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DevinMacGregor
The Cap'n
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 2195
Location: SoCal
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 Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| thecoop wrote: |
What?!
It's great! It sounds much more mature and varied than anything else he's put out. Best since No More Tears - and in fact I only really like the 1st half of that album, so it's better than No More Tears, in my opinion. Plus he sounds great on this one! I finished listening and I was grinning and thought wow!
The ballads on Black Rain are the best he's ever written, and so melodic and full sounding. |
Ozzy deserves the slag. This is the first album in how many years now? And again we still have no ozzy/sab album. It has been 10 yeas since their so called reunion.
I have listened to this album three times now. Perhaps seeing someone say this is back to the days of his first two albums was not a fortunate turn for my ears because this is not like his first two albums.
The tracks do not outright suck nor are they stellar. Before any refute that one line, I have ALL of Ozzy's solo material.
My biggest disapointment is the damn album sleeve. WTF is up with that? Just a cardboard sleeve? That will be easy to find on the shelf with the others,  The CD is in the sleeve tightly as well and I wonder how long before it gets scratched. I have already put it in a regular jewel case. There are no lyrics sheets, no credits other than on the back to say it was produced by ozzy and Kevin Churko. I bought Black Rain Thursday. Sign above the row and a half of these unbought albums says it was released on May 22.
At first glance I thought it was just a promo for Ozzfest and kept asking where is his new album at. Inside is a code that one can redeem 4 days before the general public gets to buy Ozzfest tickets. On the plastic protection one sticker says 2 free Ozzfest tickets and the one on the back says redeem 2 reserved tickets of your show choice while supplies last. It says see ozzy.com for complete details. Well it takes me to Sony to buy the album and tells me they are out of limited editions with the coupon. So does the unlimited edition come with an actual jewel case? BTW if one wants a limited edition with ozzfest coupon head on over to Best Buy in Burbank. They have about 50 of them. Hurry since June 8th is approaching when these coupons can be redeemed.
On his site under news+blogs you can download the Black Rain CD booklet with art, lyrics, and credits. LOL. Oh and only with the Black Rain CD that you bought. It will ask you to insert it as proof of purchase. Now is this what the unlimited edition looks like because this cardboard sleeve has none of that other than the inset artwork which is page two of the PDF. The lyric page sucks balls. It is all on one page and not as typical lyric poem form but done like this/with all these slashes/in between/putting it into one block/making it harder to read. At 100% I still can't read the lyrics. Oh you can see the words more clearly but with the format they used to squeeze all the lyrics into one page it can bleed all together. I have to go to 125% for it to read better. But again the question comes down to is this in the unlimited edition? This is a PDF so they could have given us a page for each song. If in the unlimited edition lol get out your magifying glass.
The track titles are as such:
Not Going Away
I Don't Wanna Stop
Black Rain
Lay Your World on Me
The Almighty Dollar
11 Silver
Civilize the Universe
Here For You
Countdown's Begun
Trap Door
This is my fourth listen as this post goes to print. Some tracks are more grittier than in the past. Some tracks have a more fat bottom sound. His does use vocal effects or is that affects ... anyway he uses them on most tracks off and on. Not sure of any mature sound. It is varied. The main difference with this album to No More Tears is that it sounds less commercial in several aspects. It sounds less polished. It is better sounding than his previous two albums. It has its commercial sound still though. Here to You is the only track that I can say has a remembrance of his first two albums and I was unaware that Zakk could play the piano. Which is kinda funny in that he is singing about not living in yesterday.
I am not sure I would give it an 8 though.
Final question for Ozzy is, how many more years will it be before you release another one?
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thecoop
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 1390
Location: Blackpool
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| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Well, it's been 6 years. And mine is in a regular case, with lyrics and credits etc. Not checked out the one on Ozzy.com - no need  .
