We evaluate all official live publications that Ozzy Osbourne has published since his solo years. During this time he worked with several virtuosos of the six strings, including Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. Each of these guitarists shaped their respective phase in Ozzy’s career in a unique way. Inspired him as a singer and contributed to some unforgettable appearances. Here is the ranking of the 10 official publications.
10. “ITunes Festival: London 2010” (2010)
Recorded during the tour of Ozzy’s studio album “Scream” from 2010, this largely forgotten, only digitally published recording is the only official live document of his time with Gus G. von Firewind as an accompanying musician. And even though the guitarist plays inspired, it sometimes sounds a bit distracted. Including some squeaky harmonics, as Zakk Wylde played.
The songs that made it to the publication are a predictable mix of solo classics and Sabbath hits as well as his then single “Let me hear you scream”. What is missing are the rare songs from the Jake-E.-Lee era such as “Shot in the Dark” and “Bark at the Moon”, which GUS played so beautifully on this tour. Ultimately, publication has become a rare rarity since then. A out of print, only digitally available publication. There is not even a high quality rip of it on YouTube.
9. “Speak of the Devil” (1982)
After Randy Rhoad’s death in a tragic aircraft accident in March 1982, Ozzy’s manager and future wife Sharon was decided not to let him sink into depression and self -pity. And therefore urged him to find a new guitarist almost immediately. At first he hired the Irish musician Bernie Tormé for some concerts before getting Brad Gillis from Night Ranger for the rest of the “Diary of a Madman” tour. The band’s appearance in June 1982 in Irving Meadows, California, was filmed for a home video publication with the title “Speak of the Devil”, which offered a rare insight into the exaggerated Castle set of the tour and the abundant eyeliner make-up by Ozzy.
Later in the year, the band recorded a double live album entitled “Speak of the Devil” in the much smaller New York event location The Ritz. The plate only contained Black Sabbath songs. And fulfilled three purposes. She fulfilled Ozzy’s contract with his father’s label, Jet Records. It made it possible for him to publish something that Rhoad’s game was not so shortly after his death. And it served as a competition with his former Black Sabbath bandmates, who published her own live album “Live Evil” with his substitute Ronnie James Dio.
Sabbath’s album reached slightly higher chart placements in Great Britain, while “Speak of the Devil” clearly trumped “Live Evil” in the USA. Ozzy has dismissed the publication as a contractual obligation, although his performance on songs such as “Symptom of the Universe” and “The Wizard” are strong. Nevertheless, it sounds a little like an uninspired placking for the rest of the band, which at that time was basically only hired musicians.
8. “Live at Budokan” (2002)
This live album and the DVD were recorded at the height of the “Osbournes” mania in the legendary Tokyo suburb. And should occasionally show that Ozzy was more than a reality TV star. His band was particularly strong at this concert, with the later metallica bass player Robert Trujillo and the former Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, who had a duel with Zakk Wylde. The way in songs such as the “Believer” and “Bark at the Moon” (a song that otherwise has no pocket) keeps a relaxed groove in songs, the album makes the album a hearing pleasure. The best thing is that Ozzy is consistently in top shape. And you can see in the video how much fun he had on the show.
7. “Just Say Ozzy” (1990)
When Ozzy went on tour with Zakk Wylde in 1988, his first album No Rest for the Wicked To promote, he needed a bass player. And called an old friend. Geezer Butler by Black Sabbath. At that time, Ozzy had more original members of Sabbath in his band as Sabbath itself. Accordingly, the EP contains two songs from the Alma Mater of the Musicians – “War Pigs” and a particularly lively “Sweet Leaf” – as well as three pieces from “Wicked” and a version of “Shot in the Dark” by “The Ultimate Sin”, which Ozzy is his favorite referred to.
Wildes game and especially Butler’s surprisingly groovy bass line in the latter song make “Just Say Ozzy” worth listening. Butler left Ozzy’s band at the end of the year. To finally return to Black Sabbath, who had come together again in the occupation of “Mob Rules”. But he later returned to play on “ozzmosis” in 1995.
6. “Bark at the Moon” (1984)
The long out of print “Bark at the Moon” was Ozzy’s very first live video publication. Which is a shame in view of his energy in this appearance in Salt Lake City. The singer, who wears a surprisingly blonde wig, cuts Grimassen like an obsessed one during the title song. He mimics the smoking of grass during “Flying High Again”. And triumphantly stretch their arms in the air at the end of “Crazy Train”.
