How Black Was Our Sabbath by David Tangye and Graham Wright (Sidgwick & Jackson, £16.99)

BIRMINGHAM was the engine room of the Industrial Revolution in the 1770s and Black Sabbath its driving force during the rock 'n' roll era of the 1970s.

But if Led Zeppelin was the thinking man's heavy metal band, then the Sabs were his younger, dumber brother.

With the former there was light and shade. With the latter there was only a first resort - loud and in your face.

This unauthorised view from two of the road crew will appeal to most old Midlands rockers, even if the band itself was not everyone's pint of Ansells.

There are no surprises. Ozzie Osbourne displays the standard dysfunctional behaviour that is still expected of rock stars, relatively tame, surprisingly enough. The on-the-road anecdotes are also quite mild, too.

However, the names and places will ring true to all of us born in the shadow of the Second City.

Henry's Blues House, guitar-maker John Birch, the many references to 1960s Brum Beat... and, of course no biography would be complete without a mention of those diners at the top table, the Moody Blues.

This is a neat narrative about one of the biggest rock names to emerge from our region.

You don't actually have to be a Black Sabbath fan. But it sure helps.

John Phillpott