unceremonious departure in 1978. He was the drummer for the Heaven and Hell album that  highlighted Ronnie Dio as the lead singer and front man that replaced Ozzy.

Ward left and returned to Black Sabbath several times. His first departure was in 1980, he joined Max Havoc in 1981. During 1983, he came back to Black Sabbath for the album Born Again. In 1882, he departed once more and in 1985 he drummed for England's Glory, but did Live Aid with Black Sabbath. In 1986,  he started the Bill Ward Band. Later in 1989,  after a five year's of sobriety, Ward wrote and produced his solo album called Ward One: Along the Way.  Eight year's later, Ward's band released When the Bough Breaks. Ward play with Black Sabbath in 1992 for the Ozzy Osborne show in Costa Mesa, California. He did a hasty stint with them in 1994 touring South America and  rejoined Black Sabbath in 1997 for the Reunion album. In 1999, his health allowed him to reunite with Black Sabbath.

Besides being the innovative drummer for Black Sabbath, Bill Ward sang the lead on Swinging the Chain off of Never Say Die and It's Alright off of Technical Ecstasy. Ward's drumming technique paralleled the lead and bass guitar on songs like Iron Man.

An interesting fact about Ward is that a university once tested him with sensors, while he was performing live and found that his drumming workout equaled to a 15 mile run, during the band's 90 minute set.

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Ijango USA

Friday night saw the debut from another exoteric declaration from Jay-Z: "You rappers singing a bit much/ return to rap, you T-Pain-ing too much/ I'm a multi-millionaire/ So how am I the most backbreaking n---a here?"

Upon New York's Hot 97 radio post, Jay premiered afresh song from his approaching Blueprint 3 LP called, "D.O.A.," or "The Death of Auto-Tune."

"This is anti-Auto-Tune, demise of the Ringtone," Hov starts rapping over a track co-produced through Kanye West and No I.D. Hard beats and horns glare as Jay arouses figures of a black John Dillinger holding a fuming Tommy Gun, making a chump ignorant enough to stand in his way. Jay is back to shoot down biting MCs.

"This ain't for iTunes, this ain't for singalongs," he raps afterward in the song. "This is Frank Sinatra at the opera, get a blonde ... My raps don't bear melodies/ It should make jackers commit felonies/ This ain't a #1 record, this is practically assault with a deadly weapon."

Last month, Kanye West told MTV News about Jay-Z's stance against Auto-Tune, the vocal effect used extensively by T-Pain and by West himself on his latest album, 808s and Heartbreak.

"We actually removed all the songs with Auto-Tune off of his album," West said, "to make the point that this is an anti-Auto-Tune album, even though I released an album that has all Auto-Tune!"

Later on Friday night, Jay called into Funkmaster Flex and Mister Cee at Hot 97's studios to explain that he's taking aim at artists who use Auto-Tune as a crutch. He also compared the vocal enhancement usage by rappers to wearing throwback sports jerseys back in the day: Everybody started to wear them and they got played out.

"I think I said something important," he said, adding that he spoke out "only on the aspect of moving [the conversation] forward," and elaborated about who he was not going at.

"The guys who did it, did it great," he explained. "T-Pain, he does great melodies. If you listen to Kanye, great melodies. If you listen to [West's] 'Say You Will' or 'Heartless,' great melodies. [Lil Wayne and T-Pain's] 'Lollipop' was a fantastic melody. Everybody can't do it. Let them guys do it. They got their little niche, let's move on. That's just my opinion. I don't know if everybody feels the same way."

The Brooklyn MC said his intention with the record was to "draw [a] line in the sand."

The Jiggaman confirmed that his long-awaited Blueprint 3 is coming out via a new partnership with Atlantic Records; the album is expected to be released on September 11. They will handle the distribution for the album, which is housed on Hova's Roc Nation.

"I got the foundation and I'm ready to blast off," he said.

"I bought my album back — I overpaid for it," he added about recently ending his long stint with Def Jam Records. "I believe at this point in my career, I wanted to be totally independent and free in what I wanted to do. Def Jam and Universal, they did a beautiful thing in letting me pay. They overcharged me a little bit, but I appreciate all the years they put into my career ... I could never have a [traditional] record deal. I'm working with Atlantic, they gonna distribute the album and they're doing a fantastic job. I get a chance to connect with the people I started my career with. It's almost like poetic justice."