In the meantime, the new guitarist Jake E. Lee whirls around. Stomp with your feet. And disagrees his guitar, while in his solo to “Suicide Solution” and songs such as “Center of Eternity” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Rebel” plays one million grades per minute. And the poor drummer Tommy Aldridge has to sit on an approximately 15 meter high staircase all the time. This is pure rock bombastics and deserves better than bad YouTube transmission.
5. “Live & Loud” (1993)
In 1992, one year after the publication of the outstanding album “No more Tears”, Ozzy received a shock when he was wrongly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s. He decided to withdraw and spend more time with his family. And therefore started a last live tour: the “No more Tours” tour.
The double live album and the video Live & Loudboth in a refined heavy metal speaker grille packaging, contained a compilation of songs that had been recorded during the tour. In the face of the meaning of the event, the performances were particularly stirring. The album version of “I Don’t Want to Change the World” brought Ozzy to his first Grammy. And the cover version of the Black Sabbath Piano Ballad “Changes”-the Osbournes band only took up once on the tour, in the Red Rocks in Denver-became an unexpected rock radio hit.
“You know that this is my last appearance, right?” He asks the audience in one place. “So let’s make us a damn unforgettable night, okay?” The applause is thunderous. But of course he was traveling again within a few years with his’ retirement sucks’ tour. ‘How can I go with me forty -six Retired years? ‘, He asked hypothetically in his autobiography.
4. “Live EP ”(1980)
Ozzy’s first solo live publication contains three titles that were recorded during his first tour after leaving Sabbath in the Gaumont Theater in Southampton, England. In addition to brilliant interpretations of “Mr. Crowley” and “Suicide Solution”, supported by Randy Rhoads’ Pyrotechnic Soli and Lindsay Bridgwater’s organ game, the EP is particularly indispensable for one reason. It contains the only live performance of the love song “You Said It All”. The band had written the song especially for this publication because their label wanted a new B side and recorded it at the sound check. But his powerful reef, the catchy chorus and the unpredictable solo make him too far more than just one disposable song. He is as good as any other song on “Blizzard of Ozz”. If not a little better than some of them.
3. “The Ultimate Ozzy” (1986)
Although a Picture Disc-EP with three songs appeared under the title “The Ultimate Live Ozzy” in 1986, it is the home video publication “The Ultimate Ozzy”, which contains all of these songs that have earned its place here. Recorded at the peak of the cooperation between guitarist Jake E. Lee with Ozzy, this video contains 12 live songs. Including a breathtaking interpretation of “Killer of Giants”. As well as three music videos. Lee’s game is consistently first class. And the chemistry between him and ozzy is undeniable, with Ozzy Lee pulling on the hair in the middle of the song. But within a year after the publication, Lee was released from the band. Allegedly because he was unhappy to be separated from his family. He was replaced by Zakk Wylde, which makes this album a valuable document of an often overlooked chapter in Ozzy’s career.
2. “Ozzy Live” (2012)
This compilation with live recordings from the Randy Rhoads era, which was originally published as a bonus material on the 2011 new edition of “Diary of a Madman”, is an independent album today. And reminds perfectly why Rhoads was such an important part of Ozzy in the early eighties. Unlike “Tribute”, Rhoads’ guitar is the focus of the mix. His game still sounds like it is jumping from the strings. Especially during his extensive solo in “Suicide Solution”.
The recording also contains some of Ozzy’s best vocal performance. He sounds exuberant in “Crazy Train” and “Steal Away (The Night)”.
1. “Tribute” (1987)
Ozzy originally intended to publish this double LP with live recordings from the “Diary of a Madman” tour as the original version of “Speak of the Devil”. But after Rhoad’s tragic death, he didn’t think anything of it. He finally decided to publish when Rhoad’s mother Delores Ozzy said that she had been showered with inquiries about her son’s live recordings.
Tribute appeared on the fifth anniversary of the plane crash. And is the only solo album from Ozzy, on which the name Rhoads can also be found in addition to his name. Rhoads plays great. With fiery solos in “Mr. Crowley”, “Crazy Train” and a breathtaking extensive sheet in the middle of “Suicide Solution”. The interpretations of “Iron Man”, “Children of the Grave” and “Paranoid” are rough and fresh, since Rhoads were supposedly not a Black-Sabbath fan. And decided to put his own stamp on them.
The album also contains some of Ozzy’s best vocal performances, which sounds like newly revitalized after his release at Black Sabbath. It is the sound of a man who has been reborn. And finally found the counterpart that he has been waiting for all his life. And it is one of these rare live albums that you just can’t get enough of.