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Paranoid
Black Sabbath
1970
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Easiest 5 stars I've ever given. Before even listening I know - but this is one of the first albums I became attached to as a kid. Every track is perfect. Other bands paved the way, but Sabbath actively invented heavy metal. I think it could also be argued the song "Electric Funeral" alone also spawned an entire sub-genre of 'sludge' bands and eventually made the term 'Sabbath Clone' its own descriptor as bands tried to re-create it. || I've always loved the bass in this album, and obviously Iommi and Ozzy do great guitar/vocals - but on this listen, it was the first time I realized how truly incredible the drums are! Bill Ward always felt like a Sabbath afterthought to me, but listening more intently to the drums throughout, especially on the back half of the album, it's clear he's just as important a part of Sabbath's success. Perfect from top to bottom.
SHAAARRONNNN. Three obvious big fat classic riffs in War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man but pretty sick how they can also pull off Planet Caravan in the middle of it all. I think Electric Funeral is my highlight though, can hear heaps of gizz and ORB.
So this was the first album I ever bought at 13. To say my mother was disappointed that I stopped binge-listening her Tom Jones and Sadler & Young albums to binge-listen Black Sabbath is an understatement. I first hear it when an older brother of a friend played it for us. So heavy, dark & riff-centric. For me, all hard rock that came after paled by comparison. I read a review of this album about 10 years ago and the guy said just ignore Ozzy (happily) and the heavy guitar and listen to nothing but the bass and drums and you will get a better idea of what a great band they were. I see this is the 7th highest ranked 1001 album so I will not resist.
“Paranoid” by Black Sabbath (1970) When I listened to this as a teenager, my moral superiors were scandalized that I was sinfully indulging an embrace of the satanic. They were ignorant. This is not evil proudly standing as evil. This is evil as a genre pointing to the good, in the classic, gothic sense. “War Pigs” excoriates the fomenters of mass destruction, likening them to workers of the dark arts (It is Satan, not God, who laughs at their vain appeals for mercy before divine judgment). “Paranoid” is the empathy-evoking lament of a man losing his mind. “Planet Caravan” is morally neutral pagan sci-fi. “Iron Man”, also sci-fi, is a morality tale about the deadly potential of technology turned against us. “Electric Funeral” is simply apocalypse. “Hand of Doom” and “Fairies Wear Boots” are poetic sermons warning against the use of drugs (Would that he had heeded his own message). What’s not to like? You uninformed cultural moralists need to get off your high horse. While the prophetic voice in this message is rather too simplified, it’s not nearly as graphic as some portions of Sacred Scripture (slowly read Deuteronomy 28:47-57 before proceeding to The Lamentations of Jeremiah and the Revelation of St. John). Call me if you need counseling. The aesthetic question here is whether the mood of the message properly harmonizes with the mood of the music. Boy, does it. It is dark. It is heavy. It is horror harnessed in sound. Tony Iommi is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. If you want to play guitar like Iommi, all you have to do is cut off the ends of the first two fingers of your fretboard hand, and use homemade prosthetics and banjo strings in order to compensate. Simple. The pain of that horrible experience might just give you a sense of what a guitar can accomplish as a conveyor of human passion. Feedback and sustain on power chords (“War Pigs”, “Iron Man”) provide space and invite reflection, and exquisitely colorful lead riffs and solos amaze the listener. Jazz solo lines in the outro of “Planet Caravan” are exemplary for dynamic fluctuation and improvisation. Anybody can play the groove chords on “Iron Man”. But nobody can play them like Tony Iommi. Ozzy Osbourne has precisely the right voice for conveying these lyrics and melodies. He has a strong, snarly voice, and pitch control is a secondary concern. He understands the power of the emphatic consonant. Bill Ward’s heavy drums, with masterfully synchronized fills, provide fearsome rhythms and a fine solo break (in “Rat Salad”). And Geezer Butler’s virtuosity on electric bass set a standard for metal music, mastering the art of ‘pairing’ bass and electric rhythm without simple aping. Listen to how Butler’s pulsing bass vibrates the rattle wires of Ward’s snare drum on the intro to “Hand of Doom”. The engineers intentionally didn’t correct it. Masterful. Listen to this album. Today. Remove your hat; you’re in the presence of rock nobility. 5/5
When I first met Luke in a crowded Bot garden. Sandwiched between Laura and Jenny and opposite himself, I accidentally made out I was a massive metal head by talking to him solely about Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. That man was no liar. 8 tracks of pure godly tunes.
So fucking tight. Riffs for days. Can’t wait to drink a few rockshores and drift away to planet caravan.
Put me in a time machine and let me go back to 1970 and hear this for the first time and see others reactions. What a time that must have been. An absolute heavy metal and rock classic from start to finish.
Quoting Rob’s mix-tape rules from the movie Hi Fidelity: “You gotta kick it off with a killer to take attention, and then you gotta kick it up a notch. But you don’t wanna blow your wad, so then you gotta cool it down a notch. There are a lotta rules.” - even though ‘Paranoid’ is not a mix, it nails that form spot on - ‘War Pigs’ is the best song on the album, and then it gets better with ‘Paranoid’. ‘Planet Caravan’ is still a closet favorite which I love playing to the Metal uninformed - “This is Back Sabbath?”. It all works - galloping, locomotive bass and drums, ominous guitars and Ozzy. They convey the emotions of the disillusioned industrial youth that they are. Love the lyrics throughout. ‘War Pigs’ could have been written 3000 years ago. This album and their eponymous debut album were released within six months of each other, which still amazes me. These albums changed Rock music forever. Doesn’t get much better. 5+ stars
War Pigs is a huge opening track and sets the tone for a genre defining album. Rifftastic Iommi with the unchained brilliance of Ozzie. A match made in metal heaven.
Probably the most influential metal album of them all, and arguably the greatest collection of metal songs on a single record. War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron man and that’s just the opening three tracks. More focused and cohesive than its predecessor Toni Iommi’s ability to write a riff is unrivalled and Ozzy’s vocals are so simple but so incredibly effective, while the inimitable Bill Ward and Geezer Butler show why they are as under-appreciated as they are accomplished.
