Is Ozzy over-rated

Ph3n0m

I have been thinking about this a lot and was wondering what are other people's general perception of Ozzy (excluding his "reality show")

Is Ozzy over-rated as a front man, both for Black Sabbath or on his own.

Or is he one of the ultimate showmen?

Your thoughts?

mike65

Ozzy is Ozzy. That is that.

Mike.

RicardoSmith

Hes has a very distinctive style. Theres many artists who don't. So theres merit in that. But as to rating him well thats a very subjective measurement, which has no real meaning does it. You either like him or you don't. I like Ozzy the muscian but not the TV show. I like the older stuff as much for the guitarists as for Ozzy himself.

Kappar

I think he does have a very distictive style. But also his lyrics are very deep and interesting. Perhaps its the creative juices of drug and alcohol abuse a la Jim Morrison, Salvador Dali et al.

Karl Hungus

It's unfathomable to discount his influnce of rock, and metal today, but in saying that, it's mostly down to Black Sabbath. He's had some great songs in the past (And I mean in the past) and brought to light one of the best guitarists of the past 20 years, Randy Rhoads(sp?).

He's easily one of the most influential people, but when you get right down to it, and forget all those he's influenced, he's had some damn good songs.

superconor

No.

It is sad that people only recognize him as a TV star, when Black Sabbath practically invented Heavy Metal. His solo stuff was good enough, but changes is the worst song i've ever heard!

But all in all, Ozzy is still Ozzy, the legend.

Pugsley

Some of Ozzys solos stuff is pretty damn good, and hes had good songs with all 3 guitarists. But black Sabbath are in a league of their own really.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by AngelWhore
....He's had some great songs in the past (And I mean in the past) and brought to light one of the best guitarists of the past 20 years, Randy Rhoads(sp?).

He's easily one of the most influential people, but when you get right down to it, and forget all those he's influenced, he's had some damn good songs.

In fairness he hasn't released that much in the past few years has he. But yeah hes had some damn good songs. Somehow he always manages to get amazing guitarists too. I haven't listened to his last album that much though. Must give it another spin.

Why do ask - Ph3n0m

Doctor J

Without Black Sabbath there would be very little of the music which draws us to this board. Ozzy was a big part of that, perhaps not musically, but live, he was able to carry the music with charisma and spirit. The first 8 Sabbath albums are essential to anyone who loves rock and metal.

The first two solo albums are also magnificent. They stand up to this day as a couple of the greatest rock/metal albums ever recorded.

After that, his catalogue sounds a little dated to me. The Jake E Lee stuff was patchy at best (Jake would go on to form Badlands and, when let off the leash, showed just how impressive a guitarist and songwriter he really was). Zakk Wylde is a bitchin guitarist, but his riffs and songs have never really impressed me. There's a couple of songs on No Rest... which are good, same with No More Tears, but he also sounds like someone's sitting on him, not letting him really shine. Since then Ozzy's recorded over-produced 'product' which to me sounds like it's there to 'shift units' rather than to rock. As for his current mdeia celebrity, well it just makes me sad. I can't help but feel he's being exploited by the people he trusts, to me he's the victim in it all. A couple of years ago he had Rob Trujillo and Mike Bordin re-record the bass and drums on the first to albums, exactly as Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake played them 20 years ago in a bid to avoid paying royalties which almost made me puke. That's not the Ozzy I grew up with.

He's one of the greatest rock singers ever, but his legacy has been severely tarnished, which is a damn shame.

cournioni

I think Ozzy's image is why Ozzy is as big as he is today. No one had that image before Sabbath came around and no one copied that image as such until recently (HIM etc etc.). His voice is very distinctive and he has always has top class musicians around him.

That is how he is so big today. I don't think he is overrated because he and the rest of Sabbath made music what it is today.

colincarnate

Yes i think so.

