Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Mystic Warbles

Black Sabbath (Psychedelic Chill)
Track: Planet Caravan (1970)




Back in '88, before anyone ever heard of The Osbournes, my friend Jane was living in darkest Beverly Hills, working as nanny to Ozzy and Sharon's sprogs. The kids were waaay out of control, Papa was a law unto himself and mealtimes were apparently a free for all - food, knives, furniture went flying - no one could predict what would happen next.

I bet dinner with Ozzy was never as sedate as this. The current chill-out favorite chez moi is Planet Caravan, a relatively forgotten track from the classic Paranoid LP, and recently revived on a LateNightTales mix. 

Pantera covered this one, but they didn't really do it justice, perhaps because it's not what we would normally consider standard Sabbath fare. Laid-back and distinctly unsatanic, it’s easy to imagine this little gem emerging at the end of a stoned Black Country space jam. 

The Floyd influence is obvious as Ozzy’s mystic warbles riff on windless skies and silhouette dreams, while Tony Iommi contributes a marvelous solo - jazzy but also Gilmouresque. Ever-so-slightly off kilter (thanks in part to Bill Ward’s gawky bongos), Planet Caravan is spooky and enticing.

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