Ozzy Osbourne – Scream – 2010 This is, I believe, the 63rd review in this series. I’ve never tried anything like this. I can’t believe I got through it. And thanks to everyone who helped (you know who you are). We traveled the journey of Heavy Metal by way of Continue Reading
Purple Sabbath
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Heaven and Hell – The Devil You Know
Heaven and Hell – The Devil You Know – 2009 THe opening track, “Atom and Evil” (ugh, are these guys 15?) has the pace of a funeral processional. Almost as if the band is trying to instill depression. It’s not fun. Heaven and Hell are the holy/unholy marriage of Dio Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne – Black Rain
Ozzy Osbourne – Black Rain – 2007 “I’m not going away!” Ozzy screams amidst the post-metal industrial backing and siren wail of Zakk Wylde’s guitar. He’s pretty earnest about it. I believe him. After turning himself into a reality tv clown, rocket-fueling his wife’s talk show career and turning his Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Deep Purple – Rapture of the Deep
Deep Purple – Rapture of the Deep “The Wrong Man” rocks. Let me just say that for starters. In this latter day version of Purple, it’s a great litle groovetastic rocker. Gillan is in great voice, Airey makes you not miss Lord. At all. Whereas the title track sounds wayyyy Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Deep Purple – Bananas
Deep Purple – Bananas – 2003 Bye bye, Jon Lord.So, Lord leaves, Blackmore is gone, who’s left? Ian Gillan (who occasionally sounds like Ian Anderson AND Warren Zevon!), drummer Ian Paice. Not much else. Ex-Sabbath keyboardist Don Airey is here instead and Steve Morse is on guitars. You know what? Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne – Down to Earth
Ozzy Osbourne – Down to Earth – 2001 I’m going to be extraordinarily kind to Oz right about now. At this point he’s the only one standing from the original metal bands.Sabbath is over.Dio is a cartoon version of what he THINKS metal is turning into.Deep Purple is a funk/prog Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Deep Purple – Abandon
Deep Purple – Abandon – 1998 Abandon finds our heroes settling in to their roles as niche filling, core fans satisfying, able codgers. In 1998 did you even know that Deep Purple was still playing, let alone were releasing new music? Me neither. But I thought they stopped playing in Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Dio – Angry Machines
Dio – Angry Machines – 1996 Dio left Warner Brothers. Or he was dropped. I don’t know. I don’t really care. This album seems to double down on the core. These aren’t songs, per se, as much as they are exercises in dark, metallic, apocalyptic constructs. Ho hum. Been here, Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Deep Purple – Purpendicular
Deep Purple – Purpendicular – 1996 I like “Vavoom: Ted the Mechanic”. It’s a groovy, slippery trip-blues jam. For some reason it reminds me of Steely Dan at their most energized.Jon Lord’s understated piano playing on “Loosen My Strings” are a welcome surprise, followed by the horrendous over playing of Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne – Ozzmosis
Ozzy Osbourne – Ozzmosis – 1995 It’s been a few years since No More Tears but that hasn’t changed Ozzy’s 90s era attack. Loud. Big guitars. Heavy production. Ozzfest would start the next year, so I guess this is the album that kicked that off. But, where Tears was a Continue Reading