The songwriting IS more mature (by that I mean in terms of the subject matter he covers, and the words used - compared to the last few albums I feel more effort went into the lyrics). Vocal effects have nothing to do with lyrical content. I too have all of Ozzy's stuff, and it seems clear to me that Black rain stands out as one of his strongest releases. In regards to harking back to the 80's I think this is certainly true regarding the quality of the tracks and lack of filler.
And to say your biggest gripe is the bloody cover.... how does that effect the quality of the music on offer?! I can imagine how a cardboard slipcase would be irritating, but once it's in your CD player or on your computer, what difference does it make?
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DevinMacGregor
The Cap'n
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 2195
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:11 am Post subject: |
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| thecoop wrote: |
Well, it's been 6 years. And mine is in a regular case, with lyrics and credits etc. Not checked out the one on Ozzy.com - no need .
The songwriting IS more mature (by that I mean in terms of the subject matter he covers, and the words used - compared to the last few albums I feel more effort went into the lyrics). Vocal effects have nothing to do with lyrical content. I too have all of Ozzy's stuff, and it seems clear to me that Black rain stands out as one of his strongest releases. In regards to harking back to the 80's I think this is certainly true regarding the quality of the tracks and lack of filler.
And to say your biggest gripe is the bloody cover.... how does that effect the quality of the music on offer?! I can imagine how a cardboard slipcase would be irritating, but once it's in your CD player or on your computer, what difference does it make? |
Is Ozzy your long lost dad or something? I never said the album sucked. It is YOUR opinion the lyrics are more mature. WE can put EMPHASIS all WE want onto THINGS but that does NOT make them so. The vocal effects have everything to do with the song itself as performed. He uses them a lot. You were brushing that off to mean nothing by implying his ballads were clean. To which you have idea what was done or not done to his voice on those ballad tracks. Where did I say anything about the lyrics = vocal effects? You said the tracks sound mature. You did not say the lyrics were more mature simply in content. Some of the songs do in fact get boring as well. I do not find any irritation with Zakk's playing but my comment about Black Rain being like his first two albums I again find it nothing of the sort. It pales to that other than what I said gave remembrance to those albums. This includes the guitar playing as well. Which as another username stated I found to be short as well. Lack of filler and quality are in the eye of the beholder Coop.
Even Ronnie has not duplicated his first album so am I simply bashing Ozzy by saying he has not as well? No.
My comment on owning all of his solo stuff was simply a comment that I have bought his solo stuff and am not just making a comment to bash the man. Which again he is quite deserving of it and all the drugs and alcohol in the world Ozzy cannot hide behind with all of us pointing the finger at Sharon all the time. Sorry the HMS Scapegoat left the docks about an hour ago and you missed it.
The cardboard sleeve is the limited edition which if you go online it will tell you they are out of them. Now mine had two stickers on it telling me to go online for more details since the cardboard sleeve in of itself has no details. I apologize that your jewel case one did not tell you to go online. Now there are shitloads of limited editions at Best Buy. Do you want me to box up a couple dozen for you so you can get some freebie ozzfest tickets. They didn't offer the jewel case one. They only have the limited edition which again is only good if you buy it before Ozzfest tickets go on sale to the general public so some people are going to get fucked and buy it with a worthless redemption coupon. Now we can blame the retailer for that one huh in ordering too many limited editions but then again that may have been all they were offered as well.
The problem with the cardboard sleeve is getting the damn CD in/out of it without scratching it. It will eventually get scratched unlike being in a regular jewel case. But I guess if your head were not up Ozzy's butt you would have realized that, which is a legitimate gripe. It is really piss poor packaging to entice americans to get free tickets to Ozzfest which has been hurting for a while now. Would it have killed Sharon to at least give us the regular case? We paid the same price as if we did. Obviously Ozzy is not at fault on that one as well huh?
What does that have to do with the quality of the actual tracks? Nothing but it is what he chose for packaging of his product and that would have appeared in any review of any release of his. The work is simply not stellar to not mention the shitty packaging to entice people to go to ozzfest.
