Bob Daisley, 'For Facts Sake' -- Book Review
Monday, January 25, 2016 at 12:01AM This review is brought to us by our friend HIM.
Rock autobiographies are a mixed lot. Many suggest too many ghost-chefs in the writing-kitchen. Others strike false notes in a bid to be consistent. Still others are little more than magazine articles, padded with pictures and spacing-filling large fonts. Even then, most have a few stores worth telling, even if we can’t always guarantee the provenance is pure. It is for those reasons that bassist Bob Daisley’s For Facts Sake is so special. It isn’t padded. It isn’t ghost-written. It is loaded with pictures that complement the story being told. And it is a story that spares no details even as it tries to provide an honest account of a gifted musician and his amazing life.
If only for the music, the story the book tells would be amazing. His early years in bands like Chicken Shack, Kahvas Jute, Mungo Jerry, and Widowmaker. Seeing The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones in all their primal, early, glory. Being a member of Rainbow and Uriah Heep, no less a band member supporting the likes of Gary Moore and a contributor to the Ray Gillen sessions that became Black Sabbath’s The Eternal Idol. Hanging out backstage with Led Zeppelin. Driving down the Autobahn with Cozy Powell behind the wheel. Hanging out at Dio’s wedding. Having tea with Bon Scott. Let me repeat that: tea with Bon Scott!!
Before returning to the music, I want to argue that the real strength of the book lies elsewhere for me. This is a book that pays tribute to friends, family, and his own fortitude. Daisley lovingly captures moments that are often lost in other works of this sort. The support of his mom. The long path that he took with the love of his life, Vicki. The hard fought, but ultimately successful, battle with mental illness. His interest in spiritualism. His long-time involvement in Buddhist meditation. Granted, these issues and interests worked their way into his music. But there’s more. At points where it would be so easy to gloss over a kind word or a generous act, Daisley makes sure to give credit—and love—where it is due. He also paints a vivid picture of the music scene, connecting places and faces, and showing how so many artists were working towards a dream and helping others do the same. Bands fade in and out of fashion and formation. But the attachments—the friendships—last long after most of the musicians have moved on to other things. Ever here, he doesn’t spare a randy take on a wild night out, a practical joke that went a bit too far, or a moment that captures the mood. Daisley doesn’t work to place himself in the mix. He doesn’t have to. In a career that seems so clearly tied to the connections he forged with others, Daisley acts as a narrator with a fine sense of detail and even finer sense of humility.
I have obviously neglected the paradox of Daisley’s career: arguably the high point, but also the one part that has been most misunderstood. Luckily, Daisley sets the record straight regarding his time in The Blizzard of Ozz (alternately, and hilariously, referred to as the Lizzard of Ozz and the Wizard of Oz in two other instances). We catch rare glimpses of Ozzy’s time with his first wife Thelma and their young family, the burgeoning dalliances with Sharon Arden, and the crippling bouts of doubt that led Ozzy—perhaps—to swap the former for the latter and/or drink himself under numerous tables regardless the time of day (or night). We are treated to the alternative history and meaning of songs like “Suicide Solution,” as well as Ozzy’s—and Daisley is no slouch in the suggestive word and phrase department—ability to utilize magical terms like “bodge” and “flaps.” We get the sense of how Rhoads, a talented player at so young an age, worked to slough off the naiveté of youth . . . all while hunting the countryside for wild “haggis.” We grieve alongside Daisley as he recounts the details of the young guitarist’s death.
By this point, most people who care about Ozzy’s music know that the madman himself—whether sequined and squat or dark and drawn—was the necessary force and face of the band. But Ozzy, solo or as part of Sabbath prior and post, was an instrument for the substantial talents of people like Daisley and Rhoads. Daisley pulls no punches here. At the same time, he displays a remarkable degree of restraint and nuance. His loyalty to the last piece of the Blizzard puzzle, drummer Lee Kerslake, is touching. So, too, is his acknowledgement that Kerslake’s eventual replacement, Tommy Aldridge, was also a stellar player. In a choice between relatively equal drummers, loyalty trumped the machinations of Ozzy and Sharon to close ranks on the rest of the band. All of which makes it even sadder to see how Daisley and others have been treated. In many cases, this was after they showed loyalty and dedication to the Osbournes. In others, it was when they simply did the yeoman’s work necessary to cash a check while bringing a later Ozzy project to completion; work, it should be stressed, that was beyond Ozzy’s capabilities (but more on that a bit later).
