OZZY OSBOURNE Patient Number 9
( Epic )
Twenty years ago , Ozzy Osbourne was in the midst of a major mid-life comeback . Reuniting with Black Sabbath and forming the mega-successful Ozzfest Tour helped bridge the gap between heavy metal ’ s origin story and the Y2K Nu Metal bands that were ubiquitous on MTV and rock radio . Then in 2002 , The Osbournes reality show launched Ozzy into the superstar stratosphere . The show was genuinely charming , casting the Prince Of Darkness as somewhat of a regular family man . The show was so popular Ozzy began drinking and medicating to the point where subtitles were often needed . A stuttering , slurring Ozzy seemed in trouble , and a 2003 accident on a four-wheeler helped speed up his downfall . However , with his rock Sharon by his side , he slowly pushed through his addiction issues , clearing his head and his speech . Hearing Ozzy speak in 2022 is inspiring : clearly , out of the grips of medication , the subtitles are no longer needed . The 13th solo Ozzy album Patient Number 9 finds him singing in a powerful , though slightly auto-tuned , voice . Millennial pop producer Andrew Watt ( Justin Bieber , Miley Cyrus , Eddie Vedder ) seems like an odd bedfellow for the album , but he brings a heavy hand to the loud , crunchy mix . Epic Records spared no expense on the project , flanking the Ozzman with drummer Chad Smith , Zakk Wylde , Duff McKagan , Mike McCready , and possibly two of the greatest guitar players of all time : Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton . A Clapton / Ozzy collaboration seems odd ; how could Eric ’ s bluesy leads work with a modern metal production ? Oh , it works . Remember , Black Sabbath started as a bluesy bar band called Polka Talk Blues Band . “ One Of These Days ” finds the two veterans vibing off each other with a pay-off chorus that should be a modern rock hit ( if we still had those .) As time progresses , the differences between Black Sabbath and The Beatles , which at one point seemed like night and day , seem like much less of a contrast . Ozzy is a classicist songwriter in the way that Lennon was . These compositions , though benefiting from a huge list of collaborators , share a sense of economy that only truly gifted songwriters can grasp . While a full-fledged national stadium tour seems out of the question for the 70-something legend , one can hope that Ozzy can still create albums like Patient Number 9 well into his twilight years .
– Andy Derer
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