Shots Fired Sunday

I'm starting a new series called #ShotsFiredSunday - I got the idea when I was eating at Chuy's Tex Mex yesterday. They play a lot of rock music. Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears" came on and I said "This is his greatest solo song." Eric snickered and said, "Why don't you blog about THAT one?!" And I laughed and said "Shots fired."

I realized he was right, I should blog about it. I've always loved "No More Tears." The bass is delicious and it was a commercial hit. There's nothing wrong with getting paid for being good at something, and Ozzy is good at making a catchy tune (sometimes).

I realize my choice of "No More Tears" as my favorite Ozzy tune might be controversial. #ShotsFired! 

Comments

[Jeff]

Surprised no one has chimed in on this one yet?! I agree the NMT has a great solo, but in my opinion I'd put Crazy Train and Bark at the Moon above it. Hard to compare being three different guitarists though.

[Him]

I feel like I sorta' chimed in before any shots were fired, given this was on my solo list of Ozzy's best songs on Two-Fer Tuesday awhile back (April 10th to be exact).

Inez deserves all due props for writing that bass line and Daisley deserves all the credit for playing it. Also, a shout out to Purdell (RIP), who shares co-writing credits on the song. Might as well send a shout out to Castillo (RIP) as well.

I guess I am slyly firing a shot here. Ozzy is the sum of the parts that supported him. That was a tough lesson for me to learn. I had thought of him, in my youth, as a front-runner and a trend-setter. Turns out, he was gifted with great musicians (add Wylde here; Sinclair as well and to a lesser degree) who gave voice to his, well, voice. That not all those credits were evenly distributed is a pity. Doesn't change the fact that I love Ozzy's music (esp. the music that he released up to _NMT_). Not one bit. But it does put a bit of an asterisk next to that love. You don't always find what you want when you get a chance to look behind the curtain.

Full disclosure: I am seeing him this summer with, ugh, Stone Sour. I could go all Metalboy! on that band. But I want to stay on topic. And I also appreciate Wylde's remake of the song.

[Shawn]

Great points Him - also I think Lemmy contributed heavily to the No More Tears Album. It remains as one of favorites to this day.

[Gary]

Incredible album. My favorite post Randy song is on this album also, in “Road To Nowhere”. Every time I listen to that song I swear the lyrics could’ve been written about my own life, they hit that close to home. Lmao

[Bob]

"No More Tears" is a great song, but the Ozzy song that spoke to me the most, and still does today, is "You Can't Kill Rock and roll." I was a teenager at the time that song came out, and an aspiring professional musician to boot. My musical tastes were also completely different than most of the other teenagers around me. Even in my much older years, I still have very little interest in how other people think I should live my life because, as the song smartly points out, most of what we are told to think and believe when we are growing up is largely designed to make us fall in line. and yes, Him is dead on that Ozzy's success is very much defined by the musicians whom surrounded him -- some of whom he screwed over very badly. and, at the risk of sounding like a biased drummer, I would include Lee Kersslake as one of those musicians.

[GNR]

No More Tears is the opus right ? and yes a commercial success, no doubt. But with every music argument of "greatest song", its tough.

Flying High Again still gets me from the beginning of Oh no, here we go...

I think No More Tears is the best album from front to back. "Desire" is one of my favorite songs right before No More Tears. Wonder where the Foo Fighters got that for the beginning of their All My Life song :) Just a rockin' tune.

[stu]

i know i’m in the minority, but i have to go with “bloodbath in paradise.” the first time i heard “no rest” i was blown away that any of those tunes got mainstream airplay. of course it helps that that was the first ozzy album i bought so i’ve listened to it more than the others.

[Kenny Ozz]

Great song. But my pick for best Ozzy solo tune is 'Shot In The Dark'. I absolutely love the guitar riff.

[Him]

Kenny, what do you think of Lee's buried piano on that song? I kid. But I wanna give props to someone who mentions a great song from the Lee-era of Ozzy. Lee is under-appreciated and often overlooked. He is also a man seemingly beset by demons that hampered his ability to pull off anything equal to his talents, post-Badlands.

I hear you, stu. When/where we jump into the maelstrom often determines our allegiances. It certainly impacts mine.

You are right, Shawn. Lemmy is credited on four songs. Sad to think that we lost him.

Excellent points, Bob. Kerslake also deserved more and better, no less for all he did for Uriah back in the day! Love hearing and watching him on those Living Loud videos.

And, Gary, don't you know? The "Road to Nowhere" led you here to enlighten us with your varied comedic gifts and astute insights. Perhaps not what you expected/wanted. But you certainly enrich us almost daily. Cheers, sir!