Customer Reviews

Iron Man: My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a guitarist and a huge Iommi fan I must say I anticipated this autobiography more than the Keith Richards or the Clapton book; however, having read 3/4 of the book in just two days, I am extremly disapointed. Compared to Ozzy, Tony is almost reclussive, and so one would expect him, when deciding to write an autobiography, to set the record straight. Instead, Iommi glosses over his life, wives, the Ozzy years, Dio, etc. with little detail. He sounds almost detached and uninterested in attempting to document and share, what one would presume to be, a rather storied in unique life. The book reads like a diary or a magazine interview. While he attempts to keep things in chronological order, the stories meander and leave the reader confused at times. Makes one wonder exactly what Mr. Lammers was doing in regard to this book.
Coming from the preeminent architect of heavy metal, this is a real missed opportunity for the rest of us.

I will preface by noting I got into Sabbath relatively late - in the early '90s by way of Soundgarden, and have not read much about them prior to picking this up, so not sure how much of Tony's story has been previously discussed. Having said that, I thought 'Iron Man' was an entertaining look at Tony's life in and out of Sabbath. The stories of Tony's upbringing and family life were insightful into what shaped his work ethic and drive for success. The fingertip-severing story is so widely known, it was almost a waste of print to detail it once again - but on the flip side, it was a key moment in defining the Sabbath sound, so of course it must be told. From an outsider's perspective at least, it seemed like Tony delivered a fair picture of the dynamics within Sabbath - the increasing focus of creative output upon him, the deterioration of band relationships leading up to Ozzy's firing. Then the rebirth with Dio, the various iterations of the band until it basically became "Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath". Then the reunions and up to the present day. On the lighter side, the constant practical jokes, particularly the relentless torturing of Bill Ward, got me laughing many times, as well as the Spinal Tap-ish moments with the Stonehenge debacle and the "Black Sabbath with Magic Show" gig [or whatever the opening act was].

Regarding the format of the narrative - it definitely took me a couple chapters to get the rhythm. At first, I was a little disappointed by how brief each chapter was - 3-5 pages for many. I flipped ahead a little to see if things got longer as it went along - they did not. I was also a little confused once or twice, as he bounced around in time - carrying a given scenario through to its' ultimate conclusion down the road, then coming back to something else contemporary to the start, but after a bit, I came to feel like you were sitting there having a conversation with Tony, and he was reeling off stories. Given he was not setting out to write a band history, I think the relaxed, informal structure works here. He's telling his story, as he thinks of it, and the way he wants. Could I have used a little more detail about the first few albums, versus 'Tyr', of course. As a guitar player myself, would I have liked more insight into his approach to riff-writing, gear, and how he crafts his crushing tone - most definitely. But, this is Tony's chance to tell his story the way he wanted, and have to respect his wishes. Overall, I think he succeded and the book will be enjoyable for fans of Tony/Sabbath.

I will also add, given there's been some debate regarding one or more of his book signings, I attended the one at Bookends in NJ on November 1st, and everything seemed to run in a relaxed and friendly manner. His bodyguard/handler came around outside several times indicating Tony would not be signing anything other than his book, nor would he be personalizing inscriptions, nor posing for pictures [which he actually was doing]. I realize that may have been disappointing for people, but it was a book tour, not a memorabilia signing event. I was happy to get a signed copy for myself, one for a friend who was not able to attend, and a nice picture shaking hands with Tony. No complaints at all.

Tony is, of course, great, and seems to be really quite a nice guy, smart and kind at the core. However, this book is pretty drab. It is mostly a slow slog through every album he made, such that Ozzy has left Sabbath by half way through the book. Records like "TYR" get as much space as "Paranoid" or "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", which seems quite odd, given that it is for the latter that Iommi is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, not the former. There are anecdotes, but again, fairly boring. Tony played a prank on someone in the band. They played a prank on him. Everyone got drunk. Ho-hum. There is really little if any insight into the music other than a recitation of what was recorded where and when, which you can get from Wikipedia for free. Little insight into any of the personalities involved, including Ozzy and Geezer. What was it really like to be in a band with Ozzy? You won't really hear. I like Tony a lot, and wish him well, but this is really rather a trudge.

Black Sabbath from a non Ozzy-centric point of view. Finally, we hear from another voice, learn of different characters, and, best of all, are treated to some new stories. I like Ozzy as much as the next guy, but there are only so many times you want to hear the same stories, about the same person, told from the same point of view. With "Iron Man", Mr. Iommi manages to bring a breath of fresh air in to a well worn story; we see that there was far more to Black Sabbath than just Ozzy Osbourne.