You apparently do not want any criticism of the man at all. Perhaps after years of promises and continual promises broken people are simply opening their eyes more. I mean look at this claptrap you throw out:
"I think this album will be on the recieving end of a lot of flak, becaise it is Ozzy. It has become cool to slag him off, and I'm sure there are people who will not want to admit Ozzy can still do a good album. Their loss."
Gee how prophetic, meaning anyone who gives an honest review who does not like it immediately fullfills your prophecy. They are obviously in the wrong while you are in the right. Ozzy's live performances will dictate the quality of his vocals not the tracks which they can run through software. Why anyone who has any negative opinion of Ozzy is merely doing so because it is cool to bash the man. In no way in hell does he ever do anything to deserve any negativity. Again as I said before I can dig up the links of his first solo tour that talk of many things you claim have merely become cool to do today. Those include bad vocals, forgetting the words, and the one I thought was the funniest was the one that referenced him as being like that chimp one winds up that bangs cymbals together. These are all things said about him for more than 25 years.
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Sons of Griogair
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thecoop
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 1390
Location: Blackpool
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:46 am Post subject: |
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Ozzy is not my long lost dad  that's a good one!
The lyrical content is more mature - perhaps I wasn't clear enough on that, fair enough. Where is your first post you said
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| His does use vocal effects or is that affects ... anyway he uses them on most tracks off and on. Not sure of any mature sound |
I ttok that to mean vocals, seeing as that is the area you had just addressed. Maybe YOU weren't clear enough there?
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Which again he is quite deserving of it and all the drugs and alcohol in the world Ozzy cannot hide behind with all of us pointing the finger at Sharon all the time. Sorry the HMS Scapegoat left the docks about an hour ago and you missed it.
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What's Sharon go to do with anything I said?
My jewel case does not need to tell me to go online, as it has credits, lyrics etc. I checked out the one available online and it is similar - the online one has 2 pics which aren't in the jewel case. There would be no point in me buying a special edition one, as Ozzfest is not over here this year. Through Ozzy's website and MySpace, I knew what the situation was and so I had no need for the special edition (besides which the regular one was cheaper on Amazon ) And before you start up again, there is no implication here .
I understand why the cardboard sleeve is annoying, as I already said. I have no idea whether Ozzy had anything to do with choice of packaging. I get the impression Sharon manages that, but I don't know. Maybe it was entirely his decision. Who knows? Fact is, jewel cases were available - as you said - both were offered - for those who didn't want the tickets.
As for me not wanting any critiscism of the man, I have said from the day I bought Down to Earth, it is a poor album. I do not particularly like No More Tears. The length of some of his shows over the years is a real letdown. He cannot sing like he used to. He is by no means a perfect performer. These are things I have been saying for a long time - maybe not on here, (and not for any specific reason - it just hasn't come up - in fact I think I mentaioned No More Tears on here somewhere recently) but of course what I don't type you're not going to know. I do however believe, that Black Rain is a brilliant album - the best he has done in simply ages.
As for my quote "I think this album will be on the recieving end of a lot of flak, because it is Ozzy. It has become cool to slag him off, and I'm sure there are people who will not want to admit Ozzy can still do a good album. Their loss." I think it is the truth. I am not attempting to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, as you claim. I am saying that there are people who will not give the album a fair hearing, because of who has recorded it. And listening to an album with such a frame of mind will influence your opinion of it. But I suppose that because it is not written in a way which justifies every nuance, that isn't good enough.
Admittedly, there will be people who don't like it, who have given it a fair chance. Fair enough. I have no problem with that, or them. But the general consensus that he is past doing anything at all worth while is a strong one, and this album shows, to my mind, that this is not the case. People who take this view and pass the album over simply because it's what the believe and don't give it a chance are missing out on some good music.
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Bildo
Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 1413
Location: Uranus
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| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Black Rain grew on me. It surpassed my expectations. Got to say that the ballads on there do nothing for me though. Interesting debate you got going on, fellers.
