Ozzy

Ozzy Osbourne has gotten more mileage out of live albums than any other hard rocker because he knows how to play the game. He knows how to make each record special, or at least a little bit different. Usually, this just means showcasing his new guitarist; at other times it just means showing off the new material. With Live and Loud, a double-disc set released in 1993, it was a combination of parading Zakk Wylde in a live setting and putting together a nifty limited-edtion package (the initial CD pressing of the album was designed as a mock speaker and contained two tattoos).

Sony Music's "Essential" series of limited-edition two-disc compilations of major artists has been well-assembled generally, and Ozzy Osbourne's increased celebrity following the success of the "reality" TV series The Osbournes justifies his inclusion, as does his string of multi-platinum albums dating back to 1980. The 29-track collection presents most of the highlights of his solo career, from Blizzard of Ozz to Down to Earth, including such U.K. and/or U.S. hits as "Bark at the Moon," "No More Tears," "Perry Mason," and "Mama, I'm Coming Home," as well as the Grammy-winning live version of "I Don't Want to Change the World." Missing from the song list are such favorites as "Shot in the Dark," a Top 20 U.K. hit that made the Top Ten of Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, and "Back on Earth," another major Mainstream Rock hit; both tracks can be found on the 1997 hits collection The Ozzman Cometh.

Sony Music's "Essential" series of limited-edition two-disc compilations of major artists has been well-assembled generally, and Ozzy Osbourne's increased celebrity following the success of the "reality" TV series The Osbournes justifies his inclusion, as does his string of multi-platinum albums dating back to 1980…

Immediately following the death of Ozzy Osbourne's dear friend and collaborator Randy Rhoads, tentative plans for a live recording from the Rhoads tours were quickly scrapped. Instead, the deeply troubled singer opted for a pair of one-offs at New York City's Ritz club…