Paranoid

Not my style but I respect the music

I’m not the biggest rock fan or at least not of this type of heavy rock. I did enjoy a lot of the songs and I feel like people just aren’t playing their instruments in the way these guys were or maybe I just don’t listen to this genre enough. Favorite song (besides the most well known one): Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

Several songs I knew but didn’t know they were Black Sabbath. Interesting to learn more of the band and what their songs were about.

Honestly enjoy this. Probably won’t revisit except for the hits but it’s good lowbrow rock

As far as heavy metal goes this is iconic stuff I just don't love the genre. I think this is our 2nd Sabbath record and I still want to know how can Ozzy sing but not talk 🤔

Thought I’d be more into it than I am.

i hate ozzy as a person but i was ready to like this album, and overall I'm very mixed on it. one minute into War Pigs, i thought "wow, this kinda fucks." three minutes in i thought "wow, this is really long." both are true. what ended up surprising me the most about this album was how sleepy and boring so much of it was. Planet Caravan made me need to go make coffee. it almost feels like it's missing an instrument at times or the remaster is off or something. in my opinion the long track times only work for Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots. neither my feelings on ozzy nor sabbath have changed but by the end it managed to sway me up to a 3; Rat Salad and Fairies Wear Boots are bangers, there are some great riffs and solos in here and I really don't hate his lyrics. i won't revisit it but if anything it's nice that this is one i really had to think about. 3/5 rat salad, yummy yummy

This is better than I remember!

Classic rock album

I was surprised by how much I would like this album. I have heard Iron Man, War Pigs, and Paranoid countless times. But I didn't realize how different the other tracks on this album were. I enjoyed Planet Caravan very much. The album is much more psychedelic than I would have expected. I feel like like this album is a much heavier version on the Doors debut album. You can definitely see the influence that this album would have on other bands that came later. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5.

I liked the faster songs. When is slowed down it was a little weird for me.

6/10 Quintessential Black Sabbath album, but not necessarily to my taste. Planet Caravan is the clear standout but there are a couple of other pleasantly surprising moments, such as the funky rhythm section in Hands of Doom. Listens: 1

It's good, but kinda drags.

Iconic band with a decent album. Revolutionary for their time i guess. First time listening a full album and wasn’t disappointed. Favourite songs: - Paranoid - Iron man

Decent, better than first listen.

Early 70s hard rock. Heavy metal. One of the earliest heavy metal albums. Basically invented the genre.

Esto era Heavy, muy Heavy y la verdad es que lo he oído más como Rock o Rock duro. Me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba. Me guardo: «War Pigs», «Paranoid» y «Iron Man». «Planet Caravan» también tiene su punto.

Cool ig Paranoid was chill

mid

All I can think of when I listen to this album is that commercial from the 80s to the tune of “Iron Man” about Santa: “Leave him cookies and beer. He’ll come to your house first next year.” Anyway, I mainly know this album because of my husband, but it still hasn’t really sunk in. 3/5?

Paranoid – Black Sabbath – 3.9/5 A solid album with a great vibe and well-paced songs—not too heavy, which makes it more enjoyable for me. I like it, but it’s not something I’d listen to every day. Definitely a classic with a strong atmosphere.

Better than expected

I know this album is great, its just not good for me.

Classique de chez classique! Black sabath arrive avec un deuxième album qui met place à une notoriété du groupe! Une ambiance rock ou riff de guitare électrique et ambiance américaine anti guerre viennent mettre la note tout au long de l’album. Ma chanson préférée je crois se place sur planet caravan, un style totalement antipode du reste de l’œuvre. Guitare, réverbères et tambourine s’unissent dans un titre qui s’accompagne bien autour d’un joint. A mentionné 10/10 pour le cover! Couleur superposition mettre l’accent sur les sons écliptiques des 8 chansons.

Not bad.

3 Iconic tracks unfortunately the rest are pretty forgettable

Cool I guess

Ozzy's voice and lyrics remind me of Stimpy from Ren & Stimpy. He just sounds like someone who got dropped on his head as a child. Multiple times. Luckily the rest of the band carries... HARD! 3 bashes to the noggin with a wooden log out of 5

It's good. I can see why it's considered a classic, but it's not something I would sit and listen to again in my own time. It's like there's something missing in the album, I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's the same-ness of every track, maybe it's the lack of energy I feel from a genre it's supposed to be full of it, but I grow bored with listening to it by the second half. They're great at what they do, don't misunderstand me, but it's not for me.

