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Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath
"Iron Man" chronicles the story of both pioneering guitarist Tony Iommi and legendary band Black Sabbath, dubbed "The Beatles of heavy metal" by "Rolling Stone." "Iron Man" reveals the man behind the icon yet still captures Iommi's humor, intelligence, and warmth. He speaks honestly and unflinchingly about his rough-and-tumble childhood, the accident that almost ended his career, his failed marriages, personal tragedies, battles with addiction, band mates, famous friends, newfound daughter, and the ups and downs of his life as an artist.Everything associated with hard rock happened to Black Sabbath first: the drugs, the debauchery, the drinking, the dungeons, the pressure, the pain, the conquests, the company men, the contracts, the combustible drummer, the critics, the comebacks, the singers, the Stonehenge set, the music, the money, the madness, the metal.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
218 people are currently reading
3801 people want to read
About the author
Tony Iommi
25 books32 followersAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.
Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in heavy metal music. In 2004, Iommi was ranked number one on Guitar World's "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time", and in 2011, ranked 25th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
On 13th October (Europe) and 1st November (United States) 2011 Iommi's autobiography was published, entitled „Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath“.
On 9 January 2012, it was announced that Iommi had been diagnosed with early stage lymphoma.
Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in heavy metal music. In 2004, Iommi was ranked number one on Guitar World's "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time", and in 2011, ranked 25th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
On 13th October (Europe) and 1st November (United States) 2011 Iommi's autobiography was published, entitled „Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath“.
On 9 January 2012, it was announced that Iommi had been diagnosed with early stage lymphoma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
April 25, 2015
Black Sabbath's Master of Reality was the third album I ever bought. I think I was 11 years old. I had somehow developed a liking for rock music, maybe through my dad's penchant for '60s surf-music, I don't know. I had heard about Black Sabbath and was intrigued when I saw the album, I think at a K-mart. I had the money, so I bought it.
Mom was not terribly pleased.
But she didn't do anything rash about it. I just knew that if I wanted to listen to it, I had to do so at a low volume on my little red and white candystriped record player. Not that the equipment *could* be played loudly. It couldn't. But I leaned into it and did my best to damage my hearing with that little record player.
Needless to say, I was blown away. Tony Iommi became a bit of a guitar idol, okay, more like my Guitar God, as a young man plunking away on an old $25 Sears and Roebuck electric P.O.S. I loved the power and simplicity of what Iommi played. There was no need for technical prowess - his guitar simply SEETHED.
Eventually, I became older, though I never grew up. I remained a Black Sabbath fan, especially after Ronnie James Dio, one of the all-time great singers of any genre, let alone heavy metal, joined the band. I'll admit that their music, Dio-era Black Sabbath, that is, pulled me through some hard times. Rather than driving me toward suicidal thoughts as an admittedly depressed teenager, they drove me away from such thoughts.
In 2000, Iommi released his first (official) solo album. It was good, not great. I didn't mind. All musicians have up and down albums. After all, they are writers, too. While touring in support of this album, he came up to Madison, not for a concert, but as a guest of the local hard rock station (which has gone downhill in the meantime, I must say), WJJO. There was a call-in-question period in the middle of the day. I took a long lunch break and spoke to one of my childhood idols.
The conversation was brief, but he was a very pleasant man to talk to. I thanked him for his music and let him know that he might have saved my life as a teen. I asked him about the rumor that I had heard that he had a stint with Jethro Tull, which he affirmed, noting that he had recently gone to Ian Anderson's wedding. I then asked him if he'd ever get back together with Ronnie James Dio,and his response was "never say never". This made me very happy, and I was delighted when, quite a few years later, they did reunite as the band "Heaven and Hell".
So when this biography came out, I added it to my TBR list. I'm not much of one for biographies, honestly - my wife is the biography reader in the family - but I had to eventually pick this one up.
This isn't a beautiful, meaningful book by any means. But I enjoyed the heck out of it. Iommi's writing style is much the same as I discovered in talking with him and in watching countless interviews with him - casual and candid.
Yes, there is a great deal of craziness in there. The accounts of him and the others spray-painting Bill Ward with gold paint (with Ward's doped-up consent) and the other pranks that the band members played on each other were 2 parts hilarious, 1 part terrifying.
That old trifecta: "Sex, drugs, and rock & roll"? Yeah, it's the real deal. And Iommi talks quite candidly, at least about the drugs and rock and roll. Thankfully, he's more guarded about the sex, which is fine - I don't want to know. But to say that his life was anything less than bawdy, raucous, and sometimes downright dangerous would be selling things short. The man and his friends were over-the-top nuts, let there be no doubt about it.
Still, I can sense, both from the book and from my brief conversation with him years ago, that he is, overall, a nice guy!
Besides, Iommi promises, on the last line of the book:
"I will never set fire to Bill Ward again."
Mom was not terribly pleased.
But she didn't do anything rash about it. I just knew that if I wanted to listen to it, I had to do so at a low volume on my little red and white candystriped record player. Not that the equipment *could* be played loudly. It couldn't. But I leaned into it and did my best to damage my hearing with that little record player.
Needless to say, I was blown away. Tony Iommi became a bit of a guitar idol, okay, more like my Guitar God, as a young man plunking away on an old $25 Sears and Roebuck electric P.O.S. I loved the power and simplicity of what Iommi played. There was no need for technical prowess - his guitar simply SEETHED.
