Disc Two, Disc Three, Disc Four
I remember finding this at the discount department store I once worked at (not Wal-Mart, but just as disgraceful), and it was very reasonably priced. Happily, I picked it up. I read the inner book way back then and one of the passages that really caught my eye was in the first paragraph. Ozzy wasn't interested in making a box set that was made up of tracks that you can already get.
Instead he opted to release four discs of material that you can't get without searching in the discount bins for that one stray song, or are live versions, or alternate versions, or simply never released tracks. I think one or two tracks may be standard studio tracks as well, but you get the point. This collection was something the fans would want to buy, and not feel cheated.
Basically the collection is spilt into four discs. The first one is studio tracks, mixed with live tracks. Most of the live tracks had been on the tribute album, but that's okay. It's a great mix of early Ozzy. But all songs had been released prior to this in some way.
The second disc is more of the same, but contains more demo tracks, and a lot more live tracks.
The third album is made up of Ozzy Osbourne ft/ or ft/ Ozzy Osbourne. It's an interesting mix, using a variety of musicians, from various genres.
The last disc is a covers album, and what would eventually make up the cover album Under Cover.
I have mixed feelings about Ozzy, and Sharon, but that's okay. I know she plays him like a puppet, but he loves it, and since he can still do his thing, I'm fine with that. I think that if you put a pen in his hand and give him a guitarist to work off, he can still function as he needs. I think this collection is the perfect example of that. The album kicks off with a live version of I Don't Know. This is a blisteringly awesome song. It just doesn't do it from me, and it's purely because I was exposed to other guitarists before I was really exposed to Randy Rhoads and nothing more.
Mr. Crowley and Crazy Train make up the next two tracks, but I can really hear the remastering on Crazy Train. The difference between the two is that Crazy Train seems to all of a sudden have a heavy bottom end, and it really makes the song come back to life in a way my old copy of Blizzard never could.
I don't like Good-Bye To Romance. I do apologize to the Ozzy fans out there, but the only slow song I'm willing to overlook is Changes. Only the Black Sabbath studio version. It's the only time I've ever heard him sing a slow song and not sound like a pussy whipped bastard. However, this live version is pretty and nice and that's all cool for the people that dig this song.
That's followed up by a live version of Suicide Solution. I'll be honest; I'm pretty burnt out on most songs from the Blizzard Of Oz album, but this live track is killer. The remastering once again makes a huge difference. I also enjoy the soloing that was left in at the end of the song. It has me drooling like Homer Simpson with a pink sprinkled doughnut.
I love Randy Rhoads and the reason is Over The Mountain. Part of me is happy to be getting a remastered studio version, but I would have liked to have heard a top notch quality live version.
Flying High Again is the live version we always hear, when we hear a live version, and since I've never been a fan of You Can't Kill Rock And Roll I'm not going to get into that either. Diary Of A Madman is a whole different story. This is the Ozzy Material I love. It's creepy, scary, and sounds like a whole ensemble, not just a song with some lyrics sung out, while the guitarist plays with himself. In other words Ozzy's recipe for commercial success. Instead Diary takes us on a journey, that has a feel, and vibe, and you don't notice the guitarist playing with himself, because it sets the mood. All the other instruments that are used in certain sections help add to that feel. Did I mention that Randy Rhoads is killer on this song.
Bark At The Moon is Bark At The Moon, but this time it's live. Ooooo. Actually I wish the mix wasn't so shitty on this track, because you can't hear Jake E. Lee loud enough. It's a bit upsetting, since it is live.
I totally dig the next track Spiders. This collection is the first time I got to hear it, and I fell in love. The bass lays down this slinky, creepy, Jazz like rhythm, while the guitar throws off these really freaky riffs and fills. This song is very much a spider. It's a shame the record company b-sided this one on Ozzy. I think it would have done great on the radio. If I were to put together a collection of my favourite Ozzy tracks this would be on it.
I find Rock 'N' Roll Rebel a bit cliché. It's a decent enough song, but it falls under Stock Ozzy. You're No Differen't finishes off the first disc. I wouldn't say that this is a shitty song, but there is just way too much synth being shoved down my throat. In the grand sheme of Ozzy this may be some of the worst.
A live version of Ultimate Sin kicks off the second disc. I'm not a fan of this song. Way too much keyboards, and it's for the sake of having keyboards. Jake E Lee's Guitar work is top notch and it sounds pretty killer, but that's the only saving grace to me. I'm glad that in later years Ozzy saw the error of his ways.
