Paranoid

Very good!

One of the things I love about Sabbath is how well they move together as a band. They understand the power of starting quiet before getting loud, or slowing down before they pick up the pace again. It makes for great drama. They also love changing styles mid-song. They can shift from charging heavy metal to swinging rock and back. “War Pigs” is a top 100 song for me. Absolutely incredible and I love the righteous anger of its anti-war message. “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” are among the best rock songs ever too. Honestly though, there isn’t a bad song on this album. Amazing all around. This has gotta be the worst album cover for a great album though. Just awful haha — what was the concept? (Wikipedia says the cover was designed when the album was going to be titled "War Pigs" but honestly that might even be worse.)

The first heavy metal band. (Actually I think there was one before them that didn't have a lot of recognition?) This album is so wildly good. Man I wasn't sure if this was going to be a 4 or 5 but after remembering the tracks on it it's an easy 5 for me. Monumental songs that have stood the test of time and will continue to stand the test of time. Iron Man might be the most famous heavy metal song of all time (ok, maybe top3-5). It has one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time. Paranoid is also one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time, and one of the greatest electric guitar + bass "back and forth"s ever. The bass guitar drives you forward like a drumset double bass, and the guitar riff syncopates itself wonderfully off of the bass. War Pigs is one of the best metal-album openers ever. How great is that guitar solo that starts around 6:30? It's so emotional! Super underrated tracks: Planet Caravan (The jazz guitar solo at 2:30 is really amazing and tasteful. I don't remember being this impressed by this solo. It really shows how the talent and eclecticism.) My metal friend group used to love this song. It was probably the most-listened to post-smoking-weed song for the group. I think Pantera's cover though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5K_gQLENOs ) Electric Funeral (that guitar riff at 2:20 and subsequent guitar soloing is really A+ rock and roll) Hand of Doom (groove. People don't realize how grooving Black Sabbath are) Faeries Wear Boots (listen to the groove in this one!) I just realized I covered every song on this record except for "Rat Salad" which I don't remember too well. That's really no surprise to me, as this is definitely a 5/5 and one of the greatest albums of all time for me. It's a blessing hearing this album through good monitors + headphones again. It's really been decades since I've heard many of these records through anything other than a car radio. Black Sabbath is just so ubiquitous in playlists of metal heads that you listen to them so much and never want to take the time to sit down and experience them in the best listening-setting possible. And to be directed to do that here is just so pleasant and welcomed. My favorite aspect of Black Sabbath is that they write catchy music. Writing heavy metal music is innately very hard in my opinion- there are specifications that you strive to meet to live in that realm but these can also be seen as limitations. To write melodic music in metal is hard, and to write catchy melodies is one of the hardest things to do in music composition. I really need to plug in my electric guitar and sit and listen to this album and just play along.

Ground breaking album.

Very good driving rock with a tiny bit of 60s influence creeping in there. Classic album. War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Hand of Doom all highlights for me but the whole thing is so good.

This wasn’t as heavy as I anticipated. I liked many of the songs and enjoyed the main singer’s voice.

I currently listen to this album regularly. One of Black Sabbath's best.

Wow! This was genuinely one of my favorite albums we’ve had to date. Maybe it just struck the right nerve, but something about the amazing mastering with the equally amazing playing just made this pretty magical. I just only wish I could have heard this in 1970 when this would feel even more groundbreaking

this is one of the most groundbreaking albums of all time, and i feel like those albums can go two ways — either they sound a bit tired because everyone following copied them, or they sound incredible. this is easily in the latter camp, it holds up amazingly well today. not much else to say. great album 🤘

This album gets 5 stars because it's dope, period. "War Pigs" (which is what the album should have been titled) and "Iron Man" are legitimately two of my all-time favorite songs. Even with those as standouts, the rest of the album is really solid. I don't know how well it works as an *album* - "Rat Salad" and "Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots" feel kind of tacked on - but knowing that this came just 4 months after their debut album was released it's pretty impressive they were even able to field an album worth of songs at all, let alone some of the GREATEST RIFFS OF ALL TIME. PRAISE IOMMI, HAIL GEEZER!

Not my thing as I don’t like Ozzy’s voice but I see why ranked.highly.

Don’t like classic rock but this was pretty good

I was super surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. Solid headbanging music that was interspersed with some genuine jazz influenced jams.

Highlights: "Planet Caravan," "Hand of Doom" I was surprised that one of this album's strengths among psych-rock contemporaries is its relative restraint. Although their only guitarist sometimes cheats here with obvious panned overdubbing of solos, he generally resorts to clear and controlled phrases. In the context of our listening so far, compare the prepared pseudo-Indian ideas of "Planet Caravan" to the solos of The Byrds' "Eight Miles High." The studio tricks are used very sparingly and effectively -- the tremolo of "Iron Man," the slapback of "Paranoid," the reverse tape of "Rat Salad," the rotary speaker of "Planet Caravan," the pitch warp of "War Pigs" -- and they are never used to *disguise* the performance. If anything, the band could have used more production fluff; the frequent unison riffs sound thin by today's standards of distortion overtones and sustain, and every little mistake is glaringly obvious with only one guitar and no delay or modulation to hide behind. But you can imagine how fresh drop-C tuning would have sounded at the time. Give them better hardware and you've jumped 20 years forward to the "innovation" of Kyuss. And Osbourne's vocals hold a strong lead from beginning to end. The biggest weakness apart from arrangement is lyricism, of course. It's not the bombast. It's that Osbourne is just an intensely stupid man who strains to cobble together a rhyme or a blunt moralizing image. Good thing he's always either talking about blunt realities or pure flights of fancy. Did they invent heavy metal? Were they the first pop band to try to be evil? Close counts. Their use of chromaticism to that effect is just blues, but there is also an interesting preference for "medieval" harmony. I don't know how much other pop acts like Zeppelin pursued this before them, and that's on me. It's easy to root for a couple of blue-collar Birmingham guys that were only interested in playing things they wanted to hear in a subgenre marked by pretentious goals of expanded consciousness.