Eventually, I became older, though I never grew up. I remained a Black Sabbath fan, especially after Ronnie James Dio, one of the all-time great singers of any genre, let alone heavy metal, joined the band. I'll admit that their music, Dio-era Black Sabbath, that is, pulled me through some hard times. Rather than driving me toward suicidal thoughts as an admittedly depressed teenager, they drove me away from such thoughts.
In 2000, Iommi released his first (official) solo album. It was good, not great. I didn't mind. All musicians have up and down albums. After all, they are writers, too. While touring in support of this album, he came up to Madison, not for a concert, but as a guest of the local hard rock station (which has gone downhill in the meantime, I must say), WJJO. There was a call-in-question period in the middle of the day. I took a long lunch break and spoke to one of my childhood idols.
The conversation was brief, but he was a very pleasant man to talk to. I thanked him for his music and let him know that he might have saved my life as a teen. I asked him about the rumor that I had heard that he had a stint with Jethro Tull, which he affirmed, noting that he had recently gone to Ian Anderson's wedding. I then asked him if he'd ever get back together with Ronnie James Dio,and his response was "never say never". This made me very happy, and I was delighted when, quite a few years later, they did reunite as the band "Heaven and Hell".
So when this biography came out, I added it to my TBR list. I'm not much of one for biographies, honestly - my wife is the biography reader in the family - but I had to eventually pick this one up.
This isn't a beautiful, meaningful book by any means. But I enjoyed the heck out of it. Iommi's writing style is much the same as I discovered in talking with him and in watching countless interviews with him - casual and candid.
Yes, there is a great deal of craziness in there. The accounts of him and the others spray-painting Bill Ward with gold paint (with Ward's doped-up consent) and the other pranks that the band members played on each other were 2 parts hilarious, 1 part terrifying.
That old trifecta: "Sex, drugs, and rock & roll"? Yeah, it's the real deal. And Iommi talks quite candidly, at least about the drugs and rock and roll. Thankfully, he's more guarded about the sex, which is fine - I don't want to know. But to say that his life was anything less than bawdy, raucous, and sometimes downright dangerous would be selling things short. The man and his friends were over-the-top nuts, let there be no doubt about it.
Still, I can sense, both from the book and from my brief conversation with him years ago, that he is, overall, a nice guy!
Besides, Iommi promises, on the last line of the book:
"I will never set fire to Bill Ward again."
June 30, 2015
This is a perfect example of how a rock autobiography should flow. Each chapter was short, concise, to the point. I enjoyed the Black Sabbath riff master's story all the way through. I am a big fan, but this would have been a great read if I had known nothing about the band.
January 3, 2016
So, you've been playing guitar for some three years and you're really into it. One day you go to work at the sheet metal factory where you work. This is, incidentally, your last day on the job. You're 17, and you don't really have any plans for the future: you're kind of hoping maybe all this guitar playing pays off somehow in the end.
Then you have an accident. A momentary lapse of concentration and somehow you bungle up something, and you lose the tip of your middle and ring finger of your right hand. What now? Being left-handed, it would take years to re-learn everything with as a right-hander again. I suppose you hang the guitar up on the wall for good and resign yourself to the fact that you will never play guitar again, at least not professionally...
...or you make yourself some artificial, plastic fingertips, ignore the pain from playing (that will persist your entire career), and you continue, and then proceed to go on to create some of the coolest and most original guitar riffs in rock history with a band you formed that goes on to become arguably one of the most influential bands in modern music history.
That's what Tony Iommi did, alongside bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. This book documents Tony's childhood, the bands he were in before Black Sabbath, and the forming of Black Sabbath. There are chapters on all the albums he did with Black Sabbath, if my memory serves me correctly.
Naturally there's lots of partying, and the infamous story where Tony sets Bill on fire:
“Bill, can I set fire to you?” Bill responded, “Busy, so not just yet.” Later on Bill said, “I’m going home now, so if you want, you can set fire to me.” ... “I threw a bucket (of alcohol) over him, and he went on fire. It soaked third-degree burns into his legs.”,
A few times Tony also insists he saw a lot of ghosts when he was on the road. Of course, totally unrelated to all the drugs they were taking at the time: these were legitimate ghosts.
Generally an entertaining book but as usual with biographies such as these there is always something lacking, or the writing is clumsy, or something or other seems not-quite-right -- the order of chapters, for example, or he doesn't talk enough about your favourite album. At the same time, though, it's impossible to dislike the book. Recommended if you like Black Sabbath at all!
Then you have an accident. A momentary lapse of concentration and somehow you bungle up something, and you lose the tip of your middle and ring finger of your right hand. What now? Being left-handed, it would take years to re-learn everything with as a right-hander again. I suppose you hang the guitar up on the wall for good and resign yourself to the fact that you will never play guitar again, at least not professionally...
...or you make yourself some artificial, plastic fingertips, ignore the pain from playing (that will persist your entire career), and you continue, and then proceed to go on to create some of the coolest and most original guitar riffs in rock history with a band you formed that goes on to become arguably one of the most influential bands in modern music history.
That's what Tony Iommi did, alongside bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. This book documents Tony's childhood, the bands he were in before Black Sabbath, and the forming of Black Sabbath. There are chapters on all the albums he did with Black Sabbath, if my memory serves me correctly.
