Ozzy Osbourne The Ozzman Cometh CD

THE OZZMAN COMETH is a single CD collection of hits, previously unavailable recordings and one new track. Previously included a limited edition second disc containing 2 of the 4 previously unavailable recordings as well as an interview with Ozzy Osbourne.
Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Jake E. Lee (guitar); John Sinclair, Kevin Jones, Rick Wakeman, Michael Beinhorn (keyboards); Geezer Butler, Bob Daisley, Rudy Sarzo, Bill Susan, Mike Inez (bass); Bill Ward, Lee Kerslake, Tommy Aldridge, Randy Castillo (drums).
Producers include: Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Max Norman, Ron Nevison, Michael Beinhorn.
Engineers include: Michael Wagener, Paul Northfield.
Recorded between 1970 & 1995.
Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Jake E. Lee, Randy Rhoads , Tony Iommi, Zakk Wylde (guitar); John Sinclair, Kevin Jones, Michael Beinhorn, Rick Wakeman (keyboards); Geezer Butler, Robert Trujillo, Rudy Sarzo, Bob Daisley (bass guitar); Mike Bordin, Randy Castillo, Tommy Aldridge, Bill Ward (drums).
Audio Mixers: Michael Wagener; Paul Northfield.
Recording information: A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (1983-1995); Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, NY (1983-1995); Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1983-1995); Devonshire Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1983-1995); Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY (1983-1995); Enterprise Studios (1983-1995); Goodnight LA Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1983-1995); Guillaume Tell Studios, Paris, France (1983-1995); Ridge Farm Studios (1983-1995); Right Track Recording, New York, NY (1983-1995).
Photographers: Mark Weiss; Ross Pelton; Matt Sherlock; Guzman/Rotterdam Conservatory Orquesta Tipica; Neal Preston; Gene Kirkland.
As with many '70s and '80s metal acts, the '90s were not a very productive period for Ozzy Osbourne. Aside from two studio albums (1991's No More Tears and 1995's Ozzmosis) and the creation of the Ozzfest summer tour package, the middle-aged Osbourne had all but withdrawn from the industry and, despite his incredible delivery on No More Tears, was slowly becoming an aging novelty act as opposed to the feared metal madman who once had a strong hold on his genre. And of course, what better way to prove this than releasing the greatest-hits album The Ozzman Cometh. Yes, compilations often serve as fine packages for casual fans, but all too often in the case of heavy metal acts, they are rushed and fail to give the album's buyers the true listening experience they deserve. Instead, they leave the impression that the record was released for the sole purpose of releasing a record. This is arguably the case with The Ozzman Cometh, which contains a handful of Osbourne's heavy metal staples: "Crazy Train," "Shot in the Dark," "Bark at the Moon," "No More Tears," and "Mr. Crowley," but overlooks some of his best album tracks such as "Flying High Again," "I Don't Know," "Diary of a Madman," "Suicide Solution," and "Miracle Man." Instead of including more album singles, Osbourne throws in a few unreleased tracks for diehards, most notably Black Sabbath demos of "Black Sabbath" and "War Pigs." There is no question that most of Osbourne's best work was with Black Sabbath, and these demos are certainly worth hearing in such raw form. However, greatest-hits albums aren't meant for diehards; they are meant for casual fans, and in the end the tracks only add to the horribly uneven experience listeners will receive on The Ozzman Cometh. True, there are far worse compilations out there, and many listeners will probably be pleased with what this collection has to offer. But those who have truly watched Osbourne's career know just how important his music was to the evolution of heavy metal, and they will be the first to say that The Ozzman Cometh was hardly the compilation it could have and should have been. Sadly, such a disappointing release only serves as a dark reminder that Osbourne, despite continued success, has all but lost his place in the modern industry of metalEntertainment Weekly (12/12/97, p.90) - "...COMETH nails Ozzy at his morose max. Damned if you don't find yourself reaching for the head of a bat."
- Rating: B+
Melody Maker (11/22/97, p.46) - "...heavy metal at its blackest, irony-free best....Like the man himself, THE OZZMAN COMETH is flawed in places but is always entertaining and never fails to suprise."