I Just Want You

This is counted among those songs on “Ozzmosis” that could have been good if Ozzy had been more concerned with writing lyrics that make sense rather than simply putting together a series of catch phrases and one-liners meant to sound witty. It’s basically a solid ballad musically, playing off a simple 3 chord progression with a very pleasant atmospheric aesthetic. The guitar tone is a bit fuzzy and garbled, the lead section is drenched in way too much flanger effects, but in spite of being a bit mushy, is still reasonably catchy and easy to get into. But every time I hear Ozzy say that there’s no this and no that, I literally want to bang my head against the wall it’s so damned annoying and repetitive.

The b-sides found on here are more half-ballad fodder from Ozzy’s 90s era. “Aimee” definitely has a solid charming melody line and atmosphere to it, drawing a bit from Ozzy’s 80s sound and again utilizing a fair amount of keyboards to go with the heavily distorted and fuzzy guitars. Why it was not included on “Ozzmosis” and crap like “See You On The Other Side” was just baffles me. “Mama, I’m Coming Home” is probably one of the most controversial yet popular of Ozzy’s ballads because it’s so light and radio friendly. The acoustic line at the beginning sounds fairly similar to “She Talks To Angels” by The Black Crows, while the chorus sounds like a number of interchangeable and cliché yet fun 80s songs.

Although there’s been a few gems in the massive pile of dirt that is Ozzy’s post “No More Tears” era, I think the biggest mistake that Ozzy made was not following through on that plan to hang it all up and retire. Granted, it was health concerns that initially prompted his readiness to retire, but regardless to how stiff Ozzy’s upper lip may be when it comes to keeping on the road and entertaining his fans, it has not translated into consistent success in the recording studio, regardless of who he brings in to write lyrics and music for him.