Epic RecordsAll aboard! Ozzy Osbourne‘s new album Ordinary Man, his first solo effort in 10 years, is out today.
The record, which includes the lead single “Under the Graveyard,” was recorded with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, with producer Andrew Watt on guitar. It also features guest appearances from Slash, Elton John, Post Malone and Tom Morello.
Speaking to ABC Audio, Smith shares how excited he was to record with the Prince of Darkness.
“It’s f***ing Ozzy Osbourne!” Smith exclaims. “No one sounds like that. There’s only one Ozzy.”
“The joy of the music that he’s given me for 50 years…we were pinching ourselves that we were writing music for Ozzy,” he says. “He was so great and gracious, and funny and smart. We just had a great time.”
Of course, Osbourne has had a rough go of it health-wise, lately. Over the last year, he batted pneumonia and underwent neck surgery after suffering a fall in his home. Just last month, he revealed on ABC’s Good Morning America that he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. That confluence of medical issues forced Ozzy to postpone his upcoming North American tour.
As Smith tells it, getting to work on Ordinary Man was a much-needed bright spot during a difficult time for Ozzy.
“He just was, like, ‘You guys are saving my life,'” Smith recalls. “‘This is what I love to do, I gotta do this.'”
Here’s the Ordinary Man track list:
“Straight to Hell”
“All My Life”
“Goodbye”
“Ordinary Man” feat. Elton John
“Under the Graveyard”
“Eat Me”
“Today Is the End”
“Scary Little Green Men”
“Holy for Tonight”
“It’s a Raid” feat. Post Malone
“Take What You Want” — Post Malone feat. Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