Naturally there's lots of partying, and the infamous story where Tony sets Bill on fire:
“Bill, can I set fire to you?” Bill responded, “Busy, so not just yet.” Later on Bill said, “I’m going home now, so if you want, you can set fire to me.” ... “I threw a bucket (of alcohol) over him, and he went on fire. It soaked third-degree burns into his legs.”,
A few times Tony also insists he saw a lot of ghosts when he was on the road. Of course, totally unrelated to all the drugs they were taking at the time: these were legitimate ghosts.
Generally an entertaining book but as usual with biographies such as these there is always something lacking, or the writing is clumsy, or something or other seems not-quite-right -- the order of chapters, for example, or he doesn't talk enough about your favourite album. At the same time, though, it's impossible to dislike the book. Recommended if you like Black Sabbath at all!
May 28, 2017
I read three Black Sabbath books one after the other. Why? To get what I hoped was a balanced overview of the events surrounding the band. These were:
1. Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe by Mick Wall
2. I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne
3. Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath by Tony Iommi
Perhaps the two quotes that sum up all three books are these, which are both from I Am Ozzy:
And:
Tony and Ozzy’s books are more reminiscences or memoirs as opposed to in-depth autobiographies. Both books only scratch the surface and I think this is where some people felt let down by them (more on this subject later). In fact, I felt that Tony’s book was more or less as comprehensive as Ozzy’s but both were less detailed than Micks (if this makes sense?)
In Tony’s book it’s clear he writes like he plays the guitar. In brief, hard-hitting passages. This means that there are 90 short chapters in the book. All were very readable and written in a coherent and often funny way. There were lots of laugh out loud moments about his drug fuelled antics and many pranks.
Tony starts by describing his poverty stricken childhood. He then moves onto decribe the early days of the band, working through each album in turn. The tours, drugs, Satanism claims, groupies, line-up changes, bad management, parties, fights, heartbreaks and personal problems all follow.
As I said earlier it’s interesting to read multiple versions of similar events; how does Tony’s version compare with Ozzys recollections? Then factor in the details researched by Mick Wall. Wile they’re similar I got the impression that Ozzy felt somewhat intimidated by Tony. Tony was the driving force behind the group. He acknowledges he didn't like confrontations and this resulted in communication problems with band members and management. He assumed the role of reluctant leader. At time he made the tough decisions which nobody else wanted to take, just to meet the commitments that the group had taken on.
The were some revelations too. For example, Tony insists that he managed to project himself onto an astral plane a number of times. Plus he has seen various ghosts over the years. Of course, this has nothing to do with his massive consumption of drugs over a thirty year span, I’m sure?!
But perhaps the biggest revelation concerned the following
I’ve read that some reviews of this book which say that this was a terrible autobiography. It’s repetitive: record, tour, party, drugs, personal issues, etc. Also, that it’s not written with a lot of feeling, or emotion. But what did people expect? That’s what a band does and that’s who Tony is. Sure, you don’t get any great philosophical or psychological insights into "who is Tony" or what makes him tick. Nor do you learn how to write hit songs or get an in depth run down of the guitar and equipment set-up he uses. It seems that Tony is nothing but workman like when it comes to making music and getting on with life. There are no great big “ah-ha” moments where you think, that’s an amazing revelation which I can apply to my own life. Tony isn’t a role model and you wouldn’t want him as a neighbour. But saying this he doesn’t come off as being an unlikable man, he is polite about most people, even people he dislikes. You get the impression he is just someone who loves music and wants to play the guitar.
So in summary, even if you only have a passing interest in Black Sabbath I can recommend Tony’s book. Love them or hate them, he created one of the most important bands ever and invented a whole new musical genre: heavy metal. His personal willpower and strength of character to succeed against all odds is inspiring in a way, as is his lack of pretentiousness. He has massive inner strength and I do hope this helps him to with his current health issues. Highly recommended.
1. Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe by Mick Wall
2. I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne
3. Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath by Tony Iommi
Perhaps the two quotes that sum up all three books are these, which are both from I Am Ozzy:
“I remember saying to Tony [Iommi], ‘Did you hear how heavy that Led Zeppelin album sounded?’
Without missing a beat, he replied, ‘We’ll be heavier.’”
And:
“‘The world doesn’t revolve around Tony [Iommi],’ he said. ‘There’ll be other guitarists.’
He was a good guy, my old man. But this time he was wrong. There were no other guitarists.
Not like Tony.”
Tony and Ozzy’s books are more reminiscences or memoirs as opposed to in-depth autobiographies. Both books only scratch the surface and I think this is where some people felt let down by them (more on this subject later). In fact, I felt that Tony’s book was more or less as comprehensive as Ozzy’s but both were less detailed than Micks (if this makes sense?)
In Tony’s book it’s clear he writes like he plays the guitar. In brief, hard-hitting passages. This means that there are 90 short chapters in the book. All were very readable and written in a coherent and often funny way. There were lots of laugh out loud moments about his drug fuelled antics and many pranks.
Tony starts by describing his poverty stricken childhood. He then moves onto decribe the early days of the band, working through each album in turn. The tours, drugs, Satanism claims, groupies, line-up changes, bad management, parties, fights, heartbreaks and personal problems all follow.
