Black Sabbath- Paranoid
Great album by a great band. Not their debut, but one of the most famous heavy metal albums ever. Black Sabbath was a metal band who took their foundation of blues rock and gave it an edge. Their biggest influences were Cream and Jimi Hendrix. This album was released in 1971 and is one of my favorite albums ever.
The Band
Ozzy Osbourne- Vocals
Tony Iommi- Guitar
Geezer Butler- Bass
Bill Ward- Drums
Tracks
1. War Pigs- Wow, that’s about all I can say to explain this 7-and-a-half minute epic. A protest to war, this song has got some very creative, maniacal lyrics that use metaphors such as “War Pigs” to describe the government. The intro is pretty damn good with some straightforward guitar riffs and some counter melody bass lines. The verses have to be the coolest, simplest two-chord verse ever with such an attack. It really adds to the song. The drumming rocks in this song, with some fast fills during the verses. The solo is really cool too. [5/5]
2. Paranoid- What was originally meant to be filler, becomes the most famous, overplayed Sabbath song. A two minute, thirty second song about a depressed man who can’t seem to be happy. The intro riff is 5 notes and pretty catchy. The verses are incredibly boring, but the lyrics are pretty good. The guitar solo is pretty entertaining though. I know a lot of people love this song, but I don’t know how they can love it more than some of Black Sabbath’s greatest songs. [3/5]
3. Planet Caravan- Beautiful change of pace. Bill sets down his sticks here to play a repetitive bongo line while Geezer plays a beautiful bass line that couldn’t be more perfect for the song. Ozzy’s voice is a little bit lower on this one and sounds a little eerie. The rhythm section does not change one bit during this song, but it’s easy to listen to and it doesn’t get old. Iommi comes in with a serene, jazzy solo that tells you these guys can play a peaceful song, and make it good. [4/5]
4. Iron Man- Who hasn’t heard this song. It’s the most famous metal riff of all time. The intro is purely in your face, with crunching guitar and a bass drum. And then, the riff. The verses are the main riff repeated with a couple of other, cool riffs. Ozzy really shines here, wailing about a man seeking revenge on the people he tried to help, but they don’t notice him. It’s a pretty gory version of Frankenstein. The guitar gets so much recognition on this song, but nobody realizes how tight the bass playing is on this song. Every note of the guitar solo, the bass is also playing. Note for note, the bass thumps along in that awesome solo. The outro is cool with a one note bassline and another cool, eerie riff. Awesome song. [5/5]
5. Electric Funeral- Good song, but nothing exceptional here. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but the effort is not as good as the other songs on this album. The guitar riff is pretty cool, using the wah pedal to its fullest to give it that scream that this song calls for. Ozzy’s voice scares the hell out of me here, with a creepy rant about what appears to be the apocalypse, talking about robots controlling the lives of men and a “dying world of radiation”. Cool song, but repetitive and kinda freaky. [4/5]
6. Hand of Doom- Awesome song. The bass riff is cool, with one of those creeping, up on you kind of feelings until the guitar comes roaring in. The song uses dynamics very well and the lyrics are about drug addiction. The choruses are powerful, and the bridge just screams with power. The riff is crunching and is faster than the verse/chorus riff. Cool little solo. So good that I can listen to it straight for an hour. [5/5]
7. Rat Salad- Black Sabbath’s answer to Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick. A cool, hard rocking song with heavy riffs situated around a fast, awesome drum solo. Bill Ward can write some awesome drum lines, using the snare, toms, and bass perfectly. Not a lot of cymbal work, but definitely one of the coolest drum solos, without being overly flashy. Great song [4/5]
8. Fairies Wear Boots- Oh, man, how high can you count. This is definitely the centerpiece of the album, being one of the greatest songs ever. The intro starts kinda mellow and turns into a world of riffs very similar to War Pigs. The bass as an awesome role in this song with countermelodies that are used in context beautifully. The riffs rock and add a personality to this song. The lyrics are pretty cool, about tripping and some wild hallucinations. The guitar solos are awesome. The drums put in some crazy fills during the pre-chorus. There is no better closing song on any album. Easily……[5/5]
Overall: 5/5
This album is just one of those albums that just change the way you look at Rock N Roll music. I couldn’t give this album anything less. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy.
