Customer Reviews

Paranoid

5 star:		(175)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I too have owned this album multiple times. As much as I love this album I always found the sound quality really poor unless being played through a really good sound system. I was waiting for them to reissue this for years but gave up after a while. I was excited to hear about the black box remasters but had no interest in all the recordings. Finally they released the individual albums from those remasters and I have to say I instantly noticed the difference in sound quality. Crisper, louder and less hiss than early CD releases. The rest of the package I could care less about, but the original recording is worth the price. Also Amazon shipped to me in 2 days!! AWESOME!!

One of my teenage favourites, this album has some good tracks, in particular the title track. The band had not fully developed their sound, as they would on their terrific subsequent two albums.

Only one word ( or more than one ) excellent in Quality, service and time, the item was exactly as expected, even if used it was exactly as new.

All discussion aside, this is without a doubt the greatest album in metal history. Never since Black Sabbath has any metal band revolutionized rock music so much. Toni Iommi, the god of heavy metal guitar, is in his prime on this album, with some of his fastest and heaviest riffs ever, even with two butchered fingers. Ozzy Osbourne, revered as the Godfather of Modern Metal, is awesome here, seeing as no one could sing songs like these as well as the Ozzman himself did. Bill Ward truly rocks on this album, even having his own drum solo. And last, bust CERTAINLY not least, Geezer Butler, possibly the greatest bassist to ever grace the world of music, proves himself nowhere else better than on Paranoid, the primier heavy metal band's second musical effort.

1) War Pigs - This is Black Sabbath's best song, bar none. Absolutely breathtaking. 11/10

2) Paranoid - One of the rare moments when a filler becomes a band's most popular song ever. Short and sweet, this song never gets old. 10/10

3) Planet Caravan - I used to hate this song, but now i listen to it just as much as the others. A very underrated tune, this bizarre smoothe rocker displays some of Geezer's best work. Try the Pantera cover as well. 8/10

4) Iron Man - One of the heaviest, doomiest, and catchy of any Sabbath tune. Awesome distorted guitar, fast bass playing, clever drumming, vocals, everything on this track is sure to please any metalhead. 10/10

5) Electric Funeral - Starts off as a slow, sludgy, doomsday song, then slowly transitions into a quick and powerful blues/jazz tune. Good stuff. 9/10

6) Hand of Doom - Probably my second favorite Sabbath song. One of the few songs ever in which the bass does a good job at carrying the song, especially for 7 minutes. An incredibly underrated track, this, like many other Black Sabbath songs, is overlooked for either its meaning, length, or some other excuse. Listen closely, this song holds an important message. 11/10

7) Rat Salad - A 2 and a half minute instrumental, 45 seconds being a talented drum solo. Sort of a tribute to John Bonham's Moby Dick on Led Zeppelin II. 8/10

8) Fairies Wear Boots - The album closes with a big bang with the jazz-inspired 'Fairies Wear Boots'. Kind of a funny song about the perils of drug addiction. Awesome song. 9/10

Average - Exactly 9.5/10 (5 stars)

If you do not own this album, you should be ashamed for calling yourself a Black Sabbath fan. This album proves that all good music will stand the test of time. Buy this album. It's that simple. You won't regret it, I promise.

Peace, everyone, and keep rockin'.

It is what I expected, and still have a raw energy today. I am going to take my son to the Gorge, his first concert, Black Sabbath, so a little primer before we go!

This album is yet another great installment to the legacy that Black Sabbath has created. These guys really are the godfathers of Metal Music.

Released in 1970, Black Sabbath's sophmore release "Paranoid" is a must have for any classic rock afficianado. It clearly was one of the heaviest albums of the year (along with Deep Purple's "In Rock" album), practically coining the term "heavy metal". Black Sabbath, known for writing songs that depicted destruction and evil as is best evidenced in songs such as "War Pigs", "Hand Of Doom", and "Iron Man" were thought by sceptics to be "satan worshippers" because of the lyrics of many of their songs as well as the trademark crosses the members wore. Of course we all know this was not the case but was merely Black Sabbath's image and style of music at the time. Fast and screetching guitar licks, thumping bass, solid drumming and frontman Ozzy Osbourne's vocals made Black Sabbath one the seventies most popular rock bands alongside Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep to name just a few. The songs speak for themselves, as the favorite classics here are "Paranoid", "Iron Man" and "War Pigs", but the album produced many other excellent songs such as "Fairies Wear Boots", "Electric Funeral", "Rat Salad" and the eerie but beautiful "Planet Caravan". Black Sabbath would continue to release a number of excellent albums until the later seventies when Osbourne clearly was ready to leave the band and go solo. A classic rock album that sounds as good today as it did thirty four years ago.

