Musical Appreciation
Tony Iommi - Iommi (2000)
| Credits:
- Tony Iommi - guitars
- Bass: Laurence Cottle, Peter Steele, Ben Shepherd,
Terry Phillips, Bob Marlette
- Drums: Matt Cameron, Bill Ward, Kenny Aronoff,
Jimmy Copley, Dave Grohl, John Tempesta
- Additional guitars: Brian May, Ace, Billy Corgan
- Produced, engineered & mixed by Bob Marlette.
Recorded at A&M Studios (and other, about 7 or
8 other studios)
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Iommi is the second album chosen for a Music Appreciation
review by the Dinosaur Rock Guitar readers.
Background
If you don't already know who Tony Iommi is, get the heck
out of here and go find out. The man needs no introduction
from me. But I'll give you a little history on this album.
Back in the mid 80s, after Ian Gillan left Black Sabbath,
Bill Ward went into rehab, and Geezer Butler dropped out of
site for a while, Tony Iommi figured it was a good opportunity
to do a solo album. He called his pal, Glenn Hughes, and asked
him to sing on it. Though Hughes was at a real low point in
his life, overweight, and terribly addicted to cocaine and
booze, he agreed to sing on Tony's solo album. And as Hughes
stated in later interviews, his interest in the project lay
in the fact that it wasn't going to be called Black
Sabbath. So they recorded what became 7th Star. But
when Tony went to release his solo album, the money men had
other ideas. The record company said: "We'll put it out,
but you have to call it Black Sabbath." And some clever
bugger even came up with the all-appeasing, albeit redundant
moniker: Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi (so as
not to confuse it will all those Black Sabbath albums Tony
didn't play on). So a record company decision doomed
7th Star to be (mis)judged as a Black Sabbath album
— something it was never intended to be. And Tony still
never got his solo album!
Years passed, and in 1996, Tony again began the work on what
was supposed to be a solo album. Again, the project was to
have featured Glenn Hughes on vocals, plus Dave Holland on
drums, and Don Airey on keys. But once again, the project
was derailed. Officially, two events conspired against the
project. 1) Someone got a copy of the the basic tracks and
produced a bootleg CD (called 8th Star *). This act
seemed to take the enthusiasm out of the project for both
Iommi and Hughes. And 2), the original Black Sabbath lineup
reunited, and the subsequent tour and live album occupied
Tony for most of 1998 and 99.
When the Sabbath reunion finished, Tony finally decided to
revisit his solo album. Only this time around, the lineup
turned out to be vastly different. Much more modern names
were brought in. Maybe Tony actually wanted it that way, however,
I unofficially suspect that Tony's record company didn't like
the idea of old Dinosaur Rockers getting the gig. My bet is
that when the record company guys heard the names Hughes,
Holland, and Airey, their eyes didn't turn to dollar-signs.
So instead, Iommi worked with more current artists like Philip
Anselmo (Pantera), Billy Corgan (ex Smashing Pumpkins), Skin
(Skunk Anansie), and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) — the
latter of whom was also forced down Ozzy's throat by his record
company as a songwriter for the Down To Earth album.
Fortunately, Tony was able to make the most of it. And while
the vocalists on Iommi certainly bring different moods
and elements to the songs, I think it's also safe to say that
these are weakest vocalists Tony has ever worked with. None
of these singers can deliver the kind of power or add the
melodic sense you'd get from any of the post Ozzy-era Sabbath
vocalists. Indeed, Ozzy is one of the best singers featured
on this album. The good news is that Tony's riffs and songs
here are so bulletproof, even weak vocal performances can't
dent them. So let's listen.
Track By Track (vocal cues in parentheses)
Laughing Man (In The Devil Mask) (3:39) Henry Rollins
on vocals. This is an uncharacteristically uptempo track,
built on faster riffs than we typically think of from Tony.
The song begins with the chorus (The laughing man in the
devil mask) — a fast riff with a repetitive hook.
Guitar part in verse part one (You ripped yourself to shreds)
leaves some room for the vocals. Rollins tries to vary the
vocal attitude and delivery, but he still mostly grunts and
shouts his vocals — 'cause that's what he does! Good
lyrics, though. Verse part two (As the needle finds the
vein) is an eerie-sounding descending figure with a purposely
disturbing tonality. Then back into the chorus. At the end
of the second chorus, there are some dischordant guitar notes
that just add a dark, twisted mood to the whole song. Back
into verse part two. Tony has at least one SG with a trem
on it, and the solo sounds like he used little bar on this.
Particularly evident in its opening phrases and a slow dip
on a trill. The track just tramples you.
