OZZY OSBOURNE - No More Tears [30th Anniversary Edition] [ ]

10/10

OZZY OSBOURNE - No More Tears [30th Anniversary Edition] - 10/10
5/10

Bonus Material - 5/10

Summary

Sony Music
Release date: September 17, 2021

[spoiler title=’Metal Express Radio – Ratings Scale’ style=’default’ collapse_link=’true’]

10.0: Cannot be improved! Perfect, instant classic! Essential in any record collection.
9.5 – 9.9: Fantastic, spectacular and outstanding!
9.0 – 9.4: Amazing release! It just lacks that little extra spice to make it perfect.
8.5 – 8.9: Exceptional release! Will likely rank among top ten albums of the year.
8.0 – 8.4: Great release! It has many different qualities.
7.5 – 7.9: Above average! It is an enjoyable release.
7.0 – 7.4: It is not brilliant, but has many strong points.
6.0 – 6.9: It has its moments, but is not that strong.
5.0 – 5.9: Slightly above average, does not stand out. Good outweighs bad by just a little.
4.0 – 4.9: Just below average, bad outweighs good by just a little.
3.0 – 3.9: Mediocre. There might be a song or a performance that is enjoyable, but that is it.
2.0 – 2.9: Very weak! There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, too many flaws.
1.0 – 1.9: This release gives the word “terrible” new meaning.
0.1 – 0.9: Awful! Avoid at all cost. There is nothing good to say about this release.

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The Backstory

Ozzy Osbourne’s 6th studio album No More Tears has been given the 30th anniversary treatment, complete with bonus tracks, demos, and live recordings. This edition is only available in digital format or 2 LP. In 1991 No More Tears was a Top 10 album in the U.S. upon its release, and it spawned four Top 10 singles. Four of the songs on the album were co-written by Motörhead front man Lemmy Kilmister, and it was the second Ozzy album featuring Zakk Wylde on guitar. This is a review of the digital format of the album.

The Album

Ozzy comes out swinging with the demented tale of “Mr. Tinkertrain.” Bob Daisley’s thumping bass sets the pace while Zakk’s signature guitar squeals can be heard throughout. The track alternates in tempos as it gets darker and more sinister. Randy Castillo is front and center with his drumbeats on “I Don’t Want to Change the World.” Ozzy is Ozzy, what can you really say? The chorus is simple and to the point. “Mama I’m Coming Home” is perhaps the ballad that officially launched Ozzy into the mainstream. Co-written with Lemmy Kilmister, the song was adopted by many of our military troops heading out to fight the war in Iraq.

“Desire” was never released as a single, but it could have easily been one. This inspirational anthem acts as a mantra to Heavy Metal acts fighting for their recognition at the time. “No More Tears” was another mega hit for Ozzy and company. Every member got their chance to shine, from the driving bass, to the popping snare, to the subtle riffs, the pulsing keys, and Ozzy’s signature vocals. According to Zakk Wylde, the track was born out of jam session. Most Metal fans probably link “Hellraiser” to Motörhead due to its appearance in Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, but Lemmy gave it to Ozzy first. For the digital release of this album, there’s a version of the song featuring both vocalists.

Can you believe there are 3 ballads on this Ozzy album? Say what you want, but the style and design suits him. “Time After Time” wasn’t as successful as its predecessors, but its still a powerful track. They could have deleted “Zombie Stomp” from the last reissue of this album and no one would have cared. We also could have done without Osbourne’s love of acronyms. Okay, so there’s not 3 ballads, there are 4. “Road to Nowhere” is undeniably catchy, but ends up breaking the ballad barrier with a more distortion as it treads along.

Why not replace the zombie song with the bonus track “Don’t Blame Me?” It’s a far superior song and was only released as B-side back in 1991. The second bonus track “Party With The Animals” does seem like a throwaway track that was rushed together. The live songs are compiled from two different live shows; San Diego Sports Arena, June 1992 and Live on MTV, 1992. The live tracks are only songs Ozzy and company performed live from this album. It’s not one continuous show. There are no demos on the digital version of No More Tears (at least not the Apple Music version).

The Verdict

No More Tears wasn’t just Ozzy’s Osbourne’s most successful solo album, but it was also his last great album. Every track on the album could have been a hit single. Even as dumb as “Zombie Stomp” was, you could have marketed that outside of Heavy Metal and had a hit. Is this latest edition worth upgrading to? Sadly, it is not. No More Tears was remastered in 2002 and it contained the bonus tracks “Don’t Blame Me” and “Party With The Animals.” The live material has been released prior via live concert videos. The demos have also been released in the past.

Let’s call the 30th Anniversary Edition what it is, a way to sell the vinyl versions. There was too much material to fit on one LP and not enough to fill 2 LPs. They clearly went digging for stuff from that era and all they had was previously released material. The live material sounds good, but you can get much of the same from an Ozzy live album release. While the album No More Tears remains one of the classic Heavy Metal albums of all time, the bonus material is not worth the upgrade.

Tracklist

1. Mr. Tinkertrain
2. I Don’t Want to Change the World
3. Mama, I’m Coming Home
4. Desire
5. No More Tears
6. Won’t Be Coming Home (S.I.N)
7. Hellraiser
8. Time After Time
9. Zombie Stomp
10. A.V.H.
11. Road to Nowhere
12. Don’t Blame Me
13. Party With the Animals
14. I Don’t Want To Change The World (demo)
15. Mama, I’m Coming Home (demo)
16. Desire (demo)
17. Time After Time (demo)
18. Won’t Be Coming Home (S.I.N) (demo)
19. Mrs J. (demo)
20. I Don’t Want to Change the World (live)
21. Road to Nowhere (live)
22. No More Tears (live)
23. Desire (live)
24. Mama, I’m Coming Home (live)

Ozzy Osbourne’s Band 1991 was

Zakk Wilde – Guitars
Randy Castillo – Drums
Bob Daisley – Bass
John Sinclair – Keyboards
Mike Inez – Bass/Inspiration/Musical Direction