This and CotCK are the types of albums I embarked on this journey to find. Overall I'm super impressed with how good this album sounds, both on a musical level and a technical one. Really tight playing and great mixing to really bring out the interesting bits of each song. * War Pigs * Paranoid * Iron Man * Hand of Doom War Pigs - great mixing, great vocals, great riffs, great song Paranoid - annoying sound in right ear lol

This album goes so unbelievably hard. Badass lyrics, beautiful instrumentation, great singing, production, structure, it’s all fantastic. I have no critiques, therefore I must give it a. 5/5

Some of it wasn't too bad, need to listen again.

Really cool album with some great songs

I’ve already this album, it’s one of my favorites

Kaveri haluu aina laittaa autossa.... paskaaa paskaa paskaa paskaa... En ole kuuntelemassa uudestaan.. aina samat mainstream.. biisit.. noh... vitosta.. uskomaton albumi..

I really like this album! I can definitely see why it's one of the best rated albums of all time. I don't really get why Paranoid is the most revered song on here though, but it's pretty common for me to like the most populair song on any given album the least

Start of doom, heavy and stoner metal, this album. It’s still awesome, still utterly mesmerising and listenable.

This one's got everything! Love Iron Man, and the drum groove in Electric Funeral is unreal.

A record full of classics, most of which I could hear over and over. The album tracks are fantastic. A little less sludgy than the self titled, which I prefer.

Nunca lo escuché prestándole tanta atención. Creo que porque siempre.me pareció que el sonido quedó un toque viejo, un tanto rudimentario. Igual tiene un par de grandes canciones, y Kanye interpoló uno de ellos en Hell of a life. 8/10

Un towue viejo no esta mal, tiene canciones muy piola pero me aburrio bastante :/

Como diría un comentario de YouTube, black sabbath es la UNIVERSIDAD del metal. Me acuerdo que paranoid y iron man fueron de las primeras canciones de mi primer mp3. Hace una banda que no escuchaba bs, lo escuche un rato con mi viejo que se quedó escuchando. Me dijo que había flasheado que no teníamos el DC de paranoid, así que creo que no lo tengo. Me fume tremendo churro y puse paranoid en YouTube premiamos, aguante black sabbath 9/10

Si querés escuchar metal hay que escuchar este disco. Definitivamente marca lo que es el estilo porque todo bien ya estaban Deep Purple y Zeppelin que tenian cosas re heavys y metaleras, pero ni en pedo como esto. Por momento roza lo progresivo en algunas estructuras pero es recontra re palero en escencia, o yo lo siento asi por lo menos. El sonido sinceramente no me gusta, no es que sea malo ni nada, no es mi palo. La guitarra que te parte la cabeza adelante de todo y el tacho por ejemplo se escucha muy bajo dentro de todo, los toms ni hablar. Igual no le bajo puntos por el sonido porque es una cuestión de gustos nomás. Muy espacial todo, en Planet Caravan la voz esta rarisima, es todo super alien. Ni hablar de Electric Funeral que es todo una cosa medio amorfa que suena como la concha de la lora, tiene como mucha textura la viola. Igual esta corto de graves, yo le hubiese puesto más, el bajo ni se escucha. Zarpado disco, una base de toda la música. Perdón yo me cebo a escribir y no paro.

A Sabbath como dijo la presidenta los quiero para la liberación, los quiero para la historia, los quiero para el trabajo, los quiero para la patria, los quiero para estudiar, los quiero para vivir, los quiero mucho y siempre los voy a llevar en mi corazón. No me imagino situación donde no pueda poner este disco, aunque en lo personal creo que alcanzan su pic en master of reallity. Siempre me pone de buen humor y suena pesado, eso me gusta mucho pero también me gusta que no me molesta el ruido que tienen, me deja llevar. Puedo escucharlo en el laburo, cocinando, tirada fumando porro, puedo ponerlo para hacer el sin espacio para jesus, que de hecho es para mi la mejor banda para el-sin-espacio-para-jesus. En fin solo pongo 4 estrellas porque me gustan mas otros de ellos pero está re bien.

a mi papa le gustaba black sabbath yo nunca di mucha bola me gusto mucho mucho no lo habia escuchado entero 8/10

un clasico mal del heavy metal. todo lo que vino despues sin esto no existia. con master of reality tenes 30 años de metal.

The birth of metal.

4/5 I was wrong about how metal they were. I think I memorized the wrong band, TBH. I knew the most songs from this album than any other, and it had levels and paced itself so that when it rocked it was hardcore. I even shouted out praise after a drum solo, that's how much I like it. Would listen again. ( I'm now convinced that the more familiar an album is, the more I will like it. Further investigation needed.)

Absolute beast of an album, hard to believe this came out in 1970, feels so ahead of it’s time, a heavy metal masterpiece and Sabbaths best album in my opinion.

