[Tony Iommi ]Iron Man My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath(epub){Zzzzz}

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.

Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Trade Paper Edition edition (December 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0306821451
ISBN-13: 978-0306821455

Review

Publishers Weekly, 6/27
[Tony Iommi is] “the undisputed originator of heavy metal.”
Kirkus Reviews, 10/1/11
“[Iommi is] most entertaining when describing the Sabbath’s incessant, hazardous prank-playing…The guitarist is not wholly unaware of the oft-ludicrous nature of his enterprise.”

Publishers Weekly, 10/3/11
“An important addition to the Black Sabbath story…Iommi’s autobiography is as direct as his music.”

Booklist, 11/1/11
“This memoir [is] dead certain to appeal to heavy-metal fans of all ages…With plenty of behind-the-scenes stories and fresh perspectives on some of music’s most notorious characters…this is a frank and honest look at a special part of rock history.”

RollingStone.com, 10/24/11
“The book recounts all the ups and downs the guitarist experienced with Ozzy Osbourne and company.”

Houston Press, 10/20/11
“Written in short, easily digestible chapters, Iommi's autobiography is full of revelations and observations of his career…A good read.”

USA Today, 10/31/11
“Iommi has a story that needs to be told…Iommi tells his story simply and chronologically, making it easy for anyone to slip into the fast-paced tale. And yes, while there are plenty of drug-fueled antics, there's no doubt the focus is on the music here, as it should be…Iommi emerges from Iron Man seeming like a true trailblazer without sounding immodest or unkind—and I've learned that's quite a feat, especially after reading, say, Motley Crue's The Dirt.”
New York Daily News, 10/28/11
“A raucous autobiography…He brainstormed one of the heaviest and darkest sounds known to man. But Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi makes a surprisingly sweet narrator of his own life.”

Ultimateclassicrock.com, 11/1/11
“In his 350+ page autobiography, Iommi leaves no doubt that he is fully deserving of the rock bad boy title but is even more worthy of the Hall of Fame nod…What makes the book stand out, though, is Iommi’s lack of pretense, his insider perspective and surprising sense of humor in telling classic tales…It’s the rare glimpse into the personal perspective of Iommi that makes Iron Man a must-read for music fans.”

Blogcritics.com, 11/1/11
”A personal look inside one of the most unique bands of the past 40 years.”

Library Journal, 11/15/11
“Iommi paints an intimate portrait of his own life from childhood to his most recent musical effort in Heaven & Hell…Readers who enjoyed Joel McIver’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath will be drawn to Iommi’s insider perspective.”

January Magazine, 11/18/11
“When it comes to rocker biographies, the 2011 winner is former Black Sabbath lead guitarist, Tony Iommi’s Iron Man. This is the whole package: Iommi is candid, engaging and celebrated and that’s exactly the right combo for this sort of book. Though it’s Iommi’s autobiography, this is also the story of Black Sabbath, one of the most celebrated and seminal rock outfits of all time. And on this journey we take with him we discover that our wildest imaginings about sixties and seventies rock n’ roller behavior were only scratching the service…Iommi is a likable correspondent and you don’t mind spending time in his presence for the duration of the book. If you only buy one rock biography this season, for so many reasons, it should be this one.”

Gibson.com, 11/11/11
“[A] must-read…It contains some near-unbelievable stories: drugs, the Mafia, knife fights, Iommi setting fire to Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, killing Virgin mogul Richard Branson’s prize carp fish with Sabbath pyrotechnics, that Spinal Tap-inspiring Stonehenge stage set, even auditioning Michael Bolton as Black Sabbath singer (true!)…and, of course, all the guaranteed craziness you’d expect from a band involving Ozzy Osbourne.”

TheNervousBreakdown.com, 11/12/11
“A four hundred page monster of a book, as heavy in places as ‘War Pigs,’ as deep and reflective in others as ‘Planet Caravan.’”

WLKY.com, 11/11/11
“In Iron Man, Iommi lays it all bare. Told in an economic, forthright style, the autobiography explores everything one would expect and then some…An enjoyable read and will make a nice holiday gift for the metalheads on your shopping list.”

Rolling Stone, 12/8/11
“There’s good material here.”

Milwaukee Shepherd Express, 11/22/11
“Iron Man chronicles a life of ale, drugs and women and a trail of destruction behind every tour.”

Bookviews blog, December 2011
“Fans of the group, Black Sabbath, will enjoy Iron Man.”
Curled Up with a Good Book, 12/6/11
“Many books have been written about Black Sabbath, but this one comes from the horse's mouth and sheds light on moments only Tonio was privy to…This certainly needs to be read by any Black Sabbath fan.”

Bookgasm.com, 12/2/11
“Reveals the man behind the icon, yet still captures Iommi’s humor, intelligence and warmth.”

The Cleveland Sound, 12/11/11
“Fans will revel in the guitarist’s lucid memory and wicked humor—but casual rock readers will likewise enjoy this tale of one unassuming English kid’s improbable rise into to the pantheon of metal godliness, thanks primarily to Iommi’s fairly objective storytelling, charming prose, and keen sense of the absurd…[Iommi is] a raconteur whose words are as endearing as they are informative.”

Elmore, January/February 2012
“Iommi dishes on a life of heavy music and even heavier times…Dignified and classy, while still spilling plenty of messy musical beans.”
Guitar World, 12/26/11
“One of the top 15 books of 2011.”

Midwest Book Review, January 2012
“[Black Sabbath’s] interactions with other famous music personalities and Tony Iommi's perceptions of the music world make this a 'must' for fans of the group and any collection profiling rock music history."

SLUG, March 2012
“Some obscure gems…It has a rapid-fire ‘quick story’ quality…Tony’s delightfully frank…It’s honest, endearing.”

PowerlineMag.com, 6/8/12
“Though there are a number of books about Black Sabbath available, there aren’t too many by one of the band’s members—and most of those books are, unsurprisingly, by lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. So it’s nice to get another viewpoint from the band’s guitarist and co-founding member. Iommi covers his history from start to finish, with some interesting factoids being served up along the way.”

Hudson Valley News, 1/9/13
“A must-read for fans of the heavy metal genre, this memoir is also an inspiring story of a musical group and its leader.”

About the Author
Tony Iommi is a cofounding member and lead guitarist of Black Sabbath and is among the most influential guitarists of all time. Born in 1948, he lives in Birmingham, England.

Customer Reviews

Decent
By Golovanov Alexey on November 21, 2011
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


A fresh take on a well worn story
By Christopher on November 6, 2011
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.