Not into heavy metal so had low expectations but every song was unique and did interesting things. I do enjoy that Tony Iommi guitar

Not bad

It’s rock idk

I enjoyed the songs War Pigs and Hand of Doom. Classic goth rock sounds to my ear, but what do I know! I enjoyed the listen through but wouldn’t necessarily listen to the whole album again.

Good. I liked planet caravan

Good but can't do a whole album of it. 3/5

Side 1 is an easy 4/5. By the second half, it all blurs into one, with little to grab the attention. Fairies definitely wear boots though.

Better than I expected. Particularly the strong opener (War Pigs). Standout Tracks: - War Pigs - Paranoid - Iron Man

★★★½

Ozzy at his super power height.

I liked it!

First time I’ve ever intentionally hit the play button on a metal album. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Some of the drum breaks were cool (like in Rat Salad). My college roommate used to listen to heavy metal while he straightened his hair in the mornings. So I guess at least this brought back a memory?

a classic

Air raid sirens! Decent, particularly enjoyed War Pigs and Iron Man.

It was interesting. Would wish the songs were tied together a bit more. Not exactly my cup of tea

Liked it - paranoid and iron man are both brilliant. Rest isn’t on par though.

Solid album but not amazing. War Pigs and Iron Man were the best the the rest was fine

Some good songs, I enjoyed it

Iron Man + Paranoid valgono tutto l’album, delirio puro

Really top heavy and if we’re being objective about it, Iron Man isn’t that good of a song. Light 3.

Not my favourite black sabbath album, but the second side was alright.

I would definitely listen again, but didn’t enjoy this as much as Black Sabbath (the album).

Pop-historian viraalein meemi (ja kyllä, koin vivahteen niistä kylmistä väreistä, joita kappale synnytti kun olin 14). Hyvänä lisänä pari vähän vähemmän tunnettua meemiä. Ja kyllä, riffejä.

5,5 wel vet maar niet echt mijn ding

A trip down memory lane with some top tracks - war pigs and title tracks are classics but a bit too many fillers

I'll admit that I've never fully understood the attraction and obsession some people have with Sabbath. I mean, this album is fine. Is it infinitely better than other music of the era? Not in my opinion. It's completely serviceable heavy rock, played a bit too slow for my taste.

Some great songs, especially Paranoid, absolutely the right choice for the title track. I find Iron Man a bit disappointing, I feel the rest of the track doesn't live up to the iconic riff.

As a non-metal fan, I appreciated this album. I don't like how metal evolved from here, but I don't mind its protean form. If I had to listen to this again I wouldn't even be upset, which is something that can't be said for many of the metal albums that came after this.

Enjoyed. Some big hits on this one. Possibly some simpler fillers in middle part of album but overall strong.

Although I’m not a big heavy metal fan, this is a great album. Gets boring after a while.

comes out the tracks fast and then just becomes a bit samey, and Ozzie's voice starts to grate after about 15 mins

Es un muy buen disco que suena muy bien y tiene temazos épicos. Pero es medio monótono.

Oh man do I love "Paranoid" and "Iron Man"🤘 But for me the whole album turned from revolutionary then to just a good one now. 🤷‍♂️

álbum de rock, no es un género que suelo escuchar. un par de canciones que me gustaron más la de iron man y electric funeral. siento que los de rock siempre se centran más en la melodía, bajos, ritmos, etc. que en la letra. bueno para escuchar una tarde si estoy en el mood.

HeavyMetal, 1970 -> 3

More diverse than I expected. Good.

Respect it for its historical value, but have never been a big fan of Ozzy or Black Sabbath.

