Watching that VH-1 Special that featured Ozzy's story, I'm amazed the man is not some drunken hobo criminal or dead. (True story: he's writting his autobiography and he can't remember much of what he did in the eighties!) In any case, Ozzy has had quite an impact in the world of rock'n'roll and heavy metal--which can be considered his child. So, how can you compile nearly twenty years of music, mayhem and recovery? He tries in The Ozzman Cometh.
To kick off the album, Ozzy went back and found early recordings
of "Black Sabbath" and "War Pigs." You can hear, even through the
production, the quality of those recordings. I'm sure Ozzy was
shocked at finding them. They do provide some insight into the
early days of Black Sabbath--but I still prefer "War Pigs" to go:
"Generals gather in their masses/Just like witches at black
masses." OK? He also adds a live version of "Paranoid" with Randy
Rhoads--which is nice.
The rest of the album is Ozzy's solo years--from his work with guitar master Randy Rhoads to his latest stuff. Granted, there's no way to not have "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" in here, but I still would have preferred "Flying High Again" over "Over The Mountain." "Goodbye To Romance" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home" feature a softer, nicer, side of Ozzy--one saying goodbye to his past life and one an ode to his wife. Compare that with "I Just Want You" and "I Don't Wanna Change The World" which are more selfish and just as honest and you might think Ozzy's gone nuts. Reality is we all are.
Of course, some of the work would indeed suffer from what I call "time warp." (That's when something is very much the product of their times). "Crazy Babies" and "Shot In The Dark"--while good songs--are very much eighties rock. (Heck, you can almost picture Ozzy with that Motley Crue-styled hair!) But, the heck with it, have fun. Crank them out along with "Bark At The Moon." (That's right. Scare them young punks out of their Matchbox 20 T-shirts!) One more thing: who the hell edited out "No More Tears"???? Because they cut out some of the coolest parts of the song--all of the mean bass, the solo. Artists! Pay attention: If you're going to have a song in there, PUT IT ALL IN THERE!! Don't give us these weird-ass cuts.
Finally, the album includes a leftover track from Ozzmosis--"Back On Earth." The term, "leftover" doesn't do it justice. On Ozzmosis, the track would have been sandwiched between "I Just Want You" and "See You On The Other Side" and most probably forgotten. Here it shines because it stands alone.
Oh, before I forget, some of the CDs are "enhanced." That means that you get another CD with two extra "basement tapes songs," a VERY candid interview with Ozzy and--if you put it in your computer--will allow you to see five full-length music videos, play a game and other cool stuff.
Overall, The Ozzman Cometh is a great reminder that Ozzy Osbourne's career was far from over when he got the boot from the Black Sabbath gang. All he needed was a few kicks in the butt and a talented guitarist to get him back on top. Plus, if the songs in here are good indication, then I want more Ozzy. Now, stand with me, make the sign of the devil and chant: Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!