10/15 Raw as all hell. Standout Tracks: Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom
How I wish I'd gone to that Black Sabbath concert on May 5, 1982. I guess it only took 40 years to realize that. I was scared away at the time. How was I to know with everyone freaking out at the time? Good grief, this review will be more obscene than the album is. How can you not go, "Fuck yeah!" through this whole album? It's the "War Pigs" that are satanic! Fuck, yeah! What is this freaky, spacey, awesome sound in "Planet Caravan"? Fuck, yeah! Oh my God, that riff in "Iron Man" is so epic that we're going to play it and sing to it over and over for five and half minutes and never get tired of it. (When you look up "Riff" in Wikipedia, this is the riff that illustrates what a riff is. Fuck, yeah!) I went batshit when that voice that kind of sounds like Animal from the Muppets chanted "Electric Funeral! Electric Funeral" Fuck, yeah! When "Hand of Doom" slowly, creepily builds and builds to "Now you're gonna die!" Fuck, yeah! (Well, maybe not "yeah" except that it's definitely not glamorizing drug abuse, so, okay, fuck, yeah!) I will never get tired of the title "Rat Salad." Fuck, yeah. The album so far has dealt with war, depression, the end of the world (twice), and drug abuse, and ends with "Fairy with boots and dancing with a dwarf." Fuck. Yeah. (Granted it might have had to do with the "smokin' and trippin'" but as the album ends, "Yeah!") I had to giggle a few times when the lyrics really struggled to fit the rhythm "Ca-an he-e see-e, or is he blind?" and then I laughed again when I realized it sounded like Jack Black was singing, but I felt like a goddamn badass pulling up to work with it blaring on my car stereo and now I finally get it all.
Staple thrash metal infused with riveting use of stylistic bar variations and impactful guitar riffs. Ozzy Osbourne's immediacy in his vocals create intangible catharsis for the record. Cohesive and a CHB, 'Paranoid' (album) is instantly recognizable to many listeners alike regardless of genre.
Disappointing! War Pigs and Paranoid together made a tremendously strong, energetic start from out the outset, but all my enthusiasm was lost by the time Iron Man came on—at which point the album descended into lyrics that were edgy but shallow, and settled into that unfortunate aimless, rambly guitar/drum combo that seems to have dominated rock in the years prior. An easy five stars if the momentum had carried through, but as it stands, three is being generous. Recommended season: Winter
I don't expect anything I have to say is fresh, partly because this is well-trodden ground and partly because there's not much to talk about. That's not as negative as it sounds, just recognition that one of Sabbath's main virtues is recapitualating proof of concept that rock music can be chunked and stacked into songs like cheese cubes on a toothpick. I really like that bit of their music. They're very good at it. Riffs atops drum rolls atop looming bass atop screeching vocals. If they weren't, I wouldn't recognise so many of these (Kanye borrows the Iron Man riff for Hell of a Life, huh?) without ever having heard the album. My issues are (I warned you this wouldn't be original) that while all they want to do is rock (so far so good) they don't have much to rock around. A robin, a jailhouse, a clock--music is stuffed to the gunnels with things around which one can orbit. They've supposedly got weirdness, paranoia, satanism or whatever. But do they? Because despite their image, there's nothing especially evocative or atmospheric going on here. They could just as easily be singing about the best time to zest an orange (once it's hardened, I'm told, as that means the juice has moved from the innards to the outards) without causing much dissonance. Of course, ideas aren't a requirement in great music. I can listen to Franco Luamba or James Brown all day without giving too many shits about what they're saying. But that brings us to my other issue, which is that those guys have got rhythm, groove, funk and soul that's ass-bustingly transcendent, while Sabbath only have their cheese on a stick, and that can only get you so far.
A Rat Salad away from absolute perfection FT: Can I really choose? OK. I will. A tie between Planet Caravan and Paranoid. 9/10
Clássico ignorado por mim e que supreendeu demais pelos riffs e vocais. Ouvir mais vezes
almost every song on this album is perfect, in so many ways, really incredibly great music 🥲
Qué puta belleza. Quiero decir que es gracias a este ejercicio que neta me doy el tiempo de escuchar con calma y atención a black sabbath que por algún extraño prejuicio consideraba música del montón. Es un puto discazo de principio a fin, y no sé si me gustan más los riffs de guitarra o los solos de batería pero la puta madre. Y qué carajos con planet caravan? cómo una rolita así de suave entra tan perfecto en un disco de metal progresivo. Putos genios.
Imagine putting this on for its first spin back in the day. Planet Caravan is a bit of a rad piano diversion from the rest of the album
Su aparición en aquel aclamado juego Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock me hizo conocerlos jajaja no se si salieron en otros pero ahí conocí paranoid y la de Iron man que chuladaaaaaa.... buen glugluneees
Sí me gustó la vrd, jamás le había dado chance a escuchar mucho de esta banda salvo Paranoid que no me logró atrapar y otros pares de canciones que me habían pasado desapercibidas. Chistoso, fantasioso, brujesco y apocalíptico. Un disco poco relatable, nada sentimental, lo cual es refrescante, si bien ahora suena graciosisimo, supongo que en la época era dark. Según lei en la Wikipedia la primera canción se iba a llamar Walpurgis, pero la disquera dijo que no porque sonaba muy satánico (aunque según entiendo todo este performance de los nombres místicos era un pedo más como en la punk-politics-related ondita en vez de ocultista, lo cual fue bummer pa mi), así que, cuál niños regañados, le tuvieron que cambiar el nombre, lel. Pues, yo no soy quien pa afirmar esto, pero pa mi que sí que se nota mucho la influencia que han tenido en el metal hasta nuestros días estos dudes (sobre todo en el famoso stoner metal con el cual estoy muy poco familiarizado, pero dizque yo todas las bandas de ese género suenan a una digi-evolución de Black Sabbathh). Fav: Electrical Funeral porque tiene un inicio que sí suena a que va a empezar una invocación con las fuerzas del maligno. Mood: Este Iron Man cae mejor que el de marvel porque es bien loser y nadie lo quiere ajajaa
I may be more of a Black Sabbath fan than I had ever considered... I’d love to have this on vinyl.
It's the album Prince Philip will have blaring out as he's lowered into his grave. As if we're not getting a bank holiday. That is most upsetting.
Some disgustingly good riffs in this album, had actually forgotten abt War Pigs, which was a nice surprise. Pretty much every song is a banger, also they pieced together Paranoid in 2 hours??? What the fuck Already Saved: Paranoid Saved After Listening: War Pigs, Iron Man, Electric Funeral
What an album, there isn't a bad song on it. I can tell why this is such a touchstone for the genre. It has a primal quality that it's heavier predecessors struggle to capture.
Insane. The riffs on here are SICK NASTY..a HURRICANE of intensity. One of my all-time favorites. This one is so good it's RIDICULOUS
Such a classic. It's cool to hear the subtle stereo panning of the drums and guitars with headphones.
Such a great album. These guys were ahead of their time. You can see where so many future bands got their influences from.
Classic album. Generated a new genre for future middle school boys to headbang too. 5-star banger.
Hand of doom. The best part about this album is you can take all of the singles that everyone’s heard plenty of times away, and what you’re left with is still amazing. I love this album. Again….hand of doom.
Wonderful stuff and so influential to the development of heavy metal - amazing tracks such as war pigs, iron man and of course paranoid I haven’t debated a score as much and my head says four but……
Outstanding, nom stop bangers start to finish. Also, the best percussion I've heard in ages.
