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Entries in Ozzy Osbourne (17)

Saturday
May042024

Thought Experiment: What If It Was The Blizzard of Ozz, Or The Ozzy Osbourne Band Being Inducted Into The Rock Hall?

Today's post is from our friend HIM. 


Everyone here knows my take on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Old news. And, by now, everyone also knows that Ozzy is being inducted as a solo artist into that same dumpster fire, after having been inducted as part of Black Sabbath. Cool. Great. Moving on.

Well, not moving on really. Because, as is equally known to BBG! Readers, I have sorta’ had a falling-out with my love of Ozzy the more I learned about the inner workings of his, well, brand. He is still the music of my youth. I still consider his solo work up through No More Tears great (some more or less so). But I can’t really support the mythos that has built up around him anymore. To borrow quite easily from literature and film, once the curtain was pulled back, the wizardry of Oz was exposed for what it was: a charismatic frontman with a unique voice who had, by and large, to rely on the talent of those around him (in several cases, never fully giving them their due) to propel him to success without the equally talented mates who were a part of Sabbath.

Thus, this thought experiment: if inducted as The Blizzard of Ozz (the band as it was originally conceived to be), who gets in? This one is actually pretty easy: Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley, and Kerslake. A claim could be made for Airey too. But I am not sure. And, once you scratch the surface of Diary of a Madman, the follow-up to the initially-eponymous release (now more clearly stamped as a solo, solo, album) it is really the same group of guys in spite of what lying liner notes might suggest. So, yeah, maybe Airey too. Thing is, no band is getting in on the strength of two albums, no matter how great they are or how well they hold up.

So, we arrive at the next step: if inducted as The Ozzy Osborne Band (meaning: if Ozzy was honest about how the sausage was made), who gets in? I think the initial four most certainly would, with Daisley getting some sort of special star for being a sucker for punishment and a paycheck and not hiring good lawyers. But, who else? I’d add Jake E. Lee (not that Ozzy would bark at that moon, which is perhaps not an ultimate sin on his part, given how many people he has ghosted). I’d also add ‘The Pinch’, Zakk Wylde. If anything, he carried Ozzy far beyond what many thought would be his expiration date. There are others—Gillis, Aldridge, and so on—who made a mark in his band. But they seem to be caught up in the swells of what became, more and more, Ozzy on his own with hired guns.

Which is sorta’ my point. If you judged Ozzy solo, on his truly solo stuff (with band members and writers coming and going), it ain’t the classic stuff that most of us really enjoyed.  Ozzy, pre-Tribute (1987), is what we dug, even if we dug some of that stuff coming out after that. And the quality of those songs up to the mid-80s is predicated on great artists contributing great music that, by and large, Ozzy sung because of them for us. My guess is that the post-1985 stuff wouldn’t even pass muster as deserving induction—from any tainted palace of greed—if it was considered apart from those golden years (and, of course, the halo from the Sabbath days).

So, I kinda’ lied. I still think the RaRHoF is a sham. And not because it selects a diverse group of musicians. No, because it isn’t a real assessment of anything, which diminishes caring about those in and out of it. But we do love some of the bands and artists in and out of it, don’t we?

Basically, let’s be honest about their newest inductee: Ozzy, solo, doesn’t deserve to be in there . . . alone.
Point is, he was never alone and could never have had the success he had without a lot of people that he often disparaged, ignored, erased, or led on. And Sharon? Well, she doesn’t get in regardless of what you think about her. Bill Aucoin never got in either, and certainly has hands that are less dirty than Sharon’s. But I also think (as I mentioned previously) that her being attacked for what Ozzy did is a bit of a trick of light. She surely kept him alive, for which most everyone should be thankful. She is also an apple off the Arden tree, in spite of protestations to the contrary. At the same time, I think she served as a vortex of animus for a lot of things that Ozzy (“oh, poor, clueless, Ozzy!”) did with clear-eyed calculation.