Meat (4:53) Skin on vocals (Skin is a "she,"
right?) Dark, moody, unsettling guitar intro made even more
disturbing by Skin's disquieting, helium-soaked vocal warblings.
Weird guitar effects — there's a lot of strange little
background noises throughout this song. Everything about this
song would make it a great soundtrack for a movie about insane
asylum horrors. Ominous melodic line in the background playing
a figure with the flatted 5th interval which is so characteristic
of Iommi. Quiet electronic drum kit on the verse keeps the
drums subtle and helps set you up for . . . the BIG RIFF —
which hits like a ton of bricks on the chorus (you can't
hide) and just flattens you. This is classic Tony. Dinosaur
driving a steamroller. Huge, slow, heavy, tuned down, dragging
behind the beat (real drums here). Note that the third note
in the riff is subtlety bent, then released into the fourth
note. This is a trademark Iommi device used to add tension.
Verse two brings it right back down to the quiet unsettling
part creating a big dynamic contrast between quiet verses
and the thunderous choruses. Bridge (just before the solo)
switches the feel — everything drops out except the guitar
which plays a more uptempo riff. Then Tony rips into a totally
badass wah solo that is both raunchy and melodic. Great stuff.
Back into the verse. Use of real drums on the verse for the
first time ups the ante for the final verse. Skin does her
best to hammer the song home on the outro choruses, but Bruce
Dickinson, she's not. Hear it!
Goodbye Lament (4:50) Dave Grohl on vocals and drums.
Song begins with a looped part — again, a very modern
device used throughout this album — combining noise and
odd melodic devices with a scratchy, electronic hip-hop drum
kit. Tony plays a quiet, phased dark melodic line on guitar.
The effect creates more moody stuff before the song explodes
into full power with big guitars and real drums. Ever wonder
what Nirvana would have sounded like without bullshit guitar?
This track is it! It sound more like Nirvana than Sabbath
or Foo. Grohl does a first-rate Cobain impression, and delivers
a vocal performance that is extremely reminiscent of
Cobain's treatment of tracks like Teen Spirit, Heart
Shaped Box, and others. To wit, a breathy, almost semiconscious
feel over the quiet verse part (Say a prayer for me, in
my memory), contrasted against the louder second verse
part (Hello misery, your the best of me) and the chorus
(Goodbye Lament) — both of which are shouted in
a gravely voice complete with a sneering, Cobain-like drawl.
[See the chapter on dynamics in The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Lead Vocals]. The song bounces back and forth
between these soft and loud parts throughout. Tony must have
picked up on the Nirvana vibe — right down to the skipping
of the guitar solo. This is one of the weaker songs on this
CD, and by Tony's standards, this is a weak guitar riff.
Time Is Mine (4:55) Philip Anselmo on vocals. Ahh,
this is better. A return to a more Tony-like riff. Again,
notice the subtle bends used between notes in the riff. Verse
is a variation on the main riff played with the volume rolled
back to provide dynamic contrast. A few harmonics tossed in
for interest. Anselmo, like Grohl on the last track, sings
softly on the verses (Lift me up) and uses what he
has of his limited melodic range before slamming into louder
verse parts the chorus with the vocal chord-shredding rasp
he's known for in Pantera (Undress me from these rags).
Even if this vocal style isn't your thing, Tony's guitar riffing
is top notch here. Dark, heavy, and quite characteristic of
his style. Bridge (Deplete the eyes) is effective and
features drum hits with some unison bends used to create tension.
If you do like these vocals, your in luck, as Anselmo is supposedly
quite involved in the next Iommi solo album.
Patterns (4:20) Serj Tankian on vocals. Moody, electronic
loop, leading into another huge dino riff. Verse one (Life
is a story . . .) begins with a rhythmic, machine-like
riff over another drum loop. As Tony has done a lot on this
album, he changes the dynamic by going to a real drum kit
— this time, behind more melodic riff for verse part
two (but to live means to be here). Another nasal, whiny lead
vocalist with little range. Doesn't matter at all. Tony just
levels everything in his path. Bridge changes the feel and
breaks the tension. Serj is yelling out: (What is it that
makes us lose sight. True sight, of what is real and essential.
I'll take organized patterns of chaos, Over the chaotic organizations
of man, any day). Yeah, whatever. Shut the hell up, you
vocal hack. Back into the rhythmic verse and out. No guitar
solo. I've had this album a few years and didn't even notice
that until just now. No loss when the riffs are this good.
Black Oblivion (8:18) Billy Corgan on sneers and whines.
