BLACK SABBATH – Paranoid [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set] (2020) *EXCLUSIVE*

Wildly regarded as innovators of the musical genre which came to be known as Heavy Metal, legendary Birmingham-bred BLACK SABBATH celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2020 of their multi-million selling album ”Paranoid” with this just released 5xLP / 4xCD edition.
“Paranoid [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set]” includes the original album remastered, in addition to a rare 1974 Quad Mix of the album folded down to stereo, plus two concerts from 1970 (which worth the box alone).
This 4xCD set comes with a hard book (full scans here) with extensive liner notes featuring interviews with all four band members, rare photos, and memorabilia, a poster, as well as a replica of the tour book sold during the Paranoid tour.

A fan favourite, ”Paranoid” yielded a handful of songs that would remain in the band’s setlist, not least the title track which became a siren call for the emerging genre. Rolling Stone magazine described it as “the greatest heavy metal album ever”.

‘Paranoid’ took the doom laden blueprint a step further than the band’s debut less than 12 months previously. Classics from the apocalyptic ‘War Pigs’ and ‘Iron Man’ to a song like ‘Planet Caravan’ which surprisingly introduced a jazzy edge. The second side included the great ‘Fairies Wear Boots’.

The band were not the black magic dabblers as portrayed in contemporary media, and which resulted in a temporary ban from the Royal Albert Hall. The album demonstrates more thoughtful lyrics ranging from anti-capitalism to sci-fi, deeper than their debut, and a musical leaning that could encompass jazz as much as blues and (heavy) rock.
And, as Ozzy recalls, in those early days they were very much a jamming band often stretching a 45 minute set with one song and, intriguingly, leaving a trail of recordings as they practised in various locations. ‘Planet Caravan’ is the best example of this approach.

This box set is an excellent celebration.
‘Parainoid’ remastered sounds excellent. The quad mix “folded to stereo” may interest audiophiles but is more a novelty than a sonic must-have. It’s something different anyway.
The two live gigs – from a 1970 European tour – sound really good. Given Sabbath’s reputation as a great live band, it was wise to fill out the box set with these two performances from the era.

While ‘War Pigs’ will always stand as one of the band’s best songs, it’s also gratifying to hear live versions of songs like ‘Behind the Wall of Sleep’ and ‘Fairies Wear Boots.’
As curiosity, the Montreux gig includes different lyrics for ‘Iron Man’.
Both discs prove that a BLACK SABBATH concert was a mystical experience.

This 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set comes with enough goodies to make any fan feel like a kid on Christmas day. The discs come in slipcases adorned with eye popping graphics. The design recreates the feel of what it was like to handle your ol’ vinyl copy back in the day.
If this wasn’t enough, the box comes with a full sized poster. Pictured outside of what appears to be a tomb, it’s one of the coolest images of Sabbath.
Moreover, the package comes with a well-written 60 page book on the band and a reproduction of the 1971 Paranoid tour program.

Fans often balk at their favorite bands’ over-priced, bloated box sets for good reason. This is a great value for a treasure trove that includes four CDs, a hard cover book, and a bunch of other goodies.
If this release is made all the more poignant by Ozzy’s current flagging health, and an unlikely future band reformation, we can still revel in their early prowess.
This super deluxe version is an excellent and near-essential reminder.

Disc I – Paranoid remastered
01 – War Pigs / Luke’s Wall
02 – Paranoid
03 – Planet Caravan
04 – Iron Man
05 – Electric Funeral
06 – Hand of Doom
07 – Rat Salad
08 – Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

Disc II – Paranoid Quadraphonic Mix in Stereo
01 – War Pigs / Luke’s Wall
02 – Paranoid
03 – Planet Caravan
04 – Iron Man
05 – Electric Funeral
06 – Hand of Doom
07 – Rat Salad
08 – Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

Disc III – Live in Montreux 1970
01 – Intro
02 – Paranoid
03 – N.I.B.
04 – Behind the Wall of Sleep
05 – Iron Man
06 – War Pigs
07 – Fairies Wear Boots
08 – Hand of Doom

Disc IV – Live in Brussels 1970
01 – Paranoid
02 – Hand of Doom
03 – Rat Salad
04 – Iron Man
05 – Black Sabbath
06 – N.I.B.
07 – Behind the Wall of Sleep
08 – War Pigs
09 – Fairies Wear Boots

Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar, flute on “Planet Caravan”
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Bill Ward – drums, congas on “Planet Caravan”
Additional personnel:
Tom Allom – engineering, piano on “Planet Caravan”

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www.amazon.co.uk/Paranoid-50th-Anniversary-Black-Sabbath/dp/B08DDK4T2M