As I said earlier it’s interesting to read multiple versions of similar events; how does Tony’s version compare with Ozzys recollections? Then factor in the details researched by Mick Wall. Wile they’re similar I got the impression that Ozzy felt somewhat intimidated by Tony. Tony was the driving force behind the group. He acknowledges he didn't like confrontations and this resulted in communication problems with band members and management. He assumed the role of reluctant leader. At time he made the tough decisions which nobody else wanted to take, just to meet the commitments that the group had taken on.
The were some revelations too. For example, Tony insists that he managed to project himself onto an astral plane a number of times. Plus he has seen various ghosts over the years. Of course, this has nothing to do with his massive consumption of drugs over a thirty year span, I’m sure?!
But perhaps the biggest revelation concerned the following
I’ve read that some reviews of this book which say that this was a terrible autobiography. It’s repetitive: record, tour, party, drugs, personal issues, etc. Also, that it’s not written with a lot of feeling, or emotion. But what did people expect? That’s what a band does and that’s who Tony is. Sure, you don’t get any great philosophical or psychological insights into "who is Tony" or what makes him tick. Nor do you learn how to write hit songs or get an in depth run down of the guitar and equipment set-up he uses. It seems that Tony is nothing but workman like when it comes to making music and getting on with life. There are no great big “ah-ha” moments where you think, that’s an amazing revelation which I can apply to my own life. Tony isn’t a role model and you wouldn’t want him as a neighbour. But saying this he doesn’t come off as being an unlikable man, he is polite about most people, even people he dislikes. You get the impression he is just someone who loves music and wants to play the guitar.
So in summary, even if you only have a passing interest in Black Sabbath I can recommend Tony’s book. Love them or hate them, he created one of the most important bands ever and invented a whole new musical genre: heavy metal. His personal willpower and strength of character to succeed against all odds is inspiring in a way, as is his lack of pretentiousness. He has massive inner strength and I do hope this helps him to with his current health issues. Highly recommended.
April 2, 2012
As a fan of Black Sabbath I thought I'd pick up this autobiography of the man who created their revolutionary sound. Being new to the rockstar genre of life-stories I didn't really know what to expect but first things first, this book is written for the very simple. There's no other way round it! Not to cast aspersions on the average Black Sabbath listener but the turn of phrase and general flow is very child-like.
That said, the content wasn't quite as raucous or inspiring as I had thought either. There's the odd tale of amusing pranks but in general the whole book could be summarised thusly: made an album, did some drugs, went on tour, changed lineups, did an album, changed lineups again. As I said, it's fairly amusing in places and it's also good as a fan to get a glimpse behind the workings of the otherwise anonymous albums of the late 1980s but in general the book is average at best.
Overall, it might have been better with a slightly tightened writing style and if Tony Iommi had been a bit more 'raw' in his recollection...maybe I'll save these expectations for 'The Dirt' by Motley Crue.
That said, the content wasn't quite as raucous or inspiring as I had thought either. There's the odd tale of amusing pranks but in general the whole book could be summarised thusly: made an album, did some drugs, went on tour, changed lineups, did an album, changed lineups again. As I said, it's fairly amusing in places and it's also good as a fan to get a glimpse behind the workings of the otherwise anonymous albums of the late 1980s but in general the book is average at best.
Overall, it might have been better with a slightly tightened writing style and if Tony Iommi had been a bit more 'raw' in his recollection...maybe I'll save these expectations for 'The Dirt' by Motley Crue.
March 8, 2019
Uzun zamandır edinip okumak istediğim bir kitaptı. En sonunda Amazon Kindle uygulamasıyla satın alıp okudum. Büyük usta Tony Iommi kendisinin ve Black Sabbath'ın öyküsünü başarılı, sade bir dille kaleme almış. Daha önce sağdan soldan duyduğum bir çok anektodun detaylarını bu kitap sayesinde adam akıllı öğrenmiş oldum. Açıkçası anlattığı süreçlerin büyük kısmında ciddi derecede uyuşturucu kullanıcısı olan Iommi'nin çok şeyi bu kadar net şekilde hatırlamasına da biraz şaşırdım.
Kitap 2011 yılında çıkmış olduğu için, doğaldır ki Black Sabbath öyküsünün o yıldan sonraki kısımlarını içermiyor. Geçen yıllarda grup son konserini verip bir anlamda jubilesini yapmıştı. O detaylar da kitapta olabilse en yetkili ağızdan anlatılmış, tüm Black Sabbath tarihini içeren bir kaynak olacaktı. Belki o şans kaçmış, ancak yine de Black Sabbath hayranları için çok önemli bir kitap.
Kitap 2011 yılında çıkmış olduğu için, doğaldır ki Black Sabbath öyküsünün o yıldan sonraki kısımlarını içermiyor. Geçen yıllarda grup son konserini verip bir anlamda jubilesini yapmıştı. O detaylar da kitapta olabilse en yetkili ağızdan anlatılmış, tüm Black Sabbath tarihini içeren bir kaynak olacaktı. Belki o şans kaçmış, ancak yine de Black Sabbath hayranları için çok önemli bir kitap.
March 20, 2017
The short stories in this book remind me of the feeling of listening to your grandfather ramble about random stories of his youth. Only if your grandfather was responsible for creating the sound behind Black Sabbath. The quick little anecdotal stories were hit and miss for me. It felt like he was trying to cram every single mildly interesting thing that had happened to him in his entire life. I would have preferred fewer stories that were more in depth. Instead the quick little snippets that left me lacking. The most interesting stories I've seen in various metal documentaries.