Lots of parts to this song. Many twists and turns. The guitar
sound here kind of harks back to some of Tony's earlier tones
in Sabbath. Uptempo intro starts with an ascending riff over
a straight beat. Verse part (You ask me why, I'll tell
you die) is a different riff — more of a stop-start
kind of feel. Verse part two (You don't know just what
I'm waiting for) is the same riff as the intro. Corgan's
nasal whine is so thin he makes Ozzy sound like a vocal god.
Song breaks down to a eerie, quiet half-time feel (Voices
tell me strike the match and burn it all to hell). Back
to the main riff, once, but then an unexpected left turn into
a typically Tony-like break — nasty riff over drum hits.
Back to the half-time feel, but the progression ascends, increasing
the tension (Drive slow motion firewall). Then another
transition riff (is it a bridge?). Then everything grids to
a halt at 2:47 and the song takes off again on a completely
different path. Once again, Tony makes these transitions all
seem so natural, yet they're anything but. The new
part is a different riff with a completely new rhythmic feel
(Family spins the circle. Nerves are growing cold).
A quick, ascending turnaround (No more lines to cross)
raises, then releases the tension. The part repeats and Tony
tears into a lead. Nice, simple and effective. Another transition
starts bringing us back to the original parts of the song
with a subtle variation of the intro riff (You don't know
just where I want to go). Then a tuned-down rumbling riff
into something else we remember from before and Tony takes
another (wah) solo. Back to the half-time breakdown, but with
no vocals. Just a moody interlude for the fade out, with Tony
peeling off a few bluesy licks. Most cool! A complicated composition,
and very interesting — it works quite well.
Flame On (4:28) Ian Astbury on vocals. Finally,
a song with someone who has a semblance of a real voice. Heartbeat-like
electronic drum loop intro, with a purposely odd guitar sounds,
used to set the mood. Uptempo. Riff plows in like thunder
and Tony bludgeons you with it. Things get quiet for the verse
part one making room for the vocals (I am one, one that
shines). Tony just "creates moods" in the background
— he's a master of that. Band kicks in and hits heavy
again after the verse, establishing the song's pattern —
quiet under the vocals, thunderous when the vocals stop. Astbury
takes very Cult-like approach on the chorus (Flame on.
I used to bleed like a suicide mother) which is an ascending
progression. Tension is released with the big verse riff.
Verse and chorus repeat, followed by a quiet interlude with
more electronic sounds and on into the guitar solo. Nice tasty
melodic lead by Tony. Back to chorus which repeats as an outro.
Hear it!
Just Say No To Love (4:27) Peter Steele on vocals.
I find this one of the most interesting tracks on the album
because I like the vocal dynamics here. Real moody and creepy.
Dark lyrics. While Steele doesn't have great range, he has
more than most of these singers, and has an extremely low,
throaty voice that he can use melodically. It's very effective
for setting the mood on the verse part one (Jealous black
and envy green. No one died and left you queen), a descending
minor progression. I sound like a broken record, but just
another huge, killer riff from Tony for the chorus (Just
Say No to Love). Verse part one repeats. Verse part two
(Left is right and right is wrong. None for all and all
for none) increases the volume and the tension. Quick
solo by Tony. Verse one and two repeat followed by another
brief, electronic drum interlude. Verse part two and chorus
repeat and the quiet interlude part ends the song.
Who's Fooling Who (6:09). Ozzy Osbourne on
vocals. After all these other vocalists, this track is like
coming home. Featuring Ozzy and Bill Ward, this one even begins
with the ominous church bell tolling — reminiscent
of the intro of song Black Sabbath — the
tune that introduced the band to the world. Song jumps right
in with the riff loud and heavy. Drag-ass plodding Dinosaur
riff. The riff is the same for verse part one, but the volume
decreases to make room for Ozzy's vocal in his low voice (Is
the end beginning. Apocalyptic thoughts of doom). Second
time around, Ozzy's sneering in his high voice. Verse part
two (Watch your mother die, and then tell us not to fight)
changes the tempo. Like many Sabbath songs, there is no real
chorus part. They go around again, and then there's a classic,
Sabbath-like tempo change in the middle. The plodding riff
gives way to an uptempo gallop — again, as in
the middle of the song, Black Sabbath. Another nice,
purposeful solo builds to a crescendo. Back to the verse parts
again. Despite Geezer's absence, everything here fits like
an old pair of sneakers and is as familiar as the back of
your hand. This song sounds like classic Black Sabbath —
period.
