Grade: 96/100
There’s never a dull moment with Ozzy Osbourne. While “Memoirs of a Madman” isn’t something new and unexpected, it’s still something to be excited about.
This recently released album and DVD collection of Osbourne’s greatest hits, music videos and concert performances is an extensive highlight of Osbourne’s illustrious career. The tracklist boasts 17 of his most well known songs such as “Crazy Train” and “Bark at the Moon,” as well as hits from his most recent solo album, “Scream.” The first DVD includes the music videos of his classic songs and the second is concert footage ranging from 1981 to 2010.
His comprehensive compilation is necessary for any Osbourne, Black Sabbath or heavy metal fan. Pouring over the collection its in entirety, though, can prove to be a momentous task for anyone who doesn’t go into it casually.
“Memoirs of a Madman” also isn’t an ideal medium for first-time listeners wanting to introduce themselves to Osbourne. As a collection of his best work, the album and the songs themselves are strong, catchy and already considerably famous.
But those 17 songs and carefully selected music videos and concert performances cannot embody his entire career — no “Best of” album of any artist can — and “Memoirs of a Madman” doesn’t even include his work in Black Sabbath. You don’t need to be an Ozzy fan to know that Black Sabbath was an important era in his career.
The point of this album, however, is to gather the best songs Osbourne made independently, and the album does the job well. Musically, no one will find anything new or unexpected, but the concert footage is teeming with content that many would not have seen otherwise. The old music videos are also immensely entertaining with outdated hairstyles and special effects.
Moreover, “Memoirs of a Madman” is a collection of the best songs Osbourne has already released throughout the years, so the album automatically has merit. Osbourne recently won a “Living Legend” award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards and was inducted into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all of these being solid indicators that critics recognize his talent.
“Memoirs of a Madman” is an extensive reminder as to how he earned that recognition.