I honestly can't think of a metal album that can top Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. It is perfection from start to finish. The intro of 'War Pigs' sets the stage. The distortion growls ominously as feedback lurks on the edges, threatening to collapse in at any moment. The bassline dances into the song, muffled but solid, and sort of bounces and lurches around as the guitars snarl on. Then the feedback fuses into growing sirens, all three parts now building to a crescendo. And with two synchronized strums, it all crashes to a silent stop. And that is how the entire album continues. The songs are crafted and molded and shaped into movements that tell a story on multiple levels. Everything working in unison and in harmony, even if the parts are distorted (always) and dissonant (at times). This album honestly changed my understanding of what music was capable of and I completely agree that it is an album that everyone should here at least once in their life!

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, had more layers and levels than I expected. Would listen to again.

One of the top rated albums and i'm helping to keep it where it belongs. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 to the band and the album that were there at the beginning. It's like feasting on the finest banquet and drinking a glass of Chateau Lafite. Every track, every note in perfect harmony. Perfection.

A real classic album. None of the music I listened to was possible without Black Sabbath. Never occured to me that Ozzy sounds like the late Chris Cornell. But: After 50+ (!!!) years the schematic architecture of these songs has aged a bit poorly. 2.4

Amazing. Like blew my mind amazing!

4.5 This album is amazing. It just might be a 5/5 for me in the near future.

One of my all times. So happy to revisit.

Ну эт классика. То , что можно слушать постоянно

Liked this more than I expected as I'm not a big heavy metal fan.

Come on, Black Sabbath in E Standard tuning is like Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce. Gimme that sludgy C# riffage. Paranoid is easily their most iconic album and stands as a relatively safe entry point to Heavy Metal, but they'd go on to make even better work than this.

Great album, a little dated but stick worth a listen Side one is great with some classic tracks Side two I felt loses it a little but still good - too short

Fuck yeah

Este es el clásico de los clásicos. Magnífico álbum

4.5

A great metal album.

Really good album, great songs and riffs on Warpigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Faerie Boots

Ove godine sam počeo poštivati a i slušati Black Sabbath. Nekako je došao taj trenutak kad su mi sjeli i to je to. Pogotovo navečer kad vozim kući, najbolje paše. Odličan bend koji je u početcima svoje karijere pokazao kako se štancaju najbolji albumi u ranoj fazi.

I’m so tired of this album. Tracks get overplayed by zealous travel baseball families literally everywhere. Ugh.

This is obviously an amazing album

Vaak gedraaid toen ik dit plaatje kocht, begin jaren 90, maar daarna nooit meer geluisterd. Geweldig om weer te horen en nog steeds even sterk.

Godfathers van de stoner wat mij betreft

Ik begon hier met wat tegenzin aan maar vond het uiteindelijk behoorlijk tof! Duidelijk de inspiratiebron voor heel veel rockbands die jaren later hiermee aan de slag zijn gegaan.

Viel me alleszins mee.

an album of two sides. Part one contains some of the great heavy metal tracks - Paranoid, War Pigs, Iron Man - while Planet Caravan showcases that Sabbath were talented musicians and not just riff merchants. The second side really dips and there is nothing to stand comparison with the first four tracks. Still a really good album

A classic. 3.5 stars.

The classic sabbath record. A classic that has become a boilerplate for a lot of metal but it's starting to sound a bit dated to me and I find it a bit predictable which is a shame because it's good music.

What a surprise - I absolutely loved this! It's pretty tame as metal goes these days and I was only 10 so didn't appreciate it, but I imagine it must have caused a real stir at the time.

Classic but not my cup o tea

Hvis det endelig skal være metal, så er det er dét

No doubt iconic, but you know, it’s a bit slow and psychedelic strangely.

This is peak Black Sabbath.

This might give Pantera a lesson in how to do hard with a bit of soul. Ozzy is in good voice and there's some great moments on this album. Even some quiet ones.

I mean, it's Black Sabbath

Jazzier than I expected. Felt like a good intro to metal, which I've never got into. Enjoyed this a lot.

Essential for anyone, even if you listen or no rock, it's a classic band for anybody.

Some BS bangers here

Better than I was expecting

Decent album. Didn't realize that most of the Black Sabbath tracks I already new were from a single album. Planet Caravan was probably the surprise previously unknown to me standout.

Outstanding.

Love this album

Bestes Black Sabbath Album für mich bisher.

Was cool

Legendary album, from one of my favorite bands. Extremely groovy.

god i loved it. the sounds, the cohesiveness everything. should listen to it more, only knew the title track.

Mastapiece. Obviously this is just a perfect record, not a lot to be said otherwise. Personally, I find it interesting how little it feels like Ozzy is on this thing. His vocals and lyrics barely registered whereas the true genius in the record is the play between Tony Iommi on guitar and Bill Ward on drums. Phenomenal worth though.

Love Ozzy, wish he was featured more, iconic album either way.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: War pigs, Paramoid, Iron man, Electric funeral, Hand of doom

Fucking awful

4.5 / 5 Brilliant. Great stuff start to finish.

97/100

This album is classic. Better than I remembered.

Vertu búin fljótt, plata! Iron Man, Jesús!, hversu leiðinlegt getur eitt riff verið?! Rosa mikið samstíga gítarlína og rödd, mjög hvimleitt til lengdar. Textar hallærislegir og Ozzy er óþolandi söngvari. Paranoid er í lagi, annað hrikalegt.

I had previously never listened to Black Sabbath, but from this album I can see why they are a inspiration for many of the newer bands.