(Actual Rating-4.5)
Released in 1971, Paranoid is Black Sabbath's second album.

Although Black Sabbath(Self-Titled Album) was arguably the album that created Heavy Metal, Paranoid is the album that made it popular. After the minor success of Black Sabbath, upon its release in 1971, Paranoid quickly shot into the Top Ten, reaching as far as Number 8 on the heels of the gloomy singles "Paranoid" and "Iron Man", and eventually sold over 4 million copies, by far Black Sabbath's biggest selling album. Paranoid is the album that made metal popular, and Paranoid secured its place as one, if not the most, influential albums of all-time, creating an entire genre out of one recording. To this day, the radio is constantly playing "War Pigs","Paranoid", and "Iron Man", so Paranoid's legacy has not been forgotten even after 32 years, a feat most albums can't say for themselves. To this day, along with "Smoke On the Water", "Iron Man" has one of the most memorable and well-known riffs of all-time, and if you ask any guitarist what the first songs they learned to play were, it will always be those two. According to most Black Sabbath fans, Paranoid is their best album, so are they right or
wrong? Read on to learn what I think of Paranoid.

Luke's Wall/War Pigs-10/10: Iommi's sludgy guitar riffs and the foreboding siren in the beginning set the stage for the album perfectly. What you are about to hear is an all-out metalfest! Ozzy's vocals take center stage soon after, singing some of the most ingenious lyrics I've ever heard, and they only rival "Iron Man" in terms of complexity. As the song progresses, Iommi and Ozzy duel for center-stage, Iommi breaking out with killer riffs and solos at any time and Ozzy singing about the destruction of the world because of politician's greed with a flair that can only belong to him.

Paranoid-10/10: Even though "Paranoid" clocks in just over 2 and a half minutes, it stands as one of the most memorable tracks on the album! Iommi's riff is unmistakeable, and Ozzy's piercing vocals scream out at you from the stereo with no remorse. One thing though, Iommi's solo was somehow screwed up by the remastering, so it doesn't sound to good.

Planet Caravan-3/10: This song is nothing but indistinct vocals from Ozzy and almost unhearable drumming. I'm only nice and giving it 3 points because of Iommi's bluesy guitar solo, which is unfortuneatly hard to hear but still sounds really good.

Iron Man-15/10-You might have heard Iommi's opening riff, and if you haven't you must be living under a rock! Like on "War Pigs", Iommi and Ozzy share center stage, each taking turns showing their distinctive mastery! Iommi belts out insane solos and sludgy riffs as Ozzy casually sings about the slow insanity of a robot that destroys mankind. I would say this song has the BEST lyrics I've EVER HEARD, and that's from a man who listens to Rush and Metallica! Ward's drumming is to die for on this song!

Electric Funeral-10/10: Unlike the title suggests, this song isn't all that bad! This song seems like it could have easily became a hit, because it's Classic Metal at its very Best! We get an Alice In Chains-y riff from Iommi throughout the song that is completely genious, and Ozzy backs it up perfectly with his vocals about the end of the world(AS USUAL!). About 2:20 in, the song goes in a new direction, giving the song a light edge to it, Iommi discarding his usual sludgy riff for a lighter one, but he soon goes back to it 3 minutes in. Nonetheless, it is an excellent intermission that builds up to the dark riffs later on.

Hand of Doom-7/10-Starts off a little slow, with Ozzy's sarcastic vocals singing about your ascension into hell, but then Iommi's sludgy riff sweeping in and building up to a chorus that is louder than hell itself! The reason I took off 3 points is because for 8 minutes, this song really only does that, with a good solo to break the flow every once in a while. Black Sabbath tries to do many things in this song, but somehow it seems disjointed and not as masterful as the other songs.

