Speak of the Devil

Speak of the Devil

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Chris Isaak rocks? Indeed. Granted, the crooner's latest is no noisy, post-grunge Nirvana (though the chord progression of the opener, "Please," recalls Kurt Cobain's "Heart-Shaped Box"), but Devil does find Isaak loosening up. His gut-busting vocals on the free-for-all title track are as near to reckless as we're ever going to hear him. He's also toughening up, growling around his lower register in the death-inflected "Black Flowers." The backing band Silvertone kicks up its heels as well, most infectiously on the gleefully two-steppin' "I'm Not Sleepy." Of course, Isaak's signature shivery, quivering, and wistful ballads remain. And the singer still has a winning way with an unshakable melody. Armed with guitarist Hershel Yatovitz's poignant picking, only Isaak could turn a tired platitude like "Don't Get So Down on Yourself" into a true tearjerker. --Sue VanHecke

Entertainment Weekly
...Devil has plenty of minor-key paeans to heartbreak. Wicked games, indeed.

Speak of the Devil,Chris Isaak,Reprise / Wea,College Rock,Guitar,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Roots Rock,United States of America,Vocals


Speak of the Devil

Speak of the Devil
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Black Sabbath Songs Like You've Never Heard Them Before
  • Great Black Sabbath songs by Ozzy and friends...
  • Suspiciously Good...
  • Not bad for a set list learned in a matter of *days*
  • Some of the best guitar playing ever!
Speak of the Devil
Ozzy Osbourne
Manufacturer: Sony International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Ultimate Sin
  2. Bark at the Moon
  3. Live & Loud
  4. No Rest for the Wicked (Exp)
  5. Diary of a Madman

ASIN: B0000252Z1
Release Date: 1995-11-27

Tracks:

  1. Symptom of the Universe
  2. Snowblind
  3. Black Sabbath
  4. Fairies Wear Boots
  5. War Pigs
  6. Wizard
  7. N.I.B.
  8. Sweet Leaf
  9. Never Say Die
  10. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
  11. Iron Man/Children of the Grave
  12. Paranoid

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Black Sabbath Songs Like You've Never Heard Them Before.......2007-05-08

I was skeptical as a young man back in the early 80's when I heard about this live album. I just couldn't imagine Black Sabbath without Tony, Geezer and Bill. I have the utmost respect for them but I have to be honest and say that Brad, Rudy and Tommy blew a fresh wind of life into these classic songs. Really amazing hard-edged sound. Ozzy sounds terrific but it *seems* obvious to me that there was some studio overdubbing. In any case, this is a most entertaining album.

4 out of 5 stars Great Black Sabbath songs by Ozzy and friends..........2007-05-06

Great live album with classics songs from Black Sabbath, performed by Ozzy at his best. Great concert and very good choice of songs on this cd.
A must have for any heavy rock music fans ! Pure classics !

4 out of 5 stars Suspiciously Good..........2007-01-27

This record is on its way to become a true rarity: deleted from the remastered Ozzy catalog, it is now only available as an import item or leftover from the `95 remaster. For years I hesitated about buying this, as I considered it to be something of an oddity, an apocryphal release of sorts, caught right in the no-man's-land: it was an Ozzy solo record, but it contained no solo songs. Instead, it contained only Black Sabbath songs recorded during his US '82 tour at a show in New York, just a few months after Randy Rhoads tragic death.

Being a major Randy fan, I really didn't know what to make of this release, and I was frustrated `cause it wasn't either a true Black Sabbath or Ozzy record, but rather some kind of hybrid. I didn't know it at the time, but there were a lot of reasons that justified this release, at least for Ozzy: first, Ozzy had planned to release a live record featuring Randy, but the idea was scrapped after his untimely death.

Second, Sharon and Ozzy were trying to negotiate his release from his original record deal with Sharon's father, Don Arden, who was racking it up taking the lion's share of the revenue generated by record sales; the contract demanded a final record, and it was decided to give him one full of Sabbath material as a retaliation, knowing full well that such a record could not compete with the potential sales of a brand new studio record.

Third, Ozzy hated the poorly mixed, rush-released "Live at Last" album, which was released in Europe and constituted the only Sabbath live document at the time; and last but not least, Ozzy and Sharon heard that Sabbath were planning to release a live album with their (then) current lineup with Ronnie James Dio, so they thought this was a perfect occasion to annoy them. Finally, after listening to some of it and having my curiosity whet, I decided to get it and therefore complete my Ozzy collection. The end result? A live album that's surprisingly good, sounding way better than "Live at Last", on a par with "Live Evil" and miles ahead of "Reunion" (I can't comment on "Past Lives" since I haven't heard it).

