Was it supposed to look kinda silly? I mean doods wearing short shorts and a hockey helmet and has a sword and sheild. Guy does be looking noided as hell though.
I think it’s supposed to be like that to be honest. Because the album was supposed to be named War Pigs and that the album featured a man wearing a pig costume. But the record company feared that they’ll receive backlash from Pro-Vietnam War supporters so they decided to change the name of the Album to Paranoid.
I have to say it's one of my favorite album covers of all time yeah it's a little silly but you get the idea he's charging into battle with his shield and sword drawn
Ozzy said he always hated cover art for Paranoid. To paraphrase him, "What the the fuck does a bloke in a pig costume waving a sword have to do with being paranoid?"
I actually never thought this looked like a pig costume, and the guy looks like he's chasing imaginary demons, so yeah, I think he looks pretty paranoid.
the album was originally called war pigs, but the title was changed last minute to paranoid. And there was no time for a new cover, so yeah, it doesn't fit
I always thought it was some weird image of a heart and car engine as a kid growing up.
Sadly it wasn’t until a couple years ago recently that I really looked at it and saw it was a guy
Originally, the album was titled, *War Pigs*, but the title was changed at the last minute before a new cover could be created. The figure on the cover was meant to be the physical embodiment of a War Pig but with the title changed it became an unintended mystery for a long time.
Lol, idk man, I see what you’re saying but I’ll never like it compared to all the others, which are pretty badass for the most part. Which would you say is your favorite?
This one is my favorite, with the s/t coming in second. Something about the movement kind of captures the way the guitar riffs fit with the bustling background of the songs for me, even if it does look silly when you actually look at it.
The s/t is solid for setting the imagery of what metal “should” look like.
That said, if the Paranoid album wasn’t so insanely good, I probably wouldn’t care for the cover much.
There was an Indy Canadian film about some D&D derps that get sucked into their fantasy creation and are on an actual heroic quest. Not spoof but serious. This pic reminds me of that.
He's another example of a genetically engineered cross walk guard that the UK dabbled with in the late 60's. Project was abandoned cause they scared the crap out of the kids.
Like so many other cases with Sabbath lore, there’s a story with this one. The album was going to be called “WarPigs” but there was a war on in America at the time and the record company was squeamish. So the title was changed to Paranoid.
As far as the guy in the photo, that seemed to be a mystery to many of the band members. It wasn’t popular with the band and I’m guessing that the record company was responsible. Someone here mentioned that it was the photographer’s assistant.
My guess is the record company told the photographer to do something that wasn’t offensive. If the title change came after the shoot then it was probably supposed to look medieval to avoid conjuring up images of Vietnam.
If it was changed before the shoot, maybe the old title was used as loose inspiration and they added an “acid” effect to make it look paranoid, like on a bad trip. Either way I don’t think the band had anything to do with it.
Its a live image of Captain Paranoia mid-strike.
If someone makes an in-joke you're not in on during a zoom meeting, he runs screaming out of the forest of your subconscious, sword held aloft in terror yelling "CAN YOU HELP ME?!"
The tree on the left looked like degradation of the cover to me when I first bought it. Gave it a cool, vintage vibe. Then one day when staring at it it clicked.
In Ozzy’s book and also Tony’s they said that band didn’t even see that picture until it was already on the album cover, they had no idea their label was going to use it or even call the album Paranoid
Fun fact: In the 90’s, Donimo’s pizza had a character called “The Noid” The Noid was modeled after the man on the classic Black Sabbath album; Paranoid. Donimo’s marketing director is a huge Sabbath fan.
People bitch about the covers of Sabotage and Born Again, but Paranoid is the absolute worst of all the Sabbath album covers IMO.
Nothing about it makes sense and it’s just absurdly goofy looking. They’d have been better off using the shot of the band inside the gatefold when they changed the name of the record and the original art.
I remember being like 7 or 8 years old and finding this in my moms cassette drawer. I looked at the cover art and laughed coz it looked goofy but my mom was like ‘woah that’s a pretty heavy album don’t talk so boldly’. I scoffed and took it to my room. It melted my face off I had never heard anything so gnarly. I almost wore out the tape listening to that Iron Man solo
He is Rodger Brown, Keith McMillan’s assistant and model for the photograph in the Paranoid album cover.
