Tell Me What You Know About Ozzy

Hi All,

Hope it is OK for me to be here. I know a little about music. I'm a non practicing violinist and I am teaching myself to play guitar. Beyond that I have no real knowledge of how music is made.

I am currently researching Ozzy, namely his voice and phrasing, but private life issues too. I am 48, so it will sound strange that I just started LOVING Black Sabbath and Ozzy solo. In fact, my research has been exceedingly intense. I will be receiving his book "I Am Ozzy" soon, but mostly have been reading/watching interviews and watching doc's, searching forums and reading YouTube contents.

This seems like a good forum, the only one I have signed up for so far. Critical reviews are fine but mean comments about Ozzy hurt me and for sure hurt Ozzy. So many terrible comments out there. Ozzy has had his troubles, we all have. He just happens to be so transparent, he gets so much flack. So please don't tell me things like, "I saw Ozzy and he sucked".

So, will someone tell me a little about phrasing?

Thanks for reading
Paulette

 

He speaks with the same accent as me.

 

A British stoner accent?

 

It's usually legato.

 

Well I’m certainly a fan ever since hearing Crazy Train on the radio in 1981. Black Sabbath too. Ozzy’s singing style and voice are unique. To me he usually sounds hurt, vulnerable, in pain. Music critics never took Ozzy/Sabbath seriously. To my ears, Ozzy is a great soul singer, meaning you hear exactly who he is in his voice, no pretense, no persona, no guises, etc. Listen to Warning from the 1st Sabbath album to hear what I mean.
At times too it’s s great rock and roll voice, flying high with a touch of madness - I Don’t Know, Crazy Train, Over The Mountain. Agian, not put on or forced. Sounds real.
Ozzy never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. Pretty humble even self- deprecating. I think you have to get him to like him. Maybe critics and musicians don’t appreciate him because they don’t take the time to understand who he is. Or they think he’s faking, or putting on a persona.

 

Hi. Thank you for responding. I was unclear as usual. I mea

 

Thanks for responding. I don't umderstand except that legato means slow, right. It's been so long since I've really read music. In my choir a bit, but mostly just followed everyone else

 

bataclan2002

Thank you so much for your response.

Sidenote- do you find that threads get buried quickly here or is it just because I'm moderated?

Ozzy said in a live interview (please take my word, for I cannot fimd said interview ) they never got a good review. Like never. Sheesh.

In fact, check out an interview with Claudia Friedlander (opera simger) on Invisible Oranges website. She kills him. That's the only place I've read anything about his phrasing and she said it's distracting.

If I understand phrasing correctly it's one thing I just die for about him.

I will listen to "Warning" again.

Sorry so long winded. Thanks again.

 

No, West Midlands!

 

gary191265- I meant his singing voice. But I suppose you know that

 

In the UK his wife is now more famous than him.

 

Great post!

IMO. Ozzy is the best vocalist in Rock, this side of Lennon.
He gets so much flak as being a clown, non-musician, didn't write his own music (lyrics), it becomes comical.

All I know, anything the guy sings makes me feel exactly what the song is trying to convey. As the old saying goes, "he can sing the phone book and make it interesting and make you believe it." That takes talent.

As far as writing. His melodies are as interesting and unique as his voice. My view on his lyrics are too long to go into here. I know Geezer wrote most of Sabbath's (Why not? He's one of the best lyricist on the planet, IMO). Let's just say, I think Mr. Daisley tries to take too much credit.

I also think at his peak was one of the best front men in Rock history.
The jumps, pumping peace signs, freak-out convulsions, great!

I feel Ozzy's biggest downfall musically, is he never had proper technique or any for that matter. He has stated many times that he just went for it. This has contributed more to his inconstancy and off nights than the drugs/drinks. More recently, I just watch The Big Interview (Dan Rather) with Sharon. She mentioned Ozzy's Parkinson's-like medical condition. I knew about him having the disease, but she said it effects the voice, I did not know that. Another hurdle he has to deal with.

Anyway, he's one of the best, unique, original artists to walk the planet IMO.
Not to be morbid, but he will be sorely missed when he's gone.

 

Paulette, I would never think to call Ozzy a technicality great singer. Would never think he could or should do opera.
But, maybe like John Lennon, not a great singer in a technical sense, but effective at conveying a lyric, a mood in a unique way. I happen to like Ozzy’s phrasing. It fits the music well.
I think in general music journalists- critics- resent it when an artist is successful and they had nothing to do with their success. Not surprised at the lack of good reviews.

 

"I Am Ozzy" is a cool book.

 

Why exactly do you think that?

 

He snorted ants

 

I saw Black Sabbath perform at the Fillmore East in 1971. It was their second appearance there, supporting the release of "Paranoid", and their first as the top-billed act. The J. Geils Band opened for them, and blew the roof off the place. That was one of the most high-energy rock performances I have ever seen.
Ozzy suffered terribly from stage fright early in his career. They practically had to push him onstage to follow the Geils Band. He then performed the entire set with his back to the audience. He would turn around for two seconds after each song and say "Thank You...Black Sabbath!" and then turn around again, before he peed his pants. Who imagined the guy would become a star? Stranger things have happend, I suppose.
It was also one of the loudest concerts I have ever been to. I had tinnitus for three days afterwards.

 

I'm a fan of his vocal ability (or lack of), Almost a 'metallic' tinge to it which I enjoy.
I watched my Grand-Father suffer from this. A slow hell of degradation. His mind/memories/emotion still intact without a carrier to enact. I'd rather take my Grand-Mothers Alzheimer's.

 

That's what Tommy Lee says. Ozzy and Nikki were having a "who can be the grosses contest" or something. That's in the doc "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" by Jack Osbourne.

 

wwaldmanfan- holy moly.

 

He hates bubbles.

 

Ozzy has had a `Stutter` since childhood and this together with his thick `Brummie` (Birmingham UK ) accent make him appear to be incoherent and mumbling....although the pallet loads of `Coke` didn`t help.

 

Ozzy had an own TV show on MTV for a while, starring him and his family. But I forgot the show's name, sorry.^^

 

bataclan - oh no, not that he could or couldn't sing opera. It was an opera singer who critiqued several "heavy metal" singers. If Wikipedia is correct he actually did sing in Gilbert and Sullivan plays, though, in school.

Will you describe what phrasing is?