Tell Me What You Know About Ozzy

How does that relate to phrasing? Sorry for my ignorance.

I was thinking largo for slow.

 

Let apologize in advance for the long-winded post. Be careful what you ask .

This is all circumstantial evidence, at best, but does help explain why I feel Bob D. tries to take too much credit. I'll start off by saying, outside of Rainbow, Ozzy and Uriah Heep's Abominog album, I know nothing of Bob's work. So, if the Abominog album is an indication of his lyrical writing outside of Ozzy, it fails IMO. Ozzy has proven himself with lyrics (Black Sabbath-song, Solitude (with Geezer), Who Are You?, The Writ). I also never understood his lawsuit in the first place. Every album of Ozzy's (minus Bark-but agreed to payoff) has always had his name in the writing credits.

Anyway, back when Ozzy first hit America solo, I remember an interview. Not sure if it was Rockline or our local DJ when he came to Detroit. Interviewer asked why Bob and Lee were fired. Ozzy said all they talked about was money and they hadn't made any up to that point. Which is true as Ozzy had to buy himself out of Don Arden's contract. There is also an interview on You Tube with Dio. Interviewer asks Dio about Bob's time in Rainbow. Dio replies (paraphrasing), Bob seemed more interested in his hair and how he looked to the ladies than anything else. Which leads me to believe, this matyrdom to the music he portrays is a little exagerrated. Not taking anything from Bob. He's a great bass player, musician, writer (with Ozzy-my limited knowledge). To me, moreso recently, he comes off as the Ozzy albums never would have been completed, if not for him. If anyone with more knowledge of Bob's lyrical writing can educate me that would be great. I love the lyrics he did for Ozzy.

Which brings me to another point. Might have been the same Ozzy interview mentioned above, if not around the same time. He mentioned I Don't Know is in response to fans when he was in Sabbath. Kids would come up to him ask him what this song meant, what does this song mean? Ozzy's reply was always I Don't Know, I didn't write them. Suicide Solution was about Bonn Scott. Mr. Crowley was about Crowley. Ozzy mentioned Jimmy Page's roadie gave him the book "Hollywood Babylon." Ozzy said this guys name Crowley kept coming up and inspired the song. Reason for bringing all this up. There's an interview on You Tube with Geezer and Ronnie. Asked about writing lyrics. Both said the most difficult thing is finding a subject/idea. Ozzy had plenty of ideas. I think (don't know wasn't there), Ozzy gave Bob the subject/ideas to write, Bob would write a set of lyrics and if need be they would work on them together changing a line, verse, word, etc. Again, not to take anything from Bob. Just because you have something to write about doesn't mean one can write lyrics, that takes talent. Jeez, I have a subject and look at this mess. Just seems Bob breaks his arm trying to pat himself on the back. Recently, Bob really seems to be pushing it by stating he arranged and came up with the music to the title track of Diary. Ozzy has always stated Randy wrote it. Ozzy said he heard Carmina Burana and asked Randy to arrange and write something like it and the song Diary of a Madman is the result.

Another thing that's always bothered me. Where was Bob when Ozzy was getting sued for the lyrics of Suicide Solution. I don't know, maybe a legal thing he couldn't come forward. But if he wrote them why wouldn't he have he been involved? If nothing else, if he did write them, Ozzy didn't throw him under the bus, that time anyway.

 

I would say that phrasing is a non-specific term that includes articulation (smooth vs. choppy), rhythmic elements (syncopated vs. straight), dynamics (loud vs. soft) and voicing (where the harmonic structure is played on a particular instrument or sung by voice (e.g., low end, dense chords vs. higher pitched, open-voiced chords)).

 

Archtop- thank you. Do you have any ideas about phrasing when we just talk? Again, sorry for ignorance.

And legato could be a partial description of Ozzy's phrasing?

 

Sad124- thanks for your post about Daisley and Arden. I like a long post.

What I've read of Don Arden, I do not like him.

 

I am Ozzy! Great book!
Ozzy's birth name: John Michael Osbourne. 12/3/1948
First wife: Thelma Riley. They had two children: Jessica and Louis.
Louis appears on the album cover of Ozzy's second solo album: Diary of a Madman.

Left Thelma for Sharon Arden. They married in March? 1982. Have three kids Aimee, Kelly, and Jack.

 

Thanks.

Yes, Don Arden was a thug.

 

I think your entire post is spot on but I wanted to focus on what you wrote here. You can definitely hear Ozzy finding his way as a vocalist on the first three albums, especially with regard to pitch. But he became a fantastic vocalist by 1973. I've often wondered if Ozzy would have benefited with a vocal coach or some classical training. I doubt he'd have the patience for it, but it's fascinating how he went from being an "interesting" singer to a truly great one for several years and then went way down after the mid 80s. I get that with age vocalists deteriorate, but for me, Ozzy's voice had the shortest shelf life in terms of greatness when compared to his contemporaries. I can't help but think that some measure of musical discipline might have really benefited him for several more years.