Rat Salad-9/10: Why do people call this a filler track? WHY!? It's just as long as "Paranoid", with the exception that it's an instrumental. This song truly gives Iommi and especially Vinny Appice a chance to take the spotlights on themselves for over two minutes. Iommi goes for a less sludgy riff while Bill Ward plays his HEART OUT! SOME OF THE BEST DRUMMING I'VE EVER HEARD, HE BREAKS INTO AN AMAZING MINUTE LONG SOLO!

Fairies Wear Boots/Jack the Stripper-15/10: As the liner notes suggest, this is clearly Black Sabbath's most ambitious song. Iommi's combination sludgy/light guitar riffs and solos perfectly balance the song and make it stand out as one of the most genious songs on this album. As you might suspect, the song is kind of a joke, and Ozzy's vocals might even make you laugh, but not in the bad way! Everything is top-notch here, and this song is tied "Iron Man" as the best on Paranoid. Truly great instrument playing!

Overall, Paranoid is a great album essential to the making of one of the greatest kinds of music ever, Heavy Metal, and we owe it all to the mastery of Iommi, Ozzy, and Bill Ward. DO NOT HATE ON "RAT SALAD"! "Iron Man" and "Fairies Wear Boots" are masterpieces and have to heard by any fan of Rock in general! The reason Paranoid gets 4.5 stars is because of filler track "Planet Caravan" and the slightly disjointed "Hand Of Doom".

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ANY FAN OF METAL, CLASSIC ROCK, OR ANYBODY INTERESTED TO SEE THEIR FAVORITE GRUNGE BAND'S BIGGEST INFLUENCE, LOOK NO FURTHER! SINCE PARANOID,BLACK SABBATH, AND MASTER OF REALITY ONLY COST 9.99$, ALL THESE ALBUMS ARE A STEAL! Thanks for Reading!

Wow, how many times have I bought Paranoid now? I would guess that this might be my sixth purchase of this album. And, for the record, the four stars are for the reissue, not the album itself. Paranoid is and always will be a five star album.

Liner notes and photos: A+. Awesome job. Lots of cool photos, facts, and figures that I was not previously aware of.

Packaging: C-. I have a 2CD/1DVD Clash set from this series where all three discs are packaged with a plastic tray to hold them in. Not so with Paranoid! Cost cutting may be the reason, but disc 2 slides into a cardboard sleeve while the other two discs have plastic trays.

Remastering: A+. My understanding is that this is a brand new remastering. That would be time #3 for Paranoid. (1996 Castle remasters, Black Box remasters.) Like the Black Box version, this sounds great, very clear, very powerful, very authentic. Can you tell the difference between this version and the Black Box version? Not really!

Bonus material: B+. Maybe it's not anybody's fault, but the bonus material is somewhat dissapointing. Most are alternate takes with different lyrics or no lyrics at all. I guess that's all that was available. Still, it's not something I will listen to often. The DVD in quad is great, but keep in mind you're going to be hearing these songs three times each! The alternate lyrics are interesting to say the least, but when you're so used to hearing these songs a certain way, it is a little jarring.

The DVD is an A. On this DVD, you get the original 1974 quad mix. Collectors rejoice, and people who are hoping for a 5.1 remix are going to have to keep waiting. I love the fact that we're finally getting reissues of classic 1970's quad mixes. Deep Purple have been releasing some as well. Personally I hope to hear some of the old Alice Cooper quad mixes some day, too.

Not a perfect reissue, but it is what it is. The packaging is the one thing that could have been improved easily. The extra material, well, if this is all Sabbath have in the vaults, then so be it!

Four stars.

Before I go on i'll tell you im not a big fan of black sabbath. I got this album for ironman warpigs and paranoid. ALL THE OTHER STUFF [lacks]THE SONGS IN ORDER LETTER GRADES

WAR PIGS,A+ 'NUFF SAID
PARONOID,A- GOOD
PLANET CARAVAN,C-
IRON MAN,A++++++++++ THERE BEST SONG
ELECTRIC FUNERAL,F- THIS SONG TO ME IS WRONG AND SICK TO EEEVVVIL
FOR ME
HAND OF DOOM F LOOK ABOVE
RAT SALAD C-
FARIES WEAR BOOTS C IT JUST DOESN'T APEAL TO ME

WELL THATS WHAT I THINK FOLKS