Ozzy Osbourne: The Essential

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * *)

Before he became the tattooed new Homer Simpson, Ozzy Osbourne was, of course, the Prince of Darkness, the bat-biting metal madman who somehow managed to go solo from the influential 70s Brit-metallers Black Sabbath and carve himself a successful career and a personal legend which curiously led to his small-screen stardom.

This double CD might be released to capitalise on the show, but its 29 songs neatly trace his Sharon-guided career since the early 80s, which includes a mix of album cuts and live tracks mostly from Tribute (including the Sabs' anthem Paranoid) an album which commemorated Ozzy's long-time guitarist Randy Rhoads. Those early studio tracks of the first disc sound decidedly weedy these days, while the likes of Goodbye To Romance, You're No Different and Dreamer, remind that beneath Ozzy's metal exterior beats the heart of a Beatles fan.

Otherwise, it's Oz-metal all areas — for which he deserves full marks for consistency, if not variety.

Label: Epic