That being said, and especially if you compare this album with other Ozzy live releases (especially "Tribute", which features live recordings only a year or so older), this one sounds a little too good, suspiciously good, at least as far as the vocals are concerned. I'm willing to bet that Ozzy punched-those-in in the studio. But that doesn't really take away from the album, as the rest of the performance sounds quite honest, specially `cause there are noticeable glitches here and there! Remember folks, guitarist Brad Gillis had been in the band for a short time and had to rush-learn and rehearse the material, so very often in the recording, you can hear him having to resort to extensive use of his whammy bar in order to hide mistakes and find his way back in.

But he ultimately pulls off an great job, masterfully backed by Rudy Sarzo on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums, by far Ozzy's best rhythm section ever. The band, for the most part, sounds tight and strong, making great performances of these Sabbath tracks, which remain for the most part quite respectul to the originals. As Ozzy himself points out, some of these songs, such as "The Wizard" and/or `Symptom of the Universe" were rarities seldom included in Sabbath's set list, so this is a wonderful chance to hear those songs in a live context, "The Wizard" in particular being a highlight (at least it is for me).

Some of the songs have minor changes in their structure, and I think I can hear at least one edit in there, but probably the thing that I was the most surprised of was to hear that Ozzy skipped singing the last part of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", though: I mean, I understood his doing that for "Reunion" since he simply could no longer reach those high notes, but in 1982, I would have expected him to go for the big ones...oh well, no matter...

Bottom Line: this is a CD worth checking out, if nothing else for its historical value, but I truly believe that Ozzy and Sabbath fans alike can truly enjoy this. This is the greatest live album Sabbath never made. Get it before it becomes unavailable.

4 out of 5 stars Not bad for a set list learned in a matter of *days*.......2006-11-26

Learning of Ozzy's plans for an all Sabbath set list, his band learned the majority of these songs in a matter of days, having only played a handful of Sabbath songs during the Diary tour (Paraniod/Iron Man/Children of the Grave). The gigs (only two) were going to be recorded for a live album Ozzy was contractually bound to release. No pressure there.

What happens next is this record, and it's phenomenal.

When I listen to this now, I can't help thinking of the circumstances, but you wouldn't know it by listening to this band, sounding like a heavy metal jazz trio, all precision and mastery, but with enormous power. Dig the killer guitar and drums. I know I do. Oh yeah, Ozzy sounds pretty good too...

5 out of 5 stars Some of the best guitar playing ever!.......2006-11-07

One thing you have to give Ozzy, he has always surrounded himself with the best musical talent around. And nobody, nobody, has ever played with as many legendary guitar players. Perhaps the one that gets talked about the least is Brad Gillis and anybody that has ever heard this album would have to scream why!? Gillis absolutley shreds, playing as energetic and crisp notes as I have ever heard. I have always felt that this album had to have been double tracked in the studio, but have later found out that it was all live, Gillis is a freak! It is too bad that Gillis did not opt to stay with Ozzy, especially since he left Oz to go do that NightRanger crap. If you like Ozzy and his Sabbath hits and love incredible guitar playing, you cannot go wrong with this album.
Speak of the Devil
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Love it
  • It`s nearly up there, but it`s not devilsh enough for a 5 star.
  • Best yet!
  • Speak of the Devil
  • Speak of the Devil
Speak of the Devil
Chris Isaak
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. San Francisco Days
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ASIN: B00000AG8O
Release Date: 1998-09-22

Tracks:

  1. Please
  2. Flying
  3. Walk Slow
  4. Breaking Apart
  5. This Time
  6. Speak Of The Devil
  7. Like The Way She Moves
  8. Wanderin'
  9. Don't Get So Down On Yourself
  10. Black Flowers
  11. I'm Not Sleepy
  12. Lonely Nights
  13. Talkin' 'Bout A Home
  14. Super Magic 2000

Amazon.com

Chris Isaak rocks? Indeed. Granted, the crooner's latest is no noisy, post-grunge Nirvana (though the chord progression of the opener, "Please," recalls Kurt Cobain's "Heart-Shaped Box"), but Devil does find Isaak loosening up. His gut-busting vocals on the free-for-all title track are as near to reckless as we're ever going to hear him. He's also toughening up, growling around his lower register in the death-inflected "Black Flowers." The backing band Silvertone kicks up its heels as well, most infectiously on the gleefully two-steppin' "I'm Not Sleepy." Of course, Isaak's signature shivery, quivering, and wistful ballads remain. And the singer still has a winning way with an unshakable melody. Armed with guitarist Hershel Yatovitz's poignant picking, only Isaak could turn a tired platitude like "Don't Get So Down on Yourself" into a true tearjerker. --Sue VanHecke

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Love it.......2007-05-13

I enjoy his music alot. This CD is a little harder for me to like right away but after listening to it a few times. I get it and enjoy it. It was one of the last CD's I bought of his music. I have all his CD's now.

