The first album of theirs I heard was the debut. A grade school friend of mine lent me that album and the title track scared the hell out of me! I got enough courage a few years later to buy Paranoid. What an album! Although I have become a bit tired of the songs Iron Man and Paranoid, I NEVER tire of War Pigs and Fairies Wear Boots. Just fantastic and soooooo original! Sabbath wasn’t Satanic. They always wrote about good vs evil and that you didn’t want to be on the side of evil! This album cover art better suited War Pigs and also would have worked if they called the album Fairies Wear Boots!

Hey Tribe, Geezer has a book out called Into the Void, if y'all didn't know yet.

The intro for War Pigs definitely inspired countless extended intros for later heavy metal bands. I can see how Slayer's "Seasons in the Abyss" was inspired.

I remember hearing Sabbath the first time mid 70s. Some local guys in leather jackets were blasting out Iron Man on a boom box in front of a bowling alley. Those dark, thundering, deliberate power chords plowed over me like a Panzer tank.

Great album, I always thought that Geezer Butler and Bill Ward played like a jazz rhythm section. Especially on Planet Caravan and Hand of doom.

Bill Ward is right up there with John Bonham Neil Peart and Ginger Baker. Michael always thought personally Ozzy was on LSD looking out the window at Fairies wear boots but I could be wrong. Great review.🇨🇦

For me it’s go to be Black Sabbath’s Sabotage. It’s complex, heavy, dark and progressive. Paranoid has the hits and other cool stuff but for me it’s Sabotage. Cheers Michael, great video again!

born in 1980 i was raised on Classic Rock but never got into Sabbath only hearing "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" which i liked but strongly preferred Led Zeppelin... i also listened to Alternative Rock (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam) which received nonstop Sabbath comparisons... after 10 years of Underground Dance music in my 20s i got back into listening to Rock and the one album i started listening to all the way through was "Paranoid" and it was the ending jam "Fairie's Wear Boots" really caught my attention, because smoking & tripping is all that i do... thanks to KZfaq with all of its live Sabbath from the 1970s i now love Sabbath both in studio and live in the 1970s... fax!!!

I had the paranoid album. Loved it. "Never say die" turned out to be my favorite.

Here in Australia the first Black Sabbath album was released on the Fontana label before they went to Vertigo. Was that period where you bought anything that had the Vertigo label. From Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley to May Blitz to Uriah Heep - Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble (thankfully still have these classics) and so on. Led Zeppelin III just released but Paranoid hit like a ton of bricks.🤩

First heard BS PARANOID at 13. My Catholic school sent us guys on a weekend visit to a Seminary in Richmond, VA. This school had its own radio station. This is where I first heard Black Sabbath. "Iron Man" rattling thru the halls. LOL.

Im only 10 seconds in and my answer is yes. I still remember hearing them for the first time. Radical sound--especially the bass. Michael, I love your synopsis of iron man and its meaning. Even at 12, thats the way I understood it😊

This album has held a special place in my heart since the first time I listened to it some 40+ years ago. I've come to identify this and all early Sabbath albums as a soundscape representation of my primal self. I put this album on and my base instincts take control while intellectual thought processes become secondary.

I've always loved that Black Sabbath sound but I didn't even give them a chance until years later because of all the negative talk, or maybe I should correctly say inaccurate and negative talk, about their songs and what they were singing about. I was fooled! Somewhere in the late '80s or maybe early '90s, I bought a four CD set I think was titled Black Sabbath The Ozzy Years. Now I had heard a lot of the songs on the radio through the years and thought they had a great sound. But when I went ahead and bought that CD set, I was blown away by how incredible they were. A lot of the songs I'd never heard (the non radio played once) were on this set and it was really incredible. That's when I started listening to what they were saying and realized for myself that they're not singing about negative things and they're actually singing a positive message in most songs. I'd tell other people the same thing but they just kind of blow it off and did not even pay attention. But through the years, I've started seeing a lot of people saying this same thing about their songs being more of a positive thing or a lesson on what not to do. I started wondering if maybe I was wrong or if I wasn't hearing things correctly for a little while. But I'm glad I woke up and smelled the coffee because I started getting a lot of their live shows, DVDs, etc not released and anything I could find that sounded pretty decent from them. I don't know how I made this mistake? I just realized I don't have Paranoid on vinyl. I know I used to but I don't have it anymore. So I just did a little looking around and got me a copy and hopefully it will arrive soon. It's been missing in my vinyl collection since I started back collecting vinyl again a few years ago. I don't know how I overlooked that other than I think it was hard to find when I first was looking for it again a few years ago? But not now! Thanks for the video Michael! Brian in Fort Worth 🎶

