Review by ZeroSymbolic7188 for Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

I was 13 in Mr. Byke's (thats Bi-Key not Bike) art class-the first class of the day, working on a paper animal. You know that project where you glue tissue paper to a balloon to create an animal? That one.

Anyway up to that time I had lived on a farm in the deep rural areas of Nebraska, along the Kansas Border. If you need a clearer picture do a quick google of Inavale, Nebraska and understand I was still 20 miles south of THAT, so my musical understanding consisted of 90's pop courtesy of KQKY Hits 106 (105.9)-the only radio station with a signal that would reach us,  my dad's collection of OLD time country like Hank Williams Sr, Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, ect., and my mother who was a fan of opera, musicals, and symphonies. We did have VH1 so I got pretty acquainted with the 80s as well. I had lived a hard life out on the farm and had a lot of scholastic struggles related to a chaotic homelife. This isn't a blog about my life, but an album review so I will leave it at that. I do have point in mentioning it...

Mr. Byke was a fan of classic rock and he would bring in various mix tapes he had made and play them as we worked on our art projects. On this particular morning, one of those tapes changed my life and I remember it vividly; I'm 35 now and I can transport myself to that time and place as if it's happening right now.

THUMP... THUMP... THUMP... THUMP  BROOOOWWWWW--oooooooWWWWWWW "I AM IRONMAN!" BROOOOOOOOOOOWWWW-oooooooowwww... and then what I consider to this day to be the single greatest piece of audio ever recorded, the iconic riff from Tony Iommi. I stood up and forgetting where I was exclaimed "HOLY FUCKING SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?" Mr. Byke promptly handed me a detention slip but I was to serve this one in his office rather than the usual detention room. I did not mind at all to stay and have Mr. Byke tell me all about Black Sabbath, and it's wild front man Ozzy Osbourne. I also heard Randy Rhodes play "Crazy Train" that day. Ironman is this story about a man who is used  and rejected by mankind, and sets on a path for revenge-it was the first time I heard lyrics that I related to-"You mean other people are unhappy too?"

That was pretty much it-I knew what I was gonna do with the rest of my life. Play heavy Metal. 

And that's the impact a single track from this album had on me. There are 8 on this album. Need I say more?