Black Rain

I’m going to stray from the usual music reviews. Ozzy has been making albums throughout most of my life. I won’t delve into the Black Sabbath years, and am not going to compare any of his releases with each other (it wouldn’t be fair to Ozzy.) I like artists and bands that can consistently churn out unique and different sounds and songs with each progression through time. I don’t want an artist who repeats the past. So for this review I am strictly going to explore Ozzy through each of his works under “Ozzy Osbourne” and will not mention any of his ballads (which there are many memorable.)To start with, his eerie use of haunting keyboards, heavy guitar riffs, unique vocal style, choice of lyrics and willingness to stray outside of the box is one of the reasons I find all if his work amazing. Include a choir here, piano there, some strings, orchestration, while consistently supplying catchy riffs and choruses… he can’t seem to go wrong. Maintaining freshness throughout a career is an art form not many rock artists can pull off. I don’t think you can find a single release that doesn’t offer at least one gem. Many band members have come and gone over the years, and comparing guitarists, producers, and other differences to each other to me is meaningless; each have brought something unique to the table.Blizzard of Ozz (1980) – Many consider a classic (and rightfully so.) But to compare everything he does to his first album is insane. Sure, “Crazy Train” is what launched his career as a solo artist in the ‘80s and is an excellent piece of work. I can’t argue with that (as it is a great tune), and the album is a cult classic chock full of hits. But comparing everything he does to the past isn’t going to work for me. He progressed onwards and with fury.Diary of a Madman (1981) – “Flying High Again” is another classic. You can hear him evolving from more than just another rock icon of the era. “Over the Mountain” is another memorable tune. There are elements of his past in this release, but you can hear him moving forward in direction.Bark at the Moon (1983) – The title track became a radio hit, and justly so for the time period. Once again, he provides a solid framework from which he will build upon in the future. All the elements are here.The Ultimate Sin (1986) – “Shot in the Dark”, another radio hit, brings him that much closer to his fans and new audiences alike. Variety is the key that keeps him alive for me. Some casual fans may have trouble with this one, but again he is evolving.No Rest for the Wicked (1988) – “Miracle Man” just demonstrates how he can still change things and sound great. “Breakin’ all the Rules” is another fantastic tune that demonstrates his unique abilities in providing variety. Despite the continual changes in lineup, he still produces solid rockers with flair.No More Tears (1991) – The title track is great. Well produced, and again Ozzy has shown a refreshing change by including even more keyboards, an orchestra, dubbed voices, and a fantastic break from the routine that so many other artists fell under. “Hell Raiser” is another amazing track. The uniqueness of this release is what kept me interested in what Ozzy was doing. Fantastic production and execution.Ozzmosis (1995) – When “Perry Mason” came out, I was blown away by the intro and bass line in the middle. Despite the reference to an iconic character of years past, the song is just as fresh as it should be. Give it a few listens, you’ll be hooked. Another example of excellent production and freshness.Down to Earth (2001) – Many hardcore Ozzy fans trash this release. I can’t understand why. He has evolved again, and continues to amaze me. I can appreciate the changes throughout the years, to me it is just another example of his ability to morph new ideas into his repertoire. “Gets Me Through” is a great song. “Junkie” is another one.Black Rain (2007) – Once again, Ozzy has pulled more tricks out of his hat. “Not Going Away” is phenomenal. Again, unlike his previous releases he has demonstrated that he can adapt and kick out a winner. Not all of the tracks are special, but he has something for everyone in every release he does. I think many fail to understand him.Scream (2010)– “Let it Die” and “Diggin’ Me Down” are worth the purchase even if they were the only songs on this release. Again, he puts together a wonderful collection of rocking tunes. I hope Ozzy keeps true to himself and continues to experiment and release new music.In summary, if you are looking for Ozzy to repeat himself over and over, you probably won’t like all of his releases. But if you can appreciate the way he has evolved over the years, you are sure to enjoy at least one track from each. After all, he has something for everyone. It is hard to have everything for someone, but with his changes in band members, sounds, lyrics, and topic choices, I have to give him due credit. If you are looking for Black Sabbath in everything he does, you will probably be disappointed in some of his releases. If you have a hankerin’ for a particular guitarist, you may be disappointed as well. But if you are someone like me (who appreciates the changes in musical direction while still maintaining true to his image), I can’t think of many artists who have continually churned out winners in the bunch. Do yourself a favor and preview the tracks I have listed and you may be surprised that he really does provide something for everyone. Take your picks from there. And no, I don’t work for any of his labels and I have never even met the man (although I would love to shake his hand for consistently supplying me with great music over the years.) His marketing has upset a few fans (see other reviews), but set aside the corporate game and just listen. That’s what music is really about.

From start to finish , this is a great Ozzy record. Personally, I would compare the subtlties of this to OZZMOSIS, but by that I mean the mix of Guitar , Bass, Drums and Keyboard.I take as my basis for comparison the Ozzman's LIVE AT THE BUDOKAN sound with Zakk bringing forth a screaming wail of wonderous sounds. As a comparison, A guitarist friend from Atlanta viewed Zakks solo on BUDOKAN with derision; well, Ozzy's records sell, and This guy I know who calls himself an Acid Jazz Guitarist has moved to being a Realty Guy.Anyway, the Point is, with stuff like this, if you don't get it, no amount of me, or any other person, saying anything, is going to convince you.Trying to find my review own review of this Record was hard; kind of weird, since the content of Two versions differs only in that there is a Code Valid from 8th June to 12 june. I can use an online code from 12 June. But the thing that sucks is that it appears that Amazon has priced the hell out of the one without the Code higher than some place that have the code... at least in Detroit, the Ones with Codes were about 8 dollars.Anyways, I love the Album. I wanted to add that in some respects, the Vocal lines from this Album were extensions of the Two Studio Cuts from REUNION. I think it would be killer to have Zakk and Iommi doing Backing for Ozzy on an Album.I do agree that the Japanese Version of the Album is probably the Superior package of the Album, as well as the better with 12 cuts, instead of just 10. This album is one of Ozzy's Best , and thats saying something. Now all I have to do is get the Covers Disc with the one cut I missed.And who invented the marketing of Ozzy's records? It was like 14 dollars for the basic copy ( I had no idea at time of purchase this was the case), then 18 dollars for the FREE code version of the same Record so I can get a Seat At Charlotte or Down South Florida( The Panhandle is a no-go Zone for Most Bands it seems). And the BEST artwork of ANY Album thus released in the last year has to come in on an Import ( Or I can download it by PDF though [...] :-); Black Rain in the US should be out on a Deluxe version with the Artwork they Have. Even with Free Tickets to Ozzfest, the Promoters will clean up bigtime... just one example, of the two venues I mentioned, none have parking, do the math on the parking. Sharon is not dumb... cut down some over-heads, and clean up on the DVD sales.I tried last night ( The 12th) to get through on the Choked servers for a Free Show, no luck.Kind of Odd this: Plenty of Bad Reviews of Dunkin Donut Heads, who probably still go and see Ozzy anyway, but the Shows are Jam Packed.Ozzy, You are Still the Greatest !!! You overcame a lot, and produced a Lot of Great Music for the world. So few are left like yourself, Dio, Alice, and others, etc., all doing great music, and have still done so for many years. I Honestly that there is time enough for at least one last Sabbath Record/CD, since that those two tantalising tracks they gave on reunion were the best, and blew away all others.

Christmas present for my son!

The media could not be loaded. Plays great!But both vinyls came warped, still plays perfect just disappointed that I have to flatten them.Primaly a lack of Q.C.