Dear Listener,
I’ve never been a fan of Black Sabbath. I’ve never hated them, either. They’re just one of those bands that came and went before my time. On the subject of my last blog (which can be viewed here), a 33 1/3 book that really stuck out for me was the fifty-sixth in the series covering Master of Reality by Black Sabbath written by John Darnielle. There are two things that make this book special to me, and neither of them have to do with Ozzy Osbourne.
1. John Darnielle is a name that was familiar to me before discovering this book. Darnielle is the only continuing member of the band The Mountain Goats. Being quite literary, Darnielle frequently writes albums of fiction. Stories that continue from song to song. Sometimes fictional, sometimes non. As a proponent for literature, I have always been fond of John Darnielle.
2. Unlike nearly every other book in the 33 1/3 series, Darnielle wrote his as a work of fiction. Amazingly he still manages to discuss every song on the album, including background information on the musicians, all while developing his characters. If it weren’t about Black Sabbath, it may very well have been the perfect merger of music and fiction.
Below is Darnielle under his moniker The Mountain Goats performing his song “Color in Your Cheeks” from his 2002 album All Hail West Texas. For more on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert click here.
by Simon
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