"Bark at the Moon" marks a major stepping stone for Ozzy becoming an major international celebrity. Big riffs, bigger choruses and a distinct sense of cheese drive this CD into being one of the more enjoyable (if not disposable) CD's of the mid-80's metal explosion. The production is top of the line, at times the songcraft is brilliant (though never bad on the so-called "filler" tunes) and the musical performance is driven home by one Jake E. Lee who proved that while not as creative as Randy Rhodes...he may have been more technically imposing. This album proved that without the original Blizzard line-up...that Ozzy knew how to throw a band/record together that would be difficult for anyone to ignore.
This records hotspots include "Bark at the Moon", "Now You See It (Now you Don't)" and the goth-opera epic "Centre of Eternity". Lesser tracks such as "Rock and Roll Rebel" and "Waiting for Darkness" also entertain though they've been somewhat lost in the catalog of "great Ozzy tunes". Jake E. Lee makes every performance a classic with his tasteful yet stunning "shredanomics". I praise this man for being one of the few who can play as fast and technically as possible yet still he manages to capture something you can sing along to. Bravo. If Ozzy had to replace Randy, this man was the man to do it.
For many this is THE Ozzy record, as it lacks the dark edge of his material that came after and it encapsulates a sense of "fun" that many of his other albums never recaptured. This is a time capsule of the best of the somewhat-tacky 1980's movement that few remember in any form BUT this record. Despite is being debated as a classic...I have to give both Ozzy and this record it's due. Love it or hate it, it was important!
"Bark at the Moon" is an interesting record that burns bright at some moments and just simmers at others. Overall, this is a purchase for anyone who loves Ozzy Osbourne or the best of 80's metal in general. The title track and a few other cuts bring this to a few peaks that few other metal artists hit.
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