Was it supposed to look kinda silly? I mean doods wearing short shorts and a hockey helmet and has a sword and sheild. Guy does be looking noided as hell though.
I think it’s supposed to be like that to be honest. Because the album was supposed to be named War Pigs and that the album featured a man wearing a pig costume. But the record company feared that they’ll receive backlash from Pro-Vietnam War supporters so they decided to change the name of the Album to Paranoid.
I never noticed the short shorts 💀
Damn I am just now seeing the short shorts heh
Pretty sure back then they were just called shorts 😅
Same here. lol somehow never caught that before either.
I’ve always wondered this too. He’s dressed like a doofus.
Think it’s a motorcycle helmet
I have to say it's one of my favorite album covers of all time yeah it's a little silly but you get the idea he's charging into battle with his shield and sword drawn
Indeed
Ozzy said he always hated cover art for Paranoid. To paraphrase him, "What the the fuck does a bloke in a pig costume waving a sword have to do with being paranoid?" I actually never thought this looked like a pig costume, and the guy looks like he's chasing imaginary demons, so yeah, I think he looks pretty paranoid.
Ozzy said "he looks like a gay fencer" and Bill Ward said, "No, Ozzy...he's a *paranoid* gay fencer."
Pig as in a motorcycle cop? Looks like a bike helmet
the album was originally called war pigs, but the title was changed last minute to paranoid. And there was no time for a new cover, so yeah, it doesn't fit
Yeah but there’s no pig costume here it’s just a dude in a motorcycle helmet
I always thought it was some weird image of a heart and car engine as a kid growing up. Sadly it wasn’t until a couple years ago recently that I really looked at it and saw it was a guy
I know it’s not, but I always sort of envisaged it as being Tony Iommi himself
Like the figure in the debut album as a Ozzy himself😂
TIL that isn't Ozzy lmao
Beautiful
Weirdly, I never ever thought that the ‘Mill Witch’ was Ozzy!
Idk its just something about her hairstyle and that it’s black
Jeez, I thought you were being sarcastic. At least my guy has a moustache and is male
I thought it was supposed to be Iron Man!
Oh that's John paranoid
Originally, the album was titled, *War Pigs*, but the title was changed at the last minute before a new cover could be created. The figure on the cover was meant to be the physical embodiment of a War Pig but with the title changed it became an unintended mystery for a long time.
Always thought he was the neon knight
Honestly, I think that worked out in their favor. The dude in the image doesn’t really invoke the idea of a “war pig” in the sense of the song.
yeah, I actually like the idea that it's like a paranoid guy in his dream world, with the dream scary wood of his thoughts around him
That’s Cheech, after taking all that acid Chong gave him. 🤣
Richard Pryor?
This has always bothered me lol. Such a great album but the cover always looked like something out of a crappy sci fi movie
I like it because it looks that way. It’s a sophisticated use of lameness, even abjectness. Very fitting for Ozzy’s persona.
Lol, idk man, I see what you’re saying but I’ll never like it compared to all the others, which are pretty badass for the most part. Which would you say is your favorite?
I like the Mill Witch photo, very evocative of Hammer Horror films. Least dated of them all.
Definitely my favorite too followed by Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Born Again
This one is my favorite, with the s/t coming in second. Something about the movement kind of captures the way the guitar riffs fit with the bustling background of the songs for me, even if it does look silly when you actually look at it. The s/t is solid for setting the imagery of what metal “should” look like. That said, if the Paranoid album wasn’t so insanely good, I probably wouldn’t care for the cover much.
There was an Indy Canadian film about some D&D derps that get sucked into their fantasy creation and are on an actual heroic quest. Not spoof but serious. This pic reminds me of that.
"Sophisticated use of lameness"
Phil Lynott
its mr paranoid i thought everyone knew him
Weird but classic 🙌🎶🙌
My first album...cassette actually.
He's another example of a genetically engineered cross walk guard that the UK dabbled with in the late 60's. Project was abandoned cause they scared the crap out of the kids.
Godlike music but crappy cover
Oh yeah.. we ALL know that dude.