And let me know if you think others deserve to stand next him when he accepts a trinket for his work. At least that is doing the work that this hall could do. Imagine that? Fans doing something that matters more that any trophy could? But also speaking truth? Wow. I guess we don’t need a gala. Neither did Steve Miller or John Lydon.

Sunday
Feb112024

2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announced

Rock acts among the nominees are Ozzy Osbourne, Oasis, Foreigner, Lenny Kravitz, Jane's Addiction and Peter Frampton. Ozzy is already in as a member of Black Sabbath, so it is an extra big honor to be inducted as a solo artist too. I figure he is a lock to get in and so is Peter Frampton.


All the nominees are below. Of them, I think Mariah Carey easily gets in and Cher too. It will be interesting to see who makes the final cut!






Wednesday
Jan032024

An OzzFest Return?

If OzzFest comes back as a moving festival again, will you attend? Sharon Osbourne says it is possible. Cash grab or part of Ozzy Osbourne's legacy? It’s hard to decide.


Sunday
Apr092023

Sunday Holiday

No Sunday Spins this week - it's a holiday, so that equals a vacation day in the Bring Back Glam! household. For now, happy Easter and enjoy this (slightly terrifying) picture of Ozzy Osbourne dressed as a bunny.


Thursday
Mar302023

Power Trip Festival Lineup Announcement Coming Today

Power Trip is a new metal festival and the rumored lineup is huge. Bands like Metallica, Guns n' Roses, AC/DC, Tool, Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden.

Yep.

The promoter is Goldenvoice - they do Coachella, so we're talking deep pockets here. Power Trip will apparently take place October 6 - 8 at the same location as Coachella, which is the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California. That's not too far from Palm Springs.

At some point today, promoters will announce the official lineup and ticket prices. I expect both to be massive (ha).

Back to those "rumors." I'd consider them more confirmations when bands like Metallica and AC/DC literally tweet the same video as below with the saying "Are you ready for a Power Trip?" Then Sharon Osbourne was on Piers Morgan Uncensored and confirmed Ozzy's appearance and she also mentioned Metallica and AC/DC, so...

It will be interesting to see who rounds out the lineup. Will it be 70s and 80s metal or stray toward newer acts? I guess we will all know soon enough.

 

Wednesday
Feb012023

Ozzy Osbourne Retires From Touring (For Real)

Age, illness, surgeries and accidents have all apparently caught up with the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. This morning, Ozzy took to social media to announce his retirement from touring.


Ozzy simply can't handle the rigors of the travel part anymore. This announcement of ending tours does not mean Ozzy will never perform live again. In fact, his statement talks about finding ways to perform without so much travel.


Folks have been holding on to Ozzy tour tickets for a long time now, because previous shows were cancelled due to the pandemic and illness. You are now eligible for refunds.


As always, health and family first over career. Applies to all of us, no matter our position, age or income level.


Friday
Oct072022

So Ozzy Osbourne Has A Makeup Line - And I Want It All

Celebrities with their own makeup, skincare and perfume lines are pretty standard these days. Still, most think of artists like Britney Spears or J.Lo when talking about such things. What about Ozzy Osbourne? Yes, the Prince of Darkness has a signature look and he sure has worn a lot of eyeliner in his day. Now, he has a makeup line too. If you want his dark look you can get it now via Rock and Roll Beauty. (Seriously, why didn't I start that company?)


The special collection is available at Ulta. That's a mega makeup chain for those who might not purchase such items on the regular. The eye shadow palette is in the shape of a bat... because, of course it is. The gothic makeup mirror looks really cool and would make a nice gift. The makeup brushes have a great carrier featuring a skull and Ozzy's logo. For practical purposes, the brushes would be great for travel. All jokes aside, the makeup line looks pretty solid. The lip colors are names of popular Ozzy songs like "Mr. Crowley" and "Perry Mason" (of course).


Rock and Roll Beauty is the same company that recently released a special Def Leppard makeup collection, too.