Bark at the Moon

The unexpected death of guitarist Randy Rhoads left Ozzy Osbourne in a difficult position. Rhoads had helped Osbourne find his voice in the post-Black Sabbath years of the early ‘80s and contributed mightily to Osbourne’s first two solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Osbourne found the perfectly competent Jake E. Lee to take his place, but the shift in sound was noticeable. Guitars were now being merged with keyboards to create a more radio-friendly sound, while Ozzy himself still viewed himself as an outsider being crucified by the non-believers. The werewolf of the title track is quite fun, but it’s with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel” that Osbourne feels the need to explain that he is not, in fact, a Satan worshipper. “You’re No Different” is a sympathetic ballad that further shows how Osbourne would really like to be considered a normal person.  “Centre of Eternity” is the album’s obvious highlight, a fast and furious hard-rock tune that best exhibits Ozzy’s veteran status, while “So Tired” and “Slow Down” suggest that Ozzy’s excesses are taking their physical and psychological toll on the legendary frontman.