Ozzy Osbourne
Bark at the Moon
Ozzmosis
The Ozzman Cometh
Live at Budokan
By David Chiu

Continuing on the banner year for the Ozzman are some recent reissues and a new live album. Recovering from the devastating loss of guitarist Randy Rhoads, Ozzy regrouped with a new guitarist Jake E. Lee for Bark of the Moon. Not remarkable compared to Blizzard of Ozz, but it delivers the usual cast of macabre-laden songs: the title cut, "Rock and Roll Rebel" and "Centre of Eternity." The best song however is not a rocker but the Beatlesque ballad "So Tired," a song that Meatloaf wished he sang and Jim Steinman wished he wrote.

Perhaps Osbourne's strongest album post Randy Rhoads would come ten years later in the form of Ozzmosis. Having himself cleaned and relatively sober, the Ozzman was in true rock and roll form on a set of what might be considered his most personal songs. Sure the manic quality of himself and the songs remain ("Perry Mason," "Thunder Underground," "My Jekyll Doesn't Hide") but Ozzmosis has its fair share of somber, maybe softer songs (I Just Want You, ghost "Behind My Eyes," "My Little Man," and "Old LA Tonight"). Zakk Wylde, Geezer Butler, Rick Wakeman, and producer Michael Beinhorn all contribute to the finer moments of a slightly wilder/more mature Ozzy here.

It seems ironic for a guy who never really burned up the singles chart (his duet with Lita Ford the exception) would deserve a compilation of his best, but The Ozzman Cometh fulfills that and more. Aside from the usual standbys in "Crazy Train," "Goodbye to Romance," "Mr. Crowley," and "Mama I'm Coming Home," there is also two Black Sabbath songs recorded by the band, "Black Sabbath" and "War Pigs" that was in Ozzy's home vaults; and there is the live version of "I Don't Want to Change the World" that netted him a Grammy. If you were born in a cave and had no idea of who he was, help yourself to this introduction.

Live at Budokan is a newly recorded live album recorded at the famed venue in Japan. Like his previous Live and Loud, this one is an overview of Ozzy's best to a screaming Japanese crowd. Though not as explosive as Tribute and Ozzy's voice reveals a little wear, Budokan is sufficient for bringing out songs like "Crazy Train," "I "Don't Know," and the classic "Paranoid." If anything, this album is worth seeing Ozzy in a US army tank in the album sleeve.

http://www.ozzy.net