Ох, это же Блэк Сабат Гитары звучат сочно. Слышно каждую ноту, плотно. War Pigs - ох какой соляк! У баса интересная партия тоже. Теперь я понимаю, за что любят Томи Айоми. У него просто ахерительные рифы и вкусные соляки. Paranoid - тут всё понятно Planet Caravan - вау, вот это перкуссия! Раньше я слушал только кавер Пантеры на эту песню, оригинал вообще другой. Бас всё так же творит чудо, гитара потихоньку подыгрывает, дополняя атмосферу. Интересно звучат соло Томми (уже в трех песнях подряд), они звучат сухо, практически без эффектов. Слышно лишь короткую реверберацию. Но эта реверберация создает невероятную глубину в песне. Iron Man - классика хэви метала) Опять же гитара звучит очень собранно и хрустяще. Есть непопадания, когда после паузы все немного играют мимо, но почему-то это не звучит как что-то прям очень плохое. Типа трушно, что-ли. Хм, концовка очень интересная, только сейчас обратил внимание на неё. Electric Funeral - Оззи снова не парится и поёт в унисон с гитарой Томми) КАК ЖЕ ОФИГИТЕЛЬНО ЗВУЧАТ ЭТИ ГИТАРЫ! Во всех песнях! Hand of Doom - барабаны очень панчевые, слышится каждая атака. Rat Salad - похоже на импровизацию. Барабанное соло драйвовое. Fairies Wear Boots - как всегда крутые рифы Томми Айоми. Интересно меняется ритм на протяжении всей песни. Хорошее закрытие альбома. ---- Буду ли я переслушивать этот альбом? ДА.
We do not deserve and can barely handle the badassery of Black Sabbath. This song is at least 50% hits, and the other 50% slaps. Keep it up and you'll go places, Oswald.
This album is great because it also contains the 1001 greatest guitar riffs you must listen to
Albums were so short! The tracks that everyone knows still wail but the others are surprisingly chill.
Front to back this is what heavy metal should sound like. Sabbath were pioneers. From the fast to the heavy and even a slower song like Planet Caravan
Greatest Metal Album of all time. Genre defining. Driving guitar links heavy bass and harrowing vocals make for an amazing listening experience.
Holy cow! This album is freaking fantastic! What have I been waiting for??? I think as a kid I bought just enough into the satanic panic of the 70s and 80s to believe at least a tiny bit that listening to Black Sabbath would invite Satan into my soul. (There were Christian protestors outside the brand new Events Center when Black Sabbath came to my home town in the early 80s.) And even after I became certain there was nothing to fear in this music, I had convinced myself that Black Sabbath just wouldn't appeal to me. They'd be too hard, too noisy, too mean. I even knew and liked half these songs already (War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man) but there was still a part of me that did not believe. Gah! Propaganda works, yo! Now I get why the powers that be needed me to be afraid. But the truth is we don't need to fear this bunch of hippies! The war pigs are the ones to fear! Anyway, my feelings about every single track on this record run the gamut from like-it-a-lot to oh-my-god-I-love-this-so-much! The drums, the guitars, bass, vocals are all amazing. When everything but the hi-hat drops out at the beginning of War Pigs? Sublime. The mellow bongo-ness of Planet Caravan? Smooth. The psychedelia Electric Funeral? Terrific. The bluesy grooves in the middle of Hand of Doom and Fairies Wear Boots? Bluesy and groovy --- and wicked! I love this record. More please!
Absolutely fantastic. Not a heavy metal fan normally, but thesingers voice is great, the subject matter dealt with excellently in the lyrics, and love the balance of the music.
Ozzy forever! War Pigs, Paranoid, Electric Funeral and Fairies Wear Boots. Iron Man is also great but been worn out by hearing it on the radio. Easy 5.
Solid metal album by Black Sabbath. The first half is full of bangers and the second half doesn't disappoint either. Not as memorable the first but still a great listen.
What's to say about this album that hasn't already been said? A great trip from start to finish. I think when I was younger I wasn't a big fan of Planet Caravan but I love the trippy groove of that track now and it makes a good bridge from Paranoid to Iron Man. On side two It feel like Electric Funeral pays an homage to early Pink Floyd with the vocal melody at the beginning.
Oh yeah. Now that's an album. I'm not really a metal fan but I love guitars and bass. It's probably the simpler (yet still intricate) sound that I love so much about Sabbath. I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that Iommi invented or popularized power chords. It just brings so much sound. And yet there is plenty of complex tapping, plucking, hammering on and off (solos & sequences in Paranoid, Iron Man, Rat Salad, I could go on and on). War Pigs really epitomizes their sound - goes wherever it wants and it works. The intro crawls in, then the first verse has an up-tempo power chord repetition, then a 1min bridge with a different pace and chord progression, then back to the verses sound for 30s, then a new 1min bridge/solos, back to another verse, back to the style of the first bridge for 30-45s, then a long outro complete with some final distortion just because. Some stuff is simple, some is complex, but altogether it's a masterpiece.
That first side, man. Just floors you. Three of the greatest metal songs ever. Then there's the Planet Caravan song. Yikes. It reminds me of the Spinal Tap song, "Clam Caravan." I'm sure that that was what they were going for, but it just seems out of place here. Everything else fits really well. I remember getting this CD a few years back at Best Buy (remember when they had CDs, kids?). It was in a $5 bin. Only five dollars?! Sold. This defined the genre. Pretty much all of metal has taken from this album (except for "Planet Caravan", maybe...) The one song being a clunker, I am still going to rate this pretty high. How can you not?
Love this album. No question. Easy to drop in and let the music wash over. Feel it in my chest. Propelling. Deep.
I didn't even finish War Pigs. Not on purpose, but I got busy and forgot to come back.
Wow. I've never intentionally listened to Black Sabbath, maybe because it was too old or something. I've heard some of the songs a lot, but I never knew what a great complete album it is. Cohesive sound, but enough variation between tracks to stay interesting.
As an Ozzy fan, I looked at this album cover and was like \"huh? I haven't heard this one\" but once I clicked to listen to the album, i've realised that i've played it on high rotation prior to today.
Extra special this album coming up on my list on Ozzy Osborne's birthday. This album for me is working back till 3am on many deadlines, alone in an office with this blasting out of my computer's speakers. Perfect album
the perfect early metal album, almost flawless except it feels too slow in places. paranoid was the second song i ever learned on guitar so it has a special place in my heart. favorite tracks - war pigs, paranoid, iron man, planet caravan least favorite tracks - hand of doom
Una de les grans fites del hard rock, i això que no feia ni un any que el génere havia nascut a les mans d'ells mateixos. La primera cara és demencial, 4 temes amb dret a figurar en qualsevol llista; la segona és menys coneguda però gairebé igual de bona. Rock de malson, pesadot, agressiu, recargolat, que t'absorbeix de mala manera per no deixar-te anar mai més
Classic. War pigs, paranoid, and iron man are right up there with the best rock songs. Amazing to think it was only a few months since their debut.
