UAWIL #272: Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin

By 1986, Ozzy Osbourne already had the reputation as the Mad Man of Metal. Since his departure from Black Sabbath, he'd created a whole new act that was very successful thanks to his wife and manager Sharon (Arden) Osbourne and the talented musicians she got to play & record with him. After a string of multi-platinum solo records in the US, you'd figure that Ozzy was on top of the world and ready to continue to dazzle audiences around the world. However, things weren't so rosey in Ozzy's den.

Sharon made him go to rehab and Betty Ford which may helped him slow down but didn't stop his use of drugs and alcohol. A reunion with Black Sabbath at Live Aid put his next solo writing sessions on hold and he end up losing his rhythm section, including long-time bassist Bob Daisley. Guitarist Jake E Lee who blew fans away with his performance on Bark at the Moon was upset about not receiving writing credits (or royalties) from that record and refused to proceed until his contract was worked out to his liking.

Despite all that, The Ultimate Sin is still a classic Ozzy album. From the title track to the finale in Shot in the Dark, there are amazing metal moments with brilliant guitar pyrotechics from Jake. The title track, Thank God for the Bomb and Killer of Giants all refer to the ongoing Cold War that kept people living in fear. LIghtning Strikes and Shot in the Dark received steady rotation on MTV and eventually The Ultimate Sin went double platinum. Unfortunately, Ozzy wasn't happy with the mix by producer Ron Nevison so this album is now out of print and Shot in the Dark is not included on any of Ozzy's greatest hits albums. While controversy and infighting may have followed Ozzy around, his status as a bonafide Metal God is never in question on this album and we think Jake E Lee deserves more credit as a guitarist and songwriter than he receives. Nevertheless, The Ultimate Sin may not be his best solo record but we count it among his classics of the 1980s.

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