"Paranoid" by Black Sabbath - Vocal Analysis and Reaction to Ozzy Osbourne's Expert Delivery

[@michaellynch9550]

A couple of words I never thought I’d hear matched with Ozzy Osbourne. Sophisticated and elegant.

[@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle]

clearly not a reference to his off the stage behavior and lowlife proclivities

[@michaelmaltzer5426]

😂

[@bradpriebe9218]

Yeah, enunciate and articulate are not usually in the same sentence as Ozzy either. To be fair, he IS usually easier to understand when he's singing 😂😂

[@michaellynch9550]

@@bradpriebe9218 yeah he can hardly stutter his way through a sentence

[@deanrotering879]

Same lol

[@shorerocks]

As a guitar player, and live-long Black Sabbath fan (I am 57), let me just say: Geezer Butler on bass is awesome.

[@glennsbjorling1525]

He and Bill provide a basis reminiscent of Andy and Pete from UFO. Seems necessary if you want to kick ass!

[@JimObsolete]

Looks pretty basic to me

[@Dr.Claw_M.A.D.]

Who wasn't punching above thier weight class in Black Sabbath?

[@kengayoka1645]

No one talkin about Geezer's Bass slapin Technique.

[@waynecanning4122]

I don’t know if he’s slapping it as much as knocking the shit out of it

[@johnfry4501]

Yeah it’s the sort of thing all the high school kids trying to cover this said… do what now? Same as Leo - 10 Years After. It’s like he got an upright and turned it sideways.

[@SkullMonkeyUK]

Legendry ... Villa forever! lol

[@vicprovost2561]

Love Leo Lyons on killer bass, too!

[@redhotchilifan98]

He’s a bass god

[@Cadinho93]

"We recorded the whole thing (the album) in about 2 or 3 days, live in the studio. The song "Paranoid" was written as an afterthought. We basically needed a 3 minute filler for the album and Tony came up with the riff. I quickly did the lyrics and Ozzy was reading them as he was singing." - Geezer Butler (bass) Without a doubt one of the greatest rock songs ever written, especially since it was completely spontaneous.

[@Gabriel_Moline]

Why is it great cuz it’s in the last minute? I’d rather ponder over something like TOOL, where everything is thought out.🌿🌸

[@seanh4841]

​@@Gabriel_MolineBollocks

[@anthonyv6962]

Taking this a bit further, after Ozzy had been singing the song for a week or two he asked Geezer "What is that song paranoid about?" That to me seems insane but I watched an interview with Geezer and that's the story he told.

[@Calgac]

@@Gabriel_Molinei like tool but sabbath shits all over them

[@dogsmusicbookstravelscience]

I wish I could go back in time to 1970 and tell the band, just after they've spent a few minutes on this 'quickie' to fill an album, that 54 years later highly educated students of music would devote their time to analysing that song on a globally accessible platform ... if only for the privilege of being called a "crazy loon" by Ozzy Osbourne! 😃

[@billpimentel-vm6cu]

Seeing OZZY this young still blows my mind

[@SharonStelzner]

This is how I think of Ozzie.

[@phillipridgway8317]

Before he blew HIS mind!🤨

[@kellypickle]

Thank you for appreciating Ozzie‘s vocal ability. It’s jarring and pleasurable at the same time. It’s so unusual and it’s hard to describe why it’s amazing. But you’ve done a really good job. That baseline is just absolutely filthy. These guys were the best they set the standard and everybody who knows anything knows it.

[@capstan50g]

This is my favorite Black Sabbath song. The driving energy of the band with Ozzy's manic vocal soaring above is an unbeatable combination. Nice analysis, Bethany!

[@glaight6362]

What a great analysis, you're helping us to appreciate these iconic bands in a new light. You said the opening riffs in this song seemed like a anthem. I would suggest it is 'the' anthem of heavy metal. Not least because this is where it all started.