Epic, sure, and an obvious uptick in quality from the first record, but also simplistic, and a bit tedious and patience-testing. One gets the appeal, without much feeling it oneself. "Paranoid" is a great cut and "Iron Man" has that most memorable hook, and "Planet Caravan" is interesting. However, a fair-minded non-metal/hard rock (or whatever) fan will be given to think that one Sabbath record seems right and may prompt considered listening. Two might suggest one has seriously underestimated the band's quality and impact and thus prompt even closer listening and inceased enthusiasm for the debate about Sabbath's merit. Three leads to the obvious conclusion that one of the book's editors is a seriously misguided and incurable fan boy who badly needs broader musical horizons and more richly informed perspectives and perhaps also to get out more often. This is the best of the lot, but that's not saying much. Rounding down for all the grevious sins against decency and culture that were to come.

Very fun album. Guitar great. Iron Man is kind of lame though.

It's Black Sabbath again! Lots of fun but no more please.

I surprised myself by actually enjoying a few tracks - not my genre at all but I finally took a moment to appreciate them and I have to say not bad.

Feels like Arctic, so it's good.

Not as good as vol 4 but some great guitar

Never realised how good the drumming was!

Black Sabbath has never been a favorite of mine. "War Pigs" is, of course, a masterpiece. I first heard it covered by Faith No More, so that will always be my favorite. I hadn't listened to this album before; there are so many perfect songs.

Black Sabbath hits again! Great music Bit samey

worse things happen at sea war pigs/ lukes wall- 6 paranoid- people dont understand this song is goofy as hell. better live. a lot of black sabbath prolly is. 6 planet caravan- 3 or 4 iron man- 5 electric funeral- 5 hand of doom- 5 rat salad- 6. great name jack the stripper- 5

First listen. Ok.

Still rocking

3 Wasn’t much vocals

Not bad

It is so hard for me to rate albums like these. The music is just not for me, but I do appreciate the guitar skills and the emotion.

Not my taste at all but gave it 3 stars because its Black Sabbath and many are appreciative.

An instant classic of its time: political commentary on Vietnam and the Military Industrial Complex complement the iconic Sabbath sound, but it falls short on some of its symbols and concepts and •*• is not peak.

Iron Man and War Pigs are such classics, though, and this album was incredibly subversive when it was released. All metal owes this a debt of gratitude, for sure. That said, while I respect it, I found it a little boring. Three stars is just about right.

The well-known hits still hit, but Sabbath crawled so other bands could run. Also, Iron Man kinda sucks.

It’s ok

Never listened beyond the hits. This is metal I can find palatable. We aren't screaming and growling just because and the lyrics are actually deep and meaningful instead of being mad for no real reason. I won't be coming a Black Sabbath fan anytime soon but overall not a bad album.

I’ve never explored Black Sabbath beyond their hits. For being in the heavy metal genre, it had a lot more diversity than I expected. I enjoyed it but it was also a little weird.

Classique. Inégal.

Ouwe mannen muziek, alles lijkt beetje op elkaar (zitten wel bangers tussen trouwens) planet caravan breekt het ook ff lekker

3.25

This is… fine. Idk I really don’t have an ear for discerning between good and bad metal. It’s all just… fine.

Starts off brightly with a pretty epic opener in ‘War Pigs/Luke’s Wall’, followed by the title track ‘Paranoid’, which is the hard rocker everyone knows and loves, and then ‘Planet Caravan’ which surprises in how groovy it is. From there, ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Electric Funeral’ are kind of plodding and ponderous while ‘Hand Of Doom’ while in a similar vein is much more engaging both lyrically and melodically. ‘Rat Salad’ is basically a filler track featuring an extended drum solo, while ‘Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots’ provides a decent, rocking ending. This is certainly light years ahead of Black Sabbath’s debut, and while it’s solid overall, apart from the opening salvo, and ‘Hand Of Doom’, there’s nothing else here that I really find overly outstanding.

Pretty good! I’m not into heavy metal but it’s hard to dispute how good Black Sabbath is.

Some high highs but mostly bland

I honestly do not know how to rate this album. I still have youthful memories of an older step brother introducing me to "Paranoid", "War Pigs" and "Iron Man". At this point in my life I know I will never be metal fan, but I appreciate this album is recognized as being the start of the genre. I can also appreciate the musicianship. Tony Iommi's guitar work is stellar as is the rythym section. I should give this album a 4, but because I never gravitated to metal and will probably never listen to it again, I rate as a 3.

