PARANOID

"Paranoid" is known as one of the most influential heavy metal albums ever produced. This was recorded only a few months after their first album but it's another very solid effort and different in many ways. The guitar riffs are very simple but more memorable and with more egde, the lyrics are often darker and politically angry which also made an impact. "War Pigs" is the most cohesive track and arguably one of the greatest anti-war tracks ever made. Up to this stage in musical history, these issues were typically touched on by artisits like Bob Dylan in the folk genres. I do like the moody "Planet Caravan" and "Iron Man" is undoubtably a classic track too. The second half of the album isn't quite as strong, but still good. "Electric Funeral" and "Hand Of Doom" are slow moving creepers that develop into rockers, the lyrics are cheesy sometimes but touch on serious topics like death and destruction, addiction and anti-Vietnam sentiments. If there's one thing I've always admired about Black Sabbath, it's definitely their charm and the fact that they didn't take themselves too seriously even though they were being extremely inventive. This was the case with countless British bands in the sixties and seventies. "Fairies Wear Boots" has some funny lyrics and signs the album off well. A very good one for your collection. Three and a half stars.