4 out of 5 stars It`s nearly up there, but it`s not devilsh enough for a 5 star........2006-03-06

Chris Isaak seldom makes a cd that lacks atmosphere. This one has a whole of it, but there are some minor letdown`s to not make this an another masterpiece as his debut album. Track 1 Please is anyway a song in the right direction. His very malesounding voice is pushed forward in the soundpicture, and the song is very atmospheric. Track 2 Flying has much of the same atmospheric temperature, with his voice "wispersinging" into your heart and soul. It goes from high notes to low notes without any problems. Track 3 Walk slow "walkalong" in a very "cool tempo", but has to little variations to make it unforgetable. Track 4 Breaking apart has too much of everything, and it`s very repeating in it`s narrative form. Track 5 This time, is a little gem, with a very enjoyable structure, that make`s you happy. It`s easy to remember, and a song to humm too. Track 6 Speak of the devil, is not devilsh enough, but it has a certain atmosphere too make it a quality listen. Track 7 Like the way she moves, moves not in my direction, but it`s certainly ok, but nothin` special. Track 8 Wanderin it`s one of the weakest tracks on the CD. It never takes off, and you think that you have heard the same theme before on other tracks. Too much cliches in a way. Track 9 Don`t get so down on yourself, has a certain shimmer, but the shimmering is not too bright and light too make it a Isaak classic. Track 10 Black Flowers is a great one, and realy takes control with it`s cold and atmospheric vocal that makes you shiver between "heaven and hell" sometimes here and there. Track 11 I`m not sleepy, is a rocker which rock and roll you back and forward in a good tempo. Track 12 Lonley Nights is a another letdown. It`s too slow, and begins and ends in "neverland". Track 13 Talkin bout home, has a certain sting. The voice and the rythmic section is ok, but that`s what it`s song is all about when it comes down to the point. Track 14 Super Magic 2000, has shoots, birds singing, and a rock & roll classical 50 ths atmosphere. It`s an instrumental with quality, somewhere in David Lynch country". This Cd is anyway nearly up there, but it`s not devilsh enough for a 5 star. Anyway Chris Isaak know`s what he`s dooing. That`s fore sure.

5 out of 5 stars Best yet!.......2005-10-09

Chris Isaak is one of my favorite artists and this CD is his best yet. He has his own unique style and I never get tired of any of his work.

4 out of 5 stars Speak of the Devil.......2005-09-12

This is a great cd. Not quite as good as some of his earlier stuff though. Classic Chris Issac and it was well worth the price I paid for it.

4 out of 5 stars Speak of the Devil.......2005-09-12

Thank You for sending me this cd. I have enjoyed it very much!
Garage Beat '66, Vol. 6: Speak of the Devil
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Garage Beat '66, Vol. 6: Speak of the Devil
    Various Artists
    Manufacturer: Sundazed Music Inc.
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
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    5. Ain't It Hard! Sunset Strip '60s Sounds: Garage & Psych from Viva Records

    ASIN: B000MM1F14
    Release Date: 2007-05-22

    Tracks:

    1. In The Past - We the People...
    2. Swami - William Penn Fyve
    3. Feel the Music - The Vejtables
    4. Advise and Consent - The Music Machine
    5. Speak of the Devil - Things to Come
    6. Good Men (Are Hard to Find) - Neal Ford & the Fanatics
    7. Victim of Circumstances - Roy Junior
    8. Lights - Kings Verses
    9. Psychedelic Siren - The Daybreakers
    10. All I See Is You - Jokers Wild
    11. Shadows - The Vejtables
    12. Our Fate - Mourning Reign
    13. Who Do You Love - The Druids of Stonehenge
    14. Show Me the Way - The Free-For-All
    15. Goodbye - Road Runners
    16. The Courtship of Rapunzel - The Bruthers
    17. Bald Headed Woman - The Druids of Stonehenge
    18. Piccadilly Circus - The Galaxies IV