Paranoid is possibly the most important metal/hard rock album of all time. From the beginning of ‘War Pigs’ to the end of ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ the listener is treated to music that feels ready to burst out. The songs are carefully structured but the virtuosic elements feel loose and wild. All in all this album feels untamed, fiery, and genre defining.

Classic Sabbath.

I do like some black sabbath. However out of all of the early black sabbath albums we've had, this is probably the least interesting to me. It has a couple of classic tracks on it, but the other ones seem more creative and original.

Idk man!! This album fucking rules!!!! I've heard Paranoid, War Pigs, and Iron Man (obviously) but I've never listened to whole thing. It's awesome.

C’mon. This is one of the best albums ever.

Another one of those albums that can only be a 5/5. Honestly though I'd not heard this album in its entirety, just the usual suspects like Paranoid and Iron Man. Amazing from beginning to end though, and a rightful metal classic. Favourite: Paranoid

yup that's a 4

Some classics in here.

we poggin

Enjoyed this. Also, it helped me power through some of my mountain of housework during nap time, which is I'm sure exactly what they had in mind for their music.

That’s was great, and it’s clear how influential Black Sabbath was on Alice In Chains!

How could I not give this classic album 5 stars when it opens with War Pigs and Paranoid? Foundational for so many genres including metal, grunge and stoner rock.

5.0 + Classic. Amazing how the sonics hold up. I love how they overdubbed the guitar lines to make them extra beefy. On “Paranoid”, the dueling guitars add scratchiness to the voicing. The synth sound on “Planet Caravan” gives a strange water element to a dark and plodding atmosphere.

One of the best of all-time. Best track: War Pigs

Það hlaut að koma að því að eina Black Sabbath platan með Ozzy sem ég fíla næstum því, kæmi upp. War Pigs er sérstaklega gott, Paranoid með leiðinda vælitóninum, en restin er ágæt.

This has to be the absolute best album of 1970, and just sounds fantastic 52+ years later. It’s an album that I enjoyed at 12 as a foundational rock album, and even sounds more satisfying 30 years later on this listen.

C'est très bon

Incredible album, one of black sabbath besr

8/10

Better than the last one. I like it 👍

I’m gonna get this albums cover tattooed on my body I mean yea it’s real good

great record

Pretty fucking good

I have mixed feelings here. This album is highly influential and enjoyable. It's got "certified bangers" that have stood the test of time. I feel it's somehow a bit overrated though. I'd take the self titled and Master of Reality over it. Plus, I never ever need to hear Iron Man again in my life. Great song, but its been played and parodied to death. I almost want to give it less than a 5, but I can't. Sabbath rules.

I knew War Pigs, Paranoid, & Iron Man going in. I don't have a ton of experience with metal, so the rest was new to me. Not going into my main rotation, but I can appreciate it.

Classic , dark and brooding , part of the fine run of excellent albums Sabbath did in this period that didn’t really sip in quality until maybe after Sabbath bloody sabbath

undying classic

Fairly good album, some easily recognisable hits

Thumping and bumping all through the night. Incredible album.

Always loved this album. Paranoid is an underrated all time song.

Bit too heavy for my taste. Though some rock classics in there

It's Black Sabbath.. First 6 albums are all 5 stars. No other band has been an influence on metal and various subgenres for as long as this band.

I forget just how much jamming is in here. I mean it’s heavy, but some of this is pretty bluesy with an occasional dip into… jazz? Or at least in the neighborhood of jazz. The part of the neighborhood where you lock the car doors and go through the stop signs, sure. But nobody sings like Ozzy. And paired with Iomi’s heavy guitar it’s a match made in, well, you know where.

Really strong start. War Pig, Paranoid, Iron Man are all great. Got a little bored by the end. between a 3 and 4 for me.

This album, while almost 30 years old when I was in high school, takes me back there. We listened to it a lot during some of my sports practices, so it's nostalgic there. It's not quite perfect, but it's pretty darn close.

Great to finally hear the whole album. It felt good to hear music that didn't sound like engine noise.

listened to again definitely some classics

Not my usual vibe but I absolutely loved this album!!

Fantastic album, Iomis guitarwork is incredible, the entire album is revolutionary

Didn’t go in to work, but good call, chill, hang, mild prod, senegalese food

Hadn’t ever really given BS a chance but this album is great. Fun and rocking. The music and lyrics all fit the album well. Makes me excited to see if more Ozzy or BS shows up!

Great songs, all of them!

Flera klassiker på denna platta. Helt okej.

Het zal wel weer heiligschennis zijn, maar ik vind dit niet zo'n interessant genre. Het is wel goed gedaan hoor, best aan te horen in tegenstelling tot Siouxsie of Roxy music, maar dit zal ik niet vaak zomaar opzetten.

Niet elk nummer is geweldig. Andere nummers springen er weer echt uit.

Eigenlijk zijn alle riffjes al een keer gedaan door Black Sabbath

War Dogs is such a great song. I also like Paranoid and Iron Man, but not sure if I've heard the rest of the album before. Musically; this is a great album, I probably would prefer listening to this album without Ozzy singing, and just enjoy the music.

Yup that’s a 5. Such a great album.

Insane album ozzy vocals are great

Jolly good.

A seminal heavy metal album that is mandatory listening for anyone who has even a passing interest in metal's roots. That said, this album is basically three classic Sabbath songs and a bunch of filler. Other than "War Pigs", "Paranoid", and "Iron Man", nothing else really stood out to me.

