1. Chapter 7: The Golden Age of Rock (1968-76)

2. The Birth of “Heavy Metal” By the end of the 1960s, the heavy sound of Cream or Hendrix gave rise to two forms of music that become known as “hard rock” or “heavy metal” –Both have the same characteristics: heavy sound, distorted guitars, & rebellious attitude –The darker tone of metal seems to appeal more to the disenfranchised or outsiders –For years its audience was almost exclusively from middle or lower class environments Critics within the music industry have often bashed metal as being crude and cheap –Some of the greatest guitarists in rock history have roots in “metal” (Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhodes) –Despite the percieved image of the style, metal values and demands technical mastery as much, if not more than other rock styles 1 st time the phrase is used is in Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild & it’s reference to “heavy metal thunder”

3. Sounds and Influences Sound – extreme distortion; power chords; extended, flamboyant solos & either extreme speed or a very heavy, slooow pace Clear roots in blues, especially electric blues –Diabolical overtones; half-sung, half-spoken lyrics in a high tone; lack of harmony; and reliance on riffs can be traced back to artists like Robert Johnson –Power chords and endlessly repeated riffs – John Lee Hooker –Heavy distortion – 1950s bluesmen –indirect blues influence – early Kinks, as well as Clapton, Hendrix & other blues rock guitarists of the late 1960s “In 1971, there were only three bands that mattered – Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple” -- Joe Elliot, Def Leppard Black Sabbath probably the most “pure” early metal band Deep Purple could lay down a riff as well as anyone, but strayed far enough that some critics considered them art rock From the start, Led Zeppelin always covered a wide variety of styles

4. Black Sabbath Far from the flower-power, folk, hippie dominated sound of the late 1960s as you can get Their occult image and theme were intentional because they felt the feel-good, hippie movement didn’t represent them. They weren’t happy Not the first to play the heavy metal style –Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues (#14, 1967) –Some cite Led Zeppelin or Iron Butterfly Sabbath was the first band that consistently laid the foundations for the style Ozzy Osbourne – vocals Tony Iommi – guitar “Geezer” Butler – bass Bill Ward - drums

5. Started as a blues band, Polka Tuck, then Earth before settling on Black Sabbath (1969) –Named after a British horror film from 1963 1966 – while working in a sheet metal factory, Iommi lost the tips of two fingers of his playing hand –Fashioned two “caps” out of melted plastic and used lighter strings, tuned down to make it easier to play –alternate stringing and tuning created Sabbath’s signature sound Feb 13, 1970 – Black Sabbath (#6 UK, #23 US) is released and panned by critics but sold well in both countries Capitalizing on their success, Sabbath returns to the studio just 4 months after their release, to record Paranoid (1971) –Suppose to be called War Pigs (protest against the Vietnam War) –Paranoid was created at the last minute (est. 25 min) –Again, panned by critics but went on to sell 4 million copies w/ virtually NO airplay –now looked at as one of the most important metal albums of all time

6. Sabbath remained the top metal group for the first half of the 70s –Released Masters of Reality, Volume 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage (1971-76) –As disco dominates the pop market and punk emerges as the new sound of the disenfranchised, their popularity fades 1979 - Concerns over the future of the band & Osbourne’s drug use lead Ozzy to go solo –replaced by Ronnie James Dio, lead singer of Rainbow 1980 – Ward is fired, replaced by Vinnie Appice 1982 – Dio and Appice leave the group and form DIO