[@bazkeen]

Geezer Butler (Bass player) wrote this in about 20 minutes as a fill in for the album. Tony Iommi (lead guitarist) wrote the music😂😂 One of their most memorable hits. The album eventually was named Paranoid 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 In the video you get a quick glimpse of Tony's fretting hand. He has 2 prosthetic finger tips. Cut the tips of his fingers of on the last day of work before going on tour with his first band. He is a real legend

[@alphooey]

Paranoid still sounds good

[@bazkeen]

​@@alphooeyI still come to a standstill when I hear it 🤘🏻🔥🤘🏻🔥

[@KIITOS-bo5fd]

Got to be one of the best groups put together ever❤🎉

[@geecee4746]

Im here for that smile❤️😃

[@bazkeen]

@@geecee4746 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻Me too

[@greglanders1]

Great reaction! This has been an absolute favorite of mine since my early teens in the seventies. Thank you! Keep on rockin!!!

[@InsaneWayne355]

The best part of this for me is Bill Ward not even trying to properly pantomime the drum part. Lol

[@christhompson2006]

A lot of groups on shows like this were less than enthusiastic about pretending to play it live.

[@hoagsmash4188]

This is a legitimate live recording.

[@thebenc1537]

@@hoagsmash4188 youre serious?! Nothing on that show was a live recording. They just pretended to play but the music coming out of the speakers was the album version.

[@hoagsmash4188]

@@thebenc1537 You need to listen to the live version more. I didn't say they were playing it on the show, but that is 100% not the album version.

[@terryevans1976]

Geez, I'm old, I remember when this album came out. And I regret NOTHING, ha, ha. That whole album is awesome and stands the test of time.

[@MrThebigredone]

Geezer and Bill, one of the greatest rhythm sections ever

[@bridgittetirman2645]

His enunciation is extra impressive if you’ve ever heard him speak! 😝

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

He could probably speak pretty well back then before he baked his noodle with all those drugs.

[@deathsalad2235]

@@wesbaumguardner8829 Dude, he's got Parkinson's disease.

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

@@deathsalad2235 I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. Still, his heavy drug use on his younger years did not help his health any.

[@deathsalad2235]

@@wesbaumguardner8829 It's actually a little heartbreaking because for a long time (IIRC) his doctors assumed the same thing: that his symptoms were from prolonged drug abuse. Turns out it wasn't just that, so they didn't catch the disease for a long time. I wasn't trying to be a dick, and you made the same assumption that his doctors did. It's just sad. Not only did the drugs damage his body, but they delayed diagnosis on a pretty horrifying degenerative disease.

[@MetalPersonJ]

Ozzy's best vocal performances come in the mid 70s. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Looking For Today, Symptom Of the Universe, Megalomania, The Writ. Some of these songs have live performances as well.

[@LibertyRapsher]

nah

[@VintageWanderer]

Yes you can dance to Black Sabbath! LOL Great Reaction.

[@PML78]

Weird to see but... when u are trippin... your body can't help but to move 😵‍💫🥴BLACK SABBATH🤘🏽😈

[@AztecHusBone]

I saw Sabbath in San Diego during their Never Say Die tour in '78. Opening act was a brand new band called Van Halen.

[@valfletcher9285]

what a life!!!

[@ge0fthomas906]

Saw Sabbath, Boston, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen @ Anaheim Stadium 9/'78, remember fake Van Halen guys parachuting onto backstage,...good times!!

[@AztecHusBone]

@@ge0fthomas906 whoa, what an awesome lineup!

[@fabiolignelli7372]

Excellent reaction! Ozzy Osbourne is a living legend! His voice, the timbre, the vibe, the versatility, the intensity, everything about Ozzy's vocals is impressive, magical, divine, sacred, transcendental, unique...In addition to all this, the 8 albums and songs from the classic lineup (Ozzy Osbourne: vocalist, Geezer Butler: bassist, Bill Ward: drummer and The Grand Master of Masters, Tony Iommi: guitarist) of Black Sabbath from the 70s: sacred, immortal, timeless, impressive, dazzling, dizzying, mesmerizing, masterful, masterpieces...Black Sabbath is the biggest, best band in the history of Heavy Metal, and probably one of the bands, perhaps the band that most influenced people linked to music, especially those linked to Rock and Heavy Metal...I suggest the reaction, analysis of the song "Snowblind", one of Black Sabbath's exceptional, masterful songs...

[@mstrong73]

Geezer Butler and Bill Ward make up one of the best rhythm sections in all of rock and roll.

