OZZY OSBOURNE – The Ultimate Sin (1986, 1995 Sony remaster)
I know Ozzy isn’t especially fond of this album (or anything about the whole Jake E. Lee period) but I love it. Hell, Ozzy hasn’t even offered it in any of his reissue programs. It’s out of print, and Ozzy never plays any of these songs anymore outside of “Shot in the Dark”.
I don’t know why I love it so much. I get why some people aren’t fond of it. Ron Nevison butchered the production, for one thing. Randy Castillo was such a powerful drummer, with a recognizable style. Here he sounds plastic with awful sounding cymbals. It’s a shame because the drum parts themselves are great. Ozzy acknowledges being in a real “down” state at this time, and it shows in the tired vocals.
Yet I love it! Maybe it’s Jake E. Lee, who is incredible. He’s flashy in that 80’s way, but with balls. He’s not just fluttery solos, although he certain can do that. His riffs are choppy his fills stunning and classy. I think Jake was a great replacement for the late Randy Rhoads, even though his true self wouldn’t shine through until Badlands.
I like every single song. The title track, “Secret Loser”, “Fool Like You”, “Lightning Strikes”…these are punchy Ozzy rockers. They are well written songs, and longtime contributor Bob Daisley has credits on 8 of the 9 songs. To me, that speaks to a certain level of quality. Verses and choruses are strong and melodic. The guitar riffs, solos and fills are all equally catchy and adroit. Even one of the less interesting songs, like “Never Know Why” is still listenable today due to the catchy melody, and Jake’s flange-y guitar part.
Many of the songs such as “Thank God for the Bomb” and “Killer of Giants” return Ozzy to the anti-war stance that Black Sabbath took in the 1970’s. I remember the 80’s clearly, and it seemed like every other week, there was a TV documentary or movie about the Soviets and the nuclear threat. To me as a kid, Ozzy’s voice of protest eased my mind! Surely, Mr. Reagan and Mr. Gorbachev would listen to Ozzy? “Killer of Giants” is quite an achievement musically, going from electric to acoustic to heavy all with Jake E. Lee at the rudder. It’s an awesome song.
The big hit and first single was the last song, “Shot in the Dark”. This is bassist Phil Soussan’s only writing contribution on his only Ozzy album. Later, he’d go on to co-write the excellent Vince Neil album Exposed, which proved he wasn’t a fluke. It’s a great mid-tempo rock song, although the video used to kinda frighten me as a kid. Frighten and titillate all at once. I was 13.
And on the topic of “Shot in the Dark”, why did bands in the mid-80’s always seem to wear sequined bathrobes? I’m looking at you, Mr. Simmons circa 1986…
I look at The Ultimate Sin as a 5/5 in terms of songs and musical performances. I’ll dock it 1 star for Ron Nevison’s clunky production and Ozzy’s tired lungs.
4/5 stars
And maybe this is a good time to rant about these fucking 1995 Sony 22 BIt SBM Digital Remasters. Oh, I have no problem with the sound of this CD. It’s the fucking covers! Why did they crop the awesome artwork and put that dumb OZZY along the side? My Lord. I had so many customers (Gord and Glen specifically) who refused to buy these remasters because the cover is dumb. Not to mention putting the tracklist in a circle on the back cover, making it annoying to read.
- The Ultimate Sin (3:43)
- Secret Loser (4:08)
- Never Know Why (4:28)
- Thank God for the Bomb (3:53)
- Never (4:18)
- Lightning Strikes (5:13)
- Killer of Giants (5:41)
- Fool Like You (5:19)
- Shot in the Dark (4:16)
I always hate to compare Ozzy’s versions of Sabbath songs with the originals. Ozzy’s have always sounded different because of the guitar players he’s chosen to use over the years. These Gillis versions are about as authentic as Ozzy’s been, until the fortuitous discovery of Zakk Wylde five years later. Gillis is a flashier player than Iommi, but without Randy’s intricate classical bent.
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