After that it's a live version of Never Know Why. I'm not sure why they had Ozzy include so many tracks from this period. It's not like any of these songs were ever successful, and with the exception of maybe Ultimate Sin no one claims to like these songs. I would rather have heard a medley of all of Jake's solos put together instead.
Thank God For The Bomb is the last of the live tracks, from the dark years of Ozzy's life post Randy Rhoads. This one has really shitty production, but I find it the most interesting of all the live tracks that open this collection.
Jake E.Lee is a really good guitarist and I can really respect his style, but when we get to the Zakk Wylde material I'm very happy. Zakk has great guitar sound that's so thick and heavy, and at the same time can still make piercing shreds.
Crazy Babies is the first track to feature Zakk and I'm so happy the keyboards are gone, because this guitar would eat them alive. I think one of the biggest mistakes Ozzy ever made was that he stopped looking for up and coming guitarists. This track shows he grabbed Wylde at just the right time.
Breakin' All The Rules is another track I had never heard prior to buying this collection, and I'm thankful that Ozzy included it. It's heavy, and wild, and erraticly disjointed in a way that suits Ozzy well. I like when Mr. Osbourne is suffering from controlled madness. It works well for him, and I think Zakk helped harness it just right. If Ozzy had stuck with his original plan, No More Tears would have been his last album. I remember the big retirement tour and I was happy about it. I like the live album that followed, and it was the perfect way to end a gret career. If Sabbath had gotten back together at that point, that would have been cool too, but sadly that wasn't the case.
I was never a fan of the song I Don't Want to Change The World, but I like that they included the demo version on here. The album version is more polished, and it sounds cool enough if you like the song. This demo version on the other hand allows you to see a little insight on how Ozzy and Zakk saw the song.
Imagine that the most touching song on the No More Tears album was written with the help of Lemmy Kilmeister. Mama, I'm Coming Home sounds great on this demo version. It almost sounds like it was recorded in a building with huge cathedral ceilings and sunlight pouring in every window. From a fan point of view I like this version better than the original.
I'm not a big fan of Dersire, it's one of those tracks that's killer, but it's not that special to me. Zakk sounds killer with his playing, and if you like Zakk you should love this song. Also this is a demo.
Ozzy opted to use the studio version of No More Tears. This song is in the top ten of all Ozzy Osbourne (not Black Sabbath) for sure, and probably the top five for many. This is one of those songs you should know and if you don't you have been robbed. Ozzy credits Mike Inez for this one, and says he'll be playing it as long as he tours. I'm glad to hear it, although it's the production of the studio version that makes this track for me.
I love when artists can't remember recording tracks. Won't Be Coming Home (S.I.N.), is a demo that has this trait for Ozzy. I think this is a great track and it's been on my Mp3 player quite a few times over the years.
Joe Holmes toured as Ozzy's guitarist for five years, and he was fantastic according to everyone that heard him live. Sadly the only recording Ozzy has of him is this live version of Perry Mason. I love the studio version of this song, and when I hear this version I get a little disappointed. The production sucks. To be more specific the mix sucks. Ozzy's vocals are pushed too far above everything else, and have an echo that doesn't blend with the instruments at all. The drums also sound out of place as well. It sounds more like an open air recording and less like a sound board recording, but it also sounds like it was recorded during rehearsal, not the actual show.
I've reveiwed the Ozzmosis album and made my thoughts clear about See You On The Others Side. I don't think much more kindly of this demo version, but I will say that I do think it's better than the studio album version. There's an awesome dreamy quality to this track that makes it feel more peaceful than the other. I also really like the sax work. I don't recall hearing it all that much in the other version. There's not a lot of it, but enough to add something worth while to the track. The only flaw in this demo version comes from the back up tracks. They sound odd and poorly produced, which makes sense for a demo. The coolest part about this track is it kind of has a Pink Floyd quality to it.
Walk On Water was a track recorded for Beavis And Butt-Head Do America, but it was done with Moby for that version. This is the demo version, and the one actually heard in the movie. It's cool, and I like the Middle Eastern motif to the music, but it's a little too Alternative sounding for me.
Gets Me Through is one of those songs that I really just have no use for. It's from an album that I didn't care for, and if it were not for the coolness of the guitar in this live version I'd be going on a tirade right now. The lyrics are the type that really depress me. I hate when artists start to pretty much just parody themselves in their music to appease the dumbest part of their fan base. If you want to look at it from another point of view you could say it's like bate to try and draw new fans to the old greats, but in that case just play the greats. Instead of giving us lines like, "I'm not the kind of person you think I am / I'm not the anti-christ or the iron man / I have a vision that I just can't control / I feel I've lost my spirit and sold my soul / Got no control / I try to entertain you the best I can / I wish I'd started walking before I ran / But I still love the feeling I get from you / I hope you'll never stop cause it gets me through yeah / It gets me through yeah".
