All the hysteria that has surrounded the reunification of the disparate Black Sabbath strands over the past few years has rather overshadowed Ozzy’s enormous body of solo work. And just in case we needed reminding, this set is the jolt required.
It’s a double DVD that underpins Ozzy’s stunning legacy, in his own right. It spans all of his work, from those tentative early steps away from Sabbath – when most people expected him to trip over his addictions – to more recent ball bursting anthems.
The first disc is a collection of his videos. The fact that each song is memorable should come as no surprise, but the footage is far from the embarrassment you might have feared. The second disc has live performances – lots of them. The earliest is perhaps the best, as it features Randy Rhoads, Rudy Sarzo (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums) and Don Airey (keyboards). Easily among the best metal bands of all time. There are also interview segments and studio footage, adding another dimension.
Naturally, you can’t expect to perfectly represent a 35-year span in a mere few hours. But this does a cracking job. Oh, and there’s also a 17-track CD available to add to the fun.
