Whitfield Crane Shares His Top Five Ozzy Songs Ahead Of The Orchestra Of Doom Tour

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 

Artist: Black Sabbath
Album: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 
Year: 1973

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath without a doubt is one of the greatest heavy metal songs ever written. If you’re going to send any song, or songs, into outer space you’d probably send Victim Of Changes - Judas Priest and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath as the archetypal, next level, metal masterpieces. Heaviest riffs ever, going into acoustic genius. Ozzy’s young, Ozzy hits some high notes inside the matrix of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath that are inhuman. If you’ve never heard it, listen to it right now. 

Diary Of A Madman

Artist: Black Sabbath
Album: Diary Of A Madman
Year: 1981

Diary Of A Mad Man has an incredible cast of characters - Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley from the band Uriah Heep, as one of the strongest rhythm sections in the history of rock and roll. And of course, the mighty Randy Rhoads, classically influenced and magical across the board. If you listen to the rhythmic structure of Diary Of A Mad Man, it sounds almost like it wouldn’t work or couldn’t work but it does work. The lyrics are torturous, and are telling. Ozzy’s singing his arse off, hitting the high notes like he could back in the day and really moving us all with a classically influenced masterpiece. 

Revelation (Mother Earth)

Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Album: Blizzard Of Ozz
Year: 1980

Revelation (Mother Earth) is a foretelling song speaking about the now as far as where humanity’s taken everything from plastic to carbon footprints. Really beautiful. Randy Rhoads of course is just shining like the Demi-god he is, just playing these classically influenced structures and of course the band itself, that version of the Ozzy solo bands is incredible. It’s got Lee Kerslake, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads and of course, Ozzy Osbourne with some really cool keyboards as well. If you listen to the lyrics, you’ll get what I’m saying, so if you haven’t heard it yet, listen to it now. Put up the lyrics sheet and enjoy. 

Hand Of Doom

Artist: Black Sabbath
Album: Paranoid
Year: 1970

Ozzy Osbourne singing his arse off once again. I first heard Hand Of Doom as the doorway or the gateway, being the first heavy metal song I ever heard, that showed me what heavy metal could be or was. If you listen to the drums on that song, Bill Ward is a very special drummer - no one can play like him, he never plays the same thing twice - so when you listen to the verses on Hand Of Doom you can hear really funky drum beat that I’ve never seen any other drummer that I’ve played with be able to do. The lyrics are dark, the lyrics are beautiful. Ozzy, the character in his voice during the verses is haunting and if you listen to the lyrics and the riffs of this song and the baseline of this song and the drums of this song, I think it just might have you hypnotised. Ozzy Osbourne slaying it. 

Crazy Train

Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Album: Blizzard Of Ozz
Year: 1980

Though this might be an obvious choice because it’s such a massive song, it’s a great song. It’s got Randy Rhoads, Lee Kerslake, Bob Daisley and of course Ozzy singing his arse off once again. I’m into listening to the lyrics of songs - like all the guitar player I know they know the riffs and they’re obsessed with guitar parts, my drummer friends are obsessed with drums. Sometimes everyone forgets to listen to the lyrics but since I’ve been a kid, I’ve listened to the lyrics. I’ve got the lyric sheets out, I’ve been obsessively listening to the lyrics since I was a kid. 

So, Ozzy always seems to be telling stories of the challenges he seems to find himself in and this is no coincidence because he’s really that guy. So if you listen to the lyrics of his song, you know like I’ve listened to preachers, I’ve listened to fools, I’ve hustled the dropouts that make their own rules, one person conditioned to rule and control, the media sells it and you live you role - those lyrics are heavy and awesome. I do recommend, I know everyone’s heard this song but go ahead, get the lyric sheet, sit there and really listen to what he’s saying and listen to Randy Roads guitar lead. They’re incredible and enjoy. 

Orchestra Of Doom with Whitfield Crane takes place in Sydney and Melbourne in December. Head to theGuide for all the info.