Drum Teacher Reacts: BILL WARD | BLACK SABBATH - Killing Yourself To Live

[@eristoy]

One of my favs from Black Sabbath. The lyrics are just as relevant now as they were back in 1973.

[@seelenwinter6662]

and that is so sad... humans never will learn it...

[@Ken-rw9xw]

So true! Wait till you retire! All your hard work and labor, what does it mean? I'll tell you: Personal Pride! Rock On! 😀💪

[@leddygee1896]

Black Sabbath is Timeless… Always have been, Always will be.

[@lukajward]

The musicianship between these four lads was freaking excellent.

[@AnthonySilva35]

Truly mind blowing. Today's music, (even rock) can be so cut and dry, rinse and repeat, however you wanna put it. I miss people going into a studio a jamming not trying to math equation the song to perfection. Red Hot Chilli Peppers still jam in the studio, it's still more touched but it's still such a jam kinda of vibe Some times the stara just aline for a perfect band

[@m42037]

Kings of metal

[@jimlakey8366]

Another lyrical gem from Geezer..."I've seen the future and I've left it behind."

[@mojobag01]

That is the last line of Supernaut.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Geezer was EVERY bit as important as the other huge characters. What a fucking band. I was 18 when SBS dropped,got it the day it was released at the old virgin record shop in Oxford St/Tottenham Court Road and I became a banger overnight. In my top 5 bands of all time.

[@daddiospatio]

I've never felt Bill and Geezer got the recognition they deserved. One of my favorite ryhthm sections.

[@erictrenbeath9680]

Absolutely. They are what separates Sabbath from what became Heavy Metal after that.

[@mickblack3291]

Those in the know & amongst it know & revel in how great a rhythm section they are.

[@terrylandess6072]

Sabbath: Spitting truth for many decades. Bill Ward: Changes parts for effect better than most guitarists can. His stylized fills are critical to the identity of all songs recorded.

[@mafmaf6417]

Black Sabbath were a very political band. They were anti war and anti establishment. Their music wasn't all evil and devil worshiping.

[@charlesrenniemacki]

The reason there are so many tempo changes on the early Black Sabbath albums is because they used to play afternoons and evenings in places like the Star Club in Hamburg, where they had relatively little of their own material. So, in order to extend the set they would improvise and jam, sometimes just one song for 45 minutes - Wicked World is an example. Then, when it came to writing the next album they'd select the 'best of the jams' and incorporate them into the songs. Another example of this is 'Sometimes I'm Happy' during Wicked World on the 1973 album Live at Last - that ended up as the trippy acoustic ending on Symptom of The Universe. I love everything about this channel!

[@nodaysback1]

Thanks for that excellent piece of Post Grad Sabbath knowledge! Looks like I have to go back and brush up on my Live At Last.. Admittedly, I haven't given that record much attention in decades due to the less-than-stellar audio quality. Apparently, I've managed to overlook a diamond in the rough. smh...

[@davidmorgan5312]

Andrew, as much as I admire Dio and I love Gillans voice, I think your right Ozzy, Bill, Geezer & Toni are the definitive Black Sabbath.

[@craigryan3069]

"I don't know if I'm up or down, whether black is white or blue is brown. The colours of my life are all different somehow. Little boy blue's a big girl now" probably my favourite chunk of Geezer Butler lyrics. Genius!

[@TheAntiTryhard]

often times the lyrics were Ozzys ideas as Butler once stated but Butler and Ward had the skills to write them donw in a good sense for the songs. Its a secret

[@richardhincemon9423]

Geezer wrote the lyrics Ozzy sang The Melodies and sometimes would come up with the title for the song like Iron Man and Sweet Leaf which Geezer would write lyrics around those words. Bill Ward did not write lyrics while he was in Sabbath except for the songs it's all right and Swinging the Chain which he sang on.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Or, “I’ve seen the future and I’ve left it behind” Utter genius songwriting which only The Beatles and Pink Floyd can match.

[@jospehbloseph7172]

Geezer wrote these lyrics. He wrote most of their lyrics, and all of the really deep ones like this.

[@atomicpunk5318]

Maybe try a wee bit of Megalomania from the Sabotge album, or The Writ. Brilliant music.

