I was unprepared for fame

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

28/02/20 : Ordinary Man - Ozzy Osbourne


Whilst I must admit to having found the first season of The Osbornes amusing enough, I soon ran out of patience with it.  But, compared with my tolerance of his music, that is a model of forbearance - I quite like Paranoid (the track, not the entire album - although it is one of my more amusing write-ups) but apart from that I get very tired of it very quickly.  So I wasn't expecting much from this.

But, whilst I wouldn't go as far saying I liked it, but I really didn't hate it nearly as much as I was expecting.  Looking at the writing credits, I suspect the presence of Chad Smith and Duff McKagen didn't hurt.  And Andrew Watt as well, who I wasn't previously aware of but apparently he is (according to some other dude on Wikipedia) "arguably the most important writer and producer in the world today".  Either that isn't true or my knowledge is lacking (or, more likely, both) but he doesn't appear to be a slacker on the gee-tar either.  

I'd actually go as far as saying I almost liked the album's title track, which is a duet with Elton John (a mere 148 years between the pair of them).  I also didn't mind "Holy For Tonight" and "Take What You Want" isn't bad either, but has quite a low Ozzy quotient.  Let's be honest, a lot of is very hackneyed and I'm never going to listen to it again - but there is a surprising amount of nuance and mortality on display and it really could have been a far worse experience.  I find myself quite surprised.

We're at #3 in the charts with a new entry which managed a further 2 weeks before disappearing from view.  Above it in the charts were BTS (a new entry at #1) and Lewis - and the only other entry in the top ten was Grimes at #10, with one I liked and have listened to a few times.

Wikipedia tells me this is his 12th solo album, almost 10 years after the last one.  It also tells me that "Take What You Want" made the top ten in the US, which was over 30 years since his last appearance in the top ten - the longest gap in the history of the US charts.  The critics liked it the album, as did the public in a lot of countries - #3 in the US, #2 in Germany and #1 in Czechia.

"Customers also listened to" Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and DIO - I think I'm fine thank you.  But this wasn't nearly as dreadful or one-note as I was expecting, so I'll give him that- it's nice when an old geezer can surprise you.

20/02/20 - An atrociously average album
06/03/20 - Less bland than I was expecting

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