Expect more from Jay soon. DJ Skee took to Twitter to say that the first official single from Blueprint 3 will be "On That," featuring Drake. Jay wasn't asked and didn't speak on that song, but he did talk a little bit about the album's feel.

"The vibe I'm on is, stripping it down and bringing it back classic," Jay said. "I hear people, I gotta get back in my square and really let people know what time it is really quick."

Even as the third incarnation of Black Sabbath - now doing business as Heaven & Hell - prepares to tour to promote its new album, "The Devil You Know," a battle is raging over who should own the Sabbath name.

Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who left the band in 1979 and returned in 1997 for periodic touring and a live album, is suing guitarist Tony Iommi, accusing him of falsely assuming ownership of the Sabbath name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The suit contends that Osbourne's "signature vocals" were responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting its decline in popularity after he left the first time. Osbourne is demanding a 50 percent share of the name for himself as well as a split of monies earned while he was not in the band.

Iommi has not yet responded to the suit, but prior to that he acknowledged to Billboard.com that a desire to avoid "legal issues" was behind adopting the name Heaven & Hell for the currently active lineup that includes himself, original bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler, singer Ronnie James Dio (who replaced Osbourne in 1979) and drummer Vinnie Appice. And whole he acknowledged that having another name for a band that had recorded as Black Sabbath "does get confusing," he maintained that it portrays the current group's repertoire more accurately.

"I think if we went under the Black Sabbath label it would cause problems along the line," Iommi said. "People would expect us to be playing 'Iron Man' and 'Paranoid' and other stuff from (the Osbourne era), and that wasn't the idea with this lineup. The idea was to play all the stuff we've done with Ronnie, and that's why we're using the different name."

Heaven & Hell, which reunited in 2007, is currently on tour in Europe and begins a 15-show North American swing on Aug. 7 in Vancouver.

Osbourne has also reached out to Iommi in a public statement released by his publicist, which reads:

"Since 1997 when Geezer, Bill (Ward, the group's original drummer) and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'Black Sabbath,' which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively...Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright. We're all in our 60s now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing."

ijango:
Who says clothes don't make the girl?

Miley Cyrus has just landed a deal with Wal-Mart to produce a clothing line with designer Max Azria of Hervé Léger, BCBG and Max Azria fame. And thanks to the the megastore, tweens can sport their Mileyware at her fall tour.

Hot on the heels of Taylor Swift's Wal-Mart line of l.e.i. sundresses and the Jonas Brothers' sweatervests, the "Miley Cyrus & Max Azria" label will include tops, pants, graphic tees, shoes and accessories all priced allowance-friendly and under $20. The goods will hit shelves, as well as Walmart.com, just in time for back-to-school shopping in early August—and her tour kickoff a few weeks later.

Wal-Mart is sponsoring the Miley Cyrus Live in Concert tour, launching Sept. 14 in Portland, Ore., and winding up 45 stops later in Miami.

As for those duds...

"We're really excited," BCBG Max Azria Group rep Patrick McGregor tells E! News.

"I love creating looks that are all about personal expression and individuality," the recently reupped Hannah Montana said in a statement. "Collaborating with Max Azria has been an amazing experience, and I'm really excited about launching this line with Wal-Mart. There's even more to come!"

In case the idea of Cyrus coming together with the designer sounds familiar, the pair shared a segment during the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards this year that had the starlet and Duane "The Rock" Johnson donning the same red frock. Miley also wore Hervé Léger to the Grammys in February and the London premiere of her movie last month. (Get a better sense of the Disney diva's style in our Fashion Spotlight: Miley Cyrus gallery.)

"Miley Cyrus is talented and approachable, so working with her sparked a line that is authentic and vibrant," the demure fashionisto said in a statement.

Susan Boyle, who became a global star after appearing on a British television talent contest, has left the London clinic where she was being treated for exhaustion, her brother said on Friday. The 48-year-old amateur singer from Scotland, whose performance on "Britain's Got Talent" in April was downloaded nearly 200 million times on the Internet, was admitted to the Priory clinic on Sunday amid concerns for her mental health.

"She's much happier," her brother Gerry told GMTV.

"She seems a lot more like herself. I think things are becoming clearer now and she's much more content. I believe she's in the middle of London, in a flat in London."

Dowdy and unglamorous, the unemployed church volunteer challenged viewers' notion of what a star should be.