 

he was in Black Sabbath and a Pioneer...

 

I have seen you share this “recollection” before, but it doesn’t ring any more true the more you repeat it.

I notice you are expounding upon it now as well. Ozzy “peed his pants.”

YouTube is a great truth serum. Check out some Sabbath even from their very earliest days and then put this exaggerated “story” about Ozzy’s early stage presence in your back pocket where it belongs.

 

No problem. Phrasing during speech is all about word selection and inflection, which are the core elements of language/communication. Phrasing in music is about the core elements of music, including articulation, rhythm, dynamics and voicing (as well as a few others I've probably left out). Then again, one could defend the position that the core elements in music are the same as those in speaking, just with different terminology applied to music vs. spoken word.

I think legato is a term that could be, at least at times, accurately applied to Ozzy's phrasing, especially the first few Sabbath albums. I'm less familiar with the material during his solo years. But take the title track from their eponymous debut - his vocals are done very legato.

 

Considering I have a martini every night, and probably 2 on the weekends...I know that if my liver could talk, it'd probably sound like Ozzy Osbourne.

 

There are some shows from 74-75 where Ozzy is completely beyond just about anything I have heard. He really would let his voice fly and he could get up there SO high while still sounding SO melodic!

I suppose one downside of a rock singer having such a long career is that in most cases there will be a dramatic decline in capability. Ozzy has had some great nights in recent years but also some awful ones. The reasons for the awful ones are probably deeper than he lets on, but nobody can take away what the guy pulled off in his prime. And I would imagine that in the end that is what he’ll be remembered for musically.

 

The Daisley thing has never seemed black and white to me either.

But then I am almost convinced that a lot of people out there think that writing the lyrics to a song means that you have written the song or something, because the amount of credit some people give Daisley seems bizarre. They act like this guy did everything and Ozzy nothing. And even Daisley has never made such a claim.

I am not that knowledgeable about Ozzy post-Sabbath, but I have read an interview with Randy Rhoads from circa 1981 where he was asked about the songwriting process. He talked about how he and Ozzy would work together with him coming up with music and Ozzy the vocal melodies. Daisley was not mentioned.

 

He once bit the head off a bat and urinated on the Alamo.

Anything else is just senationalist gossip.

 

His auto-bio is a fun easy read. Seems like a funny guy, terrible father and husband though.
I really like the Diary of a Madman album.

 

Tim 1954- thanks for the info about Randy's interview. I'm gonna check it out. And about his voice being beyond anything you've heard. Cause I feel the same and I thought I was just looking through the filter of my obsession. Cause I here SOOOO many comments about how he sucks.

It seems to me though that just about everyone probably wanted him to sing too high. Although I actually love it when his voice cracks (weird?) it seems like it does a lot when he's live.

I think he did what everone else wanted and probably still does.

Terrible post. I'm so tired.

 

He buys a TV and the remote control is like something out of Star Trek and just because he looks perplexed when he's trying to turn it on he's supposed to have some brain injury but, honestly, no person born last century could operate that thing.

 

He was abusive for sure. He has apologized on national TV.

 

Ozzy's not really a great singer, but he is unique sounding, and it fits the music he does. Plus, his original solo band smoked! This is one I've been enjoying lately that you don't hear too often.

Ozzy - You Looking at Me, Looking at You.

 

Thanks holy diver

 

For the record, I’ve never agreed with the notion that Ozzy isn’t a great singer.

I think whenever you reach the level of success that he has, you will also have more people talking out of their backsides about you.

The singing on albums like Vol. 4 alone makes him one of the all time greats in my book. And that is just one album!

Greatness in any given field seems to me to be the result of a variety of components. In music, originality is generally regarded as one of the most important if a musician is to attain legendary status. Ozzy has a voice that is arguably as unique as rock has ever seen. I know in his later years he has had some really rough nights, and even in his prime he had weird struggles on certain nights with certain material, but he has greatness in those pipes. Any number of other singers will tell you this.

 

He bit the head off a bat a fan had thrown at him on stage, he p**d on the Alamo, and he had a duet with Lita Ford that was somewhat controversial due to lyrical content. He was married to Sharon who once ranted about a hunter on “The Talk” which I thought was ironic considering that poor bat.

 

When I was a kid, Ozzy was considered evil. He was the Lord Voldemort of the 80s. His name was spoken only in hushed tones. Then he gets his own reality show and turns into a loveable goof. Funny how things change like that.

 

Sharon's father once dangled Robert Stigwood (Australian manager of the Bee Gees and Cream) out a window for approaching one of his artists.