There are many ways to refer to Ozzy (Osbourne), Some of which are Legend, Maverick, and Madman; all of which are true. The last few years unfortunately have not been kind to the “Prince of Darkness”. His Parkinson’s diagnosis and subsequent ill health have left his cancelled final tour looking like it will never take place.
However, while it looks unlikely Ozzy will be able to grace stadiums and festivals again, that doesn’t appear to have slowed down his spirit. “Patient Number 9”, his 13th solo album, was released in 2022; just 2 years after “Ordinary Man”. So while seeing him live is unlikely, he seems determined to bring more of his music to the masses.
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“Patient Number 9” is filled to the brim with collaborators, including Tony Iommi. This is the first time the Black Sabbath guitarist has appeared on an Ozzy solo record. The album’s first Iommi team-up is “No Escape From Now”, a hit that reminds me of peak Black Sabbath. Ozzy’s trademark style adds extra weight to the doom-ridden lyrics such as “World on fire, scream and shout, in a cage, I can’t get out” or “Gone are the yesterdays, Tomorrow’s getting cold”, while Iommi’s guitar adds that extra layer that sometimes Ozzy’s solo work lacks.
The album’s 2nd involvement, “Degradation Rules”, should perhaps have been left on the drawing board however. Seriously?!… Nobody wants to hear a, now 75-year-old, man sing about pleasuring himself.
Often described as one of the greatest guitarists of all time; The late Jeff Beck played guitar on both the title track and “A Thousand Shades”. Jeff had an unorthodox style of playing which earned him many fans including the before-mentioned Eric Clapton, as well as Brian May (Queen) and Steve Lukather (Toto). Both songs feature tremendous solos, my favourite being on the title track. While some of Ozzy’s lyrics on that song might be a bit dated, (references to the mentally ill most likely should be left in the past), that doesn’t stop this song from being a hit and a big part of that is Jeff’s influence.
Another one of the album’s collaborators unfortunately passed away in 2022. Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) played drums on the tracks: “Parasite”, ”Mr Darkness” and ”God Only Knows”. His presence can be felt most in “Parasite” where he leads the way into the track perfectly, as well as giving it an excellent ending. The song itself has an incredibly catchy chorus and a closing line that had me in hysterics with the statement “I like worms”. Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society) also features on this track. Zakk, Ozzy’s long-time axeman, absolutely shreds the guitar all over this track. His solo, at around 2 minutes 30, is a particular highlight of the entire album!
Another highlight of this album for me was “One Of Those Days”, in which rock and blues guitar legend Eric Clapton layers his unique style over the vocals of Ozzy. I never knew that I needed this combination, but it turns out I did. The guitar solos on this track can only be described as meaningful, fitting and beautiful; Which for an Ozzy record is a surprise. Combined with purposely lyrics of “Hey hey have I lost my mind, killing myself but I never die” and “Hey, hey have I lost control, drinking my sins never drown my soul”. As a listener, I couldn’t help but feel emotional as it reminded me of his present condition and in my opinion this is him letting it filter
naturally into his music.
The final collaboration I’ll talk about appears on ” Immortal” which sees Mike McCready’s (Pearl Jam) symphonic, distorted guitar added to the album. The track is by far the album’s most stadium-ready hit, while also being the track that doesn’t quite fit. That isn’t to say it’s bad, far from it, but stylistically it doesn’t seem right. However, if you view it as a standalone single then it’s a fantastic fast-paced monster hit.
The album is not without its low points though, on occasion Ozzy’s vocals sound far too autotuned. I’m in no way expecting perfection, but I’d have preferred the full authentic Ozzy sound. “Dead and Gone” unfortunately sounds like a carbon copy of his more successful track “Shot in the Dark”. The album also seems to lack the real wow moment of previous works, the one track that people may play on repeat. That can be forgiven though, while collaborations can occasionally be gimmicky that is not the case here. Each one of them adds something unique to the record. Ozzy touching on his ill health gives the album extra depth. So how would I describe Ozzy? I think his own words within this album “I’m Immortal” are perfect. While immortality sadly can’t be granted to the man himself, for his music and his impact it most definitely is.
7/10
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Review written by Fox Reviews Rock
Review edited by Cozzer
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