Originally Released: In the heavy-metal dark days between 1981 & 1991.

Back Story: Talk about timing. Thanks to his MTV series, Ozzy's hotter than the devil's armpit in August, which shouldn't hurt sales of these revamped reissues of his first two solo albums, his 1987 live tribute to late guitar god Randy Rhoads, and his 1991 benchmark No More Tears. They couldn't have done better if they sold their souls to ... Satan?

Highlights: The first album has bona fide hits like I Don't Know, Crazy Train, Suicide Solution and Mr. Crowley. Plus, most of the discs come with bonus cuts, a few of which -- like You Lookin' at me Lookin' at You -- are worthy.

Lowlights: The first two CDs are also famous for what's not on them: The original bass and drum tracks. No longer on speaking terms with his old bandmates, Ozzy erased their parts and has his new rhythm section replicate them.

Last Words: Sacrilege? Sure. But what else would you expect from Ozzy? (More on Ozzy Osbourne)

Friday, May 17, 2002

Ozzman still cometh