J'ai trouvé ça assez inégal

pas vraiment mon style de base mais j'aime bien Black Sabbath pour une raison qui m'échappe

- Recorded 4 months after the release of their debut album - Everyone is playing so intensely you can tell they’re giving their all - Some spots are. Bit rough around the edges but it adds to the emotion and heaviness of the whole thing - This album has so many classics, war pigs, paranoid, iron man - Ozzy’s vocals are super strong here, interesting use of tremolo and vocal effects throughout Fav - War pigs - Classic heavy riffs, ozzy sounds great - Big boomy drums least fav - hand of doom - I like the bassline and quiet loud contrast, great guitar work but the song as a whole doesn’t excite me 4/5

classic

pretty good album

Classic metal

Having listened to this album hundreds of times and them being one of my favorite heavy metal bands, I knew going in that I would give this album a 5. They are one of the forerunners of heavy metal music and their influence on music is vast and innumerable. Crazy riffs, interesting lyrics, a powerful voice, great drumming, this album and band has it all. \m/

Really liked it! Surprised me.

Jotenkin kuvittelin tämän levyn menneen jo, mutta olipas kiva yllätys kun tuli eteen. Kova, tosi kova, rautanen. Ei silti riitä ihan kuninkuusluokkaan asti.

Alusta loppuun taattua Sabattilastua

aweeesome

Assumed I would hate this, but really enjoyed!

Thought this was going to be fucking shit but I actually enjoyed it. Going to give it another spin!

Couple big tunes couple duds.

Aikamoinen startti tälle listalle. 8 hemmetin hyvää biisiä, eikä juuri mitään ylimäärästä. On ne saakelin kovia ukkoja Paras biisi: War pigs Huonoin biisi: Planet Caravan: Ei ollu mun mielestä yhtään selkeesti huonoa biisiä. Ehkä Planet Caravan on vaan niin erikoinen ton alun tykityksen jälkeen Ps. En tiiä mitä tää levyn kansi oikeen tarkottaa mutta ehottomasti yks mun suosikeista

Goose like it

Another classic. Black Sabbaths “Paranoid” was another benchmark in history for music. Im not the biggest fan of metal, but this is an exception. Fr shoutout Black Sabbath. Favorite tracks: Paranoid, Iron Man, and I liked Hand of Doom & Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots more than I used to.

Belting - 3 or 4 total bangers here, and not much is better than Warpigs

The singles played over so much that I don't like em anymore, I even skipped Paranoid. But that listen made me discover some other songs on that album that flew under the radar and are well worth a listen.

I know this is supposed to be the first true metal album, but I don't think it's aged particularly well. Maybe 3-4 good songs on here.

The highs of Paranoid have something of the curse of familiarity, initial heaviness giving way to hits which sometimes get a little silly. But silly is hardly a bad way to be, and that Black Sabbath register worked its magic on me quietly. No duds here, just solid tunes. The band trades experimentation for stability and still rocks.

This was cool when I was 15 and obviously pretty groundbreaking for its time. It holds up relatively well, which is pretty impressive.

You can see all the ingredients and where they came from to make this new perfect thing.

Not a metal fan....

This album is amazing. It was amazing then and always will be. It hits right off the rip and never lets up. Complete classic.

Reading a bit about drummer Bill Ward on Wikipedia: “According to Tony Iommi, he and the band would often set Ward's beard on fire and perform other harmful pranks on him. On one occasion, Ward even received third-degree burns.” “Ward almost died after a prank-gone-wrong during recording of Vol. 4 in 1972. The band were renting a Bel Air mansion belonging to John DuPont of the DuPont chemical company. The band found several spray cans of gold DuPont paint in a room of the house; finding Ward naked and unconscious after a night of heavy drinking, they thought it would be funny to cover the drummer from head to toe in gold paint. Ward soon became violently ill and had a seizure and an ambulance had to be called. The paint had blocked all of Ward's pores, which his bandmates were subsequently informed can be fatal.”

Amazing guitar riffs and Ozzy's vocals are just fantastic

Love it. Classic again. Raunchy

Iron Man and Paranoid

Loved this. Even better than the last Black Sabbath album I got that was on this list.

War pigs

Did not know they made Ironman, which I only knew from Cardigans. Whole album survived like Ironman does

- Already listened to this before - Certified classic - Not a huge metal fan, but this album is fantastic - WAR PIGS is one of the greatest openers of all time - Fav songs: WAR PIGS, IRON MAN, ELECTRIC FUNERAL

"You can only trust yourself and the first six Sabbath albums" - Henry Rollins Black Sabbath invented heavy metal. Sure, there were precursor examples of heavy metal, but Black Sabbath embraced the sound and made it what it is today. And while their debut album was a good start, it was always the follow-up Paranoid that cemented their legacy. Every track belongs. They're heavy, well-written, and flow nicely. Even with outlier Planet Caravan, it feels like a natural fit in between the noisier sections, giving a sort of dynamic shift to let the sound breathe. Every metal band pays tribute to this band and this album in some way. They have to, because it's the cornerstone and foundation for metal as a genre. There's no denying it.

Crisp, clear, simple, elemental sound, on songs that are very straightforward & atmospherically very similar. Other than Tony Iommi's guitar, the musicianship doesn't jump out at me.

I liked this a lot more than expected

Where their first album felt more experimental and raw, Paranoid really takes the band forward with a riff-centric approach and a more polished sound. Metal before metal, each song is a jam.