[@clasmaster1471]

I grew up on this shit and it’s awesome to hear it again. One of the most important bands in history by far.

[@brianlowesterbrianlowester5562]

Love your Sabbath reactions! no questions asked, the greatest band ever!

[@sotvomike]

The one I can't wait for you to hear is Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Wheels…. hit me like a hammer when I bought the Vol4 album in ‘72? Then followed that life-changing work with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Good grief. Been a fiercely loyal fan of Sabbath ever since.

[@mora1948]

A national acrobat on this album has a amazing and unique drum pattern thru the song and the song spiral architect for absolutely beautiful use of percussion from bill one of the most beautiful song in my opinion unlike any other

[@JudgeLazar]

God this song hits so fucking hard E V E R Y T I M E. The second half of the first solo the way Tony just grinds down on those dissonant bends MMMMMMMMMMMM. If a guitar could cry out in grief, that's what it would sound like. If I could only ever listen to one song for the rest of my life it would be this one, but the live version from Asbury Park in 1975. That main verse riff just feels so much harder with distortion and no phaser.

[@mojobag01]

Geezer wrote almost all the lyrics. A couple by Ozzy and a couple by Bill.

[@derekneville8175]

As Bill Ward said, "we were never in time but we were IN TIME."

[@mikeg.4211]

Great, Andrew! This was a blast! Yes, with Sabbath and Iommi every song is 4 songs and every solo is two solos, and they are all art. Great lyrics as always by Geezer Butler, which is nice that you noticed them. Interestingly, Butler and Iommi were both raised Catholic, and in Butler's case, I think that influenced a lot of his lyrical imagery and messages. Once again, nobody was doing anything like this in 1973, and after these albums, everybody was doing takeoffs on all of these ideas with their own bands, and has been ever since. Probably the cherry on top is that the critics and radio absolutely hated them, which is awesome. In one famous instance, there was even a very negative review panning their performance and music about a show that had actually been cancelled at the last minute due to illness, so the guy had written his review in advance, didn't attend, and found out later that the show was never even performed.

[@stefan.911]

Mike, the true hero of youtube! 🤘🏻🙌🏻

[@mikeg.4211]

@@stefan.911 you’re awesome! Merry Christmas! 😊👍

[@stefan.911]

@@mikeg.4211 Merry christmas Mike! 😁

[@TheCornishCockney]

I saw them tour that album in Manchester,and halfway through this song,someone at the front held up an enlarged copy of the NME and set light to it,Ozzy immediately grabbed it,still singing his lungs out,and held it aloft to a massive roar. Great moment.

[@DarkVegetaman]

Andy listening to more Black Sabbath is the best way to start my Friday! This song is killer.

[@ledzep331]

I was a kid at school when I first listened to this track. It quickly became a lifetime favourite song when, a few years older, I went out into the adult world.

[@vovindequasahi]

As soon as I hear the last sound of this song, my mind starts singing the trippy keyboard riff for the next song on the album "Who are You?"... Such an awesome and cohesive album!!

[@petewhyle4683]

Enjoying the Black Sabbath reviews. Reminding me of how great they are and how I felt when I first dropped the needle into the groove of these albums. I seem to remember a quote along the lines of '... most rock guitarists are happy if they knock out 2-3 classic riffs in their career. Tony Iommi knocks out that many in each song'.

[@springy-2112]

This is also my favourite Sabbath song! Along with every other Sabbath song! Little boy blue's a big girl now! Peace and love brother ✌️ ❤️🤗

[@jerryjames3822]

The live version of this song from the Asbury Park soundboard recording is nuts. They sound like they're going to just simply derail but never do.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

That's it! You just described good rock music. On the edge!

[@night_owl3117]

This is part of what I call Black Sabbath Progressive Songs!!! I think the 70s way of mixing gives a musical color that is totally part of good old Sabbath. Thanks Andrew for this video. Excellent as usual.

[@briandeadmarsh7538]

Andrew, I'm sure you realize by now that Black Sabbath (original lineup) said screw the rules and did their own thing. Check out A National Acrobat from the same album.

