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Overview
The New York Times bestselling autobiography by the lead guitarist of Black Sabbath and the architect of heavy metal
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.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780306821455 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Books |
| Publication date: | 12/11/2012 |
| Edition description: | First Trade Paper Edition |
| Pages: | 432 |
| Sales rank: | 157,383 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d) |
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.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Sound of Heavy Metal xi
1 The birth of a Cub 1
2 It's the Italian thing 4
3 The shop on Park Lane 7
4 The school of hard knocks 10
5 Out of The Shadows, into the limelight 15
6 Why don't you just give me the finger? 20
7 A career hanging off an extra thin string 25
8 Meeting Bill Ward and The Rest 28
9 Job-hopping into nowhere 31
10 How three angels saved heavy metal 33
11 Things go horribly south up north 35
12 Down to Earth 40
13 A flirt with Tull in a Rock 'n' Roll Circus 48
14 The early birds catch the first songs 53
15 Earth to Black Sabbath 56
16 Black Sabbath records Black Sabbath 60
17 Now under new management 67
18 Getting Paranoid 71
19 Sabbath, Zeppelin and Purple 76
20 This is America? 79
21 Happy birthday witches to you 81
22 Ozzy's shockers 85
23 An Antipodean murder mystery 88
24 Flying fish 91
25 Number 3, Master of Reality 93
26 No, really, it's too much ... 97
27 White lines and white suits 102
28 Air Elvis 105
29 Going Snowblind 107
30 This is your captain freaking ... 114
31 A rather white wedding 116
32 Going to the big house 120
33 One against nature 124
34 The well runs dry 126
35 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 133
36 The California Jam 137
37 Where did all the money go? 141
38 Everything's being Sabotaged! 145
39 Bruiser in a boozer 149
40 Me on Ecstasy 155
41 Ecstasy on tour 159
42 We Never Say Die 163
43 Ozzy goes 171
44 Susan's Scottish sect 174
45 Dio does but Don don't 177
46 Bill goes to shits 181
47 Heaven and Hell 186
48 Ignition 193
49 Vinny says Aloha 195
50 Getting Black and Blue 199
51 Melinda 203
52 Friends forever 206
53 The Mob Rules 208
54 The Mob tours 214
55 A Munster in the mix 217
56 To The Manor Born Again 220
57 Size matters 227
58 Last man standing 235
59 The mysterious case of the lofty lodgers 238
60 Lovely Lita 242
61 Together again, for a day 244
62 Twinkle twinkle Seventh Star 246
63 Glenn falls, but there is a Ray of hope 251
64 The quest for the Eternal Idol 255
65 Taxman! 263
66 Headless but happy 268
67 Oh no, not caviar again! 273
68 TYR and tired 279
69 It's Heaven and Hell again 281
70 Bound and shackled 285
71 In harmony with Cross Purposes 291
72 The one that should've been Forbidden 296
73 Flying solo with Glenn Hughes 301
74 Living apart together 304
75 The love of my life 309
76 Reunion 313
77 Cozy's crash 318
78 Bill, Vinny, and Bill and Vinny 320
79 Belching after a Weenie Roast 325
80 Iommi, the album 328
81 An audience with the Queen 332
82 Hats off to Rob Halford 336
83 Fused with Glenn again 339
84 Entering the Halls of Fame 341
85 This is for peace 344
86 Heaven and Hell, tour and band 347
87 The Devil You Know 351
88 Farewell to a dear friend 356
89 Not a right-hand man 359
90 Good news and bad 365
91 Coming out the other side 377
92 Reflections 381
Acknowledgements 385
Index 387
What People are Saying About This
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.”
Customer Reviews
