Ordinary Man - Ozzy Osbourne

I don't know why I waited so long to crack into this one. As a huge classic rock/metal fan, I've always held Ozzy in high regard. Him and Rob Halford are like the founding fathers of heavy metal, and there's no denying that. With that being said, I also feel the need to say that while I love the man and everything he's done for the world of metal music, I don't find myself listening to him very often. Growing up I had a very select few of his tracks on my iPod. Two of those songs came from the last 20 years, while the rest were his early hits, and some of his stuff with Sabbath. Since 2000, I felt (granted I know very little of his discography in the grand scheme of things) all of his stuff started to sound very similar. Zakk Wylde-style riffs, hard percussion, campy, almost silly lyrics. While it's still very fun to listen to, and it works for many people on a high level, it just isn't the metal that I'm looking for these days. I keep looking forward, but this new record feels like I'm looking backward.

The opening track, "Straight To Hell," is a perfect example of Ozzy's campiness. If you watch the video, it's almost laughable. I watch it and wonder if the Ozzman even has any idea where the fuck he is. I was intrigued at first, the opening operatic vocal effect was an interesting hook to grab my attention, but the opening verse immediately lost me. The first line "All right now" was closely followed by a reference to defecating. Not exactly his best work. From there, the following two tracks are equally as forgettable. A memorable single from this record is the title track, accompanied with a really heartfelt video. It really made up for the laughable "Straight To Hell" video, and the "Under The Graveyard" video that looked like it was just pieced together with outtakes from all of Ozzy's scenes in The Dirt.

Ozzy pulled in some big guns to record this album, including Duff McKagan from Guns N Roses and Chad Smith from RHCP fame. There are also plenty of guest appearances on this record, including Elton John (why?), Travis Scott, (why??) and Post Malone (WHY??) Of all the potential guest artists I could think of to pair with Ozzy, these three never would have entered my mind. Not even close. Maybe on his next one we can get a cameo by The Wiggles. Rat Salad... yummy yummy...

I want it to be known before I wrap this up, that I adore Ozzy Osbourne. I love the man and what he has done for rock and metal. Many of my favorite artists today would not exist if not for him. In some way, Ozzy is like a crazy metal uncle that I always wished I had. But this record, Ordinary Man, is not the album I will remember him for in the decades to come. I searched this record long and hard for a memorable headbanger like "I Don't Wanna Stop" or a surprise tear-jerking ballad like "Dreamer," yet my search proved fruitless. While I was excited to dig into this record and give 5FDP a run for their money for metal record of the year, sadly, the Ozzman just did not cometh.

Ordinary Man - Ozzy Osbourne

2 - 21 - 2020

1. Straight To Hell

2. All My Life

3. Goodbye

4. Ordinary Man

5. Under The Graveyard

6. Eat Me

7. Today Is The End

8. Scary Little Green Men

9. Holy For Tonight

10. It's A Raid

11. Take What You Want

Favorite Track: Scary Little Green Men

Least Favorite Track: It's A Raid

Rating: 6.2