Prince of Darkness
Not entirely a career retrospective and decidedly not a vault raid that reveals the junk in the trunk, this four-disc collection chronicles Ozzy’s hot-burnt and all-too-briefBlizzard Of OzzandDiary Of A Madmanpost-Black Sabbath era with Randy Rhoads and also the long road the Ozzman traveled in search of a guitarist that could ever come close to matching his late friend’s creative spark. Listening to material from albums such asBark At The MoonandThe Ultimate Sinreveals that even when Osbourne wasn’t flying all that high musically he did keep evolving and, in the often risk averse world of heavy metal, he often took chances that could have potentially alienated core fans ("Thank God For The Bomb" reveals that Ozzy may care about the planet but he doesn’t possess the same knack for politics as Bob Dylan) but made them embrace him even more. He managed to hit another career high with guitarist Zakk Wylde and theNo More Tearsalbum which provides some of the second disc’s finest moments. ("Mama I’m Coming Home" proves one of the underrated balladeer’s most poignant moments.) But the back end of this collection shines as much as its front with a disc that compiles various collaborative efforts, including a tussle with Miss Piggy on "Born To Be Wild" and a strange detour withWas (Not Was)on "Shake Your Head (Let’s Go To Bed)." The real gem is the fourth platter which finds Ozzy covering some of his favorite tunes from the past, including a moving and wholly accurate reading of John Lennon’s "Working Class Hero," a song that almost seems to have been written with Osbourne in mind. Ozzy may be the prince of darkness but he’s also the king of heavy metal and this set demonstrates, once more, exactly why.-- Jedd Beaudoin