More of a blues rock album than I expected. Some really great technique on display. The compositions are simple but effective, and the repetitiveness serves the themes of the album well. The instrumentalists are super together all the time, they play well with one another. Bill Ward especially kills it on this album.
An obvious metal masterpiece. Dark, intense, slow, ambient. Everything that a good stoner metal album could be
A stone cold classic. I actually like it BECAUSE the guitar relys more on tone than on histrionics. The first half is incredible from War Pigs through Iron Man its one classic after another. I especially the moody Planet Caravan. The second half can get a little heavy handed, but not enough to dim the status as an all time metal classic; 5 stars.
Great rock and roll album with many classic songs. Some filler but does not disturb the flow.
Early Ozzy !!! Iommi blazing the guitar on "War Pigs". Geezer's base just cranking out on Paranoid. Beautiful, soothing guitar picking and congos on "Planet Caravan". Raw raw power of "Iron Man". Song just does not give up; increasing in intensity all the way to the end. And "Hand of Doom". Just a great, driving song in every way. Sad lyrics, but that goes with the times (Vietnam, heroine). Simply a masterpiece. Hands down my favorite song on this album. "Rat Salad" devotes time to Bill Ward. His drumming is perfectly adequate, but this one just does not excite. Wrapping it up with "Fairies wear boots" ... "cause smoking and tripping is all that you do". hoo-rah. Absolutely classic album.
5/5 While metal wasn’t invented by a single artist or band, Black Sabbath did bring together a blueprint that is referenced to this day. This album is fun to listen to and full of that dark energy you are looking for when listening to metal, without feeling obscene or “evil” just for the sake of sounding that way. The Heavy and distorted riffs and Ozzie’s iconic voice are of course great but listening to the drums and bass specifically show that they help support the band just as much as everything else. Of course the big three hits are amazing but the rest of the tracks are great listens as well. I enjoyed “Planet Caravans” slow paced spacey feeling (the traveling bongos are fun), “Electric Funeral” has intense imagery in the lyrics and really brings forward the bass and drums, and “Rat Salad” is a fun jam session and drum solo. I guess I’d say that “Fairies Wear Boots” is the weak point of the album for me but that’s not saying much as it isn’t a bad listen. Fav Tracks: No point in choosing
Never considered myself a fan of metal but I can appreciate the genre because of albums such as this. Going through the lyrics of some of these songs shows them talking about generational topics (such as war pigs with them referencing, I’m assuming, Vietnam), to having an abstract story (Iron Man). Musically, everything from the guitars to the vocals made this album an absolute banger. The simple replay-ability of this album gives it a 5, no contest.
Amazing. I was blown away by how good this record was. This album has been on my list for a while, and I’m glad that I listened to it. Will be buying this if I see it at my record store.
Listened on February 26th 2022. Absurdly relevant to this crazy Russian invasion of Ukraine times were living in. Fucking meaty. Pure anger. Love this album
This was a great album. I've listened to a few albums on this list that lost a star or two because they added too many songs. This one is a little short but at least there's no filler garbage. (Turns out the title song was actually written as "filler" but it is far from garbage)
PERFECTION! This is the only way to describe this album. I've lost count of how many times I listened to this already. Favorite tracks: * Literally all of them, but if I need to choose three: * War Pigs * Electric Funeral * Paranoid
Anthony, Andrew, and I took some mushrooms and tripped hard to an early Sabbath concert where Ozzy still had youth in his face that he hadn't destroyed with drugs yet. Then we turned on a Tom Jones record, and watched a industrial crusher destroy a bunch of toys on YouTube. We laughed our heads off. This record is still one of the most imitated, but never duplicated. Lightning stuck hard with this one. Favorite tracks: "Iron Man", "Faeries Wear Boots", "Electric Funeral"
A classic, takes me back to being an angsty teen. Ozzy's vocals and iommi's guitar is a truly legendary mix
To produce instant classics like Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man on one and only album is a miracle, or is it genius? Tony Iommi absolutely deserves the "riff master" title after this one. Every second of this masterpiece is worth it. Black Sabbath will always be one of the best metal act ever.
So do I write a review with hindsight or do I write the review I would have written as a 12/13 year old, nearly 50 years ago. Because I remember hearing this the first time. War Pigs was like nothing I'd ever heard before, and the rest of the album kept me enthralled. It still does. Some of the lyrics are trite, but it's a sonic masterpiece.
Black Sabbath is such a misunderstood band. While a ‘Black Sabbath’ is indeed a satanic reference, the band was never really about satan. There’s only a couple of references to satan on 'Paranoid,' and even then, it’s certainly not celebrated or glorified as 21st century Black Metal bands do on their recordings. Shame the band wasn’t more appropriately named Black Doom or Monsters Of Destruction, or something of that nature. OK, now that that’s out of the way… I have been listening to 'Paranoid' ever since it was released in 1970, my first introduction at the impressionistic young age of eleven. Even then, I immediately knew the opening track was concerning the evil nature of the ‘war machine.’ I furthermore surmised this not be a critique of war, per se, but the profiteers of war, particularly at the expense of the poor who are treated ‘just like pawns at chess.’ It’s a great image. And when satan does make his appearance at the end, ‘laughing, spread(ing) his wings,’ it is to enact God’s merciless judgment on the war pigs. As this scenario is completely void of grace, I don’t think it’s particularly good theology; still, at least they got the satan/God relationship right. The hasatan in the Hebrew Scriptures was not a forename, like Anton, but a title (‘adversary,’ ‘accuser’) indicating his role as the heavenly prosecuting attorney arguing, in this case, for the conviction and sentencing of the war pigs. God is the judge (this is not a jury trial), and therefore passes the final judgment. This idea is found throughout both testaments, both Hebrew and Christian. Again, it’s not the complete picture, but it is an accurate representation of the book of Job, for example. I wonder if the Christian religious right ever really read Black Sabbath’s lyrics? The rest, and vast majority, of the lyrical themes on Paranoid cover the kind of things one would expect on a 1970 LP: the Vietnam war (‘War Pigs’), the dangers of drug abuse, which vocalist Ozzy Osbourne unfortunately became all too familiar with himself (‘Hand Of Doom’), global destruction from atomic bomb radiation fallout (‘Electric Funeral’), even modern psychiatry (‘Paranoid.’) And some wonderful sci-fi songs like ‘Planet Caravan,’ and ‘Iron Man.’ By the way, who exactly was Iron Man anyway, and what put him in the grave in the first place, and how was he resurrected, and why was his sole purpose to wreak vengeful havoc upon the people ‘he once saved’? He sounds an awful lot like Jesus’ evil twin. Or, I guess if you’re a Monty Python fan, Jesus and Brian’s sibling triplet who went terribly rogue. Finally, ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ isn’t so much in the fantasy literary genre so much as it is an LSD inspired vision, as the last verse reveals. My point is that its quite a range of subject matter, and again, you will not find a one of them praising evil. Quite the contrary. 'Paranoid' seems to be about cautioning youth about the deadly nature and consequences of dancing with the devil. Which, of course, is the very stuff of sermons and liturgical prayers one may find in a worship gathering on the Christian Sabbath. Now lets’ talk music for a moment. I don’t think I’ve ever previously considered that these blokes were every bit as talented on their respective instruments as the members of fellow hard rockers Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Experience, Cream, The Who, Rush. I mean it. Guitarist Tony Iommi is a rock god, just blazing away on super sonic lead solos on almost every song, even delving into a bit of tasty jazz guitar (accompanied by piano and congas… on a metal album!) on ‘Planet Caravan.’ Of course, he’s mostly known for one of classic rock’s all time most famous riffs- ‘Iron Man’ – his signature heavy, heavy power chords. (Every kid I knew, including myself, learned this and Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water’ immediately upon learning how to tune our guitar strings.) Geezer Butler gets this uniquely crunchy(?) kind of sound on his bass- he must have been playing with a pick- and meanders up and down and sideways and around that fret bar like a kid on a swing set trying to arc up and over the top bar. And drummer Bill Ward with his relentless driving drums of doom. Most of these songs were birthed from improvisational jams which is clearly heard in every song. Then, for the cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae, the infamous Ozzy Osbourne. His sneering vocals are a perfect fit for the head banging thunder his mates hurl down. How can you not love this guy when he sings in a particularly nasty manner on ‘Electric Funeral’: ‘Turns people into clay, radiation minds decay!’ This is a kid you would love to be friends with on the school playground but loathe to be the teacher of in the classroom. Sabbath ain’t what you think. Unless you think their mighty damn awesome. And then you’d be right.