[@billmehl9833]

I’m glad you said this. Memories come back to me of ANA blasting out of the open windows of my parent’s 68 Buick Special while driving to my girlfriend’s house in 1978.

[@Phylonyous]

Yes! When I first heard ANA in the early 90’s when I was 13 BLEW. MY. MIND!!!

[@emohawkdk2872]

Another fantastic reaction vid, Andrew. This tune is exactly what I try to get across to friends who dismiss Sabbath out of hand. There's more than just dark triads & sludgy tempos. What's makes a great band, for me, is one you can't easily categorize. Sabbath, especially for their time, is exactly that. Many people don't realize that Tony & Bill were both heavily influenced by jazz & swing. They were all big blues and early rock & roll fans as well, and were still covering "Blue Suede Shoes" in their live set in 1970 alongside early versions of material from the first two albums. I've been a fan of the band, and especially Iommi, since around 1979 (I was 12 when I discovered them). I can't imagine my world without these albums. I'm not sure I'd be the music fan that I am without them. I can almost guarantee that I wouldn't have started playing guitar without them.

[@mikeg.4211]

What you said reminds me so much of my own story!

[@PlayMadness]

You really hit on something at the end of this video that I have loved about Sabbath since the beginning; the songs have *parts.* The whole track can turn around and become something entirely new in a single bar. I've said it about Black Sabbath for a long time: some of their songs (like this one) have more musical ideas than entire *albums* from other artists. You could break this song into probably four or five full, stand alone tracks, and they would work. But these guys were so insanely creative that they could create this incredible blend of stand alone ideas into a single track and still fill out an entire discography of music.

[@whatwouldhousedo5136]

Tony Iommi says this was the best Sabbath album. I don't agree but it is fantastic. Great lyrics by Geezer throughout, especially Spiral Architect, my fave on the album.

[@TheGrouchMan]

Yes mate, Spiral Architect is a classic. I look around my world & know that it is good!

[@paolotosini9255]

I agree with Tony

[@Boomer_Power]

Bought this album the week it came out. I agree with Iommi completely.

[@gerarddion4859]

Dark, powerful, and gripping, this is classic Sabbath!

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Glorious stuff

[@AnthonySilva35]

FINALLY!! Something off Sabbath Bloody Sabbath! It's hard to pick a favorite album at this point but this was my favorite for awhile I mentioned it before but I love really love the drumming on this album especially the cymbals

[@joshuamasserant8215]

The production on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is way Way WAY better than any of their other albums and it has some of Ozzy's best vocals.

[@warren4110]

I’d say that comparing Iommi to Hendrix is a compliment to Hendrix!!

[@richdisilvio4591]

Thank you for realizing that early Sabbath were indeed... The AWESOME FOURSOME. Such innovative compositions for their day...naturally later Sabbath built upon this model, but early Sabbath forged the mold.

[@deborahpeters2079]

Andrew fyi, I was listening to Sabbath from 1972. I have all the first 10 albums on vinyl. Geezer Butler was the primary lyric writer. Ozzie just sung.

[@CommodusSPQR]

Listening to this track again is like seeing a much loved friend that you haven't seen for many years. I've got goosebumps all over and even a tear in my eye. I was 13 when this album came out, my best friend had just died and I needed something to make me make sense of the world. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was the therapy that I needed and I love that album with all my heart. It literally saved my life.

[@Robt329]

"This requires total concentration". Classic.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

HAHA

[@lukefender94]

Ooooh, I am gonna watch this when I'm back from work. One of my favs from Sabbath

[@Freedom35ab]

Sabbath had more ideas in one song than most bands have on an entire album. Fundamental heavy metal

[@thomaswestford6883]

Great organic music! Love from Sweden

[@bigfrankfraser1391]

as a bloke who used to be a roadie for sabbath way back in the day, ive a fun story about drugs, i remember this one time i ran into ozzy, and he was off his face, he just randomly goes "you want some cocaine" i said "sure, why not" so he waddles off high as a kite, 5 minutes later he comes back and hands me what felt like a 2 kilo brick of cocaine and goes "here you go mate, have some fun with that" i said "isnt this a bit much" he replied "not really, i could build a house out of those things if i had some cement" i miss those days, geezer used to send redhead groupies my way since he knew i had a soft spot for a fellow ginger, actually had my first threesome thanks to geezer, he sent a redhead and her friend my way one night, and i ended up waking up in the back of a van with an arse in my face and a mouth on my little chap and the biggest hangover of my life, cocaine and vodka do not make a great cocktail

[@ronalddarnell9677]

There is an hour documentary on Black Sabbath titled "Masters of Reality", watching it they have this song with a video of Evil Knievel and his crashes. It's pretty badass.

