74 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid - 1970

Side One
War Pigs
Paranoid
Planet Caravan
Iron Man

Side Two
Electric Funeral
Hand of Doom
Rat Salad
Fairies Wear Boots


DISCOVERY; Remember the band I formed with Tony and Robert? Well, by now Dry Ice had evolved (expanded) into a five piece with Mark on bass and Jim playing the drums. We needed a name change, so I picked up the dictionary, found the word "holocaust" which sounded heavy metal, reading on it said "total destruction by fire" and I thought that's a perfect name for a band. The others agreed and so we became Holocaust. Obviously we were going for the heavy sound kids would enjoy at the local dances so we needed to learn songs by heavy groups. Enter Black Sabbath Paranoid stage left! Who brought this album to the party I'm not quite sure. Might have been Jim? That seems increasingly likely.

Are you surprised I didn't like this band? No, not really. Are you surprised it grew on me over the years and I now regard this album very highly? Yes, somewhat. Well, there you go.

The world and all the people in it can be pretty self absorbed and absolutely convinced about everything, you know when it happens and you're thinking no I'm right about everything and everyone else is wrong. I have this album to remind me that it's time to get over your self. Fairies wear boots (sometimes) don't worry about it. Stop being so paranoid!

WHERE & WHEN; This was the only Sabbath album I ever heard back in the day. I had access to their whole catalogue for the first time in the 90s. Paranoid is the only record I think is essential for my collection at any rate. The other album I might include is Sabbath Bloody Sabbath which gets marks plus or minus for the cover art depending on my mood and contains some guitar work I enjoy. I suppose you could call Black Sabbath a novelty act, doom and gloom but none do it better.

HIGHLIGHTS; War Pigs - Paranoid - Hand of Doom - Fairies Wear Boots

STATUS; Must Have