[@andreaschadeck5596]

This is one of my favourite songs of all time and I’m not even really an Ozzy fan. I saw him in concert many years ago….definitely iconic

[@thomasjoseph5876]

You gotta love the 3-minute long filler song that was written in 20 minutes by Tony, Geezer, and Ozzy. It turned out to be an iconic tune and one of the best metal songs ever written and played.

[@AdLockhorst-bf8pz]

And if you have a friend claiming he hates metal ... 🤔 he will realize his error.

[@TreyXanthean-c5h]

just a fantastic dissection of one of the Greatest Bands of all time and yes a (sadly) very underrated Singer in Ozzy... Great Video.

[@Aravah1887]

My favorite Sabbath song! Great reaction and breakdown of vocals and music - thanks!

[@k.arlanebel6732]

Ozzy's voice is never tired or vague or approximate. It is always powerfully precise and crystal clear with exact phrasing. He is the best articulator of lyrics and their meaning that rock music has ever had. After more than 50 years, Black Sabbath remains my favorite band. Not just because of Ozzy. Each member of the band essential in creating the phenomenon that is Black Sabbath.

[@michaelwanklin3580]

Tony Iommie wrote this during a lunch break to fill up their record time. And yes Bethany - this is an anthemic piece of music. Parallels with something like Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple - after their experience in Switzerland ) Montereau on the Lake Geneva shore line) Written as a filler for an album and became massive.

[@SuperThaidave]

Live in Paris in 1970 is an awesome actual live performance. The rawness, intensity and brutality is legendary.

[@titovanzappa4629]

Never seen something like this... never more. Brillante beatifull únique.

[@johnwhite7320]

I saw them in Seattle in '70. Awesome.

[@BenjaminPianos]

On rock/metal, "A lot of singers really try to stay in time exactly on the beat, so it's kind of cool when you can hear someone do something just a little bit different, while the instruments are still maintaining this intensity"

[@polkhigh2317]

black sabbath is a collection of musicians who are a master of their crafts. ozzy tony geezer bill fantastic analysis of a classic band

[@jefflambeth1054]

Oh golly is one of my favorite phrases 😂🤙 always makes me smile….love your reactions

[@8484terry]

Bethany please do an analyses of their live show from Paris in 1970, war pigs, it's incredible!

[@srudine]

Love the Ozzy days of Black Sabbath. Just amazing!

[@johnolexa1543]

To this day still my favorite song of all time. Always Loved how Bill held his drumsticks in reverse. I know why, but still seems just cool ! Lol

[@SteveJonesHimself]

Exactly. Ozzie swings on this one -- subtly behind the beat. It sounds cool, but it's also practical as he's not competing so much with the instrumentation. Sometimes it almost sounds like a slap-back.

[@bleuet6918]

toute ma jeunesse ces groupes de rock. Merveilleux et merci.

[@kletterman]

Such a raw sound.

[@HernanRuelas-w4n]

When this first came out they said it was trash. Now it is being reacted and praised

[@thomasjoseph5876]

Music "Pureists" said it was trash because most of the song was written in 20 minutes as an end-of-the-album filler song. The part that wasn't written in 20 minutes is the main rift of the song which had been floating around in Tony Iommi's head for quite some time. When they were told they needed a 3-minute song to finish the album Tony said he had this rift he had been screwing around with, he played it, Geezer Butler wrote the lyrics and Ozzy sang/changed them a bit as they were literally being written LOL. Ironically, once the album debuted, this song was the first single release of it. The "3-minute filler song" written in 20 minutes was the biggest hit of the album, go figure LOL. If Black Sabbath had released singles before the album debut, Paranoid would have been a "B-side" song on the single release. How high were Ozzy and the rest of the guys to not realize Paranoid would be a massive hit once they heard the finished product??? LOL

[@gumballthechewy]

Take every legendary hard rock band from the 70s, they said the same thing about all of them. Rolling Stone magazine had this to say about Led Zeppelin : "The band offers little that its twin, the Jeff Beck Group, didn't say as well or better three months ago … to fill the void created by the demise of Cream, they will have to find a producer, editor and some material worthy of their collective talents", calling Page a "limited producer" and criticizing his writing skills. It also called Plant "as foppish as Rod Stewart, but nowhere near so exciting".

