Black Sabbath’s influential 1972 album Vol. 4 is receiving a deluxe expanded edition on February 12th via Rhino Records. The physical release will be available in 4-CD and 5-LP vinyl formats, including the original remastered album and a plethora of previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings.
Rhino specializes in archival releases, and the Vol. 4 Super Deluxe Edition is one of their most ambitious yet, essentially scraping the vaults for any recorded material related to the album sessions.
While studio outtakes and multiple versions of the same song are par for most expanded editions — prepare for over 10 versions of “Wheels of Confusion” — this Vol. 4 set benefits from the audio craftsmanship of one Steven Wilson, who mixed the included outtakes using the original analog multi-tracks. Alternate versions of “Supernaut” and the perennial power ballad “Changes” should shed new insight into Black Sabbath’s creative process in the studio.
The true prize might be the “Live in the UK” portion of the box set, which recreates a typical era-specific setlist with various live cuts from the March 1973 leg of the band’s UK tour. The audio was recently mixed by Richard Digby Smith from the original 16-track analog tapes, giving new power to the recordings that have already been released in other Sabbath live collections.
Vol. 4 stands out as both the black sheep and cult favorite of Black Sabbath’s early ’70s output. The album’s more progressive leanings and generally bleaker tone made it a less immediate than the hit-laden Paranoid and the catchy doom of Master of Reality.
However, Vol. 4‘s heavy-psych soundscapes and druggy imagery and lyrics (famously espoused on “Snowblind” with a whispered vocal of “cocaine“) would directly influence the stoner doom scene that emerged in the decades following via bands like Saint Vitus, Pentagram, and more recently Windhand and Sleep. More than any other Sabbath record, Vol. 4 seemed to hint at the sounds these bands would proliferate.
Pre-order the vinyl collection via Rhino. Check out the colossal tracklist and artwork below.
Vol. 4 Super Deluxe Edition Artwork:
Vol. 4 Super Deluxe Edition CD Tracklist:
Disc One: Original Album Remastered
01. Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener
02. Tomorrow’s Dream
03. Changes
04. FX
05. Supernaut
06. Snowblind
07. Cornucopia
08. Laguna Sunrise
09. St. Vitus Dance
10. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes
Disc Two: Outtakes – New Mixes
01. Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener *
02. Changes *
03. Supernaut *
04. Snowblind *
05. Laguna Sunrise *
06. Under The Sun (Instrumental) *
Disc Three: Alternative Takes, False Starts & Studio Dialogue
01. Wheels Of Confusion (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
02. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 1) *
03. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 2) *
04. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 3) *
05. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 4) *
06. The Straightener (Outtake) *
07. Supernaut (Outtake) *
08. Supernaut (Alternative Takes with False Starts) *
09. Snowblind (Alternative Take 1 – Incomplete) *
10. Under The Sun (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
11. Under The Sun (Alternative Take with Guide Vocal) *
Disc Four: Live in the UK 1973
01. Tomorrow’s Dream *
02. Sweet Leaf *
03. War Pigs
04. Snowblind *
05. Killing Yourself To Live
06. Cornucopia
07. Wicked World (Includes Excerpts of:)
i. Guitar Solo
ii. Orchid
iii. Into The Void
iv. Sometimes I’m Happy
08. Supernaut / Drum Solo
09. Wicked World (Reprise)
10. Embryo
11. Children Of The Grave
12. Paranoid
LP Tracklist:
LP One: Original Album Remastered
Side One
01. Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener
02. Tomorrow’s Dream
03. Changes
04. FX
05. Supernaut
Side Two
01. Snowblind
02. Cornucopia
03. Laguna Sunrise
04. St. Vitus Dance
05. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes
LP Two: Outtakes – New Mixes
Side Three
01. Wheels Of Confusion / The Straightener *
02. Changes *
03. Supernaut *
04. Snowblind *
Side Four
01. Laguna Sunrise *
02. Under The Sun (Instrumental) *
Alternative Takes, False Starts & Studio Dialogue
03. Wheels Of Confusion (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
04. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 1) *
05. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 2) *
06. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 3) *
LP Three: Alternative Takes, False Starts & Studio Dialogue
Side Five
01. Wheels Of Confusion (Alternative Take 4) *
02. The Straightener (Outtake) *
03. Snowblind (Alternative Take 1 – Incomplete) *
04. Supernaut (Outtake) *
Side Six
01. Supernaut (Alternative Takes with False Starts) *
02. Under The Sun (False Start with Studio Dialogue) *
03. Under The Sun (Alternative Take with Guide Vocal) *
LP Four: Live in the UK 1973
Side Seven
01. Tomorrow’s Dream *
02. Sweet Leaf *
03. War Pigs
Side Eight
01. Snowblind *
02. Killing Yourself To Live
03. Cornucopia
LP Five: Live in the UK 1973
Side Nine
01. Wicked World (Includes Excerpts of:)
i. Guitar Solo
ii. Orchid
iii. Into The Void
iv. Sometimes I’m Happy
Side Ten
01. Supernaut / Drum Solo
02. Wicked World (Reprise)
03. Embryo
04. Children Of The Grave
05. Paranoid
* = previously unreleased