Definitely worth reading still for fans of Black Sabbath. All around it was enjoyable. I was happy with how much he talked about making the music and the struggles of doing so with different people.
What this book lacked in intimacy, it did make up for in bulk information. It is an earnest attempt at trying to capture such a rich life filled with adventure and accomplishment in one volume and overall, it is successful at doing that.
Definitely worth reading still for fans of Black Sabbath. All around it was enjoyable. I was happy with how much he talked about making the music and the struggles of doing so with different people.
What this book lacked in intimacy, it did make up for in bulk information. It is an earnest attempt at trying to capture such a rich life filled with adventure and accomplishment in one volume and overall, it is successful at doing that.
June 24, 2012
I did not go into this with great expectations. When I tell you this book is good I should be clear that I'm saying “it's good” not “it's good because it defied my expectations.” I have read a few terrible books written by people in bands. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath is able to tell his story in a coherent and often amusing way. He manages to not come off unlikable even after setting drummer Bill Ward on fire several times, spray painting him gold so they had to call an ambulance, and dropping him off repeatedly at the wrong house.
I must admit that I merely skimmed the last few chapters of the book because I was primarily interested in the years when Black Sabbath made the albums I liked– a period that ends sometime around 1984 with the breakup of the version of the band that recorded “Born Again.” It turns out the albums I like the best from the group all include drummer Bill Ward in the lineup. I like the first three singers and the original band.
Tony Iommi inspired me to learn how to play the guitar when I was in high school but not so much that I would do anything crazy, like chop off two fingers in order to imitate his style properly as one fan feigned to do.
I have read some complaints that the style of this book is off-putting because it is written without a lot of emotion. I think that's a strength. My impression of him is– here's a guy who just likes to play the guitar.
I must admit that I merely skimmed the last few chapters of the book because I was primarily interested in the years when Black Sabbath made the albums I liked– a period that ends sometime around 1984 with the breakup of the version of the band that recorded “Born Again.” It turns out the albums I like the best from the group all include drummer Bill Ward in the lineup. I like the first three singers and the original band.
Tony Iommi inspired me to learn how to play the guitar when I was in high school but not so much that I would do anything crazy, like chop off two fingers in order to imitate his style properly as one fan feigned to do.
I have read some complaints that the style of this book is off-putting because it is written without a lot of emotion. I think that's a strength. My impression of him is– here's a guy who just likes to play the guitar.
July 11, 2020
An insightful and fast paced autobiography of Tony Iommi, guitarist and co founder of Black Sabbath. Having read Ozzy Osbourne’s I Am Ozzy earlier this year, this is a great companion piece. The whole autobiography feels like you are sat in a room with Tony as he recounts his many life stories.
The auto biography recounts Tony’s life from early childhood struggles, his early experience of playing guitar to the infamous accident that would change music forever. From there we find out about pre Sabbath musical endeavours, into the formation of Black Sabbath.
We then get chapters focused on each album and the surrounding tours. There is a good amount of information about processes involved, ways they experimented, plus all the hijinks along the way. I certainly felt sorry for original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward by the end of the book!
Additionally we find out about Iommi’s solo projects, Heaven & Hell, the Black Sabbath reunion and the beginnings of final Black Sabbath album - 13. Unfortunately the edition I’m reading doesn’t go into detail on the completion of that album or The End tour. It would be great if a later edition covered these areas.
The book isn’t all about the music. There is plenty of information on his personal life, from relationships and friendships, to his recent health problems with lymphoma.
I highly recommend this if you are a fan of Black Sabbath and want to get Tony’s perspective on events. I’d also highly recommend Ozzy’s autobiography too.
The auto biography recounts Tony’s life from early childhood struggles, his early experience of playing guitar to the infamous accident that would change music forever. From there we find out about pre Sabbath musical endeavours, into the formation of Black Sabbath.
We then get chapters focused on each album and the surrounding tours. There is a good amount of information about processes involved, ways they experimented, plus all the hijinks along the way. I certainly felt sorry for original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward by the end of the book!
Additionally we find out about Iommi’s solo projects, Heaven & Hell, the Black Sabbath reunion and the beginnings of final Black Sabbath album - 13. Unfortunately the edition I’m reading doesn’t go into detail on the completion of that album or The End tour. It would be great if a later edition covered these areas.
The book isn’t all about the music. There is plenty of information on his personal life, from relationships and friendships, to his recent health problems with lymphoma.
I highly recommend this if you are a fan of Black Sabbath and want to get Tony’s perspective on events. I’d also highly recommend Ozzy’s autobiography too.
January 21, 2014
A better editor would have improved this book tremendously. I appreciate trying to capture Iommi's voice in print, but at times it's a sloppy read. It's about 100 pages too long and quite repetitive in the last half: snort coke, write a new album, go on tour, buy a Rolls-Royce, and complain about the band's management. It's interesting at first, but loses its steam at the midway point. For diehard Black Sabbath fans only.
July 3, 2018
First off, I am a big Black Sabbath fan. I saw them on their Mob Rules tour when I was 16. Fantastic show. I took my 16 year old son to see their 13 tour. Kind of a rite of passage. This book was fine. I enjoyed reading it. It is kind of a fluff piece as it didn’t get too heavy or dive into a lot of the antics (drugs, etc.) behind the scenes.