[@vicprovost2561]

The critics of the day could not have been more wrong.

[@keimahane]

@@gumballthechewy That rag has always been wrong about music. They were wrong then and would probably still be wrong now if they actually attempted to cover music today instead of the 'authorized agenda items.'

[@paulfelix5849]

Been a Sabbath fan since the summer this album came out. Followed the band and Ozzy both after the breakup. Never disappointed in either. Ozzy and the band both deserve their Hall of Fame positions... for obvious reasons.

[@Eurynomea]

My man, Geezer on that bass! He wrote some epic music and some of the most demanding bass lines in metal history.

[@mitchellgildea254]

If you wanna check out Black Sabbath, check out their performance of "War Pigs" at the Olympia Theatre in Paris on December 20, 1970. "Firing on all cylinders" is an apt but understated statement that best describes that performance

[@SkullMonkeyUK]

Great Review Bethany, .. .I have been a Sabbath fan for most of my Life from 10 y/o (now 58 unfortunately lol) , I really hope OzzY gets his wish to play one last time with Sabbath in Birningham (UK 40 miles south of where I am from) God pray that it happens, I will sell my house for that Gig, I've seen OzzY iwith Sabbath many times and in his own rights with Blizzard of Oz PVFC :) (with Randy Rhodes, another legend) ... just one more show would be out of this world, ... bring ot on

[@АлексейШеронов-ш7х]

ГОЛОС.....КАКОЙ ГОЛОС ..ФАНТАСТИКА...ПРЯМО В ДУШУ....

[@stonedoummaynardjame]

They are all 22/23 at that time which is insane to see how good and innovative they were.

[@JEM133]

Good pick,and good morning Bethany!

[@Ultimate_Sin-ry9iw]

He has such a neat voice, I'll always remember it

[@Freddy0729]

Thanks for the awesome reviews. ❤

[@MrLuizcms]

When you try to sing like him, with the same kind of breathing and energy that he’s putting in, you finish the lines almost breathlessly, gasping for air, almost as if he’s trying to convey his anxiety and agony. It perfectly mirrors the emotions conveyed in the lyrics. Just brilliant.

[@johnfry4501]

You have to sing in Birmnghamese

[@MrLuizcms]

@@johnfry4501 I can´t even imagine how would that be....

[@monteyoung7126]

Tony's guitar and the drums are definitely the driving force!

[@kuheylan2097]

wow my fav band

[@DerekArmsden]

On these old TOTP performances, the band could go in earlier to record a "live" version and then mime to that on the show. Most just mimed to their record but this version does differ from the studio recording enough to be "live"-ish.

[@Panthror]

Yeah, about 95% of TOTP videos on KZbin are lip-sync performances to a recorded song. They did have a couple of actually live performances during the run of the show, but I don't know which songs/artists did those.

[@EarthWalker2023]

🔥 ozzys voice is insanely good

[@nrgltwrkr2225]

I think you would fall in love with the amazing voice of the lead singer of Kamelot, Roy Khan. It is so beautiful. The live 2006 version of the song: The Haunting. The poetry of the lyrics in their songs are another wonderful aspect of their music.

[@alphooey]

Cool just about to go to sleep and saw you’d uploaded ❤️

[@mylena3086]

Yes! I already love this so much

[@Gazza-z]

Bethany thanks for the reaction.

[@anthonyv6962]

Another great reaction, thank you.

[@metalhead731]

It’s great that you’re exploring the world of heavy metal and the vocal talents within that genre. I’ve really enjoyed your videos. I always recommend Volbeat to friends who ask about contemporary metal bands. I think you’ll find the lead singer’s vocals very unique. I recommend Volbeat - Lola Montez for your next video!

[@wolfbrigade4280]

I love reactions of my favourite songs, similar expression i see in you hehe!

[@Belwot]

"It's so cool" as yous said. Thats dicribing Black Sabbath very correctly :D I am way to young to ever experienced theire songs on release (born in 1997) but i think they are one of the most influencial bands ever

[@paulhester2588]

I too knew the song by sound and always liked it. I didn’t know who performed it, much less the lead vocals. I knew of Black Sabbath, but not their songs. Ozzy Osborne, registered in my mind as something perhaps like Ozzy and Harriet ( a generation before mine), was the best I could come up with. Thank you for clearing that up for me. 😊

[@dougtull4594]

I love watching people dance to "Paranoid."