This record changed my life for the better! I had always been afraid of this band, the doom sounding songs, the power minor chords, the devilish lyrics and the scary album covers! But one night while over at a friends house, they had this record. I did NOT want to listen to it, but my friend convinced me to give it a try? After the first two songs, I was hooked man! The next day I went to the record store and bought every "Black Sabbath" album out at the time. I was a MAJOR fan! I would listen to them everyday! I hung out with people who liked this kind of stuff, and got introduced to even more cool music! Looking back, it was this album along with "The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds" that really broadened my horizons... It lead me to a lot more cool stuff. Hey Michael, I dig the new intro & outro music!!!!!!

"Fairy's wear boots" is the absolute definition of the Black Sabbath I remember so many years ago. "Technical Ecstasy" now that one went off the rails somehow 😭

Great album. Huge fan of 70's Sabbath. I was born in late '69 so I was just a baby when all this was going on so it wasn't until the early 80s when I finally cut my Sabbath teeth, this album definitely one of my faves, not sure if it's my favorite Sabbath album because there's so many great one's. I remember having my first apartment in the late 80s and laying in the dark and just looking at the stereo lights while listening to Planet Caravan. No pot, drugs or drinking needed, believe me the music trips you out enough!

The Paranoid album is my ultimate favorite from Black Sabbath because I feel like the music shows who Black Sabbath are as a band.

Got this recently as a Xmas present on vinyl, hadn't listened to it in years, I gave it a spin & cranked it up....it still stand up today after all these years later, great stuff!

7th grade for me, 1976, 8track - still one of my favorites

Excellent episode, Michael!

Great record, great video! My first band played everything on the album over our 5 year existence except for Planet Caravan. Always a blast to learn and play those songs!

Yep, that's my story too. I have that album in my car CD player and when I spin it, it usually gets 6 or more rotations. Thanks for the review.

Michael, great review of a great album!!!!

Michael, excellent review of an all time favorite album of one of my favorite bands. I bought this when it came out and still listen to this timeless classic today. As many times as I've listened to this album, I learned many new things from you today. Thank you for your in depth research brother.

When I was 15 I Brought Parnanoid Deep Purple In Rock and Led Zeppelin II . To this day they are still my 3 favourite albums

Im new to this channel and im loving it.

Man, what an album. This was the first album I bought of Sabbaths then went back to the first album. Wow, is an understatement. Great pick Michael.

Excellent!

Paranoid was my first Sabbath was Paranoid and Love it to death was my first Alice Cooper. These were bought in 1973

What a great walk down memory lane. I was 18 that year and listening to all the same music. I feel like this album was in heavy rotation on the FM stations in NYC, WABC and WNEW, but I'm sure my friends played it regularly. The first 3 Sabbath albums are the only metal I ever bought, but this was always my favorite. Also loved the story about thinking cover songs were written locally - I discovered punk when I thought a band covering Ramones songs in 1979 had written them.

Led Zep 2 kicked me way harder than Pariniod ever did.

My first Sabbath album bought as well.

I never get tired of the War Pigs live 1970 video from Paris

About time brother!!!! lol I think it took them 5 or 6 days to actually record the second one. I know he talked about it on the documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne!!

Mike I not only feel it’s the #1 heavy metal album but it’s in the top 10 all time that’s how important this album really is nobody sounded or wrote songs like them while zeppelin was hard& happy sabbath was heavy & mean I like the break down awsome( by the way you have to have some Italian in you ) you talk with your hands lol

For Americans maybe. For the rest of the world it’s Deep Purple In Rock. How can you go wrong with Speed King, Bloodsucker, Flight of the Rat, Hard Lovin Man, Living Wreck and top it off with Child In Time.

I enjoyed the video Michael, Thank You! The songs from this album and Masters of Reality provide the majority of the setlist for the band. I have seen Sabbath several times in concert and have NEVER been disappointed. PS: I caught one of Geezer's picks last time, however I've never seen him use one. 😃

i got that album. paranoid song got played a lot during black sabbath live shows and ozzy live shows too. planet caravan good song. i like all the songs on that album.

