I saw saying to my brother a while ago, the problem with Zakk is that he never branched out. He found his niche and stuck to it, he never learned any new tricks, scales or ideas. He didn't get into jazz or classical, he stuck with southern rock and pentatonic scales. Every album was a pairing down of his sound, a rehash of old ideas or just generally less interesting that what he had already done. If it makes him happy and it makes him a living, I have no problem with that and good on him for doing something he loves (I really hate my job) but as a consumer with limited income it makes me less inclined to buy the new BLS/Ozzy/Zakk.
Ozzy has always been hit and miss for me. His good albums are really good. I think he’s made 3 classic albums within the genre along with an handful that weren’t bad. I’ve not really listened to his new album because I’ve lost interest in his solo stuff. The last 2-3 albums have been crap . The fact he’s releasing a new album so soon after his recent one indicates that it won’t be up to much. The last album I bought of his was scream. I put it on on the way home from the record shop and it was awful. I gave it away to my grandad as soon as I got home.
I think Zakk is a cool guy. Loves Ozzy to bits. As a guitarist though, he does nothing for me at all. It’s very rare I listen to Ozzy solo nowadays and a lot of that is down to the guitarists he’s had. Not saying they weren’t any good because they clearly were, but as I’ve got older , my ears just don’t take to it anymore .
I like Zakk and his BLS material, also love his Zakk Sabbath band, bought the Vertigo album, the collectors edition with the DVD. Like I said previously Ozzy’s best album since Bark At The Moon, is No More Tears, and that’s with Zakk.
No More Tears is a great album, especially at a time when grunge was taking off. I think it’s better than Bark At The Moon.
He lost me at the ‘Down To Earth’ album which was 2001?? Way too many outside songwriters. I do love everything he put out in the 80’s.
I quite enjoyed Ordinary Man too. I wouldn't rave about it too much but better than I expected at this stage of the game. As for Zakk, I guess I kinda lost interest about the time he joined the band so don't really have an opinion but it would seem a backwards move to me at this point.
I can’t choose against Bark at the Moon, that’s at a time I was coming up and getting into music, and that album along with Ozzy’s voice just struck me and I literally fell in love with Ozzy, so that album as does Speak of the Devil have a special place in my heart, and Jake’s playing was phenomenal, BATM was the first Ozzy album I heard and was released when I was getting into Metal, No More Tears, I fell in love with it the first time I heard and I wore out my cassette I listened to it so much.
I wish he’d bring back Jake, but I know that’s impossible there’s some sort of contract or royalty lawsuit going on or had gone on, so I know they’re not on good terms, just like Bob Daisley
The title track Bark At The Moon is classic Ozzy. I think his voice is a bit strained on the album, though .
Yeah, I've got 3-4 BLS CDs & they never quite make it off the shelf. I'll have to throw those a couple of those in the stack to spin this weekend.
The first Ozzy albums I got were Diary of a Madam and No Rest for the Wicked, and they (probably) remain my favorites to this day. I bought Diary on cassette for a quarter at a yard sale in 1989. It had no cover, which bugged me terribly. I cut out a little artwork of a grim reaper guy from a metal mag and tapes that to a blank tape cover and that became the permanent cover for that tape for many years until I switched to CDs. Soon after getting Diary, I got NRFTW in a trade from a friend. The sound on that album is just special to me. It doesn't sound like anything else really. It's so good.
Absolutely agree! I know there were problems with the production and Keith Olsen was brought in to fix what Roy Thomas Baker recorded (or was it the other way round???) but either way between those two guys we got a great but very different sounding album. For me it’s Ozzy’s last classic effort (I much prefer his work that’s written with his band at the time) and Zakk Wylde’s solos are just exceptional. Absolutely love the album - my favourite is the original 1988 Japan cd which has ‘The Liar’ as a bonus track and also part of the track listing) Ozzy Osbourne = オジー・オズボーン – No Rest For The Wicked (1988, CD)
Ozzy's solo albums increasingly seem like a former pro athlete getting accolades for their golf game. If the fans are happy, more power to him.
I definitely enjoyed some cuts off of 'Ordinary Man' I am also glad he is working again with Andrew Watt (Wotman). I seem to recall Ozzy saying something about how he enjoyed working with Watt from the get-go on Post Malone's "Take What You Want" and respected him as a producer. Andy
Looking forward to another new album from Ozzy. I didn't really care for "Black Rain" or "Scream" all that much, so I was a bit surprised at how good "Ordinary Man" was.