Ph3n0m

Originally posted by RicardoSmith
Why do ask - Ph3n0m

The reason, oh thats easy - twas a huge drunken debate one night between a lot of good folk one nite, and it was getting a tad nasty as there was one side saying Ozzy was definitely over-rated (they were basing their arguements on tv shows, as they never knew he was with Sabbath or actually never heard of his Sabbath stuff), while in the other corner you had people arguing that he is one of the greatest front men ever, while in the 3 rd corner was a small group of people, who say while with Sabbath, Ozzy was great, but now he sucks

The problem is no one was taking the overall view of what Ozzy as part of a band achieved (noteriety, fame, money, bringing good music to all). While sitting down with the lot of them, and keeping my mouth shut for a while, I thought that most of them were ill-informed in that they ignored Ozzy's career as a whole and prefered to concentrate on only parts of it

RicardoSmith

Have to say I like all the Ozzy albums but the Zakk Wylde ones the least, though theres a few killer tracks with him too. But theres defiantely a consistancy of style and song writing throughout all Ozzy's albums, from the ballads to the ballsy rockers. There are a lot of similarities between the song writing on the Sabbath albums and Ozzies.

What annoys me about the TV show is that theres so little in it about the music. Its just trash TV. Its just cashing in on the Ozzy image.

Doctor J

Originally posted by Ph3n0m
The reason, oh thats easy - twas a huge drunken debate one night between a lot of good folk one nite, and it was getting a tad nasty as there was one side saying Ozzy was definitely over-rated (they were basing their arguements on tv shows, as they never knew he was with Sabbath or actually never heard of his Sabbath stuff), while in the other corner you had people arguing that he is one of the greatest front men ever, while in the 3 rd corner was a small group of people, who say while with Sabbath, Ozzy was great, but now he sucks

Hmmm... has Pythagoras seen this triangular room you speak of?

Ph3n0m

Originally posted by Doctor J
Hmmm... has Pythagoras seen this triangular room you speak of?

yes he has, and he tried to sue me for royalty fees - so I set Ozzy on him, complete with "bat"ty antics

Dathai

Ozzy is a very good artist I will admit that but,ever since the Osbourne tv show came out more and more people especially teens have been listening to him.Mainly to be cool because they now know how big he was and is now because of the show.Ozzy isnt as over-rated as metallica or korn/slipknot/linkin park but if he releases another song such as 'changes' with kelly then he will definatly be more overrated than all of them.The tv show has taken Ozzy from a hardcore God to mr.funny wuss man(wuss as in 'changes').To make my point clear here would you have seen Ozzy on Top of the Pops lately if the Osbourne tv show wasnt on?The answer is no because Ozzy was hardcore and the tv show made him sell-out.

But for the true fans of his,it will be a sad day when Ozzy releases an album full of crap made by ****ing dickheaded marketing bastards thinking more about cashing in now than ever.

freakydeadgirl

(this is one of my demented friends. don't hold me to what he wrote. he doesn't get out much. he didn't even take the f-ing time to read the whole conversation)

No, Ozzy is not overated you ninkunpoop. If you ever even suggest such blasphemy again, I will personaly lay a hideous hex upon you. A zombie will come, he will slit you open, crawl inside your body masquearade as you, and have his way with your women and children.END. :ninja:
(way to entertained by the ninjia smiley)

Dathai

Originally posted by freakydeadgirl
( If you ever even suggest such blasphemy again, I will personaly lay a hideous hex upon you.

He is very over-rated actually.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Dathai
He is very over-rated actually.

Hes done ballads in the past you know!

Dathai

Yeah but seeing him on Top Of The Pops is just rediculous.I mean he's The Prince of Darkness(supposedly) he should be destroying the pop culture insted of giving it a boost.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Dathai
Yeah but seeing him on Top Of The Pops is just rediculous.I mean he's The Prince of Darkness(supposedly) he should be destroying the pop culture insted of giving it a boost.

You can take it too seriously you know....:ninja:

Dathai

Yoeah I know I went a bit out of hand there,its just,they sorta fvcked up his image a bit.For instance millions of people idolised him now they see him messing about in his pants and singing on top of the pops.Essentially they made him look like a pussy and a dumbass