"End of the Beginning" is a song by English rock band Black Sabbath, the opening track on their nineteenth studio album, 13 (2013).
| "End of the Beginning" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Black Sabbath | ||||
| from the album 13 | ||||
| Released | 15 May 2013 | |||
| Recorded | August 2012 – January 2013 | |||
| Studio | Shangri-La (Malibu, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 8:07 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |||
| Black Sabbath singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "End of the Beginning" on YouTube | ||||
Composition
edit"End of the Beginning" has been described as a doom metal song.[1] According to lyricist Geezer Butler, the song deals with the fear of how "technology is going to completely take over the human race", inspired particularly by cloning: "It seems like eventually, people are going to clone the Beatles and stuff like that. I mean, it’s already happening now with a "Tupac" at Coachella, using holograms. But eventually I think they’ll start cloning people like the Beatles, and sending them out on endless tours."[2] Music Scholar and Black Sabbath fanatic, Nolan Stolz, notes that there are apparent similarities between "End of the Beginning" and "Black Sabbath", the first song off of the first album released by Black Sabbath. It is probable that this was an artistic statement signifying the band getting back to their roots.[3]
Release
edit"End of the Beginning" was premiered during the finale of season 13 of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The band guest starred in the episode,[4] and also appeared in a short interview prior to its release.[5] The song was first performed live on 20 April 2013, on the first of the two Auckland shows in New Zealand. The performance was part of their reunion tour.[6] It was also featured in the end credits of the film This Is the End. On 11 June, coinciding with the album's launch, Black Sabbath released a full performance video from the CSI season 13 finale of length 8:20. The single peaked at the number 38 in US Mainstream Rock chart. "End of the Beginning" was ranked the 21st best Black Sabbath song by Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.[7]
Personnel
edit- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
- Tony Iommi – guitars
- Geezer Butler – bass
Additional musician
- Brad Wilk – drums
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] | 38 |
References
edit- ^ Ratliff, Ben (7 June 2013). "Are They Still Masters of Reality?". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
- ^ "The PV Q&A: Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath on Religion, Seeing Spirits, and the Despair of '13'". Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
- ^ Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener's Companion - Nolan Stolz - Google Books. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. 2017. ISBN 9781442256927. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ Stickler, John (2013-05-10). "Black Sabbath To Premiere New Track 'End Of The Beginning' On CSI Next Week - Stereoboard UK". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ^ "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Video - Behind the Scenes: Black Sabbath". CBS.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ^ Fanelli, Damian (2013-04-22). "Video: Black Sabbath Premiere New Song, "End of the Beginning," in Auckland, New Zealand - Heavy Metal News | Music Videos |Golden Gods Awards". revolvermag.com. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ^ Rehe, Christoph (2013). Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check: alle Alben, alle Songs. Ein eclipsed-Buch (in German). Sysyphus Sysyphus Verlags GmbH. ISBN 978-3868526462.
- ^ "Black Sabbath Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2021.