Bang Bang (You're Dead) is a demo that contains lyrics to a song that had to be changed for mass release. It became Facing Hell on Down To Earth in the end, but on here you get to hear the original lyrics. I think the record company was full of morons, and were playing it too safe. On the other hand it's not like this would have gotten much radio play. It's okay, but not a song the radio would want to play.
I'm not a fan of Dreamer. It's a pretty ballad, and I won't knock Ozzy for creating his own Image. It's just not a song I listen to.
I like the third disc. It's a great mix of songs, most of them being covers. At times it get's a little silly, and at other points it's pretty killer.
The first song on the disc is Iron Man, which is done with Therapy? I've covered this song before in the Nativity In Black tribute album. It's a fantastic track, and amazingly well done. A great update, that Ozzy can't remember recording.
Primus is one of the most musically talented bands. They are musician's musicians. Listening to them rip into N.I.B. while Ozzy throws down the vocals is even better. I've also covered this track before, in my review of Nativity In Black II.
Purple Haze was done as a favour for Doc McGee, and is the only track Ozzy was able to record with the late Bruce Fairburn. When you mix in Zakk Wylde on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and the late Randy Castillo on drums, you get one hell of a heavy ass track. I've heard Zakk play other Hendrix songs, and thought many were better done. I don't care for how the bass is kind of buried in the mix either, but other than that, not a bad track.
Unlike the first three songs, I have never heard the original version of Pictures Of Matchstick Men so I have no point of comparison. However, Ozzy backed by Type O Negative is totally fucking awesome. This song was recorded for Howard Stern's Private Parts soundtrack. I have that album, and this song is one of the reasons I picked it up. I don't think this is one of Ozzy's greatest songs, but it's cool enough that I wish that he and Type O had recorded an album together before Peter Steele's passing.
The next track has an interesting story behind it. Originally the female vocals for Shake You Head (Let's Go to Bed) were supposed to be done by Madonna. However, the Pop Princess thought she was too good to be on a track with Ozzy and refused, so they were replaced by Kim Basinger. That's the most interesting thing about this song. It sounds like a bunch of typical artistic eighties new wave. It's pretty bland, and Madonna may have blamed Ozzy, but I think it was really because she didn't want to touch this song.
Sometimes you do things just for the enjoyment of your children. That's how we get Ozzy and Miss Piggy performing Born To Be Wild. This song is fun. I mean it's just pure whimsical enjoyment. If you need a pick me up this will do it. If you are looking for something serious, please skip this track.
Nowhere To Run (Vapor trail), which Ozzy only talks about by admitting to biting the head of Kenny McCormick. This is one of the crazyiest tracks on the album. This is Ozzy with Crystal Method, DMX, Ol' Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.), and Fuzzbubble. First off, Ozzy actually delivers vocals that sound like he's rapping, and it's not bad, I'm not saying Ozzy should rap, but this attempt is acceptable. Then you get the fact that this is a Rap track, with a Techno-ish music track, that's just raw adrenaline. Not exactly my kind of track, but I let it play out when the disc is playing.
Psycho Man is one of two songs recorded for the Black Sabbath Reunion album. I was into the song real heavy when it first came out, and over time I find that I've become more and more ambivilant to the song. It's a stock track for the most part, enjoyable, but still pretty standard from Sabbath.
I'm not sure why Ozzy chose to leave Selling My Soul off this album and include For Heaven's Sake 2000. I don't mind the rap stylings in the track above, but on this one I think they are ass. Ozzy isn't rapping on this one either. It's more like Tony Iommi and his parts were just sampled.
There is something really odd about the fact that the one track on this collection to contain Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy Kilmeister, Motorhead more specifically. It's the only song they have actually recorded together, eventhough they've written and toured together many times. However, this is a killer track. I remember listening to this track on my Mp3 player a hell of a lot when I first got this collection, and after listening to it for this review I think I'll put it back on again.
Therapy was recorded with Infectious Grooves. This is the first time in history Ozzy and Rob Trejillo play together. Infectious Grooves was across the hall in another studio room when No More Tears was being recorded, which is how this came about. I do enjoy the track, but it's not one that I would go out of my way to listen to.
