In an interview for the commemorative edition of Rock Candy Magazine celebrating the 50th anniversary of Black Sabbath 's Sabotage , guitarist Tony Iommi , bassist Geezer Butler , and drummer Bill Ward spoke about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the project.
They recalled the turbulent creative process, which was marked by the legal dispute the group faced against their former manager, Patrick Meehan . The episode even inspired the title of the release.
To the magazine's editor, Howard Johnson , Butler said that the band, originally from Birmingham, England, was deeply frustrated by "having almost nothing to show for it after a period of nearly five years of touring, composing and recording."
“It was difficult to divide our time between creating music and being present in lawyers' offices and courts. But, being in such a difficult situation, I think the songs on Sabotage were the angriest we've ever written,” the bassist added.
The difficulty was also an obstacle for Iommi, who pointed out that the episode happened during the recording of the album. "One minute we were worried about whether a riff fit into a song. The next, we were sitting in a courtroom hearing."
Experimental Phase
Even amidst the chaotic backstage environment, the group remained focused on what Butler described as their "most experimental" phase, stating that the group continued to explore new directions after testing different instruments on the legendary album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath .
“Back then, synthesizers were relatively new, so we thought we’d have to use them in some songs. It was a lot of fun,” he said. For him, “Hole In The Sky” and “Symptom Of The Universe” are two of his favorite Black Sabbath tracks.
Drummer Bill Ward also expressed his happiness with the evolution of the work. “I was very, very happy with the compositions.” “I think we were allowing ourselves to expand our horizons. We’ve come a long way since the music of ‘Black Sabbath,’ as good as that is. The richness we were building on Sabotage was brilliant.”
Check out the cover of the Rock Candy celebrating the album's 50th anniversary here.
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