I would have liked to read more about the antics. Ideally somewhere between Tony’s book and Ozzy’s book would have been perfect.
I would have liked to read more about the antics. Ideally somewhere between Tony’s book and Ozzy’s book would have been perfect.
April 27, 2014
One of the better rock biographies I've read. Not just drugs and women, but quite a lot about the writing of the music and the various personages who have been associated with Black Sabbath over the years. A solid read, if not the most exciting rock biography I've ever read.
January 20, 2022
Poucas biografias prendem a tua atenção como essa, justamente porque não fica naquela coisa da época dos anos 60 onde a vida dos roqueiros giravam em torno de groupies, sexo, drogas e rock'n'roll. Foi muito interessante saber um pouco mais sobre a história do gênio por trás dos riffs mais obscuros do Black Sabbath, e tudo que ele fez pra chegar onde chegou, mesmo com seu trágico acidente, nem por um segundo pensado em desistir. Toda a dedicação foi essencial para elevar a banda em uma das mais importantes do cenário do heavy metal. O melhor disso com certeza foi apreciar toda essa história enquanto ouvia a discografia completa.
Feliz demais de ter tido o prazer e o privilégio de ouvir essa banda no seu auge ao vivo, e mais feliz ainda em saber como tudo começou.
Feliz demais de ter tido o prazer e o privilégio de ouvir essa banda no seu auge ao vivo, e mais feliz ainda em saber como tudo começou.
October 6, 2019
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, 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!
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!
January 4, 2014
A good one, but somehow I expected more. "I am Ozzy" is much more rounded and, lets say, human. This one tends to slip into "then we got this guy and that and recorded and toured" kind of chronicles which tends to be hard to read. Throughout the book, I got a nagging feeling that there is a lot untold. People just disappear from the story, there are hints at hard feelings but not a word on how they developed. Maybe it is too much to expect, but I'd have loved more details. On the people around him (who, with very few, exceptions, seem to have been extremely nice people) but also on his music. There is, for example, no mention of the Old Boy guitar Tony has used extensively since mid 70s. A custom built instrument, his main axe for decades and decades, there is bound to be a story behind that. Anyhow, a good quick read and a good insight into the hidden aspects of the music industry.
December 1, 2011
A fairly perfunctory rock bio. I was amused by how Tony downplays his prodigious cocaine abuse, but then goes on in detail about various paranoid delusions without ever putting 2+2 together (if you're running around your lawn in your underwear at 4am waving a gun and looking for unseen intruders, you should probably cut back on the blow).
Read
August 29, 2016Good book big Black Sabbath fan , Tony Iommi is an awesome musician.
June 12, 2012
Tony Iommi would probably say I gave him a little too much stick in my review of For The Record 2: Black Sabbath. He’d be correct, too. I could blame Ozzy for the weird animosity I’ve developed toward Iommi over the years. This is with Iommi being one of my very favorite guitarists and a guitarist who’s had an influence on my playing and songwriting.
I remember having this Ozzy home video (that’s VHS, kids) called Don’t Blame Me. I used to work at this recording studio in Spokane, Washington and actually lived there for a while with the owners, sleeping on a futon with freight blankets and all that. That story’s too long; it was what it was. Anyway, the owners’ daughter used to come out into the live room every morning and immediately demand a video be put on.
“Popeye!”
“Waugh!” I’d be fast asleep.
“Popeye!”
“Okay! Don’t wake your folks! I’ll put on Popeye!”
I had to be to work at the furniture store, anyway, so I’d get that Popeye video on post haste. One morning, it went from Popeye to Ozzy.
“Ozzy!”
“What the-?”
“Ozzy!”
“Wait… really?”
“Ozzy!”
“Okay! Ozzy it is! Now, HUSH!”
Anyway, in that home video, Ozzy says Tony was like the boss and bully and all this and I bought it. “Man, Tony sounds like an asshole!” So, I could blame Ozzy, but I won’t, because I believed what I heard and I knew better.
Iommi more or less kept the band going through almost every possible trial and tribulation a band can deal with. I used to think, “How is it Sabbath when Iommi’s the only original member?” But it’s admirable he was able to keep the band going, original lineup or no, for all those years.
What’s more, before Sabbath, Iommi lost some fingertips from his fretting hand and figured out how to continue playing guitar. Then he became one of the most influential guitarists in the history of the instrument and played in one of the most influential bands in the history or rock. That’s inspirational.
Having just finished Iron Man, I caught the Classic Albums series episode on the making of Sabbath’s second LP, Paranoid. Reading Iommi’s side of things and knowing Ozzy’s side (and Sharon’s side), everything more or less clicked into place. Iommi wasn’t the ogre Ozzy made him out to be for so many years. And I think the real love between Osbourne, Iommi, Ward and Butler is evident after all these years.
Still, why Bill Ward is being excluded from the Sabbath “reunion” is something I’d like to know the answer to. I have a feeling the answer is married to Ozzy and runs things with an iron fist. Maybe her bio could, in fact, be called Iron Fist. Anyway…
The best thing I learned from the Paranoid documentary is that "Fairies Wear Boots" is about skinheads.