Despite not liking Metal as a genre, I do love a bit of Sabbath. They did it first, and best. Iy’s easy to forget that tis album was released in 1970. Paranoid is a fantastic tune, but I found my attention wandering after the first half of this album. War Pigs is great too, so maybe I just love the ‘hits’? Still a great album though.

I came close to taking my traditional approach to metal albums: DO NOT LISTEN, or at least bail at the earliest opportunity. I was interested in War Pigs though, and so let this play out. My ears pricked up further with Paranoid. It's one of those songs that you listen and hear out of routine, rather than trying to appreciate it as a song on its own. Paranoid is everywhere. It's almost wallpaper music now, such is the familiarity. The album wasn't as heavy as I feared, and even had moments of melody. Planet Caravan stood out for the tune, if not the title. I lasted until track 6. I probably won't play this again, and certainly wouldn't buy it. But nowhere as bad as I was fearing.

Absolutely xlassix

Ongelofelijk. Een half jaar na Black Sabbath, hun eerste album, kwam Paranoid. Waar het eerste album nog duidelijk gestoeld was in de destijds bijzondere populaire blues, maar dan zwaarder gespeeld en met heerlijke horror-teksten, is het tweede album qua geluidsbeeld weinig verschillend, maar in compositie en stijl een enorme sprong. Dit is geen blues meer maar echte heavy metal. De kolossale riffs van War Pigs, Electric Funeral, Iron Man zijn ongekend en hebben de basis gelegd voor zo veel verschillende metalstromingen. Niet alleen rechtstreeks (Alice in Chains’ Dirt is Electric Funeral) maar vooral in riffage en stijl. Doom metal en stoner zouden niet zonder dit album hebben bestaan. Sterker nog, ieder album van Orange Goblin is een poging om Paranoid opnieuw te maken. Het titelnummer Paranoid was een soort nagedachte, in 20 minuten geschreven en opgenomen, en het staat nog steeds in talloze top 100s bovenaan. 52 jaar na dato blijft Paranoid inspireren.

Simply brilliant! Liked the long led zep-like tracks. Great solos, great voice too. Brilliant. The inspiring birth of genre. 5/5

As much as I love "Iron Man" and "Paranoid", "Planet Caravan" is now my favorite song off this album.

This is the best Black Sabbath album on the list. I had not heard this whole album in its entirety before. Several of the songs are classics and are great. Although War Pigs does not need to be 7 minutes long. Paranoid is the best song on the album.

I AM IRON MAN...

Stand out track - War pigs

Looking at the credits, I like how all of the members of the band co-writ every one of the songs and they were all produced by the same person. I feel like that's pretty rare to see in 2022, at least in mainstream popular music. There seems to be a lot of repetition of melody in some of these songs, although that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I was actually really excited to listen to this album, and I guess I’m just not used to this type of music enough to really appreciate it. I liked these songs, but most of them were not enough to play by themselves later on. I also think the fact that I’m not used to hearing guitar solos, instrumental breaks, etc. in the songs I listen affects my enjoyment of this album.

It’s fine. Seems like it was a lot of the same riff though.

Awesome! Exactly what we needed today.

The first four songs were legendary. The other half of the album was decent. Ozzy Osbourne is the man.

Cool album

Another awesome album cover War Pigs, Iron Man, and Paranoid are all bangers Iconic guitar riffs through the whole thing Geezer Butler must've had a vision of the apocalypse or something Each instrument is competing to be the lead and they're all winning There's a ballad written straight from Hell Feels like a complete piece of art

This is my second listen of this album. I enjoyed it the first listen but it hit even harder this time. War pigs, paranoid, and iron man are just rock classics. Planet caravan and hand of doom banged. Ozzy sounds fantastic on this. 9/10

So many classics on this album

It’s dumb and incredible. The second side is better than I remember, more classics

5 stars for paranoid alone

Amazing how it still stands after 40 years, still hits just as hard can't help but headbang

Discazo

not my music

Invented a genre

Black Sabbath with their absolute classic album, seriously heavyweight with iconic tracks War Pigs, Paranoid and the thumping Iron Man. The sound is big, the metal is heavy and far from being some dark satan worshiping amorality, Ozzy pleas for peace and humanity. Amazing the scare this album gave people when truthfully, here was a call for acceptance.

Listened to on 8/29/22 4/5 Favorite song: paranoid Metal music usually scares me but this album was phenomenal and had pretty much all of their hits on it

Some classic guitar riffs that kick butt. Favorite song is Paranoid.

Not my style

Such an amazing album. Loved it all but there’s a clear big 3 that are pretty well known. War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man. I can’t imagine listening to Iron Man in 1970 when it dropped, had to be crazy.

Knew Paranoid from Guitar Hero and war pigs from radio. First listened to full album in 2015 on mushrooms. Amazing. Not quite as good as Black Sabbath (album), but still very good. 5/8 Stars

Classic.

Top 5 album. Amazing heavy metal album.

What an album!

Banger

Loved it, listened to it while mountain biking. Have listened to this one before as it is a classic but good to get the jams going again.

it's fine? i liked it? Highlights: planet caravan war pigs

Pretty great!

Hits were top notch! Some songs just ok. But good stuff all in all

It's impossible to rate it with less than five stars. Simply one of the most influential albums in music history and essential to creating my taste for music. Nowadays, I'm much more eclectic in my music preferences, but heavy metal is in my veins, and this album is the main reason for it!

4.5 stars. One of the seminal, early metal albums for a reason. Standouts "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid".

