Tony Iommi

Influential and legendary, Tony Iommi is also the only original member of Black Sabbath to have remained in the band throughout the years. Reading his autobiography you quickly understand why! Hard working, focused, ambitious... If his determination to play the guitar after his accident in a factory (that left him amputated of some of his fingertips) is telling, his short tenure in Jethro Tull was certainly not in vain when it comes to learning about work ethics. There's no denying, in fact, show more that without him Black Sabbath would never have reached the top. Here, his drive and passion just shine throughout.

Sure, rockstar famous for being the cornerstone of a band more than well known for their excesses (the alcohol, the drugs...) he is far from being an angel! However, what is striking here is that he doesn't delve much into the wild backstage behaviours, but, instead, concentrates mostly on the music. It's not that the rock n' roll lifestyle is not mentioned - for instance, he bluntly admits of having been gullible when it comes to the business side of his music. But, such lifestyle is relegated in the background; making this a far better and more engrossing read for the fans than some other primary sources.

Now, I don't know if it's because of pride, shame, fear of lawsuits, or, if letting go truly is the genuine way he now deals with conflicts, but there's no delving in here either into the poisonous managements of the Sabbs' early days, and even less about his toxic relationship with Sharon Osbourne. If you want gossips or back stabbings regarding such grudges, then move on. He just flies over it all as if nothing happened. Good? Bad? Who cares!

Engaging, he talks about the work ethics, writing processes, and playing styles of not only himself but the various musicians he collaborated with. Nostalgic, he recounts the stories behind each Black Sabbath's albums and iconic concerts. Humble, he acknowledges and credits past bandmates as they should. Honest, he dares facing up to his mistakes (eg the album 'Forbidden'...) … For music fans, such a read is therefore all very refreshing and interesting, away from the ooh ha and self-centred bullshits of some others. No brag.

It was all fascinating, and I just read the book pretty quickly. Sure, the chapters are short, and his tone can be quite monotonous (well, he's not as good as Ozzy when it comes to tell a story!). But that's what makes him quite likeable in here. There's no place for clowneries or showing off; it's all about music. In a word, 'Iron Man' is at the image of Tony's riffs: heavy, intense, but straight to the point. I loved it! show less

An easy to read and highly entertaining peek behind the metal curtain known as Black Sabbath. Rather obviously written by T.J. Lammers from recorded interviews with Tony Iommi, (the book reads as though Iommi is sitting on a comfortable couch and recalling events from his past), the stories are amusing and revelatory.

The book is chock full of anecdotes about how Sabbath came about and how Iommi has worked with a multitude of talented people over the years. Many of the pranks these guys show more pulled on each other had me laughing out loud - even though some were extremely dangerous. I also did not know how much Sabbath had influenced the This is Spinal Tap movie. The Stonehenge thing is real and is perhaps even more funny here than how the film portrayed it. Also, Sabbath is the band with an actual combustible drummer - although there was nothing spontaneous about it in real life as it was a prank gone wrong.

Highly recommended to anyone that is a fan of the heavy music genre. show less

The human story is always interesting, especially when it involves a rags-to-riches story. While the typical biography of a rock n roll star is one of drugs, sex, and wild times -- and this story delivers some of that -- this autobiography shares the inner thoughts of a working class guy that really likes making music. My passion for Black Sabbath has waned over the years as my music taste has changed, I'm glad to get some insights into a band that helped define heavy metal rock.

What a fun read. Sabbath's one of my favorite acts and it's great hearing Tony tell all the old stories. If your interest in rock and metal isn't high, and you don't get a kick out of the antics of rock stars, this may not be up your alley.