Boyle was thrust into the media limelight with camera crews camping outside her home and Larry King and Oprah Winfrey inviting her to appear on their U.S. chat shows.

But as Saturday's final of the popular talent show approached, Boyle, who was starved of oxygen at birth leading to minor brain damage, began to show signs of strain, bursting into tears regularly and threatening to leave the show.

When she failed to win the final, despite overwhelming odds in her favor, she was admitted to the private clinic suffering from emotional exhaustion.
Boyle's financial future is seen as secure despite coming second to dance troupe Diversity, as Britain's Got Talent creator Simon Cowell and his Syco music label are expected to sign her up for an album.

There has also been talk of a Hollywood movie.

"The way forward now is to talk about where her career goes from here," Boyle's brother said.

"She's absorbing the fact that America has a huge appetite for her and she's now beginning to believe that yes, indeed, I will be a singer and there will be a recording career beyond it. It's all she ever wanted to do."

He backed Cowell to manage Boyle's recording career.

"Simon Cowell -- he's been around the dance floor a few times hasn't he? I'm sure that he knows that he's got someone who has broken down the barriers in America before she even gets there and I'm sure Simon will do a good job for her."

Boyle's brother also confirmed reports that Boyle was expecting to perform in front of U.S. President Barack Obama.

Ijango Signup:
For nine weeks now, I've been meaning to write this column, but I kept getting distracted by stuff like the Keyboard Cat and Pretty Ricky's latest round of furniture-humping histrionics. And that's somewhat fitting, given that this column is about Cobra Starship, a band that has turned messing around on the Internet into an absolute art form.

And I'm not saying that to be dismissive of their success or because hyperkinetic party machine/ frontman Gabe Saporta sort of dresses like a blog, but rather, because, well ... it's true. Cobra Starship are a musical meme, the band equivalent of every groin shot, epic fail and outrageous bit of bodily harm you've ever watched YouTube or e-mailed to a million co-workers. Theirs is a brilliance reserved for the zeitgeist-grabbing Tay Zondays or Chris Crockers of the world. It's stupid smart. Genius dumb. And this is something to be proud of.

Witness CobraCam.tv, an episodic site they launched nine weeks ago to promote their upcoming Hot Mess album (due August 11). This is a very clinical description of it, however, as it is "promotional" only inasmuch as it features the members of Cobra Starship. More correctly, it's a sort of sketch-comedy showcase/ pop-culture blender/ "WTF is going on?" bonanza. It's the kind of thing a million bands (and a billion kids on YouTube) try to do but always fail miserably at, because they are simply not funny — or stupid or clever or dedicated — enough to pull it off. Cobra Starship are all those things, and then some.

Over the course of nine sublimely silly installments, they've spilled gallons of blood, poked fun at Lil Wayne's prodigious face tattoos, grown fake beards, harassed their merch guy, assaulted steaks with axes, attempted to grow breasts (keytarist Vicky Asher won that one by default), hawked cleaning products and cologne, performed surgery, rode a jackalope and wore more costumes than Lady Gaga. They've poked fun at the industry, British people, their fellow bands and, most importantly, themselves. None of it makes very much sense, and lord knows how we're supposed to be gleaning any information about Hot Mess, but none of that matters. Because it's all hilarious. And because, well, it's Cobra Starship. The music is almost secondary.

And if that last line comes off as harsh, well, I'd be willing to bet the guys (and gal) in CS would agree with me. With Cobra, the comedy is the thing. And that's more than evident on CobraCam.

There's a deft comic touch on display here — truly some of the funniest moments come in the throwaway lines or the odd cutaway shot — and a fondness for the bizarre that recalls stuff like "The Kids in the Hall" or the British version of "The Office" (or even, to blaspheme a bit more, "Monty Python's Flying Circus"). There are smart, subtle references to stuff like "The Big Lebowski" and Vince Offer and "St. Elsewhere" and Wes Anderson's slo-mo tracking shots (there's even a nod to "Goodfellas" in episode six, though I'm not sure the band even realizes it). And, of course, a collegiate dedication to getting wasted: Cobra Starship are, at the end of a day, a party band.

