Black Sabbath: 10 Most Underrated Songs
2. The Wizard - Black Sabbath
Not many artists get their sound down to a science on their debut record. Most of the time, bands have to try on a few different sonic costumes to see which one ends up fitting them the best. Black Sabbath though...isn't one of those bands.
From the word go, Black Sabbath's debut is a ferocious undertaking, with the title track and NIB becoming the foundation for what these guys would become. On the other hand, it didn't hurt to pull from hard rock's favorite author: JRR Tolkien. Aside from the songs regarding spirits and the devil, The Wizard was written by Geezer Butler as an homage to Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings, as he details his life walking through the land and spreading his magic wherever he goes.
Compared to the other songs on the record, this is one of the bluesiest moments in Sabbath's history, with a straightforward riff from Iommi and even having Ozzy rock the harmonica during the solo breaks. Given that these guys were originally known as the blues rock collective Earth, this seems like the final hoorah for that first incarnation of the group. While Sabbath may not have stayed in this sonic lane for that much longer, the muscle behind this tune showed that they were at least getting on the right track.