3. Paranoid (1970): It almost feels like Sabbath’s answer to Led Zeppelin II —there is a commercial sensibility and polish in production that was largely absent from the first album, and the album also reflects a dynamism and technical virtuosity which was itself largely a reflection of how rapidly the band grew after the release of their debut album. Tony Iommi said in a recent interview with Guitar World magazine, that the band went into record the album after six weeks of performing up to seven 45 minute sets a day in a small club in Switzerland. The album features such classic rock radio staples as “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” and “Iron Man.” It’s also notable for the uncharacteristically mellow “Planet Caravan.”
