Noted author Martin Popoff pretty much always delivers the goods when it comes to writing informative and fascinating books on bands and “Sabotage!”, which chronicles Black Sabbath’s meteoric rise to fame in the 70s, is no different. Its 292 pages primarily focus on the musical content of the heavy metal forefathers’ first 8 (and utterly thrilling) LPs and their importance and impact in a much wider musical and cultural context.

Personally, I absolutely love and cherish Martin’s approach to things in that he moves chronologically (album by album, song by song) through the Sabbath-saga of the original incarnation of the band in the late 60s and hazy 70s, which is to say the phenomenal Geezer Butler/Tony Iommi/Ozzy Osbourne/Bill Ward constellation. Obviously, we also learn a substantial amount of stuff about the four originators of metal and what made them tick back then – both creatively and as human beings who grew up in the grimy Birmingham suburb that is Aston and channeled their collective experiences and emotions into their thunderous and hard-hitting tunes.

As is the case with nearly every piece of literature by Popoff that yours truly has come across, “Sabotage!” contains a wealth of interesting facts and there is a ton of cool trivia to be discovered here as Martin expertly guides us through the sweaty rehearsals, the marvelous live shows, the grueling tours, the spirited recording sessions, the arguments and creative differences that would eventually creep into the camp, the brotherhood and bond between the four members of Sabbath, and the incredible and timeless beauty of their musical legacy. It is also heaps of fun to learn what Popoff thinks of the records and songs and like me, you will probably find that sometimes you agree with him and others were you most certainly do not, and that is a huge part of this cool piece of work’s charm.

“Sabotage! Black Sabbath in the Seventies” is the perfect introduction to the band’s early years and is as concise and entertaining as it is witty and superbly written. Apart from it having a clearly defined focus, it is also full of enthusiasm and passion on the part of the author with respect to its subject matter. Recommended!

https://www.wymeruk.co.uk/webshop/books/rock/black-sabbath/sabotage-black-sabbath-in-the-seventies/