[@GregMcNeish]

I have the luxury of having lived and breathed this music for 25 years, so I know what's coming. An important detail of the "ESP" transition towards the end that you flipped out for (rightly) is that Ward's single stroke snare fill leading into it sets the new tempo. It's such a fast cue, and a testament to how incredibly locked in the band were, but it's cool to see the building blocks of how they do it. I know you've mentioned that in previous Sabbath videos as being a total jazz move, which interestingly is something I learned directly from Sabbath. I'm a guitarist & singer (the greatest of all sins), but I so often find myself thinking - particularly when I'm writing - in terms of drums. They're the foundation of the music I hear in my head, and Bill Ward (along with Lars Ulrich) is the bedrock of that foundation. Cheers, Andrew!

[@warren4110]

I’ve been listening to them for 50 years! It just gets better with age 🎸❤️

[@RalfEngelmann]

Somewhere I read that Sabbath combined a couple of song ideas, or incomplete songs if you like, into "Killing Yourself to Live". I never looked at the song like this before but makes totally sense. And how Sabbath combined these song ideas is just phenomenal.

[@z-z-z-z]

sabbath bloody sabbath is my favorite album, from my favorite band. 1970 - 1983 (ozzy, dio, gillan) best eras in my opinion.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Great as the other two were,I’m a huge fan of Ronnie and Ian Gillan,NOTHING matches Ozzy.

[@stevewebster775]

Killing your self to live, 32 years of shifts on the iron horse of the production line at Land Rover, now that was Killing my self to live !!, great reaction again Andy👍

[@marketingTUNEUP]

Again the amazing transitions love the change at 6:15 after Andys review.

[@gregbartley2475]

I was 13 when this album came out. My music was influenced by a 19 year old relative. I already had Master of Reality and was in my local shop the week SBS was released. It remains in my top 5 all time albums to this day. Geezer the bassist was the lyricist

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Awesome Greg

[@billygugen8104]

Andrew , there is a live version of this from the old Don Kirschners Rock Concert that you MUST check out.

[@rwellman238]

"Killing Yourself to Live" is an excellent example of why I've always preferred the Ozzy-era Sabbath. I'm not overly caught up in how much each member contributed to the writing a song, I simply enjoy the "two songs in one" style of early Sabbath. This was lost when Dio came on board.

[@rbnh9827]

Its all Geezer Butler Lyrics btw. Ozzy sang memorably and his melody was fire but Geezer should get his proper due about writing these amazing songs.

[@bigozimak]

Favourite track from favourite album! Way back then.

[@tablatom]

My Fave song on my fave album. Such a unique vibe of mystery and otherworldlyness on this album. Magic.

[@berylman]

I'm really enjoying your Sabbath content and analysis. It feels like listening it for the first time with ya. I think I heard this when I was like 12 lol

[@wintyrqueen]

Most of the lyrics are from Geezer. Ozzy mainly came up with the melodies. That “clipped/compressed” sound you’re hearing isn’t actually on the toms. It’s just Geezer doubling the Tom hits

[@Bushanie24]

you guys should go check out the live version of this at the "california jam"

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Can't wait

[@mikeg.4211]

@@AndrewRooneyDrums , that's a classic, along with Children of the Grave from that fantastic show, which was broadcast on national TV here. Bill Ward drums so hard that his headband literally flies off his head, haha!

[@nodaysback1]

*Thank you,* *Mike Gareman!* and *Andrew Rooney!* .. *This song rules!* *Happy Holidays* from *Terrance, William, Anthony,* and *John!*

[@mikeg.4211]

Thanks, and happy holidays to you! You rock!