I LOVE War Pigs. Fun to have a reason to listen to the rest of the album. I was having a good time but I got a bit bored in the second half - maybe just too much of the same for me.

Klassikot mainioita.

Experimental rock metal. Not my No 1 Genre but nevertheless a good piece to listen to.

3+ war pigs iron man

The vocals on this album sounds great and has catchy consistent experimental unique sounds. I can definitely appreciate the loud upfront drums that feel like a punch to the chest consistently throughout the album. The album starts strong with war pigs, following with a paranoid to carry out the vibe and then the experimental sound to Planet Caravan knocks the album out the park. Iron man keeps it unpredictable with a sci-fi meaty headbanger. The speed up of the drums and guitar give it also a real punk thrasher feel. Electric funeral kinda lost me a little but I can appreciate it for what it is and carrying the vibe of the album. I enjoyed the switch up and melodic sound of hand and doom. Drums were great and snappy. Can appreciate this album for what it is.

I knew a few songs but this was my first sit down with the entire album, and I have to say that paranoid is an apt title! "Electric Funeral" is particularly bleak song filled with images of radiation, and humanity burning to a crisp, the corny vocal delivery from Ozzy feeling like it is straight out of Spinal Tap. Of course the gimmicky and riff laden "Iron Man" lives in infamy and is playful and engaging curiousity. Paranoid stands the test of time with it's propulsive rythm and choppy guitars, a prototypical early metal track. There is a bit of a mellow psychedelic 60's hangover on Planet Caravan that doesn't quite land in contrast with the other more explosive tracks on the album. While listening through the album it was hard not to think of the cartoonish reality show version of Ozzy that we know today, though to there are certainly some compelling bangers that I would certainly turn up to 11 of they came up on a future playlist!

# 241 : They've done a pretty decent job. I think Its OK, I could listen to it, some of the songs are pretty iconic but it was hard to know when one song ended and another began, too much blending or samey maybe? # 139 Rolling Stone Greatest 500 Albums Favourite Track : Paranoid

Not my thing, but I can appreciate that it is an essential part of the genre

Paranoie è bellissima, anche qualcuno altra ci sta, non ho ascoltato tutto

7/10

Solid early metal album. A lot of great songs and elements that would be built upon by later bands. War Pigs is a great opener. The second half of the album has some weaker tracks, but this isn't bad. 3/5.

Better than expected. Not much of a metal fan, other than the popular mainstream stuff - Iron Man, Paranoid, and War Pigs - but I found a couple of other songs on here that I enjoyed and nothing was unlistenable. 3.25

I actually liked this! The lyrics were better than the first album, and there was a pretty wide range of style and sounds.

Classic rock!!!!

Overall it was better than I expected. A few catchy songs and pretty consistent.

Not a genre I usually enjoy (in fact I dragged my feet on listening to this one because I wasn't ready for metal), but it was actually a fun album. Great musicality and lots of instrumental talent. I probably won't listen to this one again because of the genre, which is why it's a 3, but on musicality alone it would be a 4.

Classic

Heavy is an understatement. It's awfully overrated on this site for certain. I guess Paranoid is something of a classic. But this probably isn't quintessential Ozzie, although I for one don't deserve a vote.

Classic early metal album, without being obnoxious dad rock from this period. 3* Highlights: war pigs, paranoid

Sounds a bit basic

Really cool sound. Definitely listenable. I was afraid it might be a little too death metal but that was not the case. Definitely worth another listen.

This was on heavy rotation for me in high school, but I'd say it doesn't really hold up. For me, this brings back people, places and things I've moved on from long ago. Like a lot of old psychedelic rock, it's hard to imagine the right context to listen to it now. War Pigs still rocks.

I can only imagine how mind blowing this would have been in its day. But now it's pretty average metal to my ears. My favourite track isn't even metal (the caravan one). My rating is for current day enjoyment, not historic impact, so it's a 3.

3.5

"Comme une grosse toune qui finissait pas 3/5" - Tom

Iconic heavy metal album.