Into The Night (5:03) Billy Idol on vocals. Another
one of the albums stronger vocal performances. Never been
a big fan of Billy's voice, but it certainly has it's own
character — and it works here. It's particularly
effective on the quiet parts where he can sing low and melodic
— as in verse one (And you say you wanna live
forever). Again, a moody introduction preps you for yet
another sledgehammer guitar riff. Tony just never runs dry
of these riffs. The chorus (I wanna rule this world)
finds Billy using his more familiar vocal sneer that's less
melodic. Verse and chorus repeat. While this album is lyrically
dark throughout, I don't think anyone but Idol would come
up with the lyric: and all the undead souls who walk the
night — they can suck my dick. Bridge (?) is descending
progression (Oh yeah, you know it's true) that leads
into a new fast part: (When people say I'm from the underworld).
The descending part returns to transition back to the main
riff, and Tony rips into another very satisfying solo —
rude and full of attitude. Song winds down and gets quiet
like the intro. Tony trades off some bluesy licks with Idol
as he wraps up the vocals. Hear
it!
Summary
The songs on Iommi feature a very consistent and
formulaic approach: Quiet, dark, moody passages set you up.
Classic, heavy, Iommi guitar riffs knock you down. And in
the hands of the master, the formula works over and over again.
This isn't rocket science. It's Dinosaur primitive in all
it's glory — but with a few effective nods to modern
technology. The only new element at player here is the extensive
use of electronic drum loops, percussion and sound effects
to create interesting atmospherics and compositional dynamics.
Tony's albums have always featured such parts. Now he's just
using different technology to create them. This album is jam-packed
with great heavy guitar riffs that will flatten you. But pay
close attention to what is going on in between those riffs
in the quieter parts. Note how Tony creates the many dark
moods that are on this album. These parts are very inventive
and are a big part of why his heavy riffs hit with such force.
It is the combination of these dynamics that is so effective.
And there is no one better at it than Tony Iommi.
I have mixed feelings about this album. On one hand, I really
enjoy it a lot. It's really strong, very heavy, and features
all the elements I love about Tony Iommi. And honestly, that
is enough to get a lot of enjoyment out of it. On the
other hand, it could have been so much more. The vocalists
on Iommi are really weak. I'll always wonder how these
songs would have sounded like with Glenn Hughes on vocals
(as was planned)**, not to mention other heavyweights who
probably would have come running had Tony called them. Can
you imagine if guys like Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Ian
Gillan, Ronnie Dio were each given a track here instead of
the likes of Rollins, Grohl, Corgan, et al? It would have
ruled! But then, no one under age 30 would have bought it.
Did they anyway? Oh well.
Gibson interviewed Iommi about recording this album and he
stated:
"I used the same setup for the whole album. I used my
Laney amplifier and Laney cabinet. The amp is my Laney signature
model, which is a 100-watt amp. It worked fine for everything.
If I wanted a quiet passage, I'd just turn the amp down, as
opposed to going into a different amp. Years ago, when I'd
done other albums, I'd use all these different amplifiers
for different sounds-one for the loud bits and one for the
quiet bits. This time, I used the same amp and the same guitars,
which were all Gibson guitars — two SGs and two Les
Pauls.
"Gibson made me a one-off Les Paul from a special piece
of mahogany. It's such a nice piece of wood! It's got a maple
top and just the natural wood is fantastic. I used it on this
album with a heavier set of strings than I usually use: .010-.046.
I use .009-.042 on some guitars and .008-.032 on others, so
the .010s are quite heavier. I used the Les Pauls on certain
tracks. I'd do a track with the SG and then do a track with
the Les Paul, just to give it a contrasting sound. It wasn't
my idea to do it that way, but it gave it a good sound. I
used a Les Paul on all of the tracks, along with an SG for
the rhythm parts and then for the solos, it was always an
SG." Read the whole interview here
while it lasts.
* in 2004, these original Iommi and Hughes recording were
released as The DEP Sessions.
** in 2005, Tony hooked up and with Glenn and recorded the
album, Fused. It's terrific.
Related / Also Recommended:
Iommi
- The DEP Sessions - V V V Vv
- Fused - V V V V V
Black Sabbath
- Black Sabbath - V V V V V
- Paranoid - V V V V V
- Master of Reality - V V V V V
- Vol. 4 - V V V V V
- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - V V V V
- Sabotage - V V V V
- Heaven and Hell - V V V V V
- The Mob Rules - V V V V V
- Live Evil - V V V V
- Born Again
- V V V V V
- Dehumanizer - V V V Vv
- Reunion - V V V V V
By Dinosaur David B. Copyright ©2003 All rights reserved.
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