[@Somewondude]

this song is underrated to the extreme

[@fartypants8776]

Who underrated this song? Ffs

[@DavidBentley23]

'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' Sabbath rules

[@secularnevrosis]

Love Sabbath. The music doesn't just feel "live". The music feel *alive !* .

[@deanwebb68]

Fantastic, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is one of my favourite albums of theirs 👍👌

[@trfatman]

Love your reaction/reviews, especially Black Sabbath. You were wondering about the strange tom sound on those hits at the end. Is it possible the sound was Geezer's bass and Ward's toms in unison? Geezer did play through a blown amp sometimes to create a unique sound.

[@liambaulman]

You should react to Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix’s main drummer and the one who was on all The Experiences albums) he is unbelievable but severely overshadowed by Hendrix. (Especially the live stuff).

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

He's such a special player Liam

[@stuntmankrocmcginty4896]

Not sure how many people have mentioned it, but It's Alright would be a great one to react to. You'll be surprised 😁

[@johnjohn-xf8nh]

Hello Andrew, watched your Sabbath videos and enjoyed them very much. Had to sub, you bring out cool details to songs I've played many times but missed. IMO this is Black Sabbath's best album. Great lyrics, Sabbath power, tasteful dubs with keys, Sabbra Cadabra (Rick Wakeman from yes) violins on Spiral Architect, Iommi on flute, looking for today, . Sabbath bloody sabbath and A national acrobat will blow you away. Looking forward to you covering this album. Thank you.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Thanks for subbing and the recommends!

[@m42037]

It's a awesome jam! Love the drums. 73, the first record sounds completely different, like it recorded in the 90s, go listen to it

[@aaronsg71]

I’ve been waiting until you got to @8:54😅 love this song!

[@simonagger206]

The cover of SBS is folklore: The brief was: ' We want the album cover to depict both the best and the worst ways in which to die' The artist nailed it. Drew (someone - cant remember his last name), used to work for Pacific Eye Agency in LA.They didn't use his original letterhead that came with the picture, which I think was a good idea, because it gave us that iconic Sabbath type face for the backs of a thousand denim jackets!! Bill Wards use of 'washey rides' to build and texture the song are magnificent on this album. His bass drums and hi hat work always begged for more clarity in the mix, but, as some one else mentioned, the overall 'ambiance' of the full composition as an album stands tall. One of my favourite sabbath albums next to Sabotage. Finally, next year is the 50th anniversary of this opus.....maybe we can home for a remaster or alternate mix to complement this beautiful album from 1973. Cheers for picking out some more of Bill's wonderful, musical compositional contributions!!

[@StuTube55]

Ah you did find this tune. It definitely rocks

[@harrie2491]

ha andrew focus, hocus pocus live is definitely a good suggestion, those guys are super talented, and live version is great, song duration originally 6 minutes but they only got four, she didn't want to shorten the song so they have it faster played. result fantastic.

[@jospehbloseph7172]

Yes!!! Thanks Mike G.

[@mikeg.4211]

Glad you enjoyed it, brother!

[@MissingMars]

Excellent -simply fantastic! thanks Andrew ;-} \m/

[@AtmosphericSoundArt]

Best from Black sabbath ... i love it.

[@glennkirchens7970]

SBS and Sabatoge are Ozzy at his absolute prime. Geezer is a Master at talking about life, all of it. Iommi can literally do no wrong, he is the GOAT in my book. Bill is possessed on SBS.

[@davesaenz3732]

A national Acrobat or Over the Edge of the World.

[@mattsabath]

A true Sabbath deep cut. One of my favorites. Smoke it Get high!!!

[@TheCornishCockney]

I think Ozzy got a songwriting credit for those two words LOL! Gotta love Ozzy.

[@richardpennock6448]

I'm a huuuuge Sabbath fan and I love playing this tune on my kit. Bill Ward is my 2nd favorite drummer losing out only to the professor (R.I.P.). I actually frefer Bill over Gonzo. Listen to Rat Salad, Black Sabbath's version of Moby Dick. Bill just rocks!!

[@sethcohen4119]

You've done Bill Ward, Ginger Baker and John Bonham. Please now explore some Keith Moon! Doing a reaction to pretty much anything from The Who's Live at Leeds would be wonderful.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

I did one waaaay back at the start. It got blocked so I stopped!