    Album Description

    For this latest excavation of treasures from the vaults, buried (by the squares) circa 1966 A.D., Sundazed once again present a king's ransom of devastating vintage garage band single sides and rarities. Among this volume's musical rogues gallery, expect everything from bruisingly upbeat screamers to longhaired R&B lunacy. And because it's good for you, Sundazed has included an unhealthy dose of some of the darkest, most disturbingly intense records from the summer of hate.
    Speak of the Devil
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Attn Musicians: The story behind the album
    • Ozzy Rises From Tragedy With This Love-Letter To His Fans!!!
    Speak of the Devil
    Ozzy Osbourne
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. No Rest for the Wicked (Exp)

    ASIN: B00000DRZJ
    Release Date: 1990-10-25

    Tracks:

    1. Symptom of the Universe
    2. Snowblind
    3. Black Sabbath
    4. Fairies Wear Boots
    5. War Pigs
    6. Wizard
    7. N.I.B.
    8. Sweet Leaf
    9. Never Say Die
    10. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
    11. Iron Man/Children of the Grave
    12. Paranoid

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Attn Musicians: The story behind the album.......2005-03-14

    Ozzy has often credited much of his early success as a solo artist to his first guitarist and beloved friend, Randy Rhoads. While his future wife and manager, Sharon, provided the personal motivation, Randy and his unique blend of Classical and Metal guitar provided the musical inspiration. Their efforts resulted in two studio albums considered by many to be among the best Metal albums of all time: "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman". On March 19, 1982 in the middle of the "Diary" tour, a tragic plane crash took the life of Randy Rhoads and a few other members of the troupe. It is a loss that Ozzy still mourns to this day.

    Ozzy was forced to finish the tour, but his personal pain prevented him from even listening to any of Randy's songs. He chose to finish the tour with Black Sabbath material. The band tried a few different guitarists before settling on Brad Gillis, one of the two guitarists from the opening act, Night Ranger.

    After the tour the record company pressured Ozzy to meet his contractual agreement by releasing another album. Ozzy, still mourning the loss of his friend, could not find the desire to search for a new guitarist or write new songs. Fortunately several of the shows on the "Diary" tour were recorded. The tapes were pulled, the material was mixed and mastered, and "Shout at the Devil" was released as Ozzy's third solo album.

    Now that you know the story behind the album you may expect me to use it to excuse a mediocre and uninspiring effort that sounds like it was rushed out to the public. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ozzy had assembled a top-notch band from some of the finest Metal musicians of the day. These warriors were true professionals and despite their pain and loss continued to play their hearts out night after night. Randy would not have wanted it any other way, and they knew that.

    The musicians stayed close enough to the original tunes to satisfy the most ardent Sabbath fans, yet they added enough of their own individual styles to make the songs fresh and unique. Brad Gillis did an excellent job modifying his style to suit a one-guitar band. His rhythm parts were full, and his solos were surprisingly moving and tasteful for being mostly improvised. However drummer Tommy Aldridge and bassist Rudy Sarzo combined to make the best rhythm section I had ever heard in a Metal band. They were incredibly tight, punchy, and just flat out awesome. By no means is this a statement against Brad Gillis, but during solos I found myself concentrating on the bass and drums more often than the guitar. I was a fledgling bassist when this album was released. Rudy Sarzo's playing on this album has influenced me more than any other bassist on any other album, and the quality of the Aldridge/Sarzo combo is the level I strived to reach with every drummer in every band I've been in.

    As for the quality of the sound I must give this five stars again. It is very difficult to get a clear sound in a live performance, but the engineers succeeded with this one. Your can clearly hear the vocals and each individual instrument, and they are mixed to provide a heavy yet tight, loud sound.

    This album is often compared to "Live Evil" a live album released by Black Sabbath (with Ronnie James Dio on vocals) around the same time as "Speak". Understand that I am also a very big Sabbath & Dio fan, and I will say nothing against them. "Live Evil" is very good and worth buying, but due to the musicianship and sound quality "Speak of the Devil" is hands down the better album.

    This is a must buy for all true Heavy Metal fans. And if you are a Metal musician this album is required listening because this is what world-class Metal musicians should sound like live.

    5 out of 5 stars Ozzy Rises From Tragedy With This Love-Letter To His Fans!!!.......2004-07-11

    First, I need to correct something on my recent review of Ozzy's DIARY OF A MADMAN. I just read a website interview with bassist Rudy Sarzo, who replaced Bob Daisley in 1981 and recieved credit on this album alongside drummer Tommy Aldridge (who replaced Lee Kerslake the same year); Rudy admits that DIARY "was already in the can by the time Tommy and I came aboard." Here I was in my review of this great album, giving credit to Rudy Sarzo for his great & prominent role on bass guitar, when it was actually Daisley's playing that was recorded! Also, Rudy Sarzo was not born in Italy like I had thought (his accent sure sounds Italian to me!); instead, he's from Cuba. Oh, well...just proves that I, like other reviewers, are just fallible human beings and occasionally make mistakes like everybody else! ;-)

