11. Technical Ecstasy (1976)

Next to Born Again, Technical Ecstasy is the oddest entry in the Sabbath catalog. The cover is an inexplicable image by design house Hipgnosis that shows two robots reproducing on an escalator. I remember staring at it and thinking it made me vaguely uncomfortable, sort of like the kid in Fight Club who sees a penis woven into a film reel. The music also causes a feeling of disconnectedness. There are some stylistic links with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, like keyboards and orchestration. This time, the experiments don’t pan out and Ozzy’s voice sounds strangely muffled.What does work is the straight ahead rockers: “Back Street Kids” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Doctor.””Back Street Kids” wouldn’t sound out of on place on morning FM radio. “Gypsy” is a beautiful song that taps into Sab’s progressive leanings.Bill Ward, who would later front his own project, made his singing debut with the song “It’s Alright,” later covered by Guns N’ Roses. Ward’s voice sounds tested and world weary.Technical Ecstasy is a far better album than many remember, even though it doesn’t equal earlier efforts from the original lineup.