Legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward spoke with Classicrockrevisited.com recently about the 40th anniversary of Sabbath's genre-shaping album Paranoid. The chat can be heard in four parts below:

Part 1:

Bill Ward Part 1

Part 2:

Bill Ward Part 2

Part 3:

Bill Ward Part 3

Part 4:

Bill Ward Part 4

On June 28th in the UK and the 29th in North America, Eagle Vision is releasing the Classic Albums DVD of Paranoid. A new e-card for the release is now available at this location.

Fans will be able to go into the studio with the band - singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward - and get a first-hand account of the making of the album featuring the iconic tracks 'Paranoid', 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs'. The DVD also features interviews with the original engineers, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.

Released in the autumn of 1970, Paranoid is regarded by many as the finest heavy metal releases of all time, is hugely influential and has come to define the genre.

The album was produced by Rodger Bain and was recorded at Regent Sound Studios and Island Studios in London, England.

According to Wikipedia, the album was originally titled War Pigs, but allegedly the record company changed it to Paranoid, fearing backlash from supporters of the ongoing Vietnam War. At the time, the band felt that the song was lighter, with the potential to become a single. Additionaly the studio felt the title track was more marketable as a single. However, the band's visual interpretation of a "war pig" was still featured on the cover; a distorted, eerie photograph of a man with sword and shield jumping out from behind a tree.