Much as I hate agreeing with general consensus, this album is fantastic. Can't fault it, and it's always an enjoyable listen. Sabbath tends to be overrated by metalheads and classic rock guys, and the rest of their Ozzy catalogue would only be 3s or 4s (Heaven and Hell will get a 5 if it's here), but Paranoid is just THAT good. 5/5.

I don't know if this album defined metal but it certainly took metal to the masses. The 2012 remastered version sounds great and highlights the album's tunes and performances. I find that I have a lot of similar opinions as Robert Christgau but I don't get his distaste for Black Sabbath. Sure, some of the lyrics are a little naff, but they don't deserve the roasting he gave them.

Legendary, exciting to listen to.

This was the first Sabbath album I ever listened to and where metal really clicked for me for the first time. I may prefer "Master of Reality" by a smidge, but this is definitely their most iconic album, and a major breakthrough in the creation of heavy metal as a genre. I absolutely love how derpy the album cover is too.

Actually may like their debut more, but this album is too influential to give anything less than a 5. Really don't think there's a bad song here.

War Pigs AND Iron Man? Hell yes!

I’ve heard enough in movie sound tracks and on KHJ to know what i was getting into. Good stuff

Embarrassed to say this was the first time I have listened to a whole Sabbath album. Forgive me, for I have sinned!

Planet Caravan-- sophisticated slow roll is a nice break Fairies Wear Boots- solid rocker with cool time signature changes. Love this Overall, I'm digging this album a lot! Political , good jams, and solid instrumentation .

What the fuck is Planet Caravan?? I had to make sure I didn't somehow skip to the wrong album or something. Did not see that coming... Continuing, 3 of the songs on this record are flawless. If you like any rock bands from the from the 90s, these tracks are probably their inspiration. 3 of the most iconic songs of a generation. As an added bonus, you get Hand of Doom which is pretty great too. Then Rat Salad kicks your ass after that. Look, here are songs that were topping the charts in 1970: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" "Let It Be" Going over to your stoner buddy's house and hearing him put this on was probably like getting plowed in the ear by jesus and satan at the same time. I can imagine why it would be lifechanging.

Hell yea

Forgotten that the Sabs did such good stuff. Nearly a 4 star.

I knew of Black Sabbath. I had not listened to the full album before. Very nice indeed

Classic

first half is a monster!

Very 70s sound for me. clean sound. good to run to

Classic! Love the hits. Album cuts were solid but not quite the same level...

A classic and solid album.

I mean. This is one of the greatest albums of all time. Just so fucking good.

Teininä puhkikuunneltu eikä siksi jaksa enää oikeen säväyttää täysillä. Klassikkojytää kyllä. 3/5

Helppo tajuta merkittävyys, mutta ei ihan mun musaa.

About just mitä odotin tältä levyltä

more fun than I imgined!

Gotta admit that while I'm familiar with the album's three most popular songs ("War Pigs," "Paranoid," and "Iron Man," obviously), I wasn't familiar with the album as a whole. Now that I've listened to it in its entirety, I can confidently say that it's about as solid as a rock album gets. It's hard to beat Ozzie's vocals and Iommi's guitar-playing prowess (and Butler and Ward aren't exactly slouches, either). If I'd heard someone say, "Yeah, we're starting the album with an 8:00-minute-long song," I'd have thought they were crazy. Don't you usually throw something that long into the back end of the album to make sure you don't lose people right off the bat (huh-huh)? Not if you're Sabbath, and not if that song rocks as hard as "War Pigs" does. And then immediately following that up with "Paranoid," and "Iron Man" two songs after that? Fuggedaboudit. Those three tracks alone make this album well worth the price of admission. "Rat Salad" is a throw-away track as far as I'm concerned, but the rest is top-notch, especially "Electric Funeral" and "Hands of Doom" (the latter of which I've officially fallen in love with). Old school metal doesn't really get better than this.

I only went as far as the first six albums of Black Sabbath, but the first four of those are already stone-cold masterpieces for me. The thing is, out of those four masterpieces, *Paranoid* is probably my least favorite as a whole album, in spite of its reputation. Because apart from "Planet Caravan" and its hazy atmosphere, this record is maybe a little too one-note and "basic-sounding" for me. *Masters Of The Universe* and *Vol.4* have far more dynamic tracklistings, which makes them an even more enjoyable experience for my specific ears. That being said, *Paranoid* is also a historical record, marking the true birth of the whole metal genre. I love the eponymous debut, but the latter is still hard rock, basically, i.e. blues played and processed though overdriven guitar. In comparison, it's clear that *Paranoid* goes beyond all that. And inside that historical album, "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and the title track are rightly considered as timeless anthems. So I guess I can't give this one anything less than 5 stars. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 858 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 78 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 35 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 30

Kicking things off with an album I've heard countless times and never tire of. It's like the algorithm KNOWS ME. Fantastic album and has some of my favourite Sabbath songs on it. War Pigs never ceases to get me into a rockin' good mood. Same for Paranoid. Planet Caravan is simply haunting. And such a change in mood and groove from the previous tracks. Iron Man always makes me think about The Road Warriors because in the early days of their wrestling career that was their walking to the ring music. Love the bluesy groove to Hand of Doom.

Perfect

Very good, definitely revolutionary for its time and greatly influential for many years to come. For me it's not exactly the sound I'm actively looking for these days. In the past I liked it way more than now, but tastes change and evolve so I'm not blaming the album for suddenly getting worse or anything like that.

