Bill Ward backtracks on Black Sabbath comments

Bill Ward is placing the blame on the media over his comment that Black Sabbath's album 13 was a "piece of shit".

Ward was left out of the current reunion of Sabbath after he couldn't come to an agreement with the band. He also claims that Ozzy Osbourne has made comments about his current abilities which are not true and he is demanding an apology before he would ever consider returning to the group.

As far as his comments on 13 are concerned, he is claiming that the media reported his statement out of context. Ward was a recent guest on the Eddie Trunk podcast (an excellent show that spotlights hard rock and metal performers) where he said:

I wasn't interested in the fucking album 13. I've heard twenty bars of it — that's all I've heard — and then I turned it off and said, 'That's a pile of shit,' and that's the truth. And I couldn't care less what they were doing on tour.

Let's face it, that's a pretty straight forward comment.

Ward has now gone on his own podcast, Rock 50, to express his concerns and try to set the record straight (thanks to Blabbermouth.net who transcribed the audio):

I found myself getting into trouble again this week in the press. [Laughs] Man, I just can't seem to say the right thing without getting slaughtered by some of our friends in the press. It's quite amazing.

I did a nice interview with a friend of mine, Eddie Trunk, as you know, this week, and, of course, some of the contents of the interview has been taken out, and kind of out of context as well, and they are making headlines right now. NME, I believe, in Great Britain, and I think there was one in Classic Rock as well, that I called Black Sabbath's album 13 complete shit or something like that. And it's just, like, 'Man…. Man…' You know, it's, like, 'Ooooh…'

Let me get a couple of things straight here. I really, really love those guys. I am so passionate in my love for them. They are fantastic musicians. I never faulted their musicianship — ever. I've played with these guys since I was a teenager. And I just… I love them. I'm in a dispute with them.

…Let's go back to 13 for a second, so I can make it clear for the record. I heard about twenty, twenty-four bars of one track — one track — on 13, and I listened to it, and I just didn't like it at all; I just didn't like it. And I have that right not to like it. Recently, at the Ivor Novello Awards, where I was with Tony [Iommi] and Geezer [Butler], Geezer mentioned to me that he bought, or he downloaded, my new CD, which was Accountable Beasts. I said, 'What did you think of the album?' He said, 'I love it musically, but I can't stand it vocally.' It just so happens that Geez doesn't like my singing. He has that right…. He has that right not to like it. But I'm f–ked if the press is gonna slam me up the wall or come out with some pretentious bulls–t about using headlines that are completely out… You know, it's just, like, what the f–k is all that about?

I'm just saying it from my heart, if you're listening out there: Hey, get a clue! I really dig these people that I'm talking about, and I listened to twenty-four bars. I haven't heard the rest of the album 13. I haven't heard it. And I never listened to it. One of the reasons I didn't wanna listen to it was because I felt it would be quite painful to listen to. Not musically, but emotionally, it's quite painful to listen to something that you wanted to be part of, but were unable to be part of, because I'm fighting for some principles in my life, and that includes the way that I interact with those three guys — Black Sabbath. It's about principles, folks. That's all it is, okay? So when these big headlines come out like that, then… Oooh. Man! Talk about fanning the flames… Man….

Anyway, just for the record, I love Tony, I love Geezer, and I love Ozzy Osbourne, and they are great musicians. And I am letting all the Ozzy fans know that as well.

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