Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.421660922
EAN num: 9780060529451
ISBN number: 0060529458
Label: Harper Paperbacks
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 128
Printing Date: September 01, 2002
Publishing house: Harper Paperbacks
Release Date: September 03, 2002
Sale Popularity Level: 977024
Studio: Harper Paperbacks
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Product Description:
On February 13, 1970,
Black Sabbath released its very first album and
changed the face of music forever.
The band seemed to come out of nowhere, with a dark, otherworldly sound dominated by the soul-piercing wail of twenty-two-year-old John 'Ozzy' Osbourne. Once its brooding, overpowering music was out, millions of listeners couldn't get enough, an record and in concert. It was the birth of heavy metal.
In Black Sabbath: An Oral History, Mike Stark leads you into the studio and on tour with the quintessential British metal band, a primary influence right up to the present day on hundreds of rock groups, from Metallica to Spinal Tap. Here are firsthand accounts from Black Sabbath's four founding members -- Bill Ward, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne -- and from other members through the years, including Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Eric Singer, Tony Martin, Cozy Powell, and Neil Murray. In their own words, they tell you what it's like to turn up the amps, hit the stage, and power-chord an audience into submission -- and create a brand -- new kind of rock in the process.
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Rated by buyers 
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All i have to say about this book is it was very boring.
Rated by buyers 
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Most band biographies are inaccurate and poorly done. This is usually because an author will quote somebody, then insert some of his own thoughts, and continue with another quote, giving the illusion that the band shares all the author's ideas. But "Black Sabbath : An Oral History (For the Record)" consists of all direct quotes, ordered by subject chonologically. Maybe not everybody is going to like this style, but after hearing SO many crazy Black Sabbath rumors over the years (like why was Ozzy fired, why did Glenn Hughes drop out of the 7th Star tour, what's this song about, why didn't the such-and-such reunion work out) I'm glad to finally hear the real deal, right from the horse's mouth. Also, Mike Stark (who conducted the interviews) writes an excellent introduction about the music of Black Sabbath. His praisingly creative descriptions of Ozzy Osbourne ("the banshee") and Ronnie James Dio ("The Sorcerer") were so dead-on!
There are many quotes from Bill Ward, which I was very pleased to see. With all the personal conflicts or collaborations that have gone on between Tony, Ozzy, Geezer, and Ronnie, I always wanted to hear what Bill's point of view was in all of this. It was also very refreshing to hear Ozzy and Ronnie complement each other.
The book covers the entire Black Sabbath history, from their beginnings on the streets of Birmingham, through all their 25 years worth of albums and line-ups, and finally to the Ozzfest reunions in 1997. I own the very first edition, and the only glaring typo I noticed was "Ray Gillen" being replaced by "Ian Gillan" everywhere. I mentioned it to Mike, and he knew about it, was frustrated about it, but told me that he was hoping to get it fixed in the subsequent edition.
Anyway, if you're a Black Sabbath fan, here's where to get the truth of those crazy stories once and for all. And some excellent anecdotes that I've never heard in any other interviews too.
Rated by buyers -
It is a very short "quote" book, mostly consisting of statements from Bill Ward (The Drummer). Although interesting to read, the book lacked any other real veiwpoints from others that have been in the band. It would have been great to have a more balanced account from all the members of the band. Especially Ozzy osbourne & Tony Iommi. There are only a few quotes from these two, & lets face it, these guys are the ones who could have given us deeper insight into the wild ways of Black Sabbath in their Heyday! Overall, not bad.
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This book is for every Sabbath fan out there. The book comes directly from the mouth of the band. It tells of the hardships that Sabbath went through. It is a great book.
Rated by buyers -
Seems to go through almost thirty years in a flash,text and substance reads like a heavy metal magazine(not a complement).Too little spent during the time they were a musical force(1970-1978)and way too much on their dark years (1981-1996). All in all not bad but I expected better for a band as influential as Sabbath.
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