A literal life changer. The kind of album that sets you on a musical road forever. It is chock full of iconic tunes. Black Sabbath created like three genres on this one.

Five stars

Amazing And just plain kicks ass.

Crazy good. Would love to have been around when this came out. I’m sure it blew people away.

Solid album and always a great listen.

Classic Black Sabbath. Surprised with grooviness of the song Planet Caravan.

It holds up amazingly well: they really were on the leading edge of something new and all the elements are harmonized in service of that sound and sensibility. There is a little too much muddy recording and sometimes kind of dumb lyrics (though they are mostly pretty good and well ahead of most of their genre ilk) for a perfect score, but it’s a great album.

In sold already. No need to serve up more Sabbath.

Loved this. I don't know much of Black Sabbath other than the rock radio hits. The guitar riffs all over this album fucking RULE.

Wow. What an a-side - so good that an actually amazing b-side gets lost - but if you start an album with War Pigs, followed by Paranoid - Planet Caravan and Iron Man - it’s hard to follow. But a perfectly packed punch of an album - definitely worth the score.

Wegweisend

Krasser Druck und auch viel bluesiger als erwartet. Wirkt heute noch neu. 5 Sterne Respekt und 3 Sterne Begeisterung gebe. 4 insgesamt

it could be worse. 3? solid 3 because i dont actually want to listen to it again but i dont mind it.

An all time fav! More than four stars but not quite five

i can't imagine listening to this album for the first time in 1970! it wasn't the very first heavy metal album, but it's close to and it is so iconic. i can definitely feel the presence of this album on other heavy metal we've seen in this 1001 albums, like pantera's vulgar display of power. the guitar riffs in this album are the focal point. i cannot believe how great they are! obviously "war pigs," "paranoid," and "iron man" are incredible, carry the album, and contain amazing guitar. the drums, actually, were amazing in "iron man," too. that being said, the rest of the album is okay. some of these titles were, uh, inspired is a nice word to use. the lyrics were probably fine, if you could ever understand ozzy. the instrumentation, however, is top notch, which cannot go overlooked. black sabbath released a killer debut album and set the heavy metal standard high.

What is there to say about this album that hasn't been said a million times? Black Sabbath paved a road forward for heavy metal with this 1970 album. It would become a blueprint for successful heavy metal music for decades to come. The album has some of the most amazing and memorable riffs to ever grace music, and at least THREE songs from this album (War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man) have stood the test of time and are acknowledged as among the best heavy metal songs ever, even all these decades later. Every other song on this album, while not all as commercially appealing to the general public, serve the same level of amazing quality metal and offer a blueprint of success for the genre going forward. This album is iconic. This album is the definition of legacy.

Has everything you could possibly ask for. 8 songs in just a little over 40 minutes. Incredibly heavy riffs - fast, energetic, sometimes suddenly powerful - propelled the heavy metal genre influence in a new direction, serving as the primary influence of the creation of thrash and doom metal many years later. It's accessible, not just because its top hits have been cemented in pop culture, but because the riffs are simple and catchy, the vocals are clear, and the lyrics cover easy-to-understand, engaging topics of apocalypse and destruction. Production and mixing are well done: everyone can be distinguished and sounds good. Drumming gets their shine in the last two tracks.

very good start to finish

High points are very high - Paranoid & Iron Man, but when it gets slow I'm not a fan at all

If War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man are all on the same album, it's five stars.

Solid album by Black Sabbath. To think that this came out in 1970 is pretty crazy. The landscape of music was not ready for what Black Sabbath contributed at that time. Really changing the rock genre towards something more hardcore. This album is probably their best with great riffs and eerie lyrics and sounds. Plus some of their most popular hits. 7.7/10

What a great album, timeless, and still rocks hard. Planet Caravan is great, just wish it was 3 minutes longer.

It might have a much stronger first half than second half, but that's still a five from me. The first 4 tracks are bostin'. Fave track - "Planet Caravan" is a chillout track of epic proportions! "War Pigs" for the more standard metallic fare....

black sabbath more like good music am i right

Inte drained…. Måsta lyssna bladee amygdala för att rensa öronen

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

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...)

Absolute perfection. No ifs, ands, or buts. If smoking and tripping is all that you do, look no further.

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.

Izvrstan izvrstan album

Ne smim ja dat prva četiri albuma black Sabbath manje od pet jer ću ostat bez kuće😄

Bless this album, bless this band.

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.

Clearly Side B doesn't keep up with Side A, but that's hard to do when you're trying to keep up with War Pigs / Paranoid / Iron Man. This is a 4.5 for me, rounding up today.

a legendary album that's a teensy bit played out at this point, but an incredibly accessible foray into metal-like sounds.

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.

Keep it going Sabbath. An album with the most popular songs still hits all the features of the group that I love.

\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

I've never considered myself a fan particularly, but I can't deny the power and perfection of this album.

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

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.

The singles are of course top tier but everything else rocks just as hard. Electric Funeral and Rat Salad especially were great.

Wow, that was really good. Much better than expected. 4.5/5

Solid album with some undeniable classics!

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

I love this album! It is the coolest.

Not as terrible as I was expecting

Gostei. É bem rico e um rock mais pesadinho, talvez seja o que eu mais gostei até agora 5/5

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.

Vaker luister om verschil op te merken. Klinkt nu wel heel erg naar alleen elektrische gitaren. Verder wel een masterlijk album.

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.

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!

Not huge on Ozzy, still dope tho

It's THE classic metal album, definitive. Always in rotation in my house.