This album kicks off with two all-time rock bangers, War Pigs and Paranoid! I’m all here for railing against the war machine and the death cult that runs it. I even found myself liking the slowed down bongo laced Planet Caravan. Ironman, which I’ve always kind of scoffed at, had some surprising fun grooves. The spooky/scary vibes were fun. The album was surprisingly more bluesy than I anticipated. Shedding all preconceived notions of this band, I liked it!

10 actually

6,5/10

Black Sabbath is pretty good.

Classic enough, but it’s just not Boston is it 🤣🤣

Vind het oprecht wel lekker. Mijn oom die nu bijna dood is, was heel erg fan van Black Sabbath blijkbaar. Geinig feitje. Maar ik vind behalve Paranoid en Iron Man, dit album niet heel erg veel aan.

Ja, erg goed… maaarrrr, de nummers leken net iets te veel op elkaar

Cool! But not for me

Oh yeah this is one of those albums I was raised on. It’s still nice to go back and hear it again since it’s been such a long time. Anyways I can see how people can be excited about this album, but I guess it’s hard for me to have the same appreciation for it, since it was always there in my life ever since I can remember.

Solid

I enjoy some hippie metal on occasion. I feel like the hits really stand out here, and the rest is semi-lackluster to listen to, even if I greatly respect the musicians. Fav tracks: War Pigs / Luke's Wall, Paranoid, Iron Man

I was surprised with how much I liked this album. It's not as heavy as I thought it would be. Love that they had a softer song (Planet Caravan) and War Pigs/Luke's Wall is so iconic. Amazing vocals by Ozzy and great guitar!

Nice bit of metal.

6/10

I have never been a fan of Ozzy's vocals, but this album has a bit more. The guitar work is very good and there are some layers and textures - even a very good blues riff, and a variety of sounds and rhythms - much better than most of what follows in the genre.

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would--some really iconic music here and Ozzy's voice just rules.

(est. 41 mins) Was looking for more sonic variation between songs. However, found listening experience positive. Song stand out: Iron Man. (3.8/5)

Surprisingly good. I think this is the second Black Sabbath album I've reviewed and both were way better than expected.

Obvious quality but surprisingly not as aggressive as I'd hoped.

This album is full of great riffs, and Iron Man is iconic. But at a point each song sounds like it's ripping off the last. Except for Planet Caravan, which is plopped right in the middle and feels ridiculously out of place.

This was very fun to listen to, Black Sabbath is good. A little juvenile but that's ok.

This is another album taking me back multiple decades. I first heard this in high school in the late 70s, especially Paranoid and Iron Man. This is one of the earliest heavy metal albums (before the term even existed). I enjoy it more than many of the successors, as metal evolved to groups like Judas Priest, Metallica, and Iron Maiden. Still, I'm not a hard-rock lover, so it doesn't get a higher score from me. I must admit, however, that I loved the drums on Rat Salad. And the intro of Iron Man is iconic, of course.

Tale of two album halves for me. Tracks 1-4 are three great songs and 1 complete skip. Tracks 5-8 are all middle of the road. Overall, it is a very good rock album that I would revisit on occasion. Track by track: 1 - I don't know which part is "War Pigs" and which part is "Luke's Wall" but this is a good track that makes an immediate statement on what the vibe of the album will be. 2 - This song rules. 3 - Okay... so we're taking a break from the music. I sense a future skip. 4 - OK yeah... I know this one. I don't know if I can give a fair take but I'll try. The guitar riff is iconic. The guitar solo starting after the 3 minute mark is great and breaks up the repetition well. It is a longer song than I remember but also better than I remember. I sort of expected to be a bit too tired of this to really enjoy it. 5 - This song is pretty decent. Not a standout for me. 6 - Another fine track. 7 - What a name for a song. It was pretty decent. 8 - This album didn't really go out with the bang it came in with but I wasn't skipping anything either.

Good songs Not my style

First time listening to a Sabbath album. The three big hits are great. It was more psychedelic than I expected. Tails off towards the end of the album.

B War Pigs 3 Paranoid 4 Planet Caravan 3 Iron Man 4 Electric Funeral 4 Hand Of Doom 4 Rat Salad 3 Fairies Wear Boots 3 Blavk Sa33ath FTW.

Excellent. Iron Man, paranoid, war pigs.