Dweezil Zappa, Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, Warren DeMartini, Nuno Bettencourt and Tim Pierce all take turns (in the listed order) playing the guitar solos for Ozzy's cover of the Disco classic Stayin' Alive. This is the only one of two tracks on the disc to never have been released before. This was kind of a Dweezil Zappa pet project that turned out really cool. I suggest checking it out.
The album finishes with Dog, The Bounty Hunter. This is the theme for the show, which Dog personally asked Ozzy to write for him. It's okay for a TV theme song. This is the only other track that was never released prior to this disc.
Disc four is the opposite of the previous one in the sense that only one track on this album had been released before this box set, and that was Changes done with his daughter Kelly. Other than that, this is a disc of brand new covers that Ozzy decided to rip out in the studio.
I know almost all of the songs on this album are pretty good, and I have to say that most of them are pretty damn enjoyable. The first track on the CD is 21st Century Schiziod Man, originally by King Crimson. Ozzy's version is only 3:53 and had a Heavy and controlled sound to it, but doesn't lose the erratic essence of King Crimson's Jazz flavoured original. My biggest complaint about this one is how it's been cut down musically.
I totally dig the rendition of Mississippi Queen on this album. This song has alway been a favourite of mine, and I will always think no one can do it better than Mountain originally did, but this version is still damn good. I think that it helps having the solo on this version being played by the same guitarist that did the original solo, Leslie West.
One of the very first David Bowie songs I fell in love with was All The Young Dudes. Specifically the version from the live album that corresponded with Ziggy Stardust. I have heard a few different versions of this song over the years and as far as I'm concerned none have done justice to Bowie or Mott The Hoople's versions. My biggest complaint about Ozzy's cover is that it sounds like his song Dreamer way too much in the tone and sound.
In My Life is a bit slow for me, and I've always thought that about The Beatles original too. However, I don't mind this cover too much. It's a nice tribute to the original. Jerry Cantrell does a really good job with the guitars on this song.
I guess I should mention that this specific disc was recorded with guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Mike Bordin. You should know Cantrell from Alice In Chains and Bordin from Faith No More. Wyse is currently the bassist for The Cult and Owl, but he's also played with Steve Vai, so that says alot about him. It's a really interesting mix for this album.
Fire was the only song on this album I surprisingly didn't know prior to hearing it on this album. I have since heard the original, and I've even got to hear Authur Brown (the original performer) do this one with Alice Cooper. I really like what Ozzy and the band did with this one. I'm a big fan of this cover.
There's an interesting spin put on For What It's Worth, and it's enough for me to be okay with the song. It's not the greatest cover I've ever heard of this song, but then again I've already written about the best cover I've heard of this song with Rush's Feedback album. But, it's still worth checking this one out.
I've taken a lot of abuse over the years from my buddy Pat about the G'N'R version of Sympathy For The Devil, and how he hates the sound of it. I can understand his issues, and luckily the Ozzy version didn't exsist back then. I'm not a fan of this one. It sounds like Alice In Chains trying to do a grunge interpretation of the song, and it's not so good.
Working Class Hero is once again another song where Ozzy nails it. I was a fan of the Lennon version for only a few years before this album came out, and in that time I also heard Marilyn Manson do a cover of this one in between, so I was scared when I originally put this track on. I'm very happy Ozzy did this one so well.
Good Times was recorded for Sharon, and when you hear the lyrics you understand why she bugged Ozzy to do it. Personally, I would have prefered if she hadn't. I'm not a fan of the song the whole way around.
Prince Of Darkness concludes with a cover of Black Sabbath's Changes, which is now a duet with his daughter Kelly Osbourne. What a horrible way to end a collection. I have no clue how this version ever became Ozzy's only number one hit, but it's really sad. I'm not going to say that this is a shitty version of the song, because it's not. However, it's just a poor choice to end this collection. It should have been slotted after Born To Be Wild with miss Piggy.
I was later a little pissed off that all the songs except for Changes ended up on an album called Under Cover, not long after this set came out, and had even more songs on it as well. For that I shame on you Ozzy.
To me this collection is worth picking up, if you find it for a reasonable price, or you are a middle level Ozzy fan, or higher. If you are a basic Ozzy fan I would probably stay clear and just go hunting for the original versions of all these songs. You can not use this collection like one might with a typical box set. This is not a super sized greatest hits package, it's live tracks, demo versions, and a bunch of covers. This is for the people that want the odd stuff.
7/10 - content
7/10 - production
6/10 - personal bias
No comments:
Post a Comment