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There is a good chance you found us accidentally by using the word “taint” in your search (If you found us on purpose, you deserve our accolades). Of course, we don’t know what you were looking for, but you stumbled on a damn cool project. Look around; let us help send you on a musical journey. Here you will find a number of album reviews from the strange and extreme to the tame and mainstream. Our reviewers are a bunch of obsessive miscreants. Most of us are avid music collectors and have been involved in the music world for decades. A couple of us have been in or are still in bands.

There are no rules on Tickle Your Taint Blog. Our reviewers might make you laugh, or piss you off; both results are legitimate. One reviewer might write a glowing review of an album; another might tear it apart. We may have a new review every week, or we could end up with one every six months. This blog exists as a social experiment to build community among a diverse group of music maniacs – our reviewers and hopefully you.


Tuesday, July 29, 2025

We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll: My First Time Hearing Black Sabbath

By SoDak


My neighbor Tim was five years older than me. He was wild, always in trouble with his parents, teachers, and the law. He had a paper route, affording him the ability to buy some records. The others he acquired through other means. He introduced me to AC/DC and Ted Nugent. The way Tim sang along to “Cat Scratch Fever,” “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang,” and “Big Balls” was very creepy and seemed dangerous. Nevertheless, I loved flipping through his records, as we listened to various gems. One day, in 1979, when I was seven, I saw We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll in his collection. Tim readily shared his records, so he told me to take it home to give it a listen. 

It was October, starting to cool off, in South Dakota. I was eager to spin the record on the cheap rummage sale stereo on top of the dresser. I set the needle on side A, curious when I heard the thunderstorm and bell. Then there was the guitar. What the fuck? I stopped the record, not sure how I was going to approach listening to this record and what to make of the few notes that I heard. I opened the windows to feel the cool breeze from outside. I repositioned the speakers, so they were facing each other. I turned off the lights, turned the volume up, restarted the record, and laid on the ground so my head was between the speakers. The world of music, as I knew it, changed. As I listened to “Black Sabbath,” I internalized what I was hearing, including the “figure in black which points at me.” It was chilling, but necessary to experience. I flipped the record over to be mesmerized by the antiwar song “War Pigs.” All these songs were heavy, with plenty of psychedelic and jazzy aspects thrown into the mix. I listened to sides A and B a couple more times, before moving onto sides C and D. I was struck by the variety of songs, from “Tomorrow’s Dream” to “Changes” to “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” to “Laguna Sunrise.” I lost my shit listening to “Children of the Grave”—the riff, the fucking drums, and vocals. It was perfection, as another antiwar, revolutionary song. My mother opened the door; I was crying due to being emotionally overwhelmed. She saw that I was joyful, so she quickly left the room. “N.I.B.” just made me want to hear everything again. I was headbanging before I ever heard of the term. It was natural.

The collection We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll was released in 1976. Most of the songs were from the first four records, with one track from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and one from Sabotage. I reluctantly gave the record back to my neighbor Tim. As soon as I saved enough money, I bought Master of Reality, because of the song “Children of the Grave.” I fell in love with “After Forver,” “Into the Void,” and “Solitude.” I really appreciated the inclusion of the instrumental song “Orchid.” My Black Sabbath collection continued to grow—vinyl, cassettes, and CDs. Every time I saw a copy of We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll, I bought it, so I could give it a friend.

I saw Black Sabbath play three times. The first time, Sabbath opened with “War Pigs.” I instantly had goosebumps, welled up, and remembered the first time hearing Sabbath.   

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