Fairy wear boots. what is he even signing about. whatever. I like it.

Irony man Few hits in there heavy rock almost metal. Really good overall later tracks kinda slow down but it’s all just guitar solos down there. 3.8/5

Mkt svårt. Vissa låtar har skrivit in sig i musikhistorien. Andra lite trista. Hatar också hårdrocksballader. Vill jag tänka efter och vara känslig finns det andra genrer som gör det bättre. En stark trea.

Childhood classic. Gillar ozzys röst som fan men det Slår mig nu hur oerhört banala melodier det är (inkl paranoid som är svinbra fortfarande). Det rör sig om monotona ramsor som snarast är att jämföra med barnvisor i konstnärlig höjd.

Great album with classics like Iron Man. 70/80's rock will never be my go-to, but this was great.

I don’t think Inhad ever listened to this all the way through. Obviously a big album in the metal world. Hard to believe this was from 1970.

Álbum 2 del reto,

Iron Man and War Pigs were cool songs, not much else to say abt it. Quite liked it, would give 3.4 stars if i could, but that has to be three then!

Eh, it's alright. Not really my thing. Paranoid and Iron Man were cool songs, the rest... ehhhh.

Really liked a few songs

Very old but cool music

Eingängige Akkorde, manche Songs sehr schräg. Paranoid ist natürlich spitze.

Nice classic album. The hits stand up and the whole album still has legs.

Another album I appreciate more than I like. The production is terrible but the songs are revolutionary. I dig their moxie, especially for the time.

Sounds good, and i even know half of the songs and can sing along... still i don't think a will ever turn this on again intentionally

Surprisingly decent!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ozzie started it all! Loved hearing it on train commute home!

Overall pretty boring album. Paranoid and Iron Man carry hard. Very instrumental heavy. Not too much variation in the overall sound. I could listen to this album on a roadtrip driving through Nebraska and be entertained.

war pigs is famous for rhyming masses with masses, but I like the guitar in this, slow paced and unoffensive rock. I didn't expect planet caravans vibe, but it was nice and relaxing. iron man! like the guy from the movie(s)! hand of doom is a little boring, too cliche of the genre. high skill guitar on here, and not annoying or unpleasant or anything. probably my favorite of this genre. wouldn't choose to listen, but mildly enjoyable to hear.

I lol'ed when this title came up. Despite claiming to like rock music, never in my life have I imagined myself deliberately listening to a Black Sabbath album start to finish. Well, it wasn't half as bad as I thought, I actually had an ok time listening to it, but I don't think I'll find myself coming back to it. I did like Planet Caravan a lot (the only non-heavy track in the whole album XD), and A+ for creativity for naming a song Jack the Stripper hehe

Evidence that 'heavy' has changed, but seminal to the genre. War pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man are excellent songs.

Kinda reminds me of Eric B and Rakim/Run DMC era rap, you can hear all the elements of something new, but a primitive and not fully formed version of the genre yet. Ozzy’s vocals sounds awesome too.

Первые 2 песни хороши, но остальное -- просто катастрофа.

Thought I wasn’t going to like it but changed my mind woo

Pretty good, would say this is more hard rock than metal Paramoid is the best song, but liked Iron Man as well Quite slow paced songs, I like the vocals, and the songs are all different Between 3/4****

War pigs is a classic.

Ozzy's voice is kinda annoying ngl Still great

nice guitar and some funky production bits, but honestly not my kind of vibe of music

🤘🏼🤘🏼

Enjoyed the guitar and vocals but ultimately it's just not something I'd regularly listen to.

i'm not a huge fan of Ozzy so i'm just gonna listen through it. but tbh Paranoid has no reason to be that short. i really hate when music tricks you into thinking that your audio is too quiet all the sudden like the song is a secret. it's not great or bad in any particular way. this is just not made for me at all. it didn't feel like a waste of time though. 3/5

love the lyrics, love the scifi lore concept, love the riffs……have never been able to enjoy mr ozzy’s vocals. sorry :/ love how fairy-like planet caravan sounds. didn’t expect that from black sabbath tbh

Same rating as Superunknown (Soundgarden), but for very different reasons. Some good songs and moments in songs that I enjoy a lot, and some of it that I really can't stand.

