Everything about Paranoid Album totally explained
Paranoid is the second album by the British
heavy metal band
Black Sabbath. It was released in the
United Kingdom during September 1970, and contains some of their most famous work, including the songs "
Iron Man", "
War Pigs" and the
title track.
The album is regarded as a classic of the heavy metal genre and one of the most influental heavy metal albums. It has been certified 4x Platinum, having sold over four million copies in the US alone, making it Black Sabbath's best-selling album.
Recording
After the release of their debut album in February 1970, Black Sabbath returned to the studio in June that year, again with producer
Rodger Bain, to record their second album. The album was recorded at Regent Sound Studios and
Island Studios in
London,
England. The album's eponymous single "
Paranoid" was written in the studio at the last minute. As drummer
Bill Ward explains: "We didn't have enough songs for the album, and Tony just played the [Paranoid] guitar lick and that was it. It took twenty, twenty-five minutes from top to bottom."
Music and lyrics
In comparison with their previous album, the songs on
Paranoid were given more focus and direction, with less improvisation. However the lyrical content is equally as dark, exploring themes such as
war,
mental illness,
drug abuse and
sci-fi horror. Much of the album could be viewed as a kind of
social commentary.
Spin magazine wrote that the band "saw heavy rock as a way to emulate the horrors of a fallen world."
The lyrics of the opening song, "War Pigs", discuss war and the absurdities of those who make war without regard for those forced to fight it. It is often viewed as a
protest song. Similarly, the lyrics of "Electric Funeral" discuss the bleak aftermath of
nuclear warfare. These songs were written in the midst of the
Vietnam War and the
Cold War, and could be seen as quite representative of the political situation at the time.
The song "Paranoid" is uncharacteristically fast and simplistic for Black Sabbath in their early days. Supposedly the band members intended it only as an interlude or as "filler". Its lyrics concern the stigma of mental illness. In a related way, "Iron Man" is about a
time traveller from the future who has been turned to steel. He is outcast by society but eventually takes his revenge on humanity.
Three songs on the album appear to concern dreams, hallucinations and drug use. "Planet Caravan" and "Fairies Wear Boots" are quite
psychedelic in style and their lyrics are quite abstract. "Hand of Doom" was written as a message against
heroin use. The song transitions between slow, soft passages and fast, loud passages as a representation of the drug being injected.
Artwork
The album was originally titled
War Pigs, but allegedly the record company changed it to
Paranoid, fearing backlash from supporters of the ongoing
Vietnam War. At the time, the band felt that the song was lighter, with the potential to become a single. However, the band's visual interpretation of a "war pig" was still featured on the cover; a distorted, eerie photograph of a man with
sword and
shield jumping out from behind a tree.
The original UK vinyl release was in a gatefold sleeve. The inner of the gatefold had a black and white photo of the band, posed outdoors on a grassy hill, and was their first appearance on album artwork. To spread the original picture over the gatefold,
Ozzy Osbourne was separated from the other members of the band and a section of the grass was copied and dropped into the gap. This is only readily apparent if one compares it with the original photograph.
Release and reception
The "Paranoid" single, released before the album, reached number four in the UK. Pushed by its success, the album hit number one in the UK, and is the only Black Sabbath album to have done so. The US release was held until January 1971, as the
Black Sabbath album was still on the charts at the time of
Paranoid's UK release. The album broke into the top ten in the US in March 1971, and would go on to sell four million copies in the US alone, with virtually no radio airplay.
Paranoid's chart success in the US allowed the band to tour there for the first time in December 1970. This spawned the release of the album's second single "
Iron Man", and although failed to reach the top 100, "Iron Man" remains one of Black Sabbath's most popular songs.
The album was again panned by music critics of the era. However, modern-day music critics are much more favourable towards the album than those of the time. An example is
Allmusic's Steve Huey, who cites
Paranoid as "one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time", which "defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history".
In 1999, Q magazine (12/99, p.170) included it in their list of The Best Gothic Albums Of All Time, writing that, "[BlackSabbath] stamped their bombastic and doom-laden imprint on British rock forever."
In 1999, Vibe (12/99, p.162) included it on their list of 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century.
In 2006, the album was ranked number 6 on Guitar World magazine's list of The Greatest 100 Guitar Albums of All Time.
Track listing
All songs written by Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler. It should be noted that the additional titles "Luke's Wall" and "Jack the Stripper" are unique to the North American editions. They are not extra songs but rather a title for some part of the song.
Side One
"War Pigs/Luke's Wall" – 7:57
"Paranoid" – 2:52
"Planet Caravan" – 4:32
"Iron Man" – 5:58
Side Two
"Electric Funeral" – 4:52
"Hand of Doom" – 7:07
"Rat Salad" – 2:31
"Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots" – 6:15
Personnel
Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Bill Ward – drums
Keef – design, photography, cover design
Tom (Colonel) Allom – engineer
Tony Allom – engineer
Brian Humphries – engineer
Release history
Paranoid has been released by a variety of labels, both officially and as bootlegs.
The list below shows the most commonly known versions of the album that are available.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Paranoid Album'.
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