Having said that, I must point out one glaring flaw in this work; while there was a professional writer involved in creating the book, TJ Lammers, there remains the need for a better novelization of Iommi's reflections. The book ultimately read much more like a compilation of journal entries, than a fluid biography. The chapters are extremely short and fail to feed in to one another, creating a choppy feel to the story telling. One is left with the impression that Mr. Lammers compiled a series of interview highlights to tell the story, rather than used the interviews as research for the story.

Shortcomings aside, "Iron Man" provides a much needed alternative take on the subject matter; a better understanding of both Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi.

My buddies and I grew up on Sabbath, were inspired to play guitars as a result and still love the music over 40 years later. I learned entertaining details about some of my favorite songs and the band reading this book. I got plenty of laughs along the way. Its a great read and tough to put down. I actually like the excessive chapter separation. Its easier to read when you've got a few moments as opposed to carving out a long sit down session. After the original band goes separate ways the story starts to get a little old as this singer and that drummer drifts in and out of the band. I found the first half of the book more engaging but still enjoyed the whole progression. Tony remains the soul survivor throughout and never gives up the effort to keep it going. I was really impressed with Tony's level of focus and professionalism. He's been through a lot. He's done great things and broken the right rules to help create lasting music we love.
The material is great and very entertaining at times and although it progresses from the early days to the present, the dates and stories are mixed up. There are a couple of paragraphs from early chapters that are repeated in later chapters word for word. The book needs some serious editing to clean things up. I'd love to give it 5 stars because I'm a big fan and admire Tony even more so after reading the book but the organization and lack of cohesiveness force a couple deductions.
I hope the original band does get back in the studio and do some touring. These guys are the true godfathers of heavy metal, still respect each other and deserve all the recognition they rightly deserve.
Rock 'n Roll!!!
\m/ \m/

I read "I AM OZZY" last year and wanted to compare the two books. Both books were really good (not usually a bio type reader).
I am a Sabbath fan but the book is a great lesson that nothing comes easy , these 4 guy's worked extremely hard for what they had. I think it's actually a lesson to the younger kids who probably think these guys were born rock stars.

There's some funny stuff in here too. Just an enjoyable book to read.

Longtime fans already know 80% of the stories in this book, but the extra 20% of details is worth the read.

This biography does no read like most, it is written in a very casual and informal manner as though a person sat at a tape recorder and just told a story.

Then Dragon software was used to transcribe the recorded speech into a book.

At least that is how it feels it may have been done.

But still, it was interesting to read Iommi's life from A to T (I don't say Z because there is more to come we hope from Tony)

A very good book, and a well written one. A pleasure to read even without knowing who Iommi is (difficult to believe, but I am meeting more and more young morons who never heard Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple). We knew before Ozzy's view of the story (I Am Ozzy), and finally we've got to hear the Iron Man. A bit reserved maybe, but written with a lot of decency and respect towards fellow musicians (not only Sabbath, but other acts too).I might disagree with the place of Ronnie James Dio in the history of Black Sabbath, or how the later albums (post-Ozzy) were rated, but - that's the book by Tony Iommi, and that's his story. No need to talk too much about it - must read

I became huge Black Sabbath fan back in 1976 when I bought "Sabotage" - My favorite album. Tied for second is: "Heaven and Hell" and "Paranoid." Black Sabbath is not only the Godfather of heavy metal, but an incredible band with very talented and mostly underrated musicians. Remember how young these guys were when they started!
I read Ozzy's book "I am Ozzy" which is also a great book. Both have this one issue in common: They tend to really skim over the 70's Sabbath years in detail. Both concentrate on the first album, then a little on the second, and then skim over until the end when Ozzy was fired. I just wanted to know more about the albums and the songs, not just the `basics.' Let's face it, without the original Black Sabbath, we wouldn't be hearing about these guys.
The book is well written and easy to read. Very open and honest. No doubt that Iommi is very humble when it comes to himself, being the guitar player that he is and what he created. The man that he is. The pictures could have had more of the original Sabbath members as well.
Overall I loved the book. Like I stated earlier, more on the 70's Sabbath could have been better. I liked how he wrote about the "Heaven and Hell" era and the early years with Ronnie James Dio.
An honest, open book. Any fan of Iommi would love this book. Now I'm waiting for Bill Ward's book and Geezer Butler's book...

Tony is my favorite guitar player of all time and I've spent countless hours playing his riffs and trying to learn his technique. I'm still rather young (23) and haven't really dug into what went on with him and Sabbath back in the early days so this book is all fresh and new to me.

I can understand some people being upset with the flow and organization with this tome but I actually really like the free-flowing randomness of it all. It kind of feels like Tony is sitting in a chair across the room just chatting it up with you telling you what happened as the memories come into his mind. It's also rather easy to read in small bits.. The chapters are very short, most are only 3-4 pages long.

Overall the way this book is laid out may not be for everybody but the information and the crazy stories are all here.