Vol. 4 (Black Sabbath album)

Background

The recording of Vol. 4 was plagued by substance abuse, with the band regularly having speaker boxes full of cocaine delivered to the studio. Drummer Bill Ward feared he would be fired after struggling to record 'Cornucopia' while heavily intoxicated; he later recalled receiving the cold shoulder from the band. In one incident, after Ward passed out drunk, band members covered him in gold paint, blocking his pores and causing a seizure. Guitarist Tony Iommi nearly died onstage at the Hollywood Bowl after days of cocaine use, collapsing mid-show. Bassist Geezer Butler later admitted that heroin had also entered the picture during this period.

The album's working title was Snowblind, a reference to both the song and the band's cocaine use, but Vertigo Records executives insisted on retitling it Vol. 4 to avoid controversy. The cover art features a monochrome photograph of Ozzy Osbourne with hands raised, taken at a Birmingham concert in January 1972 by Keith McMillan. The album includes the piano ballad 'Changes', written by Iommi after teaching himself piano on an instrument found in the rented Bel Air mansion, with lyrics by Butler about Ward's divorce. The experimental track 'FX' originated when Iommi's crucifix accidentally struck his guitar strings after smoking hashish, and the band added echo effects and struck the guitar with various objects.