Rat Salad: "Black Sabbath" - The Classic Years 1969-1975
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Product Description
Book Description
Nick Hornby meets Spinal Tap meets Revolution in the Head in a winning account of Ozzy Osbourne's Black Sabbath in their early, glory years.
Product Description
Black Sabbath are one of the most outrageous yet longest-lived bands in the history of rock 'n' roll. This informative, idiosyncratic and beguiling book paints a vivid picture of their colourful early history - interwoven with all the most crucial news stories of the time: from Vietnam to Bloody Sunday and the space programme.
Where Rat Salad diverges from routes taken by most rock biographies, however, is in its detailed analysis of the band's first six albums. These chapters - think Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head meets Spinal Tap - occupy about half the book and persuasively explain the appeal of the music, its compositional artistry and its frequently audacious inventiveness.
Original and passionate, Rat Salad embraces a remarkably diverse cast of characters - from Ozzy Osbourne himself and the other members of the band through to Edith Sitwell, Breugel the Elder, John Milton and Doris Day. The author's hand looms large in the piece. We see him both as a boy and man - from schoolboy ingenue to inveterate devotee - as he looks back at a life populated with love, sex, drugs and death played out against a backdrop of crucifixes and power chords.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It makes a change to read a music related book that doesn't follow the same cliched patterns as their subject matter. You know the story ... Fresh faced youngsters produce great original music, downward spiral into drugs, depravity and despair, saved by God/Gym/Guru/Betty Ford/whatever - who cares. Hey! here I am/he is folks either dead or clean. I/he did it so you don't have to, now give me your cash!
This is much more interesting and is about the author and his love affair with his favourite band. He examines the era in which the music was created and the events which may or may not have helped shape it. This is intertwined with his own story.
The book takes a look at the classic and most interesting era 1970-76 Sabbath albums, discuss the merits or not of each individual song. It reminded me of the discussions we had at school, although this is much more intelligent and considered than "name the the heaviest songs ever written". If you've read Revolution in the Head by Ian MacDonald you might recognise the format. However, to me this book seemed a little more personal and less like an essay. Before they invented Playstation, Xbox, Computers, and all the other teenage distractions music was really all us working class kids had to alleviate the boredom. Not a complaint I might add, a blessing that enhanced my life considerably.
I might not always agree with the authors opinions but I felt I could relate to them. I have my own story and fave songs. The book is written with sincerity and passion and that really struck a chord (sic) with me. Often passion is what is sadly missing in many of the books written about bands and even though the author is an ardent Sabbath supporter he is also only too aware of the bands limitations as musicians and human beings. Much better than the often, fawning, sycophantic, and insincere or tabloid muck raking so prevalent amongst lazy music authors written only to ca$h in.
Altogether this book is a superb read. For those without music knowledge it may be a little hard to digest some of the more technical, musical commentry. This however, is explained in footnotes and in the Glossary if you can be bothered. I personally found it very hard to put down. So will you, particularly if, like me you love all things 70's, music and Black Sabbath. (Ozzy Oddbin - Sack Sabbath 10/1/07).
This is much more interesting and is about the author and his love affair with his favourite band. He examines the era in which the music was created and the events which may or may not have helped shape it. This is intertwined with his own story.
The book takes a look at the classic and most interesting era 1970-76 Sabbath albums, discuss the merits or not of each individual song. It reminded me of the discussions we had at school, although this is much more intelligent and considered than "name the the heaviest songs ever written". If you've read Revolution in the Head by Ian MacDonald you might recognise the format. However, to me this book seemed a little more personal and less like an essay. Before they invented Playstation, Xbox, Computers, and all the other teenage distractions music was really all us working class kids had to alleviate the boredom. Not a complaint I might add, a blessing that enhanced my life considerably.
I might not always agree with the authors opinions but I felt I could relate to them. I have my own story and fave songs. The book is written with sincerity and passion and that really struck a chord (sic) with me. Often passion is what is sadly missing in many of the books written about bands and even though the author is an ardent Sabbath supporter he is also only too aware of the bands limitations as musicians and human beings. Much better than the often, fawning, sycophantic, and insincere or tabloid muck raking so prevalent amongst lazy music authors written only to ca$h in.
Altogether this book is a superb read. For those without music knowledge it may be a little hard to digest some of the more technical, musical commentry. This however, is explained in footnotes and in the Glossary if you can be bothered. I personally found it very hard to put down. So will you, particularly if, like me you love all things 70's, music and Black Sabbath. (Ozzy Oddbin - Sack Sabbath 10/1/07).
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In short - the best Sabbath book I've ever read. Highly recommended, whether you're a fan of the group or just of a good read. When's the sequel, Paul?
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
At long last, a decent book on Black Sabbath! Wilkinson avoids the much told stories of drug abuse, bat biting, and the rest and concentrates on the most important thing - the music. Very close in spirit to Ian MacDonald's 'Revolution in the Head' (by far, the best book out there on The Beatles), 'Rat Salad' is an excellent, entertaining and informative read and is not only the best book out there on Sabbath (the others don't even come close) but is one of the best books on rock I've come across. Beautifully written and truly heartbreaking in places, the book has 'cult classic' written all over it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A bit like top gear ambitous but rubbish
First things first, this is not of biography of Black Sabbath. But it doesn't claim to be. The blurb states this is analysing the songs from the first six albums. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2009 by Mr. J. Johnson
Best Sabbath Book by Far
This is the best Sabbath book for the following reasons:
1. It restricts itself to the Ozzy years.
2. It is intelligently written and an interesting read
3. Read more
1. It restricts itself to the Ozzy years.
2. It is intelligently written and an interesting read
3. Read more
Published on 2 April 2009 by Jive Miguel
Totally subjective: a pointless exercise
I started this with the best intentions. I'd read others' reviews in here and was taken aback by their negativity, feeling that perhaps they expected a catalogue of on-the-road... Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2009 by John I. White
Classic Years - Classic Book
I have read so many books over the years that claim to be 'unputdownable' - this is the only book that I've read that would fit that description. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2009 by Iron Man
Sweet Leaves
An EXCELLENT book, humorously written, packed full of fascinating detail and brimming with the author's enthusiasm for the band. Read more
Published on 17 May 2007 by Sabbathfreak
One for the enthusiast!
Good idea nicely & packaged but as far as the Sabs go I've bought it all, read it all, listened & watched it all and I still haven't finished this book! Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2006 by D. N. Hawden
Growing up
Great read. Reminded me of growing up with my two older brothers who would play Sabbath endlessly - at that time, not a fan!
Published on 12 July 2006 by anna
Tasty
Not the kind of book I would normally read but being trapped on a family holiday with nothing else to do I borrowed it off my dad and was massively surprised. It's great. Read more
Published on 12 July 2006 by Ms. Emma Millions
I found the crossing near a golden rainbows end
It's not often that I find myself disagreeing entirely with the premise of a book, but this is one such book. Initially, I thought, here we go, another Black Sabbath book. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2006 by Mr. H
Soft Road..
What in hells name is this author trying to prove, by jumping on the bandwagon of the recent success of far superior books that have already been submitted to the masters of heavy... Read more
Published on 29 April 2006 by Jac Pascall
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