Black Sabbath Codexery

When the Bough Breaks (album)

Second solo album by Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward.

Bill Ward, the drummer for Black Sabbath, put out his second solo record, *When the Bough Breaks*, on April 27, 1997, through Cleopatra Records. It remains the only album of his career on which he does not perform any drumming; that job went to Ronnie Ciago instead. The original release featured cover art depicting two roses. Ward later stated on his website that this artwork was not the one he had intended to use, echoing a similar issue with his first solo album, *Ward One*. Furthermore, the liner notes in that first edition printed the lyrics so small that most listeners needed a magnifying glass to read them. This problem was fixed in 2000, when a version of the album with a 1970s-era photo of Ward on the cover came out. The album also saw a special digipak release, but that edition was reportedly put out prematurely and was subsequently pulled from circulation.

Quick Facts

Artist
Bill Ward
Released
1997-04-27
Recorded
1997
Genre
Heavy metal, hard rock
Length
66:53
Label
Cleopatra Records
Producer
Peter R. Kelsey
Prev Title
Ward One: Along the Way
Prev Year
1990
Next Title
Accountable Beasts
Next Year
2015

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

When the Bough Breaks is the second solo album by Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, released on April 27, 1997, on Cleopatra Records. It is notable as his only album to date where he does not play any drums, with drumming duties handled by Ronnie Ciago. The album features Bill Ward on vocals, lyrics, and musical arrangements, with contributions from Keith Lynch on guitars, Chuck Kavooras on Dobro slide, Paul Ill on bass, double bass, synthesizer, and tape loops, and Ronnie Ciago on drums.

Reader's Guide

The album originally featured cover art with two roses, but Bill Ward later stated on his website that this was not the correct intended cover. Additionally, the liner notes of the original edition had lyrics printed so small that most people needed a magnifying glass to read them. This was corrected in 2000 when a version with Bill on the cover from the 1970s was released. The album was later released in a special digipak style case, but this was said to have been released prematurely and was withdrawn. The track listing includes 12 songs, with the title track 'When the Bough Breaks' being the longest at 9:45.

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