Written by Robert V. Conte with CJ Henderson
Released by Studio Chikara, 2000
Buy this book at Amazon.com
If a book that is considered essential to an individual collector exists, then it cannot be disputed that the respective books actual existence is not necessary by any one except for that collector. My case in point, I am not a fan of Black Sabbath or do I consider myself any sort of collector of Black Sabbath paraphernalia. Therefore, I feel that I cannot judge the purpose of this books existence, but rather the content and quality contained within its pages.
This book basks in a sea of boring mediocrity, and quite frankly, I am sorry that I bought it. Unfortunately for me, I was not aware of the complete and overly consuming reality that this would be nothing but common coffee table fodder. And that is exactly what it is, and where it is destined to lie (unless you are like me and don't have a coffee table). Upon purchasing this literary (laying on the sarcasm pretty thick here) wonder, I was under the impression that I was actually getting a full-bodied biography. Too bad for me, but I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles.
The reality of this book is that it is truly and only a collectors item. The text is pretty limited in terms of the actual biography of the band during the Ozzy years, even though it tells the story in a factual and precise manor. The story starts from the very beginning of the saga, from the childhoods of the band members, (I found it quite amusing to learn that Tommy Iommi used to beat up Ozzy in school) to their mighty reunion in 1998. It was completely timeline based in the way the story was told, and only the most important and shaping events were included.
This book had the potential to be something good, if only it weren't so limited and basic. Go buy this if you want to waste ten bucks, or if you are some kind of mega-diehard Black Sabbath fanatic who can't live without these sort of things. Otherwise, don't waste your time and money!
Rating: 3/10
