How Black Sabbath Made Roger Waters “Speechless” – In The Bad Way

Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, has always been known for his unfiltered opinions. Throughout his career, he’s voiced bold critiques of fellow musicians—often unapologetically and with sharp precision. Among those on the receiving end was none other than Black Sabbath, long before they had secured their place as heavy metal pioneers.

In 1970, Black Sabbath began making waves with their self-titled debut album, followed quickly by Paranoid later that year. Their aggressive, sludgy sound marked a radical departure from the more psychedelic or blues-based rock of the time, introducing a darker, heavier musical language. But not everyone was impressed.

Just before the release of their debut album, Waters was enlisted to review singles for Melody Maker, a major British music publication. One of those was Sabbath’s first single, “Evil Woman,” a cover of a track originally by American band Crow. Waters didn’t mince words.

“Well, well, well… I’m speechless – well, almost,” he wrote in Melody Maker. “It’s got that kind of Dragnet, Peter Gunn, American detective series beginning. You keep thinking it’s going to start. You think that for the first minute, but then, if you are really perceptive, you realise it isn’t going to start, and that’s all there is.”

Criticism That Cut Deep

At the time, Waters’ opinions carried considerable weight. As a key creative force in Pink Floyd, whose early records were already garnering critical acclaim, his reviews had the power to influence public perception—and industry reception.

Thankfully for Black Sabbath, fans didn’t heed the harsh critique. Paranoid, released just months later, became a landmark album, widely regarded as a defining moment in the birth of heavy metal. Still, the sting of Waters’ words lingered.

Years later, in a 2017 interview, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi recalled the incident with lingering disappointment. Although he misremembered some details—mistaking the song as “Paranoid” and confusing Waters with Paul Rodgers in a separate review—the emotional impact was undeniable.

“I used to read the slaggings we’d get and I’d just think, ‘Why?’” Iommi said. “There was one moment that really hurt, and that didn’t actually come from the press. It came from Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters. He reviewed Paranoid when it came out as a single because he was reviewing the singles that week for a music paper. He gave it such a terrible review. I thought, ‘Blimey!’ Hearing that from a fellow musician seemed really harsh.”

Respect and Reverberations

Despite the confusion over which track was reviewed, Iommi’s remarks reveal how deeply musicians can be affected by criticism—especially from peers they respect. At the time, Sabbath was still establishing themselves, and Waters’ dismissal could have easily derailed their confidence.

Yet, as history shows, Black Sabbath went on to become one of the most influential bands in rock history. Meanwhile, Waters continued to forge his own legendary path with Pink Floyd, known as much for his musical genius as for his outspoken nature.

The moment serves as a reminder that even the greats sometimes clash—and that early criticism, however cutting, doesn’t always define the legacy that follows.