I like metal, but this was not really my cup of tea. Still better than listening to a genre that I do not like.

A Classic album with some legendary tracks. Not for me though

Enjoyed this more than their first album. Still not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the band’s attempt to push rock music in a new direction. War Pigs still maintains its power after all these years. Really enjoyed the unique Planet Caravan. Would listen to a whole album of songs that sound like that.

Hallmark metal music

Great songs and some iconic riffs

1/5 - never listening again 2/5 - its decent but not for me 3/5 - would listen again 4/5 - I love it 5/5 - going in my playlist No. Title 1. "War Pigs" 4/5 2. "Paranoid" 5/5 3. "Planet Caravan" 2/5 4. "Iron Man" 3/5 5. "Electric Funeral" 2/5 6. "Hand of Doom" 3/5 7. "Rat Salad" 1/5 8. "Fairies Wear Boots" 2/5 This album was not for me. War Pigs and Paranoid are bangers though. Album: 2.75 - would listen again (first half mostly)

Mwah not my type of music. Very long songs. Nice solos though. Too metal for me

Good early metal album. A little over the top, a little juvenile, a little big trying to sound scary and important. Ozzy in fine form.

Her kendte jeg flere af sangene på forhånd. Jeg var især vild med war pigs og paranoid. Men igen, jeg skal nok lytte til det album flere gange for at synes alle numrene er lige fede. Jeg mangler lige de tre sidste numre.

Meh

War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man are boys. The rest are a good vibe.

Solid. Great vibe. Not too much of anything. Some very surprising moments.

I liked paranoid. It is probably my favorite of all Black Sabbath albums out there. Warpigs as the first track really set off the mood for the album and its always a kickass track. Same with the title track. Both of them are great. Cant say the same about the rest of the album though. Kind of forgettable

Kinda cool ig

First two tracks are absolute bangers. All-timers. Track 3 coming in slower, calmer.

Hmm. Some really cool guitar riffs, but the songs themselves lean more into the sounding all the same category. That guitar riff in “Iron Man” has elevated my love for School of Rock even more now, though. 3.5/5 Fav Songs: Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man (simply for that guitar riff) Least: The second half of the album if I’m being honest

This album is a lot better than their first one. It has great songs like War Pigs and Planet Caravan, but it also has the atrocity that is Iron Man. Not a big fan of the titel track either. Favorite song: war pigs

Sympa y'a des gros classiques dessus.

3.5

This was loads better than I expected. But then my expectations were extremely low. As a start point for the Project, a very positive one.

I liked it.

70s hard rock

War Pigs is elite. The rest kind of lost me a little

pretty good

It is a 5, it is one of the best albums ever from a more objective perspective, it’s just out of my comfort zone. I think I was born 20 years too late for it, I loved the guitar, the riffs were legendary but it just didn’t have enough lyricism for me. That being said, I did enjoy it and if I listened to it enough it’ll grow into the 5 it should be.

All time classic, a little over-played but for good reason

Don't think I had listened to a whole Black Sabbath album before but I really enjoyed this. I'm not sure that I like Ozzy's voice that much but the instrumentation is amazing. First half has the better tracks but overall a good album. Highlights: War Pigs Paranoid Iron Man

Much more familiar with this album, than the previous vol 4 album we had. I do think it's quite good, but some of the lyrics are laughably basic. Particularly in iron man. Cool guitar, cool drums, often questionable lyrics and voice. Maybe I'm missing something and it's meant to be. War pigs is a great track though. Paranoid is good too. Not really my thing overall. 3.5 but closer to 3

Not what I was expecting. Far more experimental and moody. Really interesting listen, given my preconceptions.

Solid

When heavy rock was a groovy thing..

Black Sabbath keeps surprising me with listenable music

Surprisingly enjoyable!

I’m not sure whether I’ve had an undetected lobotomy recently, or I’m in an episode of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but whilst I could not stand the first Black Sabbath album, this one has had a weird effect on me. I still don’t particularly like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice, but it did not sound as hateful to me on this album as the first. This album actually sounded like music, with hooks and melodies and all. I think I’m in shock. This is actually a good listen.