I am so much like you Mike, same age but 2 years older, Beatles first in mono. First Sabbath I heard I was disappointed the reason being Jimmy Page with the leads. Sabbath just didn't have that. The rhythm and crunching chords were awesome. That I loved about Sabbath. They are different but the birth of heavy metal is with the Kinks " Your really got me". Little Richard was a brutal rocker too.

I've likened Ozzie's vocal style to that of a Town Crier. Looking forward to the day when you deal with the other two of this tripartite of brilliance, Master of Reality and Vol. 4.

This album kicks all the way. A great follow up to their first album. My favourite album by them. Hand of doom is my favourite song by them. I remember buying my albums from Woolworths lol.

I rate Master of Reality higher just because it's a lean, mean fightin' machine - all killer, no filler. But I do have a soft spot for Paranoid, especially the riff to Electric Funeral - my all-time favorite Sabbath riff.

I was talking about this the other day. Paranoid is THE metal album.

Going from memory I think Black Sabbath were originally called the 'Polka Tulk Blues Band' and then 'Earth' and then finally settled on the name Black Sabbath (named after the '67 movie with Vincent Price) because they weren't cutting it. They definitely made it soon after. I believe also there were a lot of problems with their management that really screwed them over..

My 17 or 18 year old next door neighbor turned me on to War Pigs sometime around 75, I was 10 and only heard K-tel records😅.......I was hooked on first note

Love this album, classic. Nothing like it until that time. Every cool person I knew at that time had it. Tony Iommi is the king of great , catchy riffs. Agree 100% with you.

My Southern Methodist mother was horrified, but let me buy Paranoid in 1971. I can say with some certainty that I have listened to this album the most times. My all-time favorite album that isn't Classical.

This is one those albums where I think the remaster has improved the experience. They really brought the bass drum out of the mix. The drums used to sound somewhat weak to me for such a heavy band but it seems the remaster has really honed in on the low in of the drums.

Good choice of albums. Killer is one of my all time favorite albums. Saw Alice Cooper for this tour. A friend of mine quit High School to be a roadie for Alice!

Paranoid was the first album I bought at 10 years old.

Yes. It is. 😁 Well, easy Top 5 (at least). Nice track X track study 🤘🏻

It's a solid effort start to finish, but so is the first self-titled album, and that's the one I feel is the greatest heavy metal album of all time. It essentially laid the foundation for heavy metal as we know it. And the first albums from lesser-known bands like Sir Lord Baltimore and Iron Claw deserve recognition for kickstarting heavy metal as well. With that said, I thought "Iron Man" was based on the Alexander Dumas work "The Man In The Iron Mask". Goes to show what I know! LOL!

Master of Reality or Sabotage is their heavy masterpiece, IMO. One is slow and down tuned, and the other is the beginning of progressive metal. Paranoid has the best collection of songs, but the other two were possibly more influential. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is great too. All four of these are amazing.

Nobody is better at putting a band together than Ozzy.

I always get a kick out of seeing your thumbnail come up on my KZfaq page. Dude, I'm 69 years old, saw Black Sabbath's first USA tour. But I have never seen anyone so stuck in the past. It's funny though, in a sad sort of way. Give me a heart attack someday and do a video on a current band or artist that ROCKS!!

I had a similar experience back in 1971 I went out and bought three albums, which where my first ones. I bought Black Sabbath Paranoid, Led Zeppelin II, and Alice Cooper Love it to Death. As a kid when I bought the album always thought the Paranoid cover was supposed to be Iron Man.

Yes

Check out that newer video of(I don't like music videos!) War Pigs, slays. Wild. War P was so extreme, and truly dark. Uncompromising. Love your channel, rocknroll dude. My bro got this and Let there be Rock for Xmas 1980.

Though some might refer to these bands / albums as being "Hard Rock" , given the video topic title at hand, may I suggest other top candidates for Greatest Heavy Metal Album: Deep Purple's "In Rock" (1970); Rainbow's "Rising" (1976); and Black Sabbath's Heaven & Hell (1980).

This is definitely a great album and one of the seminal albums in Heavy Metal. However, I think that Sabbath's third album "Master of Reality" beats it out in the long run. Paranoid got the movement into high gear but Master of Reality provided the Nitro that put metal into overdrive.

Fitting an album as dark and morbid as Paranoid came out just a few months after the Beatles released their final album.

- Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970) - Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden (1982) - Master of Puppets by Metallica (1986) These are the 3 greatest Metal albums of all time

Personally, for me, it is the greatest. It's the album that introduced me to heavy metal. If it's not the greatest, it has to be a top3.

17 in '72? Dude, i would have thought you were closer to my age, 50-55. just proof that men do age like fine wine.

Badass,band,1

I remember some of Black Sabbath member told that they wanted to be music equivalent of horror movie for teenagers. So this was sophisticated joke that turn out to be new music genre. Black Sabbath is only metal band I can listen to. Other metal bands seems to me rediculously serious and not enjoyable, but maybe I miss sth.

Short answer, yes.

Paranoid is one of the greatest heavy albums ever. I love Planet Caravan.

Yes it is

Possibly yes... Or any of the other early Sabbath albums.

It's one of the best early metal albums for sure, but as far as "best"?, maybe. I consider "Bloody Sabbath" and "Sabotage" as metal albums too. Hell, "Never Say Die" was as metal any of the others. All depends which album you like the best.

This album kicks ass..not sure if it's greatest one though...to many to choose only one

Yes!!! FOUNDATION!!!!

Songs like paranoid and iron man succeed for me because of their catchy intro and riffs. Similarly with smoke on the water. This is why heavy metal after the late 70s doesn't interest me. I appreciate a good melody--whether its blues, country, pop, rock or heavy metal, etc...

The first Sabbath album was the conception! Paranoid was the gestation period! Master of Reality was the Birth of Metal!

Sabbath's first 3 albums including Paranoid are certainly iconic but I got burned out on all that early stuff (no more Iron Man ever). For me I much prefer Vol 4, Sabotage, or even the more progressive albums like Never Say Die or Technical Ecstasy which a lot of people don't like. Also Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules with Dio..

I always thought the guy on the cover was supposed to be Iron Man.

Black Sabbath is the greatest Heavy Metal band in Rock history! "The Four Fathers of Metal!"

That honor goes to Master of Reality IMO. Paranoid is their second greatest album.

I love all the 70s Sabbath albums, but I'm more favorable to their Vol. Four album than Paranoid. Though its a fine metal album as well, I don't think it's the best overall.

Black Sabbath was my band from first listen of Paranoid. Heard Zeppelin later. Today, I prefer Sabbath to Zeppelin

It might be the heaviest album but Hawkwind's live version of Master of the Universe from the same year is the heaviest song ever, I got Jailbreak from our drug store, keep em coming great watch

I want to say yes for it's time"" however, when ""Stained Class" by Judas Priest in 1978 , was released it just changed the game" ! It's dark ,it's bleak,it's progressive """ it's not for the casual priest Fan""" "Beyond The Realms Of Death " I can argue is the greatest metal masterpiece ever written""" then two years later they drop "British Steel"!!!! Amazing "

Oh yes, it is

I actually prefer later "Sabbath I got tired of the wizards ,faires , and the Occult years """"" Vol 4 " Sabbath Bloody Sabbath " Sabotage" Ozzy's voice was incredible on these Masterpieces' Iommios Riffs' Geezers beautiful progressive Lyrics were endless "

How prophetic are (some of) the lyrics of the songs on this album? I didn't understand War Pigs for the longest time, but after 911, I finally heard the message... I wanna crank that Beeotch every time I drive past our State Capitol...

Sabbath isn't metal. It's metal, rock, jazz, grunge, hip hop, and everything else. 4 great musicians working together. Even to this day, other than the album paranoid, their music isn't played on the radio. What a shame

Ha Ha , I've always classified the album cover as "so bad it's good".

not even sabbaths greatest album,sabotage is my fave,but masters of reality is the heaviest

Havent u released this video before or is it just me😭😭

Never considered them metal, hard rock yes.

For me Deep Purple in Rock is a far more mature and complete album with far more superior composition and performance.

Ten minutes into the video, nonetheless Bill Ward gets his props 😊

I love this album but to me Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage are the best Sabbath records!

No. Black Sabbath (self entitled) is the greatest. (That was my first Sabbath album -1972 - I was 12) I got Paranoid next but my heart belongs to their first album. Oh yeah, Planet Caravan - one of my favs next to Behind the Wall of Sleep.

"Fairies wear boots" is having a dig at skinheads who always wore Doc Marten lace-up boots.

No the first lp is a shade heavier and more powerful 😘… my opinion

No , Master of Reality is.

Ginger Baker is not a heavy metal drummer’ a jazz drummer