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thecoop
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 1390
Location: Blackpool
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:41 am Post subject: |
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What sort of case does yours have Bildo?
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Bildo
Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 1413
Location: Uranus
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:15 am Post subject: |
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Amazon sent me the crappy cardboard thingy. And, yes, I agree it could easily scratch the disc. One tiny little scratch in the lead-in and the entire disc won't play. I agree with Devin that the entire packaging fiasco sucks big balls. However, I don't let that gripe interfere with my rating of the actual music. I look at it as two seperate issues.
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Magica Dragon
Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 626
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:07 am Post subject: |
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| I haven't seen the packaging but it does sound pretty crap and an excuse to save money. It's not like Ozzy or Sharon really care about 'going green'. |
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thecoop
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 1390
Location: Blackpool
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:10 am Post subject: |
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Yeah - but remember you can get it in a regular jewel case too. Maybe it's for the American market? - I've only seen jewel cases here - or maybe, as Devin said it's only the special edition one. Whatever - it is a poor decision, but I still don't see how it could affect someone's review of the CD - afterall, you buy it for the music, not pretty pictures.
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Magica Dragon
Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 626
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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| thecoop wrote: |
| Yeah - but remember you can get it in a regular jewel case too. Maybe it's for the American market? - I've only seen jewel cases here - or maybe, as Devin said it's only the special edition one. Whatever - it is a poor decision, but I still don't see how it could affect someone's review of the CD - afterall, you buy it for the music, not pretty pictures. |
It's only in America, I believe as I've only seen jewell cases over here. Now while it shouldn't affect the review too much it should be taked into account. I like having nice cases and a few liner notes and if it gets scratched during delivery you're buggered The thing is if they're going to do this they should lower the price.
On another note has anyone else seen his current setlist? It's absoloutely dreadful. |
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thecoop
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 1390
Location: Blackpool
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah.
01. Bark at the Moon
02. Mr. Crowley
03. Not Going Away
04. Flying High Again
05. Road to Nowhere
06. Suicide Solution (w/ Zakk Wylde solo)
07. I Don't Know
08. Here for You
09. No More Tears
10. I Don't Want to Change the World
11. Mama, I'm Coming Home
12. Crazy Train
13. Paranoid
Not the most 'adventurous' setlist I must say. Surprised he's not playing his new single, actually. I don't understand why these performers who have been around for decades refuse to do more than 2 or 3 songs from their new albums.
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Stained Class
Joined: 15 Nov 2006
Posts: 175
Location: South Yorkshire, England
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:34 am Post subject: All Aboard...Gravy Train |
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| I don't understand why these performers who have been around for decades refuse to do more than 2 or 3 songs from their new albums |
It's because a group of people, which to me appears to be a highly vocal minority complains, moans and has hissy fits that song X wasn't played - irrespective of how many times it has been played and recorded before - look at Iron Maiden, not a complaint when they were touring their Early Days material but were set upon by the highly vocal minority for taking pride in their current work and not bowing down and playing the same songs each time.
A lot of older songs are expected because they are well liked and act as security buffer to ensure the show goes well, however if an artist has enough faith in his/her new material to release it in the studio and sell it to us, he should have equal confidence and play more than a couple of songs live.
This is what dissapoints me with some artists - especailly when live albums are released with virtually identical setlists which contain little new material (e.g. AC/DC - stiff upper lip/no bull dvds, Ozzy live material and 50% of the Dio live set). Don't get me wrong the songs are being played because they are good, strong and popular songs and I don't dispute that but bands like Dio, Maiden, AC/DC, Ozzy, Ozzy-Sabbath have a rich history full of excellent songs so why not use them. I mean when Holy Diver Live for example was released I was really thrilled to see Tarot Woman, Gates of Babylon, Sign of the Southern Cross and one night... on the set list because it was different.
To bring it back to Ozzy, Black Rain is a good 7.5/10 album with some strong tracks, and that set is poor. Ozzy has had a lot of good songs wriiten for him such as diary of a madman, ultimate sin, little dolls, killer of giants, lightning strikes, rock & roll rebel et al.
