This four-disc box set does a pretty good job, drawing heavily from Black Sabbath's classic 70s releases (the Ozzy Osbourne years), but dipping somewhat in quality towards the end.

Virtually all Sabbath's important 70s songs are here, from "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" to "Symptom Of The Universe" and "Never Say Die", and most of the Dio-era selections are reasonably good as well.
The only problem with this set is that it doesn't contain anything of interest to collectors, and anyone who is willing to buy a $60 Black Sabbath set would probably be better off with the band's first four orginal studio albums (or the double-disc "The Best Of Black Sabbath"), and perhaps a single-disc collection of their latter-day songs.
3 1/2 stars.

This 4 disc set is a true good best of set which covers all albums up to Eternal Idol. Many songs are of Ozzy era whch is a plus since some later eras lacked good hit songs. The weird 30 second sound clip "Blow a jug" is on here after the "Writ" within the track. Just turn up the music and you will hear it. I only wish they would have covered the Dio era somewhat better and include "Heaven and Hell" which was a main hit. The booklet of this box set really is decent and will please a normal fan. The poster/family tree was great! You get to learn some about what is related to what. Very much a cool item. If you liked the family tree on the iron maiden albums as a bonus in the computer part then this family tree will also make you very happy. I ask that you would also pick up : Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Never Say die, Sabotage, Technical Ecstasy, Heaven and Hell, and Born Again cause they didn't get the best covering. If you like this album you may want to get: Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath-Paraniod, Black Sabbath- Masters of Reality, Black Sabbath-Vol 4, Black Sabbath-Mob Rules.

This is a VERY good box set of the Best of Black Sabbath. It covers all the great Ozzy and Dio tracks from Black Sabbath. Only during the second half of the 4th disc does the quality begin to drop, where it seems like there's a new singer with each song. Almost every significant track is here, though it would have been nice to have "Fairies Wear Boots"and "Solitude" from the Ozzy era and "Lady Evil" and "Children of the Sea" from the Dio era. All other incarnations of Black Sabbath are dispensible. But it's still a good deal for the price.

Is it just me or are there too many Black Sabbath box sets available? Don't get me wrong,this 4-CD,lavishly assembled 52 track piece is great! Even comes with a 48-page booklet in full color with some great liner notes, art work and a Sabbath / Ozzy family tree. It's nice to be able to put all four of these discs into your stereo and set if for 'scramble play' and then you have no idea which song will play next. Tunes that makes this box set simply SO worthwhile are "The Wizard","N.I.B.",their psychedelic doom classic "Into The Void","Supernaut" (also dig Ministry's cover of this cut),"Dirty Women","Neon Knights","Die Young","Trashed" and...the list goes on. Highly recommended.

If you're a new fan of Black Sabbath and don't know where to start, you should off with this CD or if you're on a budget or only want the stuff with Ozzy, get Symptom of the Universe 1970-78 instead, and to be honest with you, this was the CD that got me involved with Black Sabbath cause they're one of the best and most influential bands of all time and their only hit singles were Paranoid and Iron Man and a lot of there other songs were awesome as well, The CD contains songs from their self titled debut album to there 1987 release Eternal Idol and I think that they should've stopped after either The Mob Rules or Born Again and add more songs to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (which only contains the title track and Killing Yourself to Live) and a little more on Never Say Die (which only contains the title track and Hard Road).
This CD also doesn't have Fairies Wear Boots and I honestly don't know why.
If you love Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Chevelle, Marilyn Manson, and those 1990's alternative rock bands then you should get into Black Sabbath cause they are the godfathers of heavy metal and half of those bands weren't even exist if it weren't for Black Sabbath.