Ultimate Rhoads

Put 'em here! I just picked mine up this morning and have it on in the car. Will give a full "first impressions" review in a bit.

Ok, so I outright hate half of this album. The first 4 songs are absolutely lame in every way. 5-10 are really good...but Diggin' Me Down (5) kinda reminds me too much of Enter Sandman. Still a cool song though I guess. Crucify is pretty good. So is I Want It More and Time. I like the music and the vocal melody to I Love You All. I was disappointed to here the maudlin, sappy lyrics over it...I wish he took it in a different direction. I give this album 7 bat heads out of 10.

xx123456

What really pissed me off about the song Soul Sucker was that it sounded like something that Ozzy wanted to get AWAY from. He hired Gus so he wouldn't have a bunch of BLS sounding songs. And then what does he do?! Writes a song that's pretty much BLS through and through.
I agree with you on the Black Rain/Death Magnetic thing. After a few listens, I'll be over it and it'll start gathering dust.

I have heard some of these songs on the radio....and I agree. It sounds like the "loudness war" syndrome. The production of the album just isn't good....simple as that.

Compare the production of Scream to Diary of a Madman....Diary's production sounds much better even though it was produced 29 years ago!

Disappointing...Gus G is a good guitar player, and this album could have been so much better letting each instrument/musician shine through without being too loud, overbearing and muddy...but it doesn't.

I don't think it's just down to production. I think the early Sabbath albums had awful production, but the songs themselves are really good! I put it more down to running out of ideas, following trends, and wanting to impress too much.

Bought Ozzy's new album yesterday, this is what I have to say about it. Scream is a pretty decent album, it's not Blizzard of Ozz or Diary of A Madman, but I like it, it may seem like he's trying too hard in some areas but in others he does shine, not bad for a man of 61 and had done every drug on the planet in his "good ol' days". I love the heavy chugger that Firewind guitarist and Zakk Wylde replacement, Gus G, brings to the pot, gone are Wylde's ever present harmonics that does admittedly become a bore. Sorry guys...

It does however, seem like he had a lot of riffs recorded and thought "oh that would be nice with that song" rather than taking time to look into it rather than giving in to pressure that he HAS to put out an album. I love the first two songs most of all at the moment but that will change.

Gus G is welcomed in my eyes, I get the feeling though that he was restrained, but for his first album with Ozzy, I can't judge him too much for a debut with the grandfather of heavy metal.

On the whole I gave this album 8/10.

Simon

xx123456

Any artist would like to go out on top. I don't think Ozzy wanted his swan song to be Down To Earth or Black Rain, as they didn't perform well.
I am confused by folks hailing Gus' guitar playing/ writing abilities, as I was under the impression that the guitars were already done and Gus had only dropped in a solo or two?
There's a part of me that still has a soft spot for Oz, but I don't believe I'll be picking this up, as folks have pointed out, Ozzy is writing for the younger crowd...which I am no longer a member of, this side of forty
I didn't really care much for the last two and it seems like people really want to like Scream, but it sounds like Oz is going through the motions...making an album by template, if you will.
I've got everything from Blizzard through Ozzmosis, and that's good enough for me.
Ozzy was better when parents were afraid of him. Now Ozzy is viewed as safe, and to me, an Ozzy without the fun or the danger is no fun.

xx123456

Thanks for the info, Alex

xx123456

I need to listen to this album some more before I can really give a proper review...

xx123456

Good plan, Ozzy. I think the next album is his last, if I recall his interviews correctly.