cdollaz

From Billboard:

April 11, 2007, 12:15 PM ET

Christa L. Titus and Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Ozzy Osbourne's first new studio album since 2001, "Black Rain," will arrive May 22 via Epic. The set was tracked Osbourne's home studio in Los Angeles with his touring band of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Blasko and drummer Mike Bordin. Fans can sample some of the new tunes on Osbourne's Web site.

The new record is milestone for Osbourne since it's the first in his entire career he recorded sober. "I thought I'd never write again without any stimulation," he admits to Billboard. "But you know what? Instead of picking of the bottle I just got honest and said, "I don't want life to go [to pieces]."

Beyond first single "I Don't Wanna Stop," "Black Rain" also includes the songs "Not Going Away," "Civilize the Universe," "Trap Door" and "Thank God for the Almighty Dollar," a number of which were co-written with Wylde.

Osbourne says, "People say, 'Why do you keep goin' to Zakk?' 'Cause you know what? There ain't no one else like 'em. He comes up with the stuff, plus the fact he's a family member. If he said to me, 'Ozzy, I need you to do this, will you do [it]?' I wouldn't think twice."


Before his headlining his stint on this year's free Ozzfest, Osbourne will play international dates beginning May 27 in Moscow. He is also one of the subjects of VH1's "Rock Honors," to be taped May 12 in Las Vegas for a May 24 premiere on the network.


Say you want about his bitch wife, lack of ability to perform live anymore, etc., he still puts out great albums.

johnbook

Nothing against Zakk, he's great but man i would love for Ozzy to make another album with Jake E. Lee, in my opinion he is an amazing guitarist.

Rypro 525

When i saw him at ozzfest this past summer, he sounded fine. he didnt' seem to have a teleprompter with him and he didnt' seem to forget any lyrics.

slacker6

The last I heard about Jake E. Lee was that he was a bellhop for Vegas hotel. May not be true but thought I'd throw it out there. Loved his Badlands albums.

johnbook

Any opinions on this yet, the music or the case, i don't have it yet but i must say i hate the packaging, i know it's environmentaly right but damn i want it in a plastic case with a booklet

bearkiss

I totally agree! ok, I got it on sale - something like $11.00 after tax... but if the record industry really wants us to BUY instead of copy or download... give us some incentive! this flimsy cardboard with no booklet, no pictures, no song / producing credits etc is just cheap and WRONG! if someone told me they were going to buy it, I would tell them to just let me make them a copy of it instead... there is no incentive to buy this cd!

Jason

I heard the advance single, and that's either a ringer, or they massaged Ozzy's vocals for weeks in Pro-Tools. It simply doesn't sound like Ozzy to me.

Snowmaker

The album is OK, but I refuse to buy it in that packaging.

Supermallet

I agree, this sounds nothing like the Ozzy of old.

cdollaz

I think the albums sucks. I like maybe three songs. Sounds too much like nu-metal to me.

Josh-da-man

About Zakk Wylde... I'm sorry, but every Ozzy album since he's been in the band has sucked.

I don't know if it's Zakk's fault, if Sharon's micro-managing everything, or if they just don't have any decent songwriters, but everything since "The Ultimate Sin" has been shit. (And even US and Bark at the Moon were hardly great albums.)

Ozzy's been riding around on Randy's corpse for twenty-five years now. It's just sad.

benedict

According to the website set up in Lee's name, during 2000-2001 he was on a slew of tribute albums and in 2005 he made his own disc of covers, "Retraced":

Track 1 - "Whiskey Train" (Procol Harem)
Track 2 - "Evil" (Cactus)
Track 3 - "Way Back To The Bone" (Trapeze)
Track 4 - "I'll Be Creepin'" (Free)
Track 5 - "Guess I'll Go Away" (Johnny Winter)
Track 6 - "Love Is Worth The Blues" (Leslie West)
Track 7 - "I Come Tumblin'" (Grand Funk)
Track 8 - "Woman" (James Gang)
Track 9 - "A Hard Way To Go" (Savoy Brown)
Track 10 - "I Can't Stand It" (Robin Trower)
Track 11 - "Rock Candy" (Montrose)Oddly, given that I grew up with cardboard-sleeved vinyl, I don't like those cardboard-covered CDs at all. For a long time I simply wouldn't buy one and even now it is a wrench. I guess that not having credits on the packaging makes it easier for [ahem] The Management to obscure who is due royalties.Although he didn't play on all of them, I believe that Daisley was the main writer for all the first four albums. I seem to recall that he was brought back for "No More Tears".

Although I enjoyed the first two "solo" albums, and have a couple of later ones that are OK, I would no longer go out and buy a new release on spec: I would have to see five star reviews all over the place before I put any money down.

I have to say that this is in part because I abhor the lack of respect that his manager-wife seems to demonstrate towards musicians generally. She is a premier publicist but, although she would be nothing in the business without "product", I'm not convinced that she believes or acknowledges the importance of The Talent.

Supermallet

Oh, I don't know. I really dig the first two he did with Wylde, No Rest For The Wicked and No More Tears.

B5Erik

Both of those albums are great. Everything since has found it's way to the dictionary right next to the word, "Mediocre."

al_bundy

heard one of the songs on the radio, sounds just like the 1980's. nothing original. at least his old albums sound different from each other.

time to go back doing Randy Rhoades tribute shows

cactusoly

I just want Ozzy to change his damn setlist this year