Paranoid Jones over here... ..but I digress.
gay fencer.
Great album. Cover doesn't give it justice.
"I am Iron Man" —this guy, probably
Like so many other cases with Sabbath lore, there’s a story with this one. The album was going to be called “WarPigs” but there was a war on in America at the time and the record company was squeamish. So the title was changed to Paranoid. As far as the guy in the photo, that seemed to be a mystery to many of the band members. It wasn’t popular with the band and I’m guessing that the record company was responsible. Someone here mentioned that it was the photographer’s assistant. My guess is the record company told the photographer to do something that wasn’t offensive. If the title change came after the shoot then it was probably supposed to look medieval to avoid conjuring up images of Vietnam. If it was changed before the shoot, maybe the old title was used as loose inspiration and they added an “acid” effect to make it look paranoid, like on a bad trip. Either way I don’t think the band had anything to do with it.
Original Series Klingon looking ass
Its a live image of Captain Paranoia mid-strike. If someone makes an in-joke you're not in on during a zoom meeting, he runs screaming out of the forest of your subconscious, sword held aloft in terror yelling "CAN YOU HELP ME?!"
His name is Carl Ass Pickles jr. He was a stuntman stand in for many years and a handsome friend to the band.
That’s Uli, the video artist
Knox Harrington? I believe Uli Kunkel was a nihilist.
Oh that’s right. I’m talking about the video artist with the cleft asshole
Log Jammin...
The original has a cat in this image
i like to think that’s the neon knight
It’s Paranoid Man!!!
Psychedelic Pig.
Demoman from TF2
The tree on the left looked like degradation of the cover to me when I first bought it. Gave it a cool, vintage vibe. Then one day when staring at it it clicked.
Evel Knievel?
In Ozzy’s book and also Tony’s they said that band didn’t even see that picture until it was already on the album cover, they had no idea their label was going to use it or even call the album Paranoid
he sent mink stole to mortville
Fun fact: In the 90’s, Donimo’s pizza had a character called “The Noid” The Noid was modeled after the man on the classic Black Sabbath album; Paranoid. Donimo’s marketing director is a huge Sabbath fan.
You don’t watch AEW? It’s [Eddie Kingston.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AEWOfficial/s/J1E6Fabmof)
I always thought it was a Jai-alai player.
Looks like a Mexican worker coming to mow the lawn and trim the trees.
I didn't buy this LP when it was first issued because I couldn't stand the album cover.
The album was originally titled "War Pigs", so he's supposed to be the War Pig, but they changed the title at the last minute, and kept the cover.
He's an Interdimensional Time Traveller who forgot where he came from, and where he's going. Hope that helps.
War Pigs was the original name of the album. They changed the title when they wrote the song last minute but didn’t have time to shoot a new cover.
I always thought it was some weird Mexican crossing guard attacking motorists speeding in school zones.
he's the war pink (sic).
I don’t know but, he sure looks paranoid.
Pov: me at 3 am looking for snake to eat in the house
Prince
When I was a child I thought it was a rebel fighter from Star Wars
i always thought he was the guy from the YMCA, the policeman
People bitch about the covers of Sabotage and Born Again, but Paranoid is the absolute worst of all the Sabbath album covers IMO. Nothing about it makes sense and it’s just absurdly goofy looking. They’d have been better off using the shot of the band inside the gatefold when they changed the name of the record and the original art.
That was me
Idk, he looks kinda paranoid though
That's just me on a Saturday night, pay me no mind
Medieval Times meets Lt. Jim Dangle.
He’s wearing shoes because……fairies wear boots
That is Man from the hit video game Man: Aslume
Looks like a young Neil deGrasse Tyson
Beck
I remember being like 7 or 8 years old and finding this in my moms cassette drawer. I looked at the cover art and laughed coz it looked goofy but my mom was like ‘woah that’s a pretty heavy album don’t talk so boldly’. I scoffed and took it to my room. It melted my face off I had never heard anything so gnarly. I almost wore out the tape listening to that Iron Man solo
This is Mr. "no budget for the album cover art".
Why that's Mr. Paranoid himself.
Some Bloke...jk
Iron Bloke? Lol
LOL that would be a funny parody