The Ozzman Cometh is a compilation album by British heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne released in 1997. It is his third greatest hits collection. Its initial, limited-edition 2-CD pressing contained five previously unreleased songs. Versions released in 2002 later have only one disc, and the song "Shot in the Dark" is replaced by "Miracle Man". This was due to a legal action brought about by the song's co-writer, Phil Soussan, for unpaid royalties.
The Ozzman Cometh | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 11 November 1997 | |||
Recorded | 1970, 1980–1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 77:00 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Roy Thomas Baker Duane Baron Michael Beinhorn Ron Nevison Max Norman Keith Olsen Ozzy Osbourne John Purdell Randy Rhoads | |||
Ozzy Osbourne chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Ozzman Cometh | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The CD Version is Digitally Labeled as The Ozzman Cometh: Greatest Hits. The tracks "Black Sabbath", "War Pigs", "Fairies Wear Boots", and "Behind the Wall of Sleep" are performed by Osbourne's previous band Black Sabbath during a 26 April 1970 performance on the BBC Radio 1 show "The John Peel Sessions", conducted by British DJ John Peel. "Fairies Wear Boots" and "War Pigs" are early versions of tracks that would be recorded and released on the band's second album Paranoid with new lyrics.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally from | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Black Sabbath" (previously unreleased, featuring extra verse not on album Black Sabbath (1970)) | Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward | "The John Peel Sessions" of 26 April 1970 | 9:25 |
2. | "War Pigs" (previously unreleased, early version titled "Walpurgis" with different lyrics) | Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "The John Peel Sessions" of 26 April 1970 | 8:15 |
3. | "Goodbye to Romance" | Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley | Blizzard of Ozz (1980) | 5:35 |
4. | "Crazy Train" | Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley | Blizzard of Ozz | 4:51 |
5. | "Mr. Crowley" | Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley | Blizzard of Ozz | 4:56 |
6. | "Over the Mountain" | Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley, Lee Kerslake | Diary of a Madman (1981) | 4:32 |
7. | "Paranoid" (live) | Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward | Tribute (1987) | 2:53 |
8. | "Bark at the Moon" | Osbourne, Jake E. Lee, Daisley | Bark at the Moon (1983) | 4:17 |
9. | "Miracle Man ("Shot in the Dark" - Pre 2002)" | Osbourne, Wylde, Daisley | No Rest for the Wicked (1988) | 3:44 |
10. | "Crazy Babies" | Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Daisley, Randy Castillo | No Rest for the Wicked | 4:14 |
11. | "No More Tears" (radio edit) | Osbourne, Wylde, Mike Inez, Castillo, John Purdell | No More Tears (1991) | 5:54 |
12. | "Mama, I'm Coming Home" | Osbourne, Wylde, Lemmy Kilmister | No More Tears | 4:11 |
13. | "I Don't Want to Change the World" (live) | Osbourne, Wylde, Castillo, Kilmister | Live & Loud (1993) | 4:00 |
14. | "I Just Want You" | Osbourne, Jim Vallance | Ozzmosis (1995) | 4:57 |
15. | "Back on Earth" (previously unreleased) | Richard Supa, Taylor Rhodes | Ozzmosis sessions | 5:00 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally from | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fairies Wear Boots" (previously unreleased) | Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "The John Peel Sessions" of 26 April 1970 | 6:53 |
2. | "Behind the Wall of Sleep" (previously unreleased) | Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "The John Peel Sessions" of 26 April 1970 | 5:09 |
3. | "Walk on Water" (Japanese edition bonus track) | Osbourne, Vallance | Beavis and Butt-Head Do America soundtrack (1996) | 4:19 |
4. | "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (Status Quo cover, recorded with Type O Negative, Japanese edition bonus track) | Francis Rossi | Private Parts: The Album (1997) | 6:05 |
5. | "Interview with Ozzy 1988" | 17:45 |
Charts
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | "Back on Earth" | Mainstream Rock (USA)[9] | 3 |
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[10] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Czech Republic | — | 28,000[11] |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[12] | Gold | 31,901[12] |
United States (RIAA)[13] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |