Some artists and bands took the pandemic as an excuse to sit idle and do nothing, some had albums recorded but held on to them until a more suitable time for a release and then there were those who thought that new music was exactly what people needed when the world was shut down. Ozzy Osbourne hadn’t released an album in 10 years, Scream (2010), when it was decided that 2020 was a good time for that. He recruited guitarist/producer Andrew Watt (ex- California Breed) as his producer/guitarist/co-writer and a main rhythm section of Duff McKagan (bass, Guns N’ Roses) and Chad Smith (drums, Red Hot Chili Peppers) who both took part in the song-writing as well. And a whole bunch of guests. The album got a bit of a mixed reception, but that always happens when old, legendary artists make new records. I really liked the album even if it wasn’t in par with his classics.
Since no touring was allowed both because of the pandemic and Ozzy’s health, Ozzy and Watt wasted no time in getting to work on yet another album. Slash, Elton John, and Tom Morello were some of the guests on Ordinary Man and this album is full of guests as well. The main rhythm section this time is again Smith but bass duties are held by Robert Trujilo (Metallica) and also returning to the Ozzy fold is Zakk Wylde. Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Duff McKagan, Tony Iommi, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) and Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) are some of the guests here and the fact that both Hawkins and Beck passed away after the recording of this record makes it quite a special one.
Jeff Beck is featured on the album’s opening title-track and the lead off single. The sound is recognizable from the previous album and it is a riffy rocker with a rhythmic groove we get here. Beck is, of course, brilliant here and it is a damn catchy tune in all its heaviness with a sharp hook in the chorus, a chorus that should put the song on high rotation on rock-radio. Good stuff. McCready takes the solo for the riff-happy, groovy swinged gut-puncher “Immortal”. It’s an upbeat rocker albeit somewhat tuned down Led Zep like riffing with a classic sounding Ozzy vocal melody and a direct catchiness. It’s a damn good tune but McCready really doesn’t make much of a fuss here, at least not for me. He delivers a good solo but not out of the ordinary.
“Parasite” features the returning Wylde which is easy to spot. It holds mid-tempo yet rhythmically bouncy verses with a rough and edgy guitar riff. The song takes a more uptempo approach come the chorus with its slicker pop-hooks. It sports a bit of modern vibe and even though it’s catchy, it never really takes off. After a Beatles-esque intro “No Escape From Now” goes into a moody, gloomy and heavy Black Sabbath mode and the gritty guitars has Tony Iommi written all over them. It’s an ominous sounding number on a ballsy ground that could easily have fitted a Sabbath album. Great stuff.
On a slow, ballady note the single “One Of Those Days” has Clapton giving his services. At first Clapton takes his usual bluesy path but shifts into a rowdy break which proves that Slowhand still can rock out if he desires. The chorus pumps up the beat into a more upbeat structure and there’s a distinct hook there that brings on some catchy melodies. Good stuff. Beck is back on the ballad “A Thousand Shades”, a Beatles smelling slow piece with acoustic guitars, strings, piano and smooth melodies, very much Ozzy balladry. It’s an emotional piece with easily embraced melodies and a stunning refrain – and Beck’s playing here is phenomenal. Brilliant tune.
We get three Zakk Wylde tunes in a row where on the first, “Mr Darkness”, he riffs away like crazy. It starts out slow, low-key and mellow, almost ballady – but soon bursts off into a heavy, classic Ozzy track that has me thinking of his late 80’s. It’s a good, beefy tune that goes back and forth from slow to fast and heavy and I wouldn’t call the song catchy as such but it sure holds a strong punchline. Good one. “Nothing Feels Right” has the exact structure as its predecessor but what differs are the clearly Beatles influenced melodies that show up here and there and Wylde’s guitar brings the sound of Ozzmosis (1995) to mind. The vocal-melodies are also smoother and comes with a sharper hook – it’s just more memorable than “Mr Darkness”.
“Evil Shuffle” comes across more as a sinister blues-metal tune which goes back to the 70’s and holds a rootsy groove and a whole lot of Sabbath vibes. It’s gritty, dark and heavy as Hell much tanks to the powerhouse rhythm section of Trujilo and Smith. There’s also an organ in here, played by Wylde, which only ads to the ominous sounds. This is a killer. Iommi is back on the very Sabbath sounding “Degradation Blues”, a song fairly reminiscent of “The Wizard” much because of the harmonica arrangement. It’s a beefy and sludgy number with a striking melody that really works. I like the song but it’s about masturbation and in all honesty, I can really live without hearing a 70+ dude singing about spanking his monkey.
While holding a dark twist, “Dead And Gone” is a straight ahead rocker with a pumping bass and a steady beat where the main melody feels kinda radio-friendly and a good direct chorus with a distinct hook. Good but a bit standard. Homme guests on the slow, dark and quite heavy power ballad “God Only Knows”. The smooth vocal melodies marries fine with the crunchy guitars and the slick chorus is really memorable. A good tune but it can’t hold a candle to Ozzy’s classic ballads. The closing track “Darkside Blues” is pretty much a standard Blues number with edgy and robust acoustic guitars and a returning harmonica. It’s not bad but a throwaway bagatelle that sounds as it really don’t belong on the album.
This is pretty much a sister album to Ordinary Man. On the positive side, this album doesn’t really contain any crap songs and we are spared junk like the Post Malone shit from the last record. On the downside, the album as a whole isn’t especially memorable. I hear a lot of really good songs but I have a problem remembering them afterwards. Ordinary Man might be somewhat uneven but it has a bunch of damn good and memorable songs. Also the production leaves some to be desired. It sounds compressed with little room for breathing. The album might be a grower but for now it’s an even album with good songs that fails to stay in my mind. Oh what I wouldn’t give for a classic sounding Ozzy album with a classic production. Give Max Norman a call, please.
6/10
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Tracklist:
1. Patient Number 9
2. Immortal
3. Parasite
4. No Escape From Now
5. One Of Those Days
6. A Thousand Shades
7. Mr. Darkness
8. Nothing Feels Right
9. Evil Shuffle
10: Degradation Rules
11. Dead And Gone
12. God Only Knows
13. Darkside Blues
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