It’s been an interesting month when it comes to this theme. Personally I thought that reviewing compilations would be a little silly, but I haven’t seen any criticism, so I must have been doing something right. In any case we’ve got the last compilation of April, and I wanted to do something a little more personal. The musician that lies within today’s compilation was someone I was not fond of for a long time up until I acquired the subject of today’s review. When I finally liked the individual in question, he’s stayed in my musical tastes, and likely will until I die. The singer in question.....is Ozzy Osbourne.
That’s right, Ozzy Osbourne! A Heavy Metal icon, I was never a fan of his music, especially when I was little. It really wasn’t until I was in my mid teens that I finally gained a appreciation for his iconic voice, and I now treasure one of the genres most classic frontman. Given that it’s still Compilation Month, you’re probably surprised that it wasn’t anything from his main discography that go me hooked to his music. So without further delay, here’s a look at his 3rd compilation, The Ozzman Cometh. Let the review begin!
Background
Normally I’d talk about the history of the album, and there’s definitely some to be had with The Ozzman Cometh. However, I’m gonna do something a little different here, and talk about my personal history with Ozzy’s music, and acquiring the compilation in question.
Let’s go back to my early teens. 14, to be exact. At that point, I was still in my “Hate Ozzy” phase. I just couldn’t stand his voice! I always through it was grating to me! Then one day, my Dad happened to be playing Gets Me Through on his computer (Might have been the radio. It was so long ago, I can’t remember well). I don’t know what it was, but something about that song finally triggered something in my mind. From there, it was downloading some songs (My Dad did that), and then I started to get hooked. Then, come my 15th birthday, and I got the compilation in question as a gift, and my love for the man was fully cemented. That might be a little cheesy, but that’s how it was.
Basic Description
Easy, Accessible, and Fun.
For anyone starting out with the Blizzard of Ozz’s discograpy, you’ll find this one to be an simple listen. There’s none of his stranger songs on here, as all of what’s on this compilation is music that’s rather familiar to even those who’ve casually listened to Ozzy. It’s also easily accessible to listeners as well, as you don’t have to put much into it. Finally, The Ozzman Cometh happens to be a damn fun album to listen to. I was blind to it when I was younger, but Ozzy’s music always had a fun streak running through it. Apart from his more serious tracks (A small number of them are on here), you always felt an energy that could only be from the Blizzard of Ozz himself. Certainly something to factor in as you listen through this.
Best Track
First off, The Ozzman Cometh’s biggest strength is how structured it is. Starting from his time in Black Sabbath, it transitions into his career from 1980, all the way to Ozzmosis in 1995. While this hasn’t helped it since it was put out (See below for details), it does give the listener a solid picture of Ozzy’s career of that section of his life. The Ozzman Cometh is actually a great gateway for anyone even remotely interested in the Blizzard of Ozz, as the picture it paints is pretty clear.
As for the best track? That’s actually a little tough to say. The song selection is pretty impressive, and the quality of each song is great. That said, I’ve always had a fondness for I Just Want You. The 2nd track off of Ozzmosis, I Just Want You is a heavily emotional song. It goes for a slower pace, and never really picks up speed, but it punches you in the gut with how much Ozzy pours his heart into it. Almost brings a tear to my eye.
I Just Want You
Worst Track
While The Ozzman Cometh is a fine collection of songs, it has not weathered the years. Since it’s original release back in 1997, Ozzy put out 4 main albums. In addition to those, 3 more compilation albums came out as well, offering updated lists of song with each album. In the time since, The Ozzman Cometh has since lagged behind everything since it’s release, and comes across as rather dated.
Other
If you’re interested in this compilation, check out the link below.
The Ozzman Cometh
Overall Impression & Rating
The Ozzman Cometh was not only my gateway into Ozzy Osbourne, but it also was my gateway into Heavy Metal in general. Words cannot describe as how much this compilation means to me, and it’s the foundation upon which my metal collection was built. It might be a little dated nowadays, but if you’re curious as to where my metallic origins come from, check out The Ozzman Cometh. You won’t regret it!
The Ozzman Cometh gets an 8 out of 10, but based on pure emotion & nostalgia I give it a solid 10 out of 10.
And thus concludes Compilation Month. Easily the strangest theme I’ve done so far, but one in which I had a lot of fun coming up with compilations to look at. However, I’ve got something a little unofficial planned for May (Why I’ll be skipping the rest of April), and then a special event is happening again this summer. See you soon!
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If you want a more comprehensive look at this compilation's history, check out the wikipedia link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ozzman_Cometh
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