Gostei. É bem rico e um rock mais pesadinho, talvez seja o que eu mais gostei até agora 5/5
The singles are of course top tier but everything else rocks just as hard. Electric Funeral and Rat Salad especially were great.
An all-time kickass classic. This album takes other albums out behind the shed and kicks their asses, and they give thanks that Black Sabbath paid them attention.
Trzeci Sabbathowy pick na liscie, tym razem padlo na paranoida, ktory jak dla mnie jest ich najklasyczniejszym krazkiem, jesli mysle o Sabbathcie, to przewija mi sie jako pierwsze skojarzenie wlasnie paranoid z legendarnym openingiem war pigowym, czy iron manowym songiem, plyta z 1970 jest drugim studyjnym nagraniem bandy o ktorej nie ma co sie rozpisywac skoro trzeci pick, cienka jest granica pomiedzy hardym rokowaniem, a ciezkimi metalami i tak o ile jestem sceptycznie nastawiony do metalowych brzmien, tak Sabbaty kupuja swoim podejsciem do komponowania, wiekszosc materialu z tego krazka powstawala w czasie jamowanych sesji zeby potem byc rerecordowana, slychac to glownie w wymyslnych riffach gitarkowych pana Iommiego, ktore zazwyczaj dominuja brzmienie utworow, ale nie jest to regula, bo pojawiaja sie takze spokojniejsze kompozycje jak planet caravan, ktora brzmi wrecz akustycznie, wiec na 42 minutach zawarli klasycznie ostre brzmienie i jednoczesnie eksperymentowali z spokojniejszymi brzmieniami, kolejnym ciekawym eksperymentem jest sam pan Osbourne, ktory zmienia sie z kawalka na kawalek nie tylko przez wykorzystanie synthowych efektow, ale rowniez przez granie na emocjach ktore sa przekazywane wokalem, a jest co przekazywac, bo Sabbathowe utwory pomimo tego, ze sa raczej prosto pisane to jednak potrafia dobitnie dotknac poruszanego tematu, dodatkowo nawiazujac do folkloru filozofii czy religii, jak czorny sabat, to przeciez diaboly musza sie przewijac, co tez zeby ubarwic kompozycje, nie bez powodu pan Ozzy stal sie pewnego rodzaju ikona hardego brzmienia, bo z samego wokalu czuc jego charyzme, ktora przyciaga sluchacza, na plejke nie ma co za bardzo dodawac, bo juz wiekszosc wspominanych trakow gdzies ma swoje miejsce, ale cala plyta laduje w biblioteczce spotifajowej
\m/ Fuck yes. I've loved this whole album since I bought it from a BMG catalog when I was maybe 13. Had no knowledge of who Sabbath was or how influential they were. Just thought it sounded cool based on the description. So much of what I love now wouldn't exist if it weren't for this band. Goddamn they are so good
Keep it going Sabbath. An album with the most popular songs still hits all the features of the group that I love.
Black Sabbath's diamond among a pile of precious gems. Has some of their greatest hits as well as so many fantastic deep cuts, and was instrumental in bringing the idea of heavy metal to the minds of the world. Amazing.
Featuring some of the most memorable riffs and drum fills in heavy metal history, Paranoid is nothing more than a relentless, balls to the wall masterwork. And to believe that this is Black Sabbath's second record! They continued to define and refine what would be the heaviest and most impactful genre in rock and influence many bands in their wake.
Every song* has at least 2 legendary riffs. Great understated drummer, great bassist, Ozzy Osbourne. It’s a testament to how great the seventies were that one of it’s best albums was released so early and it still didn’t slow down. *not Planet Caravan. Still a great track
Not a bad album. I wouldn't recommend for all occasions, but it's fascinating hearing the start of heavy metal.
Baita descoberta. Muito mais suave e harmônico do que imaginei que seria. Agora ocupa o mesmo lugar que os bons blues no meu coração, mas com espaço pra força e momentos de honrar a raiva também. Solos vibrantes e estonteantes. Começo maravilhoso.
Good angry music, reminded me of Jesus Christ Superstar. Also, I didn't realize that Iron Man was on this album!
Album med gang i den. Klassisk rock med mange fede numre. 4,5 stjerne. Jeg synes desværre at Ozzy stemme er lidt irriterende til tider.
Great follow up to S/T. More extremely influential music and better production. The bent notes alone on Iron man are better than 90% of the metal released after this.
Diese Platte kenne ich, seit ich 14 oder 15 bin. Sie ist (sehr) gut, verflacht aber gegen Ende etwas.
Pretty good, I remember listening to this about 10 years ago and it was definitely unlike anything I had heard before. Listening to it again in 2021, it still holds up but doesn't really sit well with me since I'm not a huge metal fan.
Great guitar! Some classic songs like Iron Man and Paranoid. The vocals match the vibe, normally would find this kind of singing a bit grating to the ears, but it really works.
What a monster. Every track is a hit so far. Didn’t know all of these were from same album
It’s a good rock album, and I really enjoy these classic riffs. I am just not a fan of the overall songwriting.