But here's another one to throw at you: Cobra Starship are also a comedy troupe. Each member has a role (Saporta is the boozing lout, Asher the silent straight-woman, etc.), and as is the case with all great troupes, there is one breakout star. In Cobra's case, it's guitarist Ryland Blackington, a gangly, rubber-faced combination of "SNL"-era Chevy Chase and "Kids in the Hall"-era Kevin McDonald who positively carries the majority of the CobraCam stuff (check episodes two, six and nine for proof). Of course, bassist Alex Suarez and drummer Nate Novarro are pretty good too. Say what you will about Cobra Starship, but they definitely have the funniest rhythm section in the business.

And that's sort of the point of all this, I suppose. As a band, Cobra Starship are a really great sketch-comedy troupe, and CobraCam is the proof. Their dedication — and, make no bones about it, to keep churning out episodes of quality stuff takes dedication — to the stupid, the insane and the subtle is what sets them apart from their contemporaries, and it's all on display here. I'm not sure how any of this will help Hot Mess (do "funny" bands sell records? We Are Scientists sure didn't), though that probably doesn't matter. Love them or hate them, CS have always been fun-first, music-second, and that's why kids pack their shows and throw the fangs in the air. In fact, it's a sort of brilliant niche they've carved out, if you think about it. They've quietly become the court jesters of pop music. More proof that you've got to be pretty smart to be this stupid.

It's one of the darkest, goriest songs on an album positively oozing with dark and gory songs. That's why Travis Barker knew he had to record a version of Eminem's "3 A.M."

"I first heard it on some blogs, and right away, I was like, 'Oh, damn, this is demonic,' and I love stuff like that." Barker laughed. "So I spoke to [Blink-182 and Eminem manager] Paul Rosenberg and said I wanted to do a remix of it, then Em and I spoke and discussed putting a rock twist on the song, and I got to it."

So, over the course of four very short days — during breaks from rehearsals for Blink's upcoming tour — Barker and a pair of his engineer pals laid down live guitar and bass tracks (and, of course, a healthy dose of his patented precise-yet-pounding drums). He sent them to Em for some tweaking, then put the finished product up on YouTube, and the rest is history.

"There's not many songs I hear and trip out on, but this was one of them. The song is really dark and moody, and so that's what I wanted the remix to be," Barker said. "And it was cool, because I got to work with Eminem the producer, which is something that I don't think a lot of people get to do. He listened to it, made some tweaks and gave it the OK."

And for Barker, it was a welcome return to the world of remixing — a world he's dominated over the past years with his takes on Flo Rida's "Low" and Soulja Boy's "Crank That." He had to take a break from remixing while recovering from the dozens of surgeries he endured after walking away from a fiery South Carolina plane crash last year.

"I hadn't done one since I was out of the hospital, so it was time, you know?" Barker said. "This was a dope-ass song, and when things come at me that I love, I pursue them. I was due for one, and it won't be the last."

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It's widely known that the origins of metal music can be traced all the way back to the mid 1960s, maybe even before than that, but metal bands didn't come into existence until the formation of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.  However, many bands had touched upon the sounds that they focused on - heavily distorted guitars and power chords - before they started to hone in on the potential of the driven sounds.

In 1964, for example, The Kinks released You really got me, which was centred around distorted overdriven guitar riffs. However, a lot has got to be said for the guitar playing on The Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico. The influence of the distortion on I'm waiting for my man (1967) and the feedback on Heroin are clearly early forms of metal music. Lou Reed later released a solo album called Metal Machine Music (1975), which was a collection of distorted feedback loops. On the album's notes, Reed claimed to have invented metal music.

The late sixties would see the heavy metal sound gain more even drive in the mainstream release of Helter Skelter on the Beatles' White Album (1968). The heaviest sounding guitar song to that date, Helter Skelter is clearly an important step in the evolution of metal music and the reality is that is was written by Paul McCartney. Helter Skelter is definitely high up the ranks of proto-metal.

It's no surprise then that in the same year as the White Albums was released that both Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath formed, although in all fairness Jimmy Page had already started to develop his own interpretation of distortion, feedback and fuzz tone in his earlier band, The Yardbirds, along with Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.

Led Zeppelin, exploded onto the music scene out of the break up of The Yardbirds with their debut album, Led Zeppelin. It featured heavy distortion, but the band's varying influences meant that their music wasn't solely rooted in metal sounds.