Iron Man is a quick, easy read. Iommi’s style is very straight forward, no filler, no frills. There are the bad jokes you’d expect from a geezer like Iommi and plenty of rock ‘n’ roll excess stories. I would have loved to see more about the recording of the albums, especially from Black Sabbath through Born Again, but most rocker bios give short shrift to that sort of thing. I would love to read a book analyzing the recording of the first six Sabbath albums, much like Pail Wilkinson’s excellent Rat Salad examines the albums themselves. Maybe one day…
Black Sabbath remains one of my top favorite bands decades after I got into them. Rollins has a great quote where he says the four Sabbath guys would be those guys standing around outside the party, smoking dope, either because they couldn’t get in or because they didn’t want to get in. It's an apt description. The original lineup was a great, amazing, iconoclastic band, absolutely incredible and before their time. Iron Man provides insights into that band and into the man who wrote those fabulous, awe inspiring riffs.
I remember having this Ozzy home video (that’s VHS, kids) called Don’t Blame Me. I used to work at this recording studio in Spokane, Washington and actually lived there for a while with the owners, sleeping on a futon with freight blankets and all that. That story’s too long; it was what it was. Anyway, the owners’ daughter used to come out into the live room every morning and immediately demand a video be put on.
“Popeye!”
“Waugh!” I’d be fast asleep.
“Popeye!”
“Okay! Don’t wake your folks! I’ll put on Popeye!”
I had to be to work at the furniture store, anyway, so I’d get that Popeye video on post haste. One morning, it went from Popeye to Ozzy.
“Ozzy!”
“What the-?”
“Ozzy!”
“Wait… really?”
“Ozzy!”
“Okay! Ozzy it is! Now, HUSH!”
Anyway, in that home video, Ozzy says Tony was like the boss and bully and all this and I bought it. “Man, Tony sounds like an asshole!” So, I could blame Ozzy, but I won’t, because I believed what I heard and I knew better.
Iommi more or less kept the band going through almost every possible trial and tribulation a band can deal with. I used to think, “How is it Sabbath when Iommi’s the only original member?” But it’s admirable he was able to keep the band going, original lineup or no, for all those years.
What’s more, before Sabbath, Iommi lost some fingertips from his fretting hand and figured out how to continue playing guitar. Then he became one of the most influential guitarists in the history of the instrument and played in one of the most influential bands in the history or rock. That’s inspirational.
Having just finished Iron Man, I caught the Classic Albums series episode on the making of Sabbath’s second LP, Paranoid. Reading Iommi’s side of things and knowing Ozzy’s side (and Sharon’s side), everything more or less clicked into place. Iommi wasn’t the ogre Ozzy made him out to be for so many years. And I think the real love between Osbourne, Iommi, Ward and Butler is evident after all these years.
Still, why Bill Ward is being excluded from the Sabbath “reunion” is something I’d like to know the answer to. I have a feeling the answer is married to Ozzy and runs things with an iron fist. Maybe her bio could, in fact, be called Iron Fist. Anyway…
The best thing I learned from the Paranoid documentary is that "Fairies Wear Boots" is about skinheads.
Iron Man is a quick, easy read. Iommi’s style is very straight forward, no filler, no frills. There are the bad jokes you’d expect from a geezer like Iommi and plenty of rock ‘n’ roll excess stories. I would have loved to see more about the recording of the albums, especially from Black Sabbath through Born Again, but most rocker bios give short shrift to that sort of thing. I would love to read a book analyzing the recording of the first six Sabbath albums, much like Pail Wilkinson’s excellent Rat Salad examines the albums themselves. Maybe one day…
Black Sabbath remains one of my top favorite bands decades after I got into them. Rollins has a great quote where he says the four Sabbath guys would be those guys standing around outside the party, smoking dope, either because they couldn’t get in or because they didn’t want to get in. It's an apt description. The original lineup was a great, amazing, iconoclastic band, absolutely incredible and before their time. Iron Man provides insights into that band and into the man who wrote those fabulous, awe inspiring riffs.
July 11, 2024
Most of the books I've been reading have been by/about bands or artists I'm not really interested in, or maybe only mildly enjoy. But I love Black Sabbath. And I love Tony Iommi. There's something about him that feels a bit intimidating, but I've watched enough interviews with him by this point to know that he actually seems like a nice guy; funny, even. And that's the Iommi you get in this book. Honest, open, funny, self-critical and not taking himself too seriously.
I'd say this book is comparable to Ozzy's. It's a really light, easy read with plenty of entertaining stories. So it reads very fast and rarely feels slow because of too many details. I think you get more insight into the recording process than with Ozzy's book because Iommi had much greater involvement both in songwriting and, later, in producing.
I like that Iommi is able to look back on his past and be honest about what didn't work or what wasn't a good idea in hindsight. It doesn't really feel like he's making excuses. There's been some bad albums, not so great tours, rocky relationships, and he's pretty open about it all. I loved the retelling of his experience in The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus. Obviously he had nothing to do with its creation, he just showed up and did what was asked of him. But man, it sounded like a weird, unpleasant experience.
But the book is also comparable to Ozzy's in that it's mostly just a collection of stories strung together. Sometimes I really wanted more detail. Like, I didn't need him to go to Keith Richards or Pete Townshend levels of detail, but sometimes it felt a bit too light.
But sometimes that's what you need - just an easy read. I have no real complaints about this book. I enjoyed it all the way through. Just keep in mind what kind of book this is and you shouldn't be disappointed.
