Born Again (Deluxe Edition)

Of all the entries in Black Sabbath's elephantine discography, perhaps no release is as hotly contested or steeped in mystery as 1983's 'Born Again', and with good reason. From its bizarrely grotesque artwork to the decidedly incongruous sonic departures held within, its legacy is of unquestionable import to any fan of the group who by that time had stamped their name on the consciousness of tens of millions of devotees around the world, and it stands as testimony to the perils of personnel changes and of a legendary group determined to survive.

For Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Ian Gillan, and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls, work would swiftly commence in May of '83 at the Manor Studios in the village of Shiptonon-Cherwell, Oxfordshire. Produced by Black Sabbath and Robin Black, who had also worked on 'Sabotage' ('75), 'Technical Ecstasy' ('76) and 'Never Say Die' ('78), Sabbath's 11th studio release would represent a radical departure from the gloomy atmospherics and blackened lyricism that had forged their identity and spawned innumerable descendants.

Ian's approach to songwriting bespoke a lighter-hearted approach to what had, until then, been the primary concern of Geezer. Album-opener "Trashed", for instance, was inspired by Ian's boozed-up race around the Manor's grounds in Bill Ward's car that ended in near-catastrophe and a wrecked vehicle. "Disturbing the Priest" was the result of a door in the studio having been left open during playback, and a local vicar appearing in the doorway asking for the volume to be turned down as it was disturbing choir practice in the adjacent village.

For all of its off-kilter appearance however, 'Born Again' was still Sabbath through and through. Musically twisted and possessed with more than a whiff of brimstone, the album is a thrilling glimpse into an alternative world, even if that world is one where the furniture is seemingly nailed to the ceiling!

For this remastered / expanded Deluxe Edition, a second disc containing two bonus cuts has been included, with "The Fallen" being a previously unreleased studio outtake recorded during the original album session. Also featured are nine tracks from the BBC Friday Rock Show broadcast of Black Sabbath's appearance at the Reading Rock Festival in August 1983, which sees the group performing Deep Purple's classic "Smoke on the Water".