You've got to hand it to Tony Iommi - a career as a guitarist that wasn't stopped by losing the tips off two fingers, a walloping amount of coke or spending so much time with Ozzy Osbourne.
Sadly, what should be a roller coaster of a life just comes across as stuff that kinda happened. Almost as if he's not bothered by it.
Part of it is the tone. Iommi, a fantastic guitar player - make no mistake, is no orator. He's a laid back guy with a slightly monotone voice. Sadly, a voice that is captured perfectly here.
He talks about the revolving door he installed in Black Sabbath in the mid-80s as if swapping singers/drummers/bassists on an almost weekly basis was the most natural thing in the world. Poor old Tony 'Cat' Martin joined three times, but does anything get said about how he felt being the rebound frontman for Ronnie James Dio? Of course not. It just happened.
Then there's the small matter of Iommi's afternoon with Jethro Tull. For a man claiming to have come up with "a few riffs" for Nothing Is Easy, you'd think he'd have taken the time to check that Living In The Past isn't actually on Stand Up.
And don't get me started on him talking about Brian May and Lemmy as if the main audience of this book had never heard of them.
Given Ozzy's colourful recollections of his many wasted years, you'd hope that the man who created some of the most iconic metal riffs, started the definitive metal band in Black Sabbath, and skipped a lot of the partying because someone had to stay in control, would have been able to conjure up something a little less, well, grey.

Mostly just random stories that mean a lot to Tony but not to me

Loved this book. Went into a lot more detail than Ozzy's I feel. Just a shame Tony got sick after writing it.

A better editor would have improved this book tremendously. I appreciate trying to capture Iommi's voice in print, but at times it's a sloppy read. It's about 100 pages too long and quite repetitive in the last half: snort coke, write a new album, go on tour, buy a Rolls-Royce, and complain about the band's management. It's interesting at first, but loses its steam at the midway point. For diehard Black Sabbath fans only.

This is how an autobiography/memoir should be written; sincere, concise and honest! Tony’s warmth and love for music and his friends shines through. He doesn’t gloss over his shortcomings, and gives honest opinions about people and events. One of my first guitar heroes, and the Godfather of Heavy Metal… a fantastic legacy!

FIRST LINE REVIEW: "Of course, I wasn't born into heavy metal." Well, perhaps that's because he hadn't invented it yet! What a great journey, full of amazing stories. No, it's not really well-written, but that's kind of beside the point. For anyone who loves his music, this is a must-read. A giant who I was so grateful to finally see in concert last year!

Iommi is a rock god. And his book does him justice. Good read.