Hindsight is everything when looking back on the appreciated works of a legendary band. Black Sabbath may not have struck a chord with some critics at the time of their self-titled debut release, but it was, with the benefit of hindsight, a rock and roll revolution. Counterculture developments, rock and roll drifting into the metal scene, and protest tracks of real guts, it’s all there on Paranoid. An essential piece of listening, that much is obvious, but it’s in how the band puts together these elements of rock and roll, the bits they double down on after receiving a shrug of the shoulders the first time around, that’s what remains admirable about Paranoid. From the first note, it becomes abundantly clear that Black Sabbath are keen to change the very concept of rock and roll genre notes. Paranoid is a miracle in action, a magnificent sound that sets the tone not just for the album, but for what Black Sabbath would continue to make, what Ozzy Osbourne would write as a solo act.
War Pigs remains, obviously, an ultimate anthem. One of the all-time great songs because of both the instrumental lead from Tony Iommi on guitar and the crushing, brilliant writing. Every note in its right place, all the satisfaction that comes from a titan-like song is in place here. Part of it is the boldness of opening an album redefining the genre with a seven-minute instrumental powerhouse, but so too is the context of the lyrics. Anti-war clarity comes not just from the counterculture of the music Black Sabbath were making, but the lived experiences of the band members, all born into a post-war England still reeling from catastrophe across the world. Pair that with the title track and it’s impossible to hear anything but a defiant new sound for music which still lingers as strongly today. Paranoid remains a truly relatable song, above all the clear instrumental class and lyrical intelligence, anecdotally, the song is still capable of pushing out a whole new feeling within yourself.
That remains for the rest of the album, too. Part of the appeal for Paranoid is the tonal whiplash. Planet Caravan shows the band can do slower, softer sounds just as well as the hard rock and heavy metal expectations set by this album. Some songs are overplayed to the point of losing all meaning, and it’s not until you hear Iron Man in the context of Paranoid that the track is wholly revitalised, pushing against the tide of pop culture uses. The song has survived the cheapening of its continued use in other forms of art. Another instrumental masterclass from the band, a song you can throw yourself around to still. That’s a heavy A-side of all-time greats; the B-side is never going to stand up to that. But there are moments which are of the same quality, like Hand of Doom and its classy, heavier rock confidence.
Building on that achingly slow bass riff and the steadier percussion, Hand of Doom is a message of slowing yourself down. It makes all the difference to a mind moving all too fast on fresh features of the day. Paranoid is still a difference maker, not just on the culture and sound but anecdotally from person to person. Rat Salad, too, is a fantastic occasion which is there to highlight the instrumental class of Black Sabbath more than anything. Iommi and Osbourne are in the spotlight for much of Paranoid, but the skill heard in the latter stages of the album hear the tempo constructed by bass and percussion brilliance. Album closer Fairies Wear Boots is an excellent contrast to War Pigs, not in the context of the writing but how much importance is given to this instrumental or that vocal. Paranoid is a magnificent piece of work not just because it builds on the tone that split listeners on their first album, but because it doubles down on it being the direction for Black Sabbath.
