The Ozzman Cometh: Greatest Hits

by Ozzy Osbourne

Overview

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Tears and 1995's Ozzmosis) and the creation of the Ozzfest summer tour package, the middle-aged Osbourne had all but withdrawn from the industry and, despite his incredible delivery on No More Tears, was slowly becoming an aging novelty act as opposed to the feared metal madman who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 metal. And, seeing as how it's a genre he helped create, that's a damn shame. ~ Barry Weber

Product Details

Release Date:	06/25/2002
Label:	Epic
UPC:	0696998664623

Tracks

1. Black Sabbath
2. War Pigs
3. Goodbye to Romance
4. Crazy Train
5. Mr. Crowley
6. Over the Mountain
7. Paranoid
8. Bark at the Moon
9. Miracle Man
10. Crazy Babies
11. No More Tears
12. Mama, I'm Coming Home
13. I Don't Want to Change the World
14. I Just Want You
15. Back on Earth

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ozzy Osbourne   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocal Harmony
Randy Rhoads   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Guitar
Lee Kerslake   Primary Artist
Black Sabbath   Primary Artist
Bob Daisley   Primary Artist,Guitar (Bass)
Rudy Sarzo   Guest Artist,Guitar (Bass)
Zakk Wylde   Guest Artist,Guitar
Jake E. Lee   Guest Artist,Guitar
Bill Ward   Guest Artist,Drums
Geezer Butler   Guest Artist,Guitar (Bass)
Rick Wakeman   Guest Artist,Keyboards
Tony Iommi   Guest Artist,Guitar
Mike Bordin   Drums
Michael Beinhorn   Keyboards
Mike Inez   Bass,Music Direction
Tommy Aldridge   Drums
Kevin Jones   Keyboards
Randy Castillo   Drums
Robert Trujillo   Guitar (Bass)
John Sinclair   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Tony Iommi   Composer
Richie Supa   Composer
Roy Thomas Baker   Producer
Michael Wagener   Mixing,Engineer
Randy Rhoads   Composer,Producer
Ozzy Osbourne   Composer,Producer
Michael Beinhorn   Producer
Mike Inez   Composer,Inspiration
Zakk Wylde   Composer
Paul Northfield   Mixing,Engineer
Keith Olsen   Producer
Black Sabbath   Performer
Vic Anesini   Mastering
Taylor Rhodes   Composer
Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Bob Daisley   Composer,Producer
Bill Ward   Composer
Chris Athens   Mastering
Geezer Butler   Composer
Lemmy Kilmister   Composer
Duane Baron   Producer
Lee Kerslake   Composer,Producer
John Purdell   Composer,Producer
Lemmy   Composer
Randy Castillo   Composer
Max Norman   Producer
Jim Vallance   Composer
Mark Weiss   Photography
Gene Kirkland   Photography
Bill Susan   Composer
David Coleman   Art Direction
Neal Preston   Photography
Guzman/Rotterdam Conservatory Orquesta Tipica   Photography
Richard Supa   Composer
Matt Sherlock   Photography
Ross Pelton   Photography