[@sethcohen4119]

@@AndrewRooneyDrums oof that's a shame! In a different vein, Jethro Tull's Barriemore Barlow is worth a listen too.

[@eddiepierce7028]

I love this song!!!

[@ninRAIDER]

This is off of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, my favorite Sabbath album. Please react to all of these songs, especially Sabbra Cadabra and the title track.

[@matthewstover5149]

So Good

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Unreal 🤯

[@mikenortheyes]

Love your channel!!! How about some Levon Helm?

[@darkogregec7503]

Good choice!

[@chadjohnson5577]

Great song! Andrew I would like to see you play this track. 🤘👍👍

[@mikeg.4211]

You read my mind, Chad!

[@joeallegra556]

And to think back then many critics panned them as plodding talentless hacks. We knew better. My first Sabbath purchase was Master Of Reality. It was on at that point.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

Who said that? FOOLS

[@joeallegra556]

@@AndrewRooneyDrums not exactly sure of the individual journalist by name. I'm certain it was an early mag like CREEM. They tried to have a Rolling Stones Mag air about their journalism. The same magazine that stated and I quote " the two guitarists in Judas Priest don't even make one good one". This was in reference/review of the Sin After Sin lp. They did give e props to Simon Philips at least. I don't remember if they thought Roger Glovers production was up to snuff or not. I once purchased most any RockHard Rock mag available. Like many a music afficiando did back then.

[@richardhincemon9423]

@@joeallegra556 would that journalist be Lester bangs? Lol.

[@joeallegra556]

@@richardhincemon9423 it is possible but I am not certain. I do know being a fan introduced to Glenn and K.K.'s work on Sad Wings I was pissed reading that review.

[@richardhincemon9423]

@@joeallegra556 Leslie Conway bangs who wrote for Rolling Stone magazine and c r e e m magazine in 1970 wrote some of the worst reviews on Sabbath ever written LOL!

[@tobikenobi9798]

Love your Sabbath reactions! If you want something little bit faster, check out Nils Dominator Fjällström live drum cam with Dark Funeral.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

I’ve done a few of his Tobi 👌

[@stefan.911]

GOAT’s

[@GiandomenicoDeMola]

Please, let's not forget about the great Rick Wakeman on keyboards!

[@rikvartigyan2667]

Nice. More Sabbath please.

[@mikeg.4211]

Good call, Rik!

[@paulhudson563]

A great album, slated by some media & fans for the use of synthesizes. But has become a classic

[@deborahpeters2079]

Even though My missus is on this email address. We share this email address. My name is William. I'm 65years old and grew up with these songs as they were released. I still listen to them. One of the greatest mega band ever. So many bands were influenced by them. Probably more than any band in rock history.

[@mikeg.4211]

Truly said!

[@erictrenbeath9680]

You've got ten years on me but I got Paranoid when I was 14 and I was hooked. My first concert was Sabbath with Dio, but it's the Ozzy/Ward era that I love. If you haven't already, check this out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWTFZ4Z9pLNpmqM

[@SoloTravelerOffTheBeatenPath]

10:52 Bruh was that a double bass blast in 1973?? Black Sabbath and Bill Ward were really ahead of their time.

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

DAYUM!

[@dzaijn]

My top 2 favourite song of all time together with Right in Two by Tool

[@Phylonyous]

Sabbath, best rock band EVER!

[@paulcrossley1366]

Second favourite album for me never seems to get a mention might even be the zenith of their abilities but there's only one best my first buy way after as I was only a pup at the time but can only be MOR can''t go wrong with first 6 though

[@mikeg.4211]

Master of Reality is indeed the greatest album of all time.

[@zeigbert1743]

Many Shubs and Zullls knew what it was to listen to Sabbath as they are roasted in the depths of the Sloar I can tell you.

[@TheRocker27]

He doesn't get credit for his exceptional drumming. 🤘🥁

[@AndrewRooneyDrums]

I give him credit!!

[@hell_fire2356]

I'm sure you'll know that black Sabbath is not what you that it was after listening to "After Forever" lyrics