“100% him”: The most original guitarist Tony Iommi ever heard
There are countless guitarists around the world, but despite the guitar being one of the most popular instruments, the majority of them aren’t particularly great. Think about how often you’ve come across players in local bands, online videos, or even some professionals who don’t quite cut it—it’s probably a lot. To do something truly special with the six-string, a player needs to meet specific criteria, and only a select few have managed to achieve this. One guitarist who has done more for the instrument than most is Tony Iommi.
You can count on both hands the number of guitarists with whom all of rock music can be traced back. One of those is the Black Sabbath powerhouse Iommi, who, after being inspired by the likes of Hank Marvin and The Shadows, Eric Clapton, and Peter Green – as well as the factory accident that forcibly changed his approach – would forge a unique style that caught the world unaware.
While Sabbath were greatly misunderstood by many listeners when they burst onto the scene with their ominous self-titled debut in 1970, it was clear that they were innovating a new sound. With their sonic character centred on the de-tuned, sludgy and pulsating riffs of Iommi, this tangible sense of evil was perfect for a world that was moving out of the vain optimism of the countercultural period into a much bleaker, almost fatalistic state.
Openly dismissive of hippie culture, Black Sabbath always had unwavering faith in their vision. That confidence paid off with their second album, 1970’s Paranoid, which became an instant classic. The record saw the band refine their sound, with Iommi’s heavy guitar work becoming more dynamic and memorable than on their debut. Paranoid was a tremendous success, cementing Sabbath, alongside Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, at the forefront of the metal revolution. Though the Birmingham band would soon indulge a little too much in their newfound success, this era sparked a period of immense creativity. The subsequent Master of Reality and Vol. 4 solidified their status as cultural icons, with Iommi hailed as one of the most influential and distinctive guitarists of all time.
One of the reasons that Iommi managed to be so original with his playing was that, unlike the rest of the world, he never paid much mind to his influences who first compelled him to pick up the instrument. While he doesn’t deny that everybody starts by copying their favourite players and learning techniques from them, this is the difference between great players and the rest; those who reach searing heights synthesise their influences into something new. Copying others was never what Iommi wanted to do.
This perspective also made Iommi appreciate other truly singular players, and one he had immense respect for was Jeff Beck. Not only did he pioneer hard rock and psychedelia, but Beck also experimented with many different genres, becoming famous for his fingerstyle and dynamic use of the Fender Stratocaster. Speaking to Guitar World in 2024, Iommi said hailed the work of Beck.
Iommi told the publication: “Oh yeah, Jeff was great. I met Jeff early on because we had the same manager. He was so different and unique. A truly great player who was just doing his own thing that was 100 per cent him. It’s true what they said; nobody could play quite like Jeff.”
They might be utterly different players, but the one thing that connects Iommi and Beck is that they always refused to give in to expectations. They are two of music’s greatest standard-defiers.
