OZZY OSBOURNE – Just Say Ozzy (1990 Epic EP)
Nobody was shocked when Ozzy Osbourne, the man who said he hated live albums, put out his fourth (!) solo live release in 1990. (His other three live releases were the Mr. Crowley EP, Speak of the Devil, and Randy Rhoads Tribute. This does not include the Ultimate Live Ozzy EP which was…not live.) The liner note by Ozzy attempts to justify its release. “Firstly, ‘Shot in the Dark’,” begins Ozzy. “I am happier with this version than the original.” (Oooh, sick burn on Jake.) Ozzy continues, “Secondly, the Sabbath songs – To have recorded them one last time with Geezer Butler, Zakk and Randy says it all for me. It’s a chapter of my musical career I can now close.”
What the fuck did that mean?
Was Ozzy going to stop playing Sabbath songs? Did anyone actually believe that? The bitter liner notes accompany a front cover emblazoned with all four band members’ names, in the same sized font as Ozzy’s. And on the front cover is not Ozzy Osbourne, but guitarist Zakk Wylde! (Albeit from behind so you can’t see his face, and he’s just in one corner of the cover.) It all seems to deliver a message of “I am focused on the present, not my past.” This quartet was fully expected to record the next Ozzy studio album together, athough ultimately that did not happen. Geezer left in 1991 for a reunited Dio-era Black Sabbath. So much for not looking back!
Just Say Ozzy functioned as a stopgap. Ozzy would take his time with the next LP (which at that time was tentatively titled No Dogs Allowed, then Don’t Blame Me), but No Rest for the Wicked was already two years past. They had to release something, so here it is. One careful listen will reveal a lot of studio trickery was employed afterwards. Indeed, if one focuses on the crowd noise you can hear edits everywhere. Billboard magazine revealed that the music for this album was re-recorded in the studio with audience noise overdubbed.
Having said that, if this kind of trickery doesn’t bother you (and if you own Kiss Alive! or Frampton Comes Alive then it shouldn’t too much) then this is a great EP. Just Say Ozzy‘s meager six songs feature the only recordings of the brief Osbourne/Wylde/Butler/Castillo lineup. I was always a fan of those particular guys and there’s something to be said when you have two original Black Sabbath members in the band, while Black Sabbath only had one.
Since this EP was from the No Rest tour, three of its heaviest songs were showcased: the single “Miracle Man”, “Tattooed Dancer”, and “Bloodbath in Paradise”. No ballads. These three songs are nice to have, but are not even close to competing with the better known hits.
From The Ultimate Sin comes “Shot In The Dark”…yes, Ozzy’s so-called “preferred version”. And it is indeed very good. Zakk Wylde was a talented kid even then, and I love the youthful “go for it” attitude in his playing. “Shot in the Dark” features an extended solo that established Zakk’s place with his axe predecessors. Then, a deuce of Sabbath: a smokin’ “Sweet Leaf” and probably the best live version of “War Pigs” that I have ever heard.
Yeah, that’s what I said.
This Zakk-infused version of “War Pigs” is, in this humble writer’s opinion, the best live version ever released. Zakk’s guitar digs deep into the strings with those nice wide vibratos. It’s just monstrous, plus with Geez on bass, it has that slink it needs. Randy Castillo (RIP) was certainly no slouch, and his relentless fills here are solidly entertaining.
3/5 stars. Shame about that crappy cover art though.
Tracklist:
- “Miracle Man”
- “Bloodbath in Paradise”
- “Shot in the Dark”
- “Tattooed Dancer”
- “Sweet Leaf”
- “War Pigs”
mikeladano.com 
Whatever happened to that slender clean-cut guitarist?
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He turned into a bearded muscle guy!
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Much like myself, obvs.
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My sister used to call this album “Just Say No Ozzy”.
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Seen it back than and had no real interest in this and still don’t. Good review though but i will stick to Tribute and Speak Of The Devil…..
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Can’t I change your mind on this one Deke? I mean…Geezer. Playing Sabbath with Ozzy and Zakk.
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Yeah I know ..Geez I don’t know why …..bitter Ol music man I’m becoming
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Pssst…check yer email.
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I actually own this one! I now it came about because of a conversation I had with you a while ago. I quite liked it (I need to play it again, it’s been a while). I’m certainly no Ozzy expert, though, so the detractors may be on to something whereas I just say ‘oh hey I liked that, it has Ozzy and big guitars and I know these songs LaLaLa.’
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Cool review Mike. I don’t listen to this enough but is a good CD. I loved this period of Oz. I used to have a bootleg VHS of a Philadelphia show on this tour and it was incredible. And a video of the Moscow set too. (The one Doc McGhee put on with Bon Jovi and all that). Seemed like a really energised band!
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I have a VHS of the Moscow show. A girlfriend I had, she had satellite and got MTV, and she taped everything MTV broadcast, and sent it to me. Still got that.
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Awesome! I don’t have any videos of it anymore but I used to have the 2 VHS releases of it. I really enjoyed them. Some of the interviews with Ozzy on it were priceless. I really liked the Ozzy, Scorpions and Cinderella footage.
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Like official VHS releases? I would have loved that.
I also had a magazine detailing the whole trip. Even though this was an “anti drugs” concert, everybody on the plane was WRECKED except for Motley who were clean. Everyone else was partying and drinking.
Some of the guys in various bands said, “Hey lets go get Russian tattoos!” until somebody with a level head said, “Hey, let’s go get some Russian hepatitis!”
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Haha I’m glad the level headed guy was there. I remember some of those kind of stories in The Dirt too. On the vid Ozzy had a story about people queuing up for a cabbage. Um.
Yes they were official releases. I think about 3 or 4 bands on each with the Jams at the end. I think they were just lifted off MTV though. It was edited and there was all the hyper MTV weird bits in between. Think I gave them to Oxfam!
All good stuff except Gorky Park!
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The hyper interviews were edited off mine, but she did include an interview with Paul Stanley at the filming of the Forever video. That’s here somewhere.
I think my copy only had one Scorpions song, which was Holiday. I think they also broadcast Dynamite but she didn’t get it. They were saying Scorpions should have headlined as they were the biggest band in Russia at the time.
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I think the reason I like this EP is because the production on No Rest for the Wicked is so bad, and it gives me a chance to hear the songs with better production. Since it’s not really live it sounds pretty decent thanks to Andy Johns. I did notice that Ozzy sounds really flat on Miracle Man, quite out of key in a painful way. You’d think if they were gonna fake it they’d have done a better job. Completely disagree with Ozzy, the Jake E. Lee version of SITD is definitive, Zakk Mylde just can’t compete.
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I wonder why Ozzy hates live albums, seeing as he never did one, apart from, maybe, Tribute
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Good question. Some people don’t like listening to them, maybe Ozzy is like that.
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Sorry, but this is the best live version of War Pigs!
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Sigh. Was just discussing that version on Friday. Got it for Christmas of 92. Uncle Don comes down the stairs, wants to hear War Pigs. Let’s just say Uncle Don did not like War Pigs! LOL
So many memories.
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