Ah, pues me vine a enterar que Black Sabbath sí me gusta, jaja. Ubicaba "Paranoid" y "Iron Man", pero disfruté todo el disco, tiene sus riffs imponentes, que sus bajos por acá, las percusiones, todo el hard rock que puedo pedir o esto ya es metal? Como sea, viva Ozzy y compañía. "War Pigs" sí es rolón y "Electric Funeral" también me gustó bastante. 9/10
Classic Black Sabbath album, and Planet Caravan is pretty cool. Easily an 8/10, maybe more
I've never been a Black Sabbath fan, but when listening to this album I can understand the appeal. This is a pretty seminal recording of early heavy metal with some pretty kick ass tracks that stand up well 50 yrs later. I finally know what those metal heads were going on about now.
An Iconic album that lives up to the hype. Its very much classic rock rather than the metal that it sometimes gets shoehorned in with. Maybe tails off a little in the 2nd half but has some classic rock riffs throughout. 4/5
A true example of an album before it’s time. So much heavy fuzzy distortion used to full effect in Iron Man & War Pigs for example. Doom metal is a genre used so much these days but this album is where it all started. 4 Stars!
An amazing fusion of guitar, drums, and voice. Album record in 1970, difficult to believe in it.
Eyyyy it's the other good Brummie group. I think we've had all three of them now. This is a very good album, slower tempo but doesn't sacrifice intensity.
Classic rock/metal album, really recommend listening to at least everything before fairies wear boots. I feel like there is probably a reason behind fairies wear boots being there, but without it I feel like it comes off a little pretentious -- "here, listen to the album again but slightly different..."
Great album, knew I liked it anyway. Really well composed and each song is fun and interesting in it's own right
Was not happy when this came up as the first album on this. but nah this album is pretty incredible it deserves the legend status. They weren't just "The first heavy metal band", they created so many elements of it on this one album. The sparse heavy riffs, the quiet/loud dynamic, the sludgy riffs, "paranoids" very punk rocky, "Planet Caravan" is basically an Alice In Chains song lmao. Def some real shit here, better listen then I expected.
The most famous black sabbath album, Iron Man, War Pigs, Paranoid are timeless bangers
Has some bangers on it. Favourite has to be the title track. But there are a couple on here I can't really imagine listening to again, ie track 3.
What an album! Ozzy and the boys kill it here with 3 of their--and perhaps the genre's--most recognized songs occupying the A-side. Still undecided on "Planet Caravan", it works as an intermission of sorts between 3 face melting classics, but it also feels like a flat tire on an otherwise peerless record. Also, while I reserve the right to change my opinion, I currently love the camp album cover as there's nothing wrong with bringing some humour to a really self-serious genre. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)
They'd benefit from not standing at the other end of a concrete hallway from the microphone. The tracks they are in the same room as the mic for are great.
Man, this is better than I remembered. The melodies are thick, heavy and robust, basically the beginnings of doom metal I think? Ozzy's voice is mildly annoying, but I think that's because I'm hearing him saying "Sharon, where are me keys Sharon?". The young Ozzy actually had a pretty good voice and it suits the music. I like the socio-political leaning lyrics. It's a good album. 4*
Another eye roll album where I am happy to be proved wrong. Heavy. Bluesy. Dark lyrics. Melodic. 4/5. Maybe slightly higher because of how timeless and influential it feels.
Funny that music that seemed heavy and subversive in the 70s does not today. Except that whole bat thing... seems like a misguided idea in the wake of covid. A bit slow for me, but still like it a lot. High 3/low 4 Iron Man is overplayed War Pigs is great
Gosh darn it I'm gonna slap a four on it and be done with it. I'll be honest I had low low expectations here. Never had any interest in listening to these bozos, but it turns out there's nothing bozoic about it. The instrumental tracks of Planet Caravan and Rat Salad (lovely name) are really enjoyable (barring the awfully long drum solo in Rat Salad (lovely name)). As much as it makes me cringe slightly hearing the guitar riffs to Paranoid and Iron Man, on this occasion I feel like applauding them for writing something so catchy and simple. Really enjoyed a lot of the more intricate guitar, especially on War Pigs. I guess I feel like it's pretty intriguing stuff but I wouldn't have it on my living room wall ya know.
Much closer to getting top marks than I expected. Busy boys to follow up with another album the same year as their debut. A couple of massive tracks on there and interesting jazzy stuff as well.
How have I never listened to this whole album before? Going with 4 but I may regret not setting it as a 5.
I'm not a huge Black Sabbath fan, but there's no denying the riffs and the power of their early albums. They were definitely pioneers of heavy metal. 4 stars.
I'll give it high marks for War Pigs and Paranoid, but I've never really liked Black Sabbath's music. Also I really don't like Iron Man.
Remember when I heard i first time. I was fifteen years and was surprised over the "new sound". It's a very good record 👍
I wasn’t looking forward to a Black Sabbath album. Not really what I typically think of as music I would listen to. But I’m willing to listen to all of these albums once… and I do know the song “Iron Man”. Not my favorite song, but we’ll see. I started the album and realized I did know the first song “War Pigs”. Looking at the lyrics, I found I kind of liked it. Then “Paranoid” came on and I realized I not only know the song, I really like the song! “Planet Caravan” was new to me, but I the moody description sailing through space under the watchful eyes of the war god Mars was a surprisingly tender song. When “Iron Man” started, I started feeling my fingers moving and suddenly realized where I know all these songs from. Several years ago I played a lot of Guitar Hero with my friends and had played along to these songs often… Raised in the 70s and 80s, “Electric Funeral” resonated with its horrific vision of atomic destruction. As a bonus, I think it ends with some just punishment for the wicked. “Hand of Doom” is a surprisingly sultry depiction of war leading to drug addiction. That was a theme on one of the songs on the John Prine album I just listened to as part of this project. How cool is it that doing this 1001 project I can compare/contrast these two artists?! Black Sabbath presents a much more graphic depiction of the subject well-suited to the hard, ominous music they make. “Rat Salad” was a groovy 70s metal instrumental with a prominent drum solo (not my favorite thing in music), but I liked it well enough since it was pretty concise. A lot of bands indulge a little too much in their solos to stay interesting on a recording. I appreciated Black Sabbath keeping this one tight. “Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots” had some good 70s metal to wrap things up. The singer is a bit obsessed with the fairy in boots, and I’m not exactly clear on what the singer is observing. Although maybe the doctor’s diagnosis at the end explains things? I’m glad I listened to this album, and I will listen to them again, although maybe not in one sitting like this. Black Sabbath still isn’t squarely my thing, but I’m more than happy to dabble in their music now and again.
Hmmm… Have I discovered a little metal head living inside my skin??? I suppose I am still exploring this possibility, but I did find this album quite enjoyable. And, I was told there would be more Satan.