However, it was the formation of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple that created the concept of the metal band. Black Sabbath, Paranoid and In Rock all surged on the heavy metal bands' stake on musical history. Originating in Birmingham, Ozzy Osborne and the rest of Black Sabbath ploughed into the metal music scene, giving it a focal point along with Deep Purple. This focal point expanded with the start of Judas Priest in 1969. Also originating in Birmingham, Judas Priest's first album, Rocka Rolla, was the beginning of a massive musical legacy that has let to 35 million album sales worldwide.

Lots of other bands and artists contributed to a greater or lesser extent to the beginnings of metal music. Jimi Hendrix's fuzzed up riffs, for example, are a major source of inspiration for metal music even to this day. Iron Butterly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is another good example of proto-metal music.

However, if Lou Reed says he's the inventor of metal music, who am I to argue.

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The extremely talented group Black Sabbath have released their latest CD on the Warner Bros. Records recording label, entitled Never Say Die.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all.

Never Say Die is a nicely varied, mix of 9 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly gifted musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own personal experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

I’m of the opinion that Never Say Die is certainly some of this groups best work in a few years. A totally enjoyable CD and an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up because it’s a collection that even the casual Rock fan can appreciate and enjoy.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 - Johnny Blade, track 7 - Over To You, and track 9 - Swinging The Chain.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Never Say Die. What a nice track!

Never Say Die Release Notes:

Black Sabbath originally released Never Say Die on October 25, 1990 on the Warner Bros. Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

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

Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi (guitar); Geezer Butler (bass); Bill Ward (drums). Additional personnel: John Elstar (harmonica); Don Airey (keyboards). Recorded at Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada.

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In mid 2009, Ozzy Osbourne launched a lawsuit against former band mate Anthony Iommi over the rights to the famous BLACK SABBATH name. As a trademark lawyer with a music industry background, I have litigated and registered dozens of band names. This charade once again serves as a reminder to successful trademark owners, and even aging rock stars, "It's all about the brand stupid." Ozzy is claiming rights to 50% of the name and merchandising royalties garnered by former band mate Iommi, who registered BLACK SABBATH in 2000 at the U.S. Trademark Office and in Europe.

Ozzy acknowledges that he ceased to perform or use BLACK SABBATH from 1980 to 1996, only to return in 1997 when the two did a reunion tour. Iommi continued to use the name during those years, performing in small venues and struggling to keep the name alive. Ozzy's hiatus is an indication of the abandonment of his rights but he claims immaculate resurrection based upon his wife's management skills that reunited the group in 1997.

Osbourne's official statement reads:

Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the "Black Sabbath" brand through Ozzfest, touring, merchandising and album reissues. The name "Black Sabbath" now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour.

A reading of the Osbourne complaint reveals yet another text book example of what not to do. It never ceases to amaze me how little importance successful artists ascribe to protecting and managing a valuable asset, the brand. Ozzy's departure from the group was in 1980 and over the last 30 years, Ozzy either failed to heed proper advice, or neglected to engage expert trademark advice when he should have. The important question in this case whether or not there was an agreement as to who owned the name when Ozzy left in 1980?

According to the complaint, Ozzy says he signed nothing that indicated that he was giving up his rights. However, that is not necessarily determinative. Under U.S. law, if there is no written agreement stating otherwise, departing band members from a group operating as a partnership normally cease to have rights in the name while remaining members retain the rights. This is because the name is considered a partnership asset, and specific assets remain with the partnership. Absent an agreement, Iommi may as well have become the sole owner during the years he continued to perform in clubs under the name without Ozzy.

In the legal world, trademark owners are required to police their rights and monitor the trademark office for infringing filings. A valid registration on the books of the Trademark Office left unchallenged for nine years raises the question, exactly what was the management team doing to protect the brand? More important, for his allegations of taking care of the brand, Ozzy's complaint alleges he did not know Iommi had registered the name until 2008! Where has Ozzy's legal team been for the last nine years?

Although his trademark claim may be limited, Ozzy likely has a separate but valid claim against Iommi if he has been exploiting Ozzy's name, image, and/or likeness without consent and compensation. Record companies routinely have the right to use their artist's name, image and likeness for purposes of recording sales, but for endorsements or other commercial use the rights typically remain with the individual.

Thus, the moral of the story is that the law does not care if your Ozzy Osborne or Joe Shmoe, register your band name with a federal trademark registration, and clarify ownership of the name to avoid a legal catastrophe.

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