So my day has not panned out quite as expected thusfar. Currently I am sat in near darkness listening to a scratched CD copy of Traffic's 'John Barleycorn Must Die'. Battling with the Ys and Zs of a German keyboard. Anywaz the day so far...
10.30 - Shop opened succesfully, lights on good to go. My first customer speaks no English - I apologise for my lack of proficiency in his German mother tongue with a mixture of French, German and English German sounding words, he gets the message. After much pointing and more German I realize he wants me to call the shop on my phone. I know better than to question this as that would of course just serve to elongate the proceedings. I do so, the phone rings. He asks me to do this a further two times and then to write the phone number on the back of the shops business card. Eventually I work out that the number he rang wasn't working. This is the kind of drama I miss. All of this with a soundtrack of Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath.
I have a lot of time for this album. Not least because I and many others believe that this is where it all started. When I say all I am of course talking about 'The Metäl'. I will gloss over the fact that it's a horrible glossy repress and cut to the chase. No other album starts like Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Durrr). The opening track, surprisingly titled 'Black Sabbath' is still a veritable call to arms for everyone from the legitimately long haired to the fixed gear riding 'Hip Metal' brigade. The term 'Does what it says on the tin' has never been so apt. This being the case I dig in and flick through the racks alongside my new found German chum (Late fifties/blue anorak/home made hair-cut). The album trudges from track to track and I flip it over, which is where it all starts to fall apart. 'Evil Woman' is great but it just doesn't belong here. And bz the time the final song 'The Warning' comes on I am tempted to put it Tony Iomi out of his misery.
Rwegardless of the confusion of side 2 this is still a milestone, a monolith and as I mentioned a beginning.
My German friend leaves whistling 'Evil Woman'.
10.30 - Shop opened succesfully, lights on good to go. My first customer speaks no English - I apologise for my lack of proficiency in his German mother tongue with a mixture of French, German and English German sounding words, he gets the message. After much pointing and more German I realize he wants me to call the shop on my phone. I know better than to question this as that would of course just serve to elongate the proceedings. I do so, the phone rings. He asks me to do this a further two times and then to write the phone number on the back of the shops business card. Eventually I work out that the number he rang wasn't working. This is the kind of drama I miss. All of this with a soundtrack of Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath.
I have a lot of time for this album. Not least because I and many others believe that this is where it all started. When I say all I am of course talking about 'The Metäl'. I will gloss over the fact that it's a horrible glossy repress and cut to the chase. No other album starts like Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Durrr). The opening track, surprisingly titled 'Black Sabbath' is still a veritable call to arms for everyone from the legitimately long haired to the fixed gear riding 'Hip Metal' brigade. The term 'Does what it says on the tin' has never been so apt. This being the case I dig in and flick through the racks alongside my new found German chum (Late fifties/blue anorak/home made hair-cut). The album trudges from track to track and I flip it over, which is where it all starts to fall apart. 'Evil Woman' is great but it just doesn't belong here. And bz the time the final song 'The Warning' comes on I am tempted to put it Tony Iomi out of his misery.
Rwegardless of the confusion of side 2 this is still a milestone, a monolith and as I mentioned a beginning.
My German friend leaves whistling 'Evil Woman'.
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