Une fois n'est pas coutume, un des albums les mieux notés du générateur tient enfin son rang. Ce qui n'est pas le cas de mon camarade d'écoute robtenaillère, qui compte une fois de plus de multiples reviews de retard. Après son déclassement de bras droit de Robert à simple auditeur générateurien (a mon profit, puisque je le rapelle je suis le nouveau bras droit de Robert), rob multiplie les bavures. Un long chemin de croix, qui seul dieu (Robert, dont je suis le bras droit) sait où cela le menera.
J'ai reçu ce matin au réveil un appel de Robert qui voulait savoir pourquoi j'avais un retard de huit critiques sur le générateur. J'ai tenté de bafouiller quelques excuses mais Robert n'en a pas du tout été convaincu. Résultat des courses, je dispose d'un délai d'une semaine pour toutes les rédiger. Dans le cas contraire, Norbert Episode sera chargé de me rendre une nouvelle visite faisant suite à celle de la semaine dernière (cf critique d'Animal Collective). Un très bon album de Black Sabbath à part ça.
Track 01 - 5/5 Track 02 - 5/5 Track 03 - 4.5/5 Track 04 - 4.5/5 Track 05 - 4.25/5 Track 06 - 4/5 Track 07 - 3.5/5 Track 08 - 3.5/5 Overall: 4.25/5 Album Art: 1.5/5
I really enjoyed a lot of this album. Didn't really consider myself a black sabbath guy, but they impressed me.
When I was in Middle School, Ozzy was legend. All the stories about biting bats heads off on stage, and his weird performance style were the main attraction. His music I feel took a backseat in the conversations because we were kids and didn't really understand. Now, I am happy to revisit this album. War Pigs is incredible. What a song. The guitar riffs are so awesome, Ozzy sounds great. Paranoid is a classic. Again, it shreds, it rocks, and it is iconic. And Iron Man, of course more iconic riffs and awesome rocking. What an album! And the whole thing clocks in at 42 minutes. Beautiful.
Listening to their music was a simple act of collective ritual that required no education. But unlike Beatles fans (who became pop singers at best), the teenagers who identified with the "lightness" of Black Sabbath's music were the very ones who would form rock bands: Black Sabbath spread an alien virus, the heavy metal virus. (8/10) FT: War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man
Dope album!! Of course the classics are great but the other 5 songs are still great. Rat Salad might be the exception, but it’s almost like an instrumental interlude. Big fan of this. 8/10
This has to be the best Sabbath album, right? War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man - all the songs that drunk bikers karaoke to. I actually do like this album, but I'm not sure why. I think I was surprised by the simplicity of it. It hits you hard, but it's also really under-produced and stripped down. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals - that's it. No special effects - just point a microphone and go. There's something respectable about that. I'm not sure if this is a "hard 4" - but I gave their last album a 3 and this one is definitely superior.
War Pigs is my favorite Sabbath song, I think. This record is excellent. The drums sound so dead. The fuzzed out guitars. Ozzy's vocals are as strong as they'd ever be. I'll always listen to this record. It's heavy but also sort of mellow. I wonder if these guys smoked week? Heh.
I heard this pretty recently, so I don't even need to hear this to know how much I like it. Classic album, although I do prefer their self-titled debut more. Solid 4 for me.
'Generals gathered in their masses/Just like witches at black masses'... what a kick-off! This is one of those albums that transcends whether I normally like that kind of music, it's so good. One of the, if not The, greatest metal albums of all time I'm sure. My top pick is 'War Pigs' but I also enjoyed 'Paranoid' and 'Fairies Wear Boots'. Another time I wish this a ten star scale as this is really a 9.
A lot less heavy than I thought it would be. I wasn't aware of the non-hook sections of this album and was way more musical than I was expecting. Ozzy was charismatic and def a force in this band, but I would classify him as musically-inclined and not necessarily a musician. "Hand of Doom" that intro made me think I had cut to a diff album
Classic. The whole "First side" of the album is amazing. That side alone is a 5/5. The rest of the album is good too. Standouts: Iron Man, War Pigs, Paranoid Others; Planet Caravan
L'avevo anche già sentito, dei Black Sabbath credo sia il più famoso infatti. Non mi è dispiaciuto, solo che me n'ha sparato uno loro tipo due giorni fa, non ne avevo super voglia lol.
Yeah, this is excellent. 4/5 for me. Opening track is really fun, then Paranoid is a classic. Planet Caravan (Track 3) is really odd - feels completely out of place on the album and isn't interesting at all in its own right for me. Back to form on Iron Man, then a couple of good but not great songs before it perks up again at the end. Only critique of the album as a whole is that the songs drag a little bit, could maybe do with shaving 30 seconds to a minute off a few of them. Paranoid really leaves you wanting more, but some of the others go on a bit too long.
It's a seminal and influential album that misses the 5 stars for me because it meanders off halfway through but War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots are as good as it gets.
OOGH. Another childhood staple. Grew up on this one. This album is definitely one of the best in the style. Possibly THE best in the style. The style happens to not be my ALL TIME FAVORITE THING EVER IN THE WORLD. I really want to give this 5 stars but I don’t knowwwwww. I don’t feel blown away by it. I just don’t. It really is perfect. I have 0 complaints. But I just don’t feel blown away by how good it is. If I could play like any of these people I’d trade in the skin on my face. I’m sorry but 4. A really high 4. Maybe if I smoked. Idk. I’m sorry.
Absolutely ace! A heavier, more fun version of Led Zep with a slightly less screechy vocal, but far more political lyrics. Rightly a classic with surprising laid back jazzy song as well. Great!
Vaker luister om verschil op te merken. Klinkt nu wel heel erg naar alleen elektrische gitaren. Verder wel een masterlijk album.
A musty, dark and rather crabbit little album - if you forget that it's also casually helping to invent heavy metal in the first place. The interplay between Ward's impressionistic drumming and Butler's bass playing is beautiful. Yes, Iommi provided the huge riffs ('Iron Man' pretty much kick-starting the entire doom metal genre) but it was the boys in the rhythm section who ensured Sabbath's sound remained so idiosyncratic. Lovely stuff!
This turns out to be a really good album. Obviously some classics like War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man; but even ones I don't know like Electric Funeral and Jack the Stripper (dumb name) are pretty rad.
War Pigs to Electric Funeral, all bangers. After that I feel like it loses steam. The vocals aren’t my favorite, but sometimes they work well.
a legendary album that's a teensy bit played out at this point, but an incredibly accessible foray into metal-like sounds.
Helt bankande.... ett minuspoäng för att bokstavligen ha uppfunnit metal, den sämsta genren. (Det är ett skämt, jag ger det en fyra för att det är ungefär hur jag känner mig om skivan...)
A classic I've already heard most of the songs. Love ozzy's voice but this classic metal was never really my cup of tea but still a great listen!
Back when you could tell what Ozzy was saying. Iron man is great. Not sure the entire album is a great though.