As I mentioned in the first Sabbath review (I assume you all remember that?), there was always something inhibiting me from liking this band as much as I thought I was supposed to, being a rock and roll guy and everything. That first album did indeed change my perspective on the musical abilities of the players, and Bill Ward on drums in particular, and I scored it a 4 because I really did gain an appreciation for what these guys were able to build right out of the gate. So... Paranoid. Classic album. Lots of fabled songs on the playlist. And... I didn't love it. Hearing the patterns in the vocals following the guitar lines on various songs got to be less than inspiring. And somehow, it always sounds to me that the band is just learning how to play. There's no doubt they possess an insidious ability to craft riffs and melody lines (again, often one and the same) that stick, but the execution is on the verge of amateur. It's like they play below their abilities on purpose. Whatever it is, I don't love it. But "War Pigs" does stand as an all-time classic, and Bill Ward's drums really are damn good. So, a 3 for this one. I'm just so caught in the middle with this band.

Definitely the best Black Sabbath album.

Black Sabbath have always been a band that I can appreciate for being revolutionary at the time, arguably inventing heavy metal, but they’ve never been a band that really clicked for me personally. Still, I’ve never heard an album in full so let’s see if my mind can be changed today. Songs I already knew: War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man Favourites: Paranoid Unfortunately, listening to this album confirmed what I expected. Most of the songs weren’t bad by any means, but also weren’t that good. I will say something that I suspect might be controversial, but I think Iron Man is a bad song, and easily the worst song on this album. I can’t wrap around why that song is so loved, especially when every other song on this album is significantly better. That’s just me though, feel free to disagree!

decent for boomer rock space caravan is a nice track ive listened to it for a few years

The good songs are masterpieces. The rest I can live without.

Oh, to have been a kid in the '70s, listening to this album for the first time. Pioneering an entire genre is no easy feat, but Black Sabbath made it seem like a piece of cake. Admittedly though, it's not my slice of cake (or cup of tea, but let's keep with the cake references). There's no denying the talent and innovation that went into creating this. The spark that it ignited on a bunch of kids who found music that was different, that resonated with them. The influence that it left on music. All cool stuff, but it's not entirely my thing. I like my rock music to have a bit more rhythm, melody, and variety. But kudos boys! Standouts are Paranoid, Fairies Wear Boots, and Electric Funeral.

3rd time listening.

Once again an all time classic just not really my thing

Good, old fashioned hard rock! But it doesent quite carry the earwormy melodies of similar bands of its era.

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

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.

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

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

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.

A classic. 3.5 stars.

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 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.

Some BS bangers here

Was cool

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.

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.

Fairly good album, some easily recognisable hits

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.

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

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.

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

Classic metal

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.

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.

Cool album

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

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.

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

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

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

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

About just mitä odotin tältä levyltä

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

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.

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

black sabbath more like good music am i right

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

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.

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

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.

Not huge on Ozzy, still dope tho

Very heavy.

Really solid metal. Obviously several classic songs in here and it's before Ozzy gets completely unintelligible

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...

Not my favourite but some classic tunes

אחלה רוק

Yllättävän hyvä. En ollut kuullut muutamaa biisiä enempää, mutta nyökkäilin kyllä monen biisin tahtiin.

A catchy rock album. 3 recognized songs

Kinda repetitive and simple, but decent

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.

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.

6/10

England, 70s, Rock + Legend, still listenable = Alike, - NFM, oldish {0/8} [3/5]

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.

Some great songs, some not so great

solid album, didn’t technically finish it but has some really nice guitar rifts, i’ll definitely throw it in rotation though

Finally understand where Iron Man comes from, straight up head bangin rock from another era!

Classic early metal. Loved the mellow track Planet Caravan.

I liked all 4 tracks on this album

Epic opening song. War pigs rules

Not bad for metal!

It was okay, i liked some of the songs. My favourite was Planet Caravan. 2.5/3 stars, rounded up to 3.

É bom, mas não é meu estilo.

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.

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.

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.

Decent enough but not really into metal. Can see why people love it.

One overplayed title track, two more plodding hits, all in all a bit dull from Ozzy and gang.

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.