Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy: Advice from Rock's Ultimate Survivor
Wondering if science could explain how he survived his 40-year avalanche of drugs and alcohol, Ozzy Osbourne became one of a handful of people in the world to have his entire DNA mapped in 2010. It was a highly complex, $65,000 process, but the results were conclusive: Ozzy is a genetic anomaly. The "Full Ozzy Genome" contained variants that scientists had never before encountered and the findings were presented at the prestigious TEDMED Conference in San Diego-making headlines around the world. The procedure was in part sponsored by The Sunday Times of London, which had already caused an international fururoe by appointing Ozzy Osbourne its star health advice columnist. The newpaper argued that Ozzy's mutliple near-death experiences, 40-year history of drug abuse, and extreme hypocondria qualified him more than any other for the job. The column was an overnight hit, being quickly picked up by Rolling Stone to give it a global audience of millions. In TRUST ME, I'M DR. OZZY, Ozzy answers reader's questions with his outrageous wit and surprising wisdom, digging deep into his past to tell the memoir-style survival stories never published before-and offer guidance that no sane human being should follow. Part humor, part memoir, and part bad advice, TRUST ME, I'M DR. OZZY will include some of the best material from his published columns, answers to celebrities' medical questions, charts, sidebars, and more.
Iron Man: My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath
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.
KISS: Behind the Mask - The Official Authorized Biography
With its combination of cartoonish monster-movie makeup and oversized costumes, ear-splitting amplification and gleeful songs in praise of sex, heavy metal rock legend Kiss has never been accused of not being excessive, and this book is a great example of why it is still a multimillion-dollar profit-making machine. While this book covers much of the same biographical territory as Gene Simmons's Kiss and Make-Up and Kisstory (the band's self-published 440-page coffee-table-sized tome), the authorized bio presents more than enough new material to make it essential for hardcore fans. Much of the book's first half presents a previously unpublished work based on the only in-depth interviews the band gave in 1980. The result is a remarkably humanizing look behind the heavy metal tomfoolery, with Simmons more honestly discussing his Jewish upbringing than he does in his autobiography, and the rest of the band disarmingly admitting to borrowing from the glam-rocker New York Dolls as well as the Harlem Globetrotters. The book's second half, however, is the true highlight for Kiss fans: a comprehensive look at all of the Kiss albums ever made. Among the surprises is the praise of noted producer Eddie Kramer, a close associate of Jimi Hendrix, for the band's no-nonsense work ethic. Of note are Kiss's hilariously guileless quotes, such as the admission that another producer "made a point of trying to get us to stop writing songs about getting laid, which was valid. But he needed to understand that's all we ever did."
Life on Planet Rock: From Guns N' Roses to Nirvana, a Backstage Journey through Rock's Most Debauched Decade
In this nomadic, at times humbling memoir, former RIP magazine editor Friend recalls a quarter-century spent as a ringleader in the music industry circus. From the early 1980s to the late '90s, Friend enjoyed an insiders' perch for some of rock's greatest moments—he worked as a DJ, a rock journalist, editor of heavy metal's most popular magazine and had a segment on MTV. In energetic prose he invites readers along on bonding experiences like golf dates with Alice Cooper and riding in private jets with Kiss, as well as exposing moments of professional soul-searching at the hands of Metallica's Lars Ulrich and Pearl Jam. Remarkably, Friend's narrative maintains an even keel, whether he's being ignored by Kurt Cobain or wooed by Gene Simmons, and he candidly portrays the compromised, often confusing role of the rock journalist, constantly teetering between friend and patsy. The most enlightening part of the book is Friend's brief, failed stint as an A&R man, when the journalist who made a career on megabands staked his A&R career on the Bogmen, a quirky but brilliant New York outfit, and even made a run at Eels. Through success, excess and failure, music fans will enjoy Friend's anecdotes and his clear-eyed, hardly jaded view of the industry.
And Speaking of Scorpions...: Autobiography of Former Scorpions Drummer Herman "Ze German" Rarebell
Defying odds longer than that of Arcangues winning the 1993 Breeder’s Cup Classic horse race, the Scorpions rose to rock and roll royalty from relative obscurity in Hannover, West Germany during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Herman Rarebell, aka Herman “Ze German”, was part of it all. More than just a drummer, Herman’s additional input through his imaginative and inspired songwriting was conceivably the key ingredient and missing component that led to their rise to prominence while most of those in the so-called “know” said they were only kidding themselves. Dieter Dierks, the long time producer of the Scorpions says: Herman was an integral part in the development of that which eventually became known as the classic Scorpions sound. Music all starts with the drummer. Not many people realize this. However, if you look at the “success” of the group, or, perhaps more appropriately, the lack thereof, prior to the arrival of Herman “Ze German” as well as that which has eluded them since his departure, I think you can see exactly how pivotal his role was within the band. However, there is much more here than just the ordinary, self-glorifying chronicle of a man’s life. This book is anything but that. Shrewdly concealed within this autobiography is not only what can be considered the quintessential, definitive history of arguably the greatest band of their era, but also a masterful weaving of some of the most entertaining wit, whimsy and sage wisdom ever shared within the covers of a simple book. Sure to be considered a masterpiece by those who have a love of tongue in cheek irony and satire not to mention great storytelling, it raises the bar for such offerings to a decidedly new level. With his endless anecdotes and tales, Herman draws the lines that led to the group’s ascension to the Mount Olympus of rock music, while his co-writer, Michael Krikorian, clearly lends his assistance to color them in providing more hues and tones than Crayola ever put in a box of crayons. Together they set a table and serve up a banquet of sarcasm and memories truly fit for a king! (The King of Monaco to be precise.) There are no sacred cherubs spared from the harpoon of a master yarn-spinner as the puns, innuendo and endless wordplay are meant to entertain and lampoon much of the history not only of an incredible band but also of a generation. Though having none of the calories but plenty of the guilt, the frankness and honesty expressed upon each sinfully delicious page will never spoil your appetite but only leave you yearning for more.