CD che ha segnato l'inizio di un'era per per il genere. Non è esattamente un CD che ascolterei spesso ma ne va riconosciuta l'importanza.
Solid rock entry. Paranoid and War Pigs are standouts for me, though i don't think there's enough to hold my attention on lots of repeat listens. Definitely like Ozzy's voice.
5 stars doesn't provide enough nuance for ratings. I've now given this the same as Cocteau Twins, even though I think it's better, but I gave Television 4 stars and I didn't enjoy it as much as that.
The most stripped down parts of metal before it became overblown and stodgy. Sounds great as an album.
Cool. With most of their big songs on this it was more what I expected of Black Sabbath, but all sounded a bit the same and didn't enjoy it as much as the self titled album
There's absolute bangers here in Paranoid, Iron Man and War Pigs but the rest of it just passes me by really. It's amazing that from this small acorn, the mighty metal tree did grow.
One overplayed title track, two more plodding hits, all in all a bit dull from Ozzy and gang.
War Pigs is a phenomenal song in the Vietnam War area. Not sure why this wasn't a single. I thought complaining about the US bombing countries half way around the world had become fashionable by then but I guess only by exception. I heard W Pigs first when I was 9 years old so I liked the song but didn't yet get the lyrics. I also don't remember the drumming on that song being so good. Moon was clearly influential. The song Paranoid proves that an ass-kicking opening riff gets a song a long way towards being a hit. Sorta like Tumbling Dice among so many others. Tony was quite an accomplished guitar player and it must've been tough to get that good given he played left handed. I guess Jimi was also on that team. He could do worse lol. You might guess that as a 9 yo War Pigs was the shit. This song, however, is likely a key influence for so much of the heavy metal that I hated in the years to come.
Never really liked Black Sabbath before apart from a few songs and never liked Paranoid cos it's pure shite. Turns out that's by far the worst song on this album and the songs that I do like of theirs are on it too.
Honestly, I think I liked Black Sabbath way more than I expected to, largely due to Ozzy Osbourne's voice. I think the unconventionally slow start on War Pigs caught my attention. Will I listen again? Probably not but generally have more of an appreciation for this band than I did previously.
It was okay, i liked some of the songs. My favourite was Planet Caravan. 2.5/3 stars, rounded up to 3.
A lot better than I expected. Not something I expect to revisit but will be less dismissive of the band in future.
Finally understand where Iron Man comes from, straight up head bangin rock from another era!
solid album, didn’t technically finish it but has some really nice guitar rifts, i’ll definitely throw it in rotation though
Dear Mr Sabbath, Thank you for your entry into the 1001 albums you must listen to before you die. This is the second of your entries I have listened to. I found this one to be more focused, tighter, the riffs were more orientated to a singular purpose (rockin’ out, of course) than in your previous offering. I enjoy that thing you do where it sounds a little sloppy jaloppy then suddenly tightens like a corset cinched (if a little less sexy; maybe a tourniquet tightened would be more apt), and everything clicks into place. I hope you don’t mind me saying your lyrics could do with a little work (“Finished with my woman ‘cos she could not help me with my mind…”) but then, Mr Sabbath, I suppose it’s never been about the lyrics, has it? You’re just looking for a good time, and I’m pleased to report you’ve found one. Sincerely, B. Ears.
Black Sabbath on ollut itselleni aina hieman etäinen yhtye. Kenties ennakkoluulot bändin edustamaa genreä kohtaan ovat olleet liian kovia. Yllättäen suuri osa levyn biiseistä/riffeistä oli ennestään tuttuja ja paikoin varsin toimiviakin. Ozzyn ääni ärsytti myös yllättävän vähän. Ei tästä mitään uutta suosikkia tule, mutta kuitenkin varsin mukava, kolmosen arvoinen kokonaisuus.
Aika epätasapainoinen levy, niin sisällöltään kuin äänenvoimakkuuksiltaankin. Black Sabbathin klassikot War Pigs, Paranoid ja Iron Man löytyivät levyltä, mutta sitten niiden vastapainoksi oli Planet Caravanin tapaisia tunnelmointeja. Toisaalta voi olla omaa rajoitteisuuttakin, että odottaa ja vaatii Black Sabbathilta juuri noiden hittien tapaisia biisejä, mutta ei nuo kevyemmät oikein nyt tällä kertaa sytyttäneet. Hienoa kuitenkin että on tarjota vähän erilaistakin matskua perus hevimetallin kylkeen.
Yllättävän hyvä. En ollut kuullut muutamaa biisiä enempää, mutta nyökkäilin kyllä monen biisin tahtiin.
It still sounds so good, despite its age! And great to hear how much its influence can still be heard in so much rock n roll. That chug, in particular, is timeless. A bit basic by today's standards, but that doesn't completely hurt it. Having praised it, I still don't really love it, personally. tempted to '4' it, for historical significance and deference to still being good despite 50+ years old, but...
Really solid metal. Obviously several classic songs in here and it's before Ozzy gets completely unintelligible
I've listened to this one a bunch of times but I came to it pretty late in the game. If this had been one of those albums that bowled me over as a teen it would probably mean a lot to me. But there's was something that didn't add up between Ozzy's persona and what you get from Black Sabbath. Growing up, it was like Ozzy was satanic or something. And you listen to this and they're a bunch of hippies. It's crazy how not scary it is. Kind of like the first time you listen to KISS, maybe, if you came to that late, too. And you're like - wait, is this fucking disco? What the hell was everybody worried about? Anyway, this album is good. I don't love it, but it's a good listen, I think.
I actually enjoyed this album, overall. And I was absolutely tickled pink to hear a song from Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2! It wasn't my favourite album, and I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it, but it was enjoyable.
I've never considered myself a fan particularly, but I can't deny the power and perfection of this album.
I figured I would hate this because I am not a fan of heavy metal. Apparently this is the album that started it all (according to hubby). To my surprise I didn't hate it! Some of the songs are melodic and lovely. Sometimes the words are meaningful. Hmmm, too bad it opened the door to such a depraved kind of music.
Thought it would be harder. Can see how it'd be great live but was a it non plussed. 4.5/10
Enjoyed the music but not so much the singing or lyrics. Quite good fun all in all but not for me.
Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: Iron Man Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Oops, all heavy metal! I just don't really like this kind of music. Even Iron Man, a prior casualty of the Cutting Edge, took multiple years of listening to finally get saved. Maybe one day it'll all click for me but that day wasn't today.
I appreciate their influence on later groups like Iron Maiden that are more my speed. Unfortunately this doesn't do a whole lot for me. Nothing personal !!
not one I'd ever listened to, but did know Paranoid and Iron Man. Didn't love it but didn't mind it either. Sounded good with the vocals and guitar going toe to toe for bits. Can see the influence on metal and hard rock. Not my thing.
Not really listening to this...
Took me back to the sixth form common room in the mid seventies - happy days!