[@debranelson1987]

Yes, breadth and width mean the same thing; you were correct in using that word. Great choice of Black Sabbath for today's analysis.

[@ScottGibbs]

I think it's easy to forget because of how much of a circus his life became that Ozzy had a really really strong singing voice.

[@SamSnoekBrown]

One of my argument & research students just wrote a lengthy researcxh essay about Sabbath's influence on later metal, especially thrash metal. She did a great job overviewing the easy deliniation of Sabbath into the Ozzy era, the Dio era, and other eras, as though the lead singers WERE the band. But, my student argued, the REAL lead of Sabbath was Tony Iommi and his guitar riffs, and that's what you picked up on right away at the beginning of your reaction! So, shoutout to my student! Selfishly, I would also love you do start doing some comparison videos. I'd be really interested in your take on this version vs. Megadeth's cover, or Sabbath's "War Pigs" vs. Faith No More's "War Pigs."

[@DHallCane156]

The adjective I would use regarding the Bass and Drums is Driving.

[@snakeinthegrass7443]

This is not a live performance but it's nice to see you this morning, Bathany. Have a wonderful day!!

[@21Piloteer]

Doesn't sound like the album version either

[@iznone]

Wow you are so nice girl 😍. Ozzy is a power and he can sing really - pure hardrock in the best, "Diary of a madman" and many more - just pure art!

[@Obono337]

Damn, never looked at Ozzy that way lol I think you'll love to hear Laure Le Prunenec voice in Corpo-Mente - Ort, live at Improve Tone Studios, it's just exquisite !

[@Gabriel_Moline]

3:33. I have no doubt that YOU are the best person to speak about any of this!🌿🌸🌺🍀

[@kenhauser3194]

The length of the song is perfect too. Bam! 💥

[@brianmorrow5350]

.......Bethany feelin' that bass line......... Please give "Hand Of Doom" a listen!

[@kendavis8046]

Second vinyl album I bought as an early teen was "Paranoid". I did not stay with that metal then for much after that, but I loved "Iron Man", because I was also kind of a comic nerd, and was already enthralled with that particular character. But then it morphed into CCR, CSN&Y, and ultimately the panoply of the greatness of the rock music in the 1970's.

[@allengray5748]

Not sure of another band that only had one guitar player at that time let alone no keyboard player. Those three musicians really work their A$$ off. The GODS of METAL for sure!! 🤟🏼🎸☮️♾️😎

[@efwewfwef1549]

it is the "enter sandman" of black sabbath in the 70s. like the pop version of black sabbath channeling all what made them great. ozzy still beeing young here and still actually singing sounds great!!

[@Rivroner]

You should listen "No More Tears" from Ozzy. That son and videoclip from the early 90s is very cool. The entire album is incredible. "Mama, I'm coming home" from that album is another incredible song. I love your channel by the way. :)

[@edubfromktown]

Beople! Yeah! Ozzy does have certain a way with words (that at times sounded as though he had a few marbles rolling around in there lol). Such and awesome band. 1st and 2nd albums I darn near wore out on a turntable doing rinse & repeat :)

[@SodaMehPop]

Another awesome video i really enjoy your content and insight on singers! I only started watching the other day and I'm not sure how you choose songs to listen to, but if you take recommendations, the band Crumb is really spectacular. The lead singer has the most interesting singing voice. I'd love to hear your thoughts. The song M.R. is one of my favorites.

[@efwewfwef1549]

black sabbaths last live performance with dio "children of the see" is absolute gold!!!! that sound!!!

[@NoOne-qr8yf]

Thats nice🥴

[@robsco1249]

You should listen the Black Sabbath live bootleg Worcester '83 with Ian Gillan on vocals... awesome performances of "Black Sabbath", "War pigs" and the ending of "Paranoid".

[@Skulllywag]

Ozzy's voice is definitely one of a kind...and I love it...but what made Sabbath stand out were Tony's riffs....VERY simple, VERY powerful, and totally unforgettable.

[@gummaray9126]

After this song had been made, nothing was the same...and it's hard to define or elaborate on magic. Magic is simply magical.

