First up is the former title track (the album was originally to be titled War Pigs). A scathing critique of the military-industrial complex, it was released during the height of the Vietnam War, flaring tempers of angry young rockers. What is there to say about the song, great riffs, great drumming, and fantastic vocals by Ozzy. All of this is compounded by Geezer's amazing lyrics, very poetic and pissed. Next is the title track. I have never been a huge fan of Paranoid. It was put together in the studio in a matter of hours, and to me it sounds like it. Although it has been a huge hit for the band, I really don't have much time for it. However, the song could certainly be seen a the blueprint for the punk music that would come later in the decade, as it was easily one of the fastest rock songs unleashed by any artist in the early 1970s. An average song, great singing, but a little shallow instrumentally speaking.
"Planet Caravan" is my favorite song on the album. Covered in effects, Ozzy sings a trippy vocal that is instantly recognizable. The rest of the band delivers their jazziest instrumentation yet. Bill's percussion is a revelation, showing that he was certainly comfortable outside the kit. Tony delivers some great leads, very jazzy and mellow. A perfect chill-out song after the raw aggression of the first two tracks. "Iron Man" is another massive hit by the band. Like Paranoid, the song feels a bit rushed for me, a little shallow both musically and lyrically. The lyrics are fairly comic-like, slightly juvenile for me, given the band's very deep subject-matter on most songs. The riff is of course very "tasty", but I honestly cannot really listen to the song, given its status on classic rock radio, I can only hear it so many times. Not a bad song, but not one of my favorites by the band.
Electric Funeral is a great song to start Side 2. I love the incredibly simple but effective riff. The lyrics are somewhat goofy like Iron Man, but somehow are scarier here. Very apocalyptic, I like the very doomy vibe of this song.A Sabbath classic. "Hand Of Doom" is one of the darkest songs written by band. A sort of bluesy number about heroin addiction, the lyrics are very introspective, and one of the first songs to really tackle drugs head on. When the song kicks in, Ozzy nearly tears his vocal chords out he screams so loud, a very powerful vocal. One of the first songs to perfect the "quiet-loud-quiet-loud" formula of heavy rock, it certainly is a trip. A great track, and my second-favorite on the album.
"Rat Salad" is a jazz-metal instrumental. I love Bill's very intense drumming fills, and he is really the highlight of the track. Tony and Geezer's guitars are certainly nice, but the drumming is simply out of this world, a great showcase. Other than that, the song is quite short and feels like a studio experiment. The album closes with "Fairies Wear Boots". An anti-skinhead taunt, I love the playful lyrics of the song, a direct assault on ignorance and narrow-mindedness. A great song, and one of the band's most musically complex.
"Paranoid" is very good, and there are reasons why it has been so successful. However, it is not a favorite of mine within the early Sabbath discography. It suffers from the "rushed" character of many second studio albums, and I feel the band would have benefited from some time off to write and record the album. Still, this is great music, and casual fans will find more than enough to rock your house.
Rating-8/10
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