Diary of a Madman: Ozzy Osbourne: The Stories Behind the Songs [Paperback]

Carol Clerk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2002 | Series: Stories Behind Every Song

Rock and roll will never die and neither will the legend of Ozzy Osbourne. In the 30 years he has spent behind the microphone, Ozzy has built a legacy that will never be surpassed in the music industry. From his stellar days with the influential Black Sabbath to his solo career, there are few heavy metal artists that even come close to bolstering a record like Ozzy’s. At the age of 53, Ozzy now finds himself as popular as ever, starring in his own TV show -- the MTV reality show The Osbournes that attracted 8 million viewers in the U.S. for its first season -- as well as hosting the Ozzfest, an annual tour of heavy metal heavyweights which draws millions of fans throughout the United States and Europe. The book presents the Ozzy we have all grown to know in recent years through his most personal medium: his songs. Every classic Sabbath song as well as each of Ozzy’s solo hits are put under the microscope, giving the reader a view of Ozzy that few have ever before seen: that of an intelligent, caring, and brilliant songwriter. 120 color and black-and-white photographs are included in this intimate look at the lyrics behind the most notorious man in rock and roll history. Also discussed are the alcohol and drug-fueled controversies in Ozzy’s career such as his infamous on-stage antics, death-defying addiction, and numerous troubles with the law, including an attempted murder charge involving his longtime wife, Sharon. Some say his music has the power to inspire, others say it leads to suicide. Either way one thing is for sure: On or off stage, there will never be another Ozzy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (December 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560254726
• ISBN-13: 978-1560254720
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,487,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This "Diary" Really, Really Shouldn't Be Read, September 27, 2005

By 

Randy L. Pendleton "writer" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diary of a Madman: Ozzy Osbourne: The Stories Behind the Songs (Paperback)

As a writer whose major influence has always been the writings of Ozzy Osbourne, I decided to buy this book, to learn about the stories behind the classics. I was elated to see the many photos the book contains-many of which that are rarities-but as for the book itself, I was disappointed greatly.

First, I should mention that the stories for Ozzy's earlier work are inaccurate. Back in 2002, Bob Daisley started a feud with Ozzy over lost royalties. Daisley made many remarks about the music, including that he was the sole writer of nearly every Ozzy song from his first three albums, including the classic song "Suicide Solution" (Daisley claimed he wrote the song specifically about Ozzy's alcoholism, while Ozzy contends that it was written about Bon Scott, of AC/DC fame). The writer of this book used faulty information for most of Ozzy's solo career; the above was only one example of the book's errors. The book, itself, was written in 2002.

Sadly, the book is also very incomplete. There are no stories whatsoever for the "Ultimate Sin" album-the book claims that there aren't many stories on it. That's still no excuse for not including any known facts about it. Most of the book is full of stories that everyone already knows (Ozzy fans-why was "Goodbye to Romance" written? How did Randy Rhoads die?) while it lacks depth in the so-called "unknown stories," filling up many passages with stories of the dove & bat decapitations and miscellaneous other well-worn tales. What's worse, many of the classics aren't even discussed in detail. I was hoping to read about the writing of "Waiting for Darkness" but I came up disappointed, as this book only mentions it in a sentence or two.

Overall, this book is dreadful and a huge waste of money. If you want to see the many pictures it contains, go for it. But if you want to know about the real stories, save your money and make guesses. In comparison, they just might be accurate.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Best for the rare Sabbath pix, February 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Diary of a Madman: Ozzy Osbourne: The Stories Behind the Songs (Paperback)

One thing that needs to mentioned is the rarity of the Black Sabbath pictures included. I've been a Sabbath collector for years, and have not seen most of the pictures included--live, backstage, and photo-shoot settings. Many of them are of Tony Iommi (Ozzy's arch-enemy of old), as it happens.
As far as the actual commentary on the songs, in this subject matter it is hard to tell what is truly legitimate. Manipulated statements and entirely invented statements abound in the music journalism industry, so you have to take that at face value. Some comments attributed to Ozzy are rather articulate (not his style), and therefore one would have to wonder if they are really his own.
There is one GLARING mistake in the pictures which tends to sap the already-low credibility from a publication of this sort: a photo of Brad Gillis (brief Ozzy guitarist) is next to a photo of Dave Spitz (brief Sabbath bassist), and the caption below them reads something to the effect of "Brad Gillis was replaced by Jake E. Lee", implying that the photo of Dave Spitz is really Jake E. Lee (which is strange since Dave is clearly holding a bass guitar!).
This book is great for the rare old pictures, but it is still nothing more than one of a million books of questionable accuracy put together by bandwagon-jumping "authors" who most likely have little idea of who or what they're talking about and are trying to cash in on a current fad.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great look at Sabbath and Ozzy, September 13, 2004

By 

Sam S. (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diary of a Madman: Ozzy Osbourne: The Stories Behind the Songs (Paperback)

Diary of a Madman is a must have book for any Sabbath/Ozzy fan. Carol Clark takes you through "Black Sabbath" all the way to "Down to Earth" highlighting all the important band events along the way while providing interesting information on all the important Ozzy/Sabbath songs. This book is a easy and fascinating read. Even if your a die hard Ozzy/Sabbath fan you will still find many interesting tidbits in this coffe table book. It also contains a GREAT selection of pictures!