I'd say this book is comparable to Ozzy's. It's a really light, easy read with plenty of entertaining stories. So it reads very fast and rarely feels slow because of too many details. I think you get more insight into the recording process than with Ozzy's book because Iommi had much greater involvement both in songwriting and, later, in producing.
I like that Iommi is able to look back on his past and be honest about what didn't work or what wasn't a good idea in hindsight. It doesn't really feel like he's making excuses. There's been some bad albums, not so great tours, rocky relationships, and he's pretty open about it all. I loved the retelling of his experience in The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus. Obviously he had nothing to do with its creation, he just showed up and did what was asked of him. But man, it sounded like a weird, unpleasant experience.
But the book is also comparable to Ozzy's in that it's mostly just a collection of stories strung together. Sometimes I really wanted more detail. Like, I didn't need him to go to Keith Richards or Pete Townshend levels of detail, but sometimes it felt a bit too light.
But sometimes that's what you need - just an easy read. I have no real complaints about this book. I enjoyed it all the way through. Just keep in mind what kind of book this is and you shouldn't be disappointed.
January 31, 2017
Black Sabbath has been one of my favorite bands since I was a kid. One of my first albums was Paranoid. At the time I was in 4th grade or so. Since I grew up with them, I have a really affinity for anything Black Sabbath related. I read Ozzy's book, "I am Ozzy." a year or two ago, and wanted to continue reading more intimate portraits of the band through other band member's eyes.
Although through the years I have heard how Tony Iommi had lost the tips of his fingers in an industrial accident, I never have heard how it happened in such interesting detail. The fact that the accident happened his last day of work, right before going into music full time, was a tidbit of information I didn't know. Hearing it straight from the horse's mouth so to speak, made it that much more interesting.
Iron Man is full of of stories of band members playing practical jokes on each other, tour difficulties, bad management, drug use and overall rock and roll excess. Many of the same stories are also in Ozzy's book, but taken from his perspective, which it being Ozzy, is somewhat less credible. The real truth in anything is probably somewhere down the middle.
Tomy Iommi starts his story from when he was little all the way until he was diagnosed with cancer. His book, Iron Man, came out before the band (minus their drummer Bill Ward) regrouped for one last album, "13" and a world tour.
Although die hard Black Sabbath fans will no doubt know a good majority of this material from other books, articles and interviews, it is always entertaining to hear stories that come from the source, even though the source may not have been in his right mind at the time.
A great read, which gave me a lot of insight into Tony Iommi and how music formed his life.
Although through the years I have heard how Tony Iommi had lost the tips of his fingers in an industrial accident, I never have heard how it happened in such interesting detail. The fact that the accident happened his last day of work, right before going into music full time, was a tidbit of information I didn't know. Hearing it straight from the horse's mouth so to speak, made it that much more interesting.
Iron Man is full of of stories of band members playing practical jokes on each other, tour difficulties, bad management, drug use and overall rock and roll excess. Many of the same stories are also in Ozzy's book, but taken from his perspective, which it being Ozzy, is somewhat less credible. The real truth in anything is probably somewhere down the middle.
Tomy Iommi starts his story from when he was little all the way until he was diagnosed with cancer. His book, Iron Man, came out before the band (minus their drummer Bill Ward) regrouped for one last album, "13" and a world tour.
Although die hard Black Sabbath fans will no doubt know a good majority of this material from other books, articles and interviews, it is always entertaining to hear stories that come from the source, even though the source may not have been in his right mind at the time.
A great read, which gave me a lot of insight into Tony Iommi and how music formed his life.
May 13, 2013
Poorly written, very disjointed and unforgivably dull.
January 17, 2017
An eye-opening book that takes you through a gamut of emotions, told in a reader-friendly tone, with heavy doses of fun and rock 'n' roll hijinx.
April 10, 2021
A great read. Short and concise chapters, telling the story of a band with more than 50 years of career, under the perspective of the only member who always stayed on the band, and the main founder of the metal sound.
Its so interesting to read about what´s behind of some of your favourite albums and songs, including the good and bad moments.
It would have been great that the book was published a few years later so I could read the stories behind their last album ´13´ (I really liked it) and their final tour.
“And now I don´t have to go out to prove anything anymore, to anybody”
Its so interesting to read about what´s behind of some of your favourite albums and songs, including the good and bad moments.
It would have been great that the book was published a few years later so I could read the stories behind their last album ´13´ (I really liked it) and their final tour.
“And now I don´t have to go out to prove anything anymore, to anybody”
July 23, 2025
That's the third member's autobiography I've experienced and it seems extra poignant in light of Ozzy's passing yesterday. Hearing Tony's side of these stories after Ozzy's and Geezer's has been wonderful. It amazes me how he managed to keep Black Sabbath going with all those line up changes, how he remained sane is beyond me! A wonderfully vivid and exciting memoir of a guitar legend.
November 16, 2020
A quick read through some insane times, written in dry british wit. Tony inspired me with his music, and as with many metal musicians, the darkness of his sound is matched with the humanity of his written voice.
December 2, 2019
A breezy, unpretentious look back on Black Sabbath leader Tony Iommi's life and career. This book does a better job than most music bios of staying on target, and was a fun, interesting read.
April 7, 2021
Shame he dies in the end.
January 20, 2024
A must read for fans of Sabbath and Iommi!
November 7, 2024
Great man, great life
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