Daisley and Kerslake settled a suit with Don Arden out of court in 1986; they lost their suit against Ozzy, Inc., in 2003. However, taking the wider view, I think that they won the qualified argument in both cases. It also helps to contextualize this chapter in his life as against the varied experiences covered in the rest of the book. The truly creative period involving Osbourne, Rhodes, Kerslake, and Daisley—the creation of Blizzard of Ozz (1980), subsequent tour, production of Diary of a Madman (1981), and brusque dismissal—takes up little more than forty pages and two chapters (Nine and Ten, respectively). While it might be the period of time that fans know most—even if many fans need to know more about those and subsequent years—it hardly qualifies as the only significant period in Daisley’s career.
Don’t get me wrong. Those two albums are a significant part of the 80’s history of rock and metal, and arguably the best thing that Ozzy ever did outside of Sabbath. As drummer (and guitarist) Brian Tichy recently stated in an interview with Jeb Wright on Classic Rock Revisited:
“. . . those are classic sounding records. I can go on and on about Kerslake. I love that there are no click tracks on those records. It is floating time, meaning that it is solid and tight. Bob Daisley kept all of the groove between Randy’s guitar and Kerslake drums. I love that it pushes and pulls.”
There are, of course, some quibbles. One wonders why, for instance, the facts in the title don’t possess the sake. There are also many sentences that seem to wander around a bit, with commas separating phrases a bit like lines in lyrical verse. Then there is the cover. My, oh my, the cover. It proudly lists most (but not all) of the important bands to which Daisley has contributed. But it is a garish mess of colors, made all the more obvious given the impressive heft of the tome he has written. There are also two instances where Daisley indulges in flights of fancy that go a bit too far: giving credence to Scientology’s purification rundown (a debunked detoxification program that relies on sauna treatments and large doses of niacin), and lending a sympathetic ear to conspiracy theories relating to Sept. 11th (specifically, the idea that pre-planned explosive charges brought down the Twin Towers).
The largest qualm relates to Daisley’s continued involvement in Ozzy, Inc., playing, and writing, and/or touring on Bark at the Moon (1983), The Ultimate Sin (1986), No Rest for the Wicked (1988), and No More Tears (1991). The question: why? The easy answer is the money. And Daisley doesn’t dodge that suggestion, with a family to raise, a house to buy, and a future to look toward. The more difficult answer relates to a strength of his I alluded to earlier: loyalty. I sense, in reading all the details, that Daisley always wanted to believe in the anxious and unsure bloke he met when The Blizzard of Ozz first formed, the one who dedicated his heart to his bandmates. So it was easy to cast the blame on macho and pushy Don Arden at Jet Records. Then it was easy to believe that it was Sharon’s fault. Then it was easy to overlook when Daisley was standing on stage at the “US Festival.” Before you know it, loyalty and trust look downright foolish. Here again, Daisley doesn’t spare himself the criticism even if he softens the blow a bit. And it was a blow felt by numerous others: Kerslake obviously, but also Rhodes, Aldridge, Carmine Appice, Phil Soussan, and Jake E. Lee to name a few! Patterns don’t equal proof. But they lend credence to the argument that Ozzy was/is a captivating performer and good person who has made decision both cruel and calculated, on his own and under the influence of interested others.
The great thing about quibbles is that they recede when over matched by the quality of the story told. Those wandering sentences? Much like my sniff test when watching a foreign film: when I find myself hearing the characters and not seeing the subtitles, I know I am hooked. That cover? It was rarely the thing facing me as I worked my way through such a detailed, animated, and honest tale. Indulging fringe ideas? We all find solace in ideas that suit our dispositions, even if they only confirm what we need (no less, want) to believe. The misguided belief in Ozzy, Inc.? Rock is littered with good intentions, smashed hopes, and the complications related to making a living, making music, and making peace with the business end of things . . . all while trying to maintain the bonds of friendship. Those parts of the tale are not unique even if this tale is uniquely his.
I mean, for fact’s sake . . . this is Daisley’s story to tell. He can do whatever the hell he pleases!! And he did. Fans of music are better for the journey.
I recommend the book without reservation. Thanks Daisley.
Reader Comments (17)
Love the foreign film sniff test line! Perfect and descriptive analogy. You paint with words my Him.
May skip this read. Seems he may go off in a bit too many tangents.
