Upon hearing of the death of Ozzy Osbourne I found myself admittedly sadder than I thought I would be. While I hadn't kept up with him since his 1995 Ozzmossis album, nor really paid much attention to his prior albums in quite some time, I still felt the impact of a world that would no longer have Ozzy in it.
This prompted me to go back through my albums, and in doing so, I realized that despite having listened to them numerous times, I'd never done a Retro Spin for the majority of them. I started back in 2021 with his 1980 debut, Blizzard Of Ozz, and then again in 2022 with 1986's The Ultimate Sin, and then simply moved on to other things. Well, over the next few days, I thought it would be appropriate to rectify that. So, if you'll excuse me while I deviate from Elton John (again), and dive into some of the Oz Man.
1981's Diary Of A Madman would be the beginning of numerous behind the scenes issues, all commencing with the coming of Sharon Osbourne as Ozzy's new manager. His wife took the position once held by her brother, and with it came a slew of problems and turmoil. While the most talked about was the death of guitarist Randy Rhoads on March 19, 1982, this was just the tip of the iceberg.
One such often uncited incident was with bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer, Lee Kerslake, who contributed to the majority of the music development and writing of the lyrics, even going so far as to produce their own demos, which were then utilized by Osbourne. However, the two were originally given no credit for their contributions, and were ultimately fired from the band shortly after the album's release. The two would later sue, and win royalties and be given noted credit in future releases.
Kerslake has also stated that during the recording of the album that band members were given no money to live off of. This prompted him and Daisely to complain to management, which is suspected as being the reason they were let go. While members were away on holiday, suddenly new drummer, Tommy Aldridge and bassist, Rudy Sarzo, and shortly thereafter, headed off to America.
Sharon was apparently so bitter with the two, that in 2002 she would see to the commission and re-release of Diary Of A Madman which removed the two's original contributions, and re-recorded them. This was met by fan outrage, and eventually a sticker was added to the cover to denote that the music was not the original format. Ozzy himself stated in his 2009 autobiography that he had nothing to do with the decisions made by Sharon to do this.
When the 30th anniversary edition was released in 2011, the original bass and drums were restored to the album. So clearer heads would prevail in the end.
As for my own personal opinions on the album, it's definitely solid. I'd say it probably ranks number three in my top three Ozzy albums from the 80's. First being The Ultimate Sin, and second being Blizzard Of Ozz.
Songs, Over The Mountain, Flying High Again, You Can't Kill Rock And Roll, Tonight, SATO, and Diary Of A Madman, are awesome, and frankly encompass all but two of the songs on the album. They're also staples on my shuffle list.
However, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Ozzy has kind of run his course with me. Don't get me wrong. I like the music. It was a major part of my high school years. But, these days, it's simply not a go to anymore. Partly because it's been overplayed for me, and partly because I've moved on. Ozzy was a phase for me. One that dissipated rapidly when he became a television personality.
Regardless, I'm not going to diminish his contributions to music, and frankly if I'd seen him on the street I'd have still been like, "Wow! That's Ozzy Osbourne!" He had presence, he had the music, and he was one of the leaders of heavy metal way back when with Black Sabbath. His career spanned over fifty years, and he went out doing what he loved. Performing for the fans. What more of a legacy could you ask for?
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS October 25, 1980 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS October 25, 1986 |
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