Black Sabbath - Paranoid EP

Black Sabbath - Paranoid EP
1982 Nems 12NEX01

For the past few weeks, not only has the thrift store record department once again become a virtual wasteland, littered with a stagnant collection of deteriorating boxes, jam-packed with moldy LPs only a dumpster could love, but my timing has been frustratingly out of sync, as well. I always seem to arrive on the scene just in time to witness someone clearing out with the few worthwhile new records that may have actually trickled in. And so it went once again today. But this time, as I was left in the dust to watch another more fortunate record hunter waltz off with his well-timed finds, something surprising happened.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid EP
Limited edition UK release on clear vinyl

With the temperature outside hitting 100˚F, I wasn't in a big rush to leave the air conditioned store only two minutes after arriving by bicycle. So, just to appear busy and not simply be standing around feeling awkward while soaking up the chilled air, I turned to a bin of familiar records I have already examined a few times in the recent past, ran a hand along the top, and picked a spot near the middle of the row to start flipping. I didn't expect to actually find anything good, but when the records were parted, a surprising sight was revealed. A clear vinyl record? Now, that surely wasn't here before and definitely warrants a closer look. Figuring it would probably be a soundtrack for a Broadway musical or one of the many (and ever-present) 101 Strings LPs that had gotten separated from its jacket, I coolly lifted it up to examine the label and ... whoah, it's a Black Sabbath record! One of my very favorite bands! And I never even heard of this particular release before! Spurred on by the miraculous discovery, I quickly rifled through the rest of that bin in search of a cover for it, but found none. I started thinking, since it was an EP/single release, that maybe it originally only came with a generic, white, die-cut, promo type of jacket with a sticker on it or something, so I didn't look too thoroughly in the other bins and boxes and was suddenly struck by an urge to just slip away with my prize. Casting paranoid glances all around and clutching the precious to our chest, we hastily skulked off to the checkout counter, and out into the hot, glaring sunlight that burns and hurts our poor eyes.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid EP
1982 Nems 12NEX01

After returning to headquarters and pulling up all relevant data on the item, I found it definitely did have a very cool cover at one time. This now called for an all-out search and rescue mission. At the next possible opportunity, I returned to the store, and after completing an exhaustive search of the estimated 1,500 or so LPs there, I was able to determine the following:

1. The Black Sabbath cover definitely was not present.

2. You would have to pay me to take any of those terrible records.

3. I really needed to wash my hands.

Despite the missing cover and the fact that three of the most familiar and overplayed songs in the Black Sabbath discography make up the bulk of the material here, I still consider this to be a triumphant thrift store record find and a very welcome and important edition to the TSRR Archives' Black Sabbath section.