IRON MAN

In 1971, Warner Bros. released "Iron Man" as a single as Black Sabbath was rapidly gaining popularity in the United States, peaking at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 a year later. It would become one of Sabbath's best known numbers and a staple in their live performances.

However, I have to give this 7'' version a 2 star rating; not because of the song itself, but because of the format it's presented on. Due to time restrictions, songs usually ran for no more than four minutes on a 7''. In order to get them on there, songs either had to be split in two (e.g. Don McLean's "American Pie") or shortened (e.g. The Doors' "Light My Fire"). WB went with the latter, and while this could sometimes work, it didn't for "Iron Man", with it's shortened length dulling the impact of the song.

If your curious about Sabbath, I recommend you pick up Paranoid, which has the full version of "Iron Man", along with other metal-laden goodies.