I for one love a good autobiography. Just got done with Duff McKagans Stories & Other Lies book. Very interesting story. His "How To Be A Man" book is next on my list. Then Slash's book.
is that RR was the highest paid out of the batch & that's only because his mother, Delores insisted on a good attorney dotting the "i's" & crossing the "t's" when it came time for Randy to sign on the dotted line. That little bit of brilliance on his mom's part, made sure that even those Sharon & Oz own the recordings & do whatever they want, licensing-wise for commercials (Mitsubishi, Nissan, & dozens of others,) they have all the say, but Randy's estate does get it's table scrap sized portion of the mechanical rights money. And unlike Bob, RR did retain his portion of the songwriting publishing monies. But at the height of their popularity, at the time of Randy's demise, he was collecting a grand a week. Jake barely made half of that... Shhhh.. don't let "Ms. Daughter of Satan" know I told you.. I posted a photo of one of Randy's polka dot QR vests he'd given me, along with his last 8 cancelled paychecks I'd been entrusted with, & Sharon was none too happy with me when photographic proof of just how badly she raped those musicians surfaced. Every nasty thing you ever heard about her is not only true, it's probably not bad enough. Do the math: On the "Diary" tour, conservatively they were selling 4 to 5 shows a week, avg 15,000 seats a night at $10 a ticket, that's gross $600,000 to $750,000 in ticket sales alone, not counting merch... Profit participation for the actual band members was so poor (less than 1/10th of a %) that those guys would be lucky to be able to super-size @ McDonald's.
One thing that Ace has revealed to us is the criminality of how little members of Ozzy's band were payed. Ozzy, Sharon and Don Arden still would have made millions 10 times over and still been able to pay Daisley, Kerslake and Rhoads decent salaries...
With the numbers Ace is throwing around, especially taking into consideration what they would be now if you factor in this was the 80's when they were really raking it in, it really was Ozzy, Inc., as HIM refers to it, with Don Arden as Chairman, Sharon as CEO and Ozzy as President.
Thusly, Ozzy's key band members, said Daisley, Kerslake and Rhoads, and later Jake E. Lee, etc., should have been treated as Vice Presidents and bestowed the salaries and benefits appropriate to that title accordingly.
Also, HIM, I appreciate your critique of Daisley's book jacket design. Why is it so many f*ck that kind of stuff up? You would think having been surrounded by professional looking design for so many years, i.e. Band logos, album covers, Rolling Stone, NME, etc., something would have rubbed off. He should have just gone with naming his book "DAISLEY" in chrome lettering, all capped on black!
p.s. As I've mentioned many times before, I highly recommend "IRONMAN" by Tony Iommi, if you haven't already read it. Besides all the incredible and many first time revealed sordid details only Iommi can share, he also sheds some light on Don Arden and Sharon, all of which lend credence to Ace's assertions. \m/
MB: jumping the shark about religion...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L-2uYVleKI
It's your website, and we're all just fortunate that you allow us a forum to vent! (I do wish there was an "edit" feature...) So you keep on mangling the spelling of my name 9 ways to Sunday, if you choose....it's no skin off my neck. After all, after dealing with a mafioso like Don & "the daughter of De'Sade" Sharon, any torture anyone else would care to inflict, is a walk in the park. (How's THAT for a run-on metaphor?) :)
Enjoy your vacation, dear.
P.S. While we're plugging books by the bass players, You should all buy my dear friend Rudy Sarzo's book "Off The Rails" , After all he was paid even less and still needs to eat! Kelle Rhoads & I have given his book a 99.997% accuracy rating. The only thing in it that is questionable is his assertion that his brother, Robert was going to replace Randy. (Sharon may have lied to him & told him that to keep him on board, but as far as I recall, he never even got to audition.) And YES, Iommi's book is also worth the read. Oh, the stories I could tell there!!! Statutes of Limitations will buy my silence... ;)
It really is a detailed book, Kixchix. He goes off on far less tangents than you might assume, though he cover details that some fans might not find interesting. I just found that book was so candid--even when I cringed--and so informative--esp. re: how people who truly cared for Ozzy were treated--that it was hard to put down. A true testament to a career in music.
Also some great ideas for other books to read (again, Metalboy! started it by getting me to read _Iron Man_ by Iommi [with T. J. Lammers]). This is my new hobby when I am not working my usual job . . . reading about all these great artists. The only one I haven't been able to finish (yet) is Idol's _Dancing with Myself_. A bit too florid for my tastes, with a lot of gauze covering the lens (so to speak).
And for those who haven't read it yet, I highly recommend, "Led Zeppelin: The Oral History of The World's Greatest Rock Band", by Barney Hoskins, who also wrote "Hotel California", the story of The Eagles recommended by someone in Comments of the BBG! post on Glen Frey's recent passing.