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had all but withdrawn from the industry and, despite his incredible delivery on
, was slowly becoming an aging novelty act as opposed to the feared
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
, which contains a handful of
's
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,"
"Miracle Man."
Instead of including more album singles,
throws in a few unreleased tracks for diehards, most notably
Black Sabbath
demos of
"Black Sabbath"
"War Pigs."
There is no question that most of
's best work was with
, 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
. 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
's career know just how important his music was to the evolution of
, and they will be the first to say that
was hardly the compilation it could have and should have been. Sadly, such a disappointing release only serves as a dark reminder that
, despite continued success, has all but lost his place in the modern industry of
. And, seeing as how it's a genre he helped create, that's a damn shame. ~ Barry Weber