[@compucorder64]

Amyl and the Sniffers - Guided by Angels is a kind of modern natural vocal performance that somehow feels to me like a descendant of Ozzie performances like this one. Even though it comes a bit more from the punk / garage side. Maybe it's the aspect of not hiding your speaking voice accent when signing. Or maybe it's the slightly unhingedness. The way the band is propulsive, but the vocal is following it's logic and flow, a bit like someone talking to themselves. Which both songs are about. Another recent one like that's is Dublin's Fontaine's D.C. & tracks like 'I Love You'.

[@mire8505]

Il manque un doigt au guitariste 🎸ou bassiste si je me souviens bien.. quel accompagnement et quel solo !!j adore le flow d Ozzy sur ce morceau.. Merci pour l'expertise 👌🏻

[@walterfleury3840]

Ozzy along with Freddie Mercury is among the GOATs of rock music vocalists. His singing is just amazing.

[@ChuckHickl]

Being 60, and a lifelong Ozzy fan, I had no idea that he had such a perfect nose. Never too late to learn something new!

[@blackwolf6082]

Ozzy's vocals are very rhythmic

[@bobschenkel7921]

Had the very good fortune to see Black Sabbath in 1999, with all four original members. Of all four the band member who was the most impressive, to me, was Drummer Bill Ward. He had so much energy and attack in his style, and he just kept it up for the entire show. Ozzy, Geezer and Tony were all excellent of course, but Bill just stole the show. I enjoyed what you had to say about all parts of Sabbath. They are very underrated by many.

[@mikecamp486]

I saw sabbath live in 1978 when i was 12 great times

[@celtic15gunner]

You still need to check out Myles Kennedy , Alter Bridge and the song Words Darker than their Wings live at Royal Albert Hall

[@ВладимирОнипко-м6с]

Thank You !

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

Would love to hear your review of Jelly Roll's, I Am Not Okay. I enjoy his raspy, from the heart songs.

[@thehermionegrangerr]

I don't know if you've done this yet, but I think you should watch José José's live performance of El Triste. It's the best live performance of anything I have EVER seen, and seeing you liked Juan Gabriel, you'll love José José The video is titled "El Triste En Vivo"

[@Mark-p6q3n]

You should listen to Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers. Great vocalist!!

[@sonet1978]

Oh,my Dear..what kind of an air in vocals You talking about..there is no air,This is Black Sabath with Ozzy😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤

[@LuGerWolf]

A lot of good comments to a song that was a filler of 3 minutes. I'm a Black Sabbath fan since 1970 (16yo then and 70 now) when I bought the first album (I sold my soul to the devil to get the money to buy it) and I never listened to somebody analize Ozzy's singing the way you did. Most people including Sabbath's fans are tired of listening to this song but from time to time it's refreshing paying attention to what "new ears to the song" have to say about it. Nice !!! To me "Paranoid" is not Sabbath's best song (the first six albums have a lot of examples of better songs - Ozzy's era), but again, this is the song for what Black Sabbath will be always remember for the most of fans. Maybe some time later you could give a chance to some other Black Sabbath's stuff. Thanks anyway. Greetings from Puebla, Pue., Mexico, and last but not least ... What's your name?

[@DHallCane156]

I know a lot of people have 1st listened to it/reviewed it, but I'd love to see you review November Rain by Gun's and Roses!!!

[@martinuwh]

Born 1965, I discovered Sabbath after the Ozzy days had ceased to be. Heaven and Hell on record and Mob Rules live were my introduction to Sabbath. As an amateur guitar player myself, I normally position myself in front of the lead guitarist, rather than in front of the singer, because in general the singer doesn’t interest me. However, if I ever get to see Sabbath again, I will once again position myself in front of Geezer Butler. I have seen many of the great bassists of the rock genre - Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, Jason Newsted, etc - but for me no one comes close to Geezer Butler. It’s like watching someone playing a piano on four strings.

[@vbxtc625]

Much as I love Sabbath, the best version of this song I've ever heard is the one on Ozzy's Tribute to Randy Rhoads. Phenomenal!

[@arislotero9889]

Hope you can also react to Arnel Pineda singing Faithfully live concert in Manila with Journey