In short - the nostalgia of past glories becomes a crutch as people love to pay for nostalgia, I did it when I bought Holy Diver Live and Iron Maidens the early days as well as countless live albums (the Rainbow releases anyone?).
At the end of the day, hits and nostalgia sell more than new material, irrespective of the quality of the new material and ultimately money talks. So unless more bands are willing to do "an iron maiden" and take pride in their new material, this will continue to be the trend. Either way I'm happy 'cos good music stands the test of time - and although I'm only 21 my taste in music and bands should make me between 40 and 55 .
*I don't blame Ozzy for playing it safe and riding the gravy train - but I feel he would get alot more credit and respect from fans if he tried putting different songs in the set - including 4 or 5 new songs off of Black Rain*
[But hey does he want respect or money..."god bless the almighty dollar"] |
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nightmaread
Joined: 27 Sep 2004
Posts: 330
Location: Walking the Earth and Roving about it
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:01 am Post subject: |
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Yo dudes anybody know how Ozzy's been sounding on these dates?Haven't heard some of these songs live would be pretty kick ass to.Also anyone have tickets to Ozzfest? and how difficult was that ?Have new album like the fast songs first ballad reminds me of some Cyndi Lauper kind of shit song (time after time).Second one pretty straight forward Ozzy ballad.Hopefully at the Fest will be playing more from new Album!!!!   |
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panayiotis1984
Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 640
Location: Somewhere in your dreams...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:03 am Post subject: |
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Ben Rayner, the pop music critic for the Toronto Star, reviewed OZZY OSBOURNE’s January 21, 2008 concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. An excerpt from the article follows:
"Heaven knows we’re all glad Ozzy Osbourne’s still at it, but there comes a time when you’ve gotta think about going out with some dignity.
"It wasn’t the sight of him last night at the Air Canada Centre doddering in front of his mic, rhyming ’Crazy Train’ off a teleprompter (wearing what appeared to be his pyjamas and a bad dye job) that made me wonder if his career is finally nearing the point of no return.
"No, we’ve grown accustomed to Ozzy the Fallible since his renewed, 11th-hour notoriety as the TV patriarch of ’The Osbournes’.
"Anyone with decent sightlines of the stage on Osbourne’s last couple of tours can tell you that guitarist Zakk Wylde is now employed between solos to keep a diligent eye on his front man — slowing tempos where needed and giving Ozzy the odd ’are you okay?’ glance — just to keep the hits in a serviceable state."
Read the entire review at www.thestar.com
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Dusthead
Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 505
Location: Wcbo
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| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| panayiotis1984 wrote: |
Ben Rayner, the pop music critic for the Toronto Star, reviewed OZZY OSBOURNE’s January 21, 2008 concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. An excerpt from the article follows:
"Heaven knows we’re all glad Ozzy Osbourne’s still at it, but there comes a time when you’ve gotta think about going out with some dignity.
"It wasn’t the sight of him last night at the Air Canada Centre doddering in front of his mic, rhyming ’Crazy Train’ off a teleprompter (wearing what appeared to be his pyjamas and a bad dye job) that made me wonder if his career is finally nearing the point of no return.
"No, we’ve grown accustomed to Ozzy the Fallible since his renewed, 11th-hour notoriety as the TV patriarch of ’The Osbournes’.
"Anyone with decent sightlines of the stage on Osbourne’s last couple of tours can tell you that guitarist Zakk Wylde is now employed between solos to keep a diligent eye on his front man — slowing tempos where needed and giving Ozzy the odd ’are you okay?’ glance — just to keep the hits in a serviceable state."
Read the entire review at www.thestar.com |
This is sad. To come to a Dio forum and have a
bunch of drooling Ozzy fans posting spam about
the dirty cocksmoker who ripped off royalties from
Daisly is pathetic. Hope Ozzy burns in hell like he
sings. All rise to the power of Dio.
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