"Paranoid" is the 2nd studio album by British heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath. It was released in 1970 on Vertigo Records and produced by Rodger Bain. The line-up for the album was Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums).
Coming just 7 months after their debut album, "Paranoid" was unleashed to the public in September, 1970, and Black Sabbath showed the public that they were not going to go away with a brilliant collection of songs. The titular track reached number four in the UK charts upon release as a single, bearing fruit that the band was in top gear, and it gave birth to one of the most recognisable riffs in music history.
Tony Iommi once again produces riffs and solos that musicians to this day can only dream of; "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and "Electric Funeral" are all examples of his genius at work, while Ozzy never sounded better with the band than on the haunting melody of "Planet Caravan".
This album has spawned numerous cover versions; Faith No More covered "War Pigs" on 1991's "The Real Thing", The Cardigans tracked "Iron Man" for their 1996 album "First Band on the Moon", while Texan metal band Pantera went on to cover "Planet Caravan" on their 1994 album, "Far Beyond Driven".
In summary, if you thought Black Sabbath's eponymous debut album was ground-breaking for heavy metal, the band pushes the bar further with "Paranoid". The album reached number one in the UK, and with reason; it's quite possibly one of the best heavy metal records of all time, and it's certainly one of my favourites.
1. War Pigs
2. Paranoid
3. Planet Caravan
4. Iron Man
5. Electric Funeral
6. Hands of Doom
7. Rat Salad
8. Fairies Wear Boots
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