    I still think that Rudy Sarzo is one of the best bass guitarists to come out of the 1970's-'80's Heavy Metal scene. He proves it here on Ozzy's 1982 live album, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL---on which he actually *does* play! Recorded at the famous Manhattan rock club The Ritz on September 27th, 1982---just a few months after Ozzy (and the rock world) was devasted by the untimely and, let's face it, completely avoidable death of 26-year-old guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads, Ozzy had to quickly scrap plans for a live album of his solo recordings, which of course would have prominently featured Randy. Instead, with Rhoads' sudden and shocking death and with his former bandmates in Black Sabbath releasing a double-live album with Ozzy's replacement Ronnie James Dio---something they never did in the 10 years Ozzy sang for them---Ozzy set about to show them up by recording his *own* live set of Black Sabbath tunes! With gifted bassist Rudy Sarzo in the Geezer Butler role, and---believe it or not---Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis in the must-have-been-high-pressure-filled Tony Iommi role, Ozzy played The Ritz to a surprised and packed house. I can sum up this performance in one word: wow!

    I like the stylistic difference between the raw, powerful, pure blasting Black Sabbath original sound and this lineup's smoother, rumbling take---it makes this dynamic live performance not a retread but a fun reinterpretation that somehow still remains true to the classic original versions. Ozzy and Gillis/Sarzo/Aldridge really walked a fine line here, and they come through brilliantly. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is one of the most fun live albums to listen to!

    Now, you may ask, which live album is better: Ozzy's SPEAK OF THE DEVIL or Black Sabbath's LIVE EVIL? The answer, in my humble opinion, is without a doubt SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. Most versions on this album are far better than the Dio-led ones on Black Sabbath's LIVE EVIL, with very few exceptions. But LIVE EVIL's my next review...for now, enjoy Ozzy in all his nostalgic splendor!

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
    Speak of the Devil
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Black Sabbath Songs Like You've Never Heard Them Before
    • Great Black Sabbath songs by Ozzy and friends...
    • Suspiciously Good...
    • Not bad for a set list learned in a matter of *days*
    • Some of the best guitar playing ever!
    Speak of the Devil
    Ozzy Osbourne
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music
    British MetalBritish Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Hard RockHard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
    Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
    Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. The Ultimate Sin
    2. Bark at the Moon
    3. Live & Loud
    4. No Rest for the Wicked (Exp)
    5. Diary of a Madman

    ASIN: B000002B7Q
    Release Date: 1995-08-22

    Tracks:

    1. Symptom Of The Universe
    2. Snowblind
    3. Black Sabbath
    4. Fairies Wear Boots
    5. War Pigs
    6. The Wizard
    7. N.I.B.
    8. Sweet Leaf
    9. Never Say Die
    10. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
    11. Iron Man/Children Of The Grave
    12. Paranoid

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Black Sabbath Songs Like You've Never Heard Them Before.......2007-05-08

    I was skeptical as a young man back in the early 80's when I heard about this live album. I just couldn't imagine Black Sabbath without Tony, Geezer and Bill. I have the utmost respect for them but I have to be honest and say that Brad, Rudy and Tommy blew a fresh wind of life into these classic songs. Really amazing hard-edged sound. Ozzy sounds terrific but it *seems* obvious to me that there was some studio overdubbing. In any case, this is a most entertaining album.

    4 out of 5 stars Great Black Sabbath songs by Ozzy and friends..........2007-05-06

    Great live album with classics songs from Black Sabbath, performed by Ozzy at his best. Great concert and very good choice of songs on this cd.
    A must have for any heavy rock music fans ! Pure classics !

    4 out of 5 stars Suspiciously Good..........2007-01-27

    This record is on its way to become a true rarity: deleted from the remastered Ozzy catalog, it is now only available as an import item or leftover from the `95 remaster. For years I hesitated about buying this, as I considered it to be something of an oddity, an apocryphal release of sorts, caught right in the no-man's-land: it was an Ozzy solo record, but it contained no solo songs. Instead, it contained only Black Sabbath songs recorded during his US '82 tour at a show in New York, just a few months after Randy Rhoads tragic death.

    Being a major Randy fan, I really didn't know what to make of this release, and I was frustrated `cause it wasn't either a true Black Sabbath or Ozzy record, but rather some kind of hybrid. I didn't know it at the time, but there were a lot of reasons that justified this release, at least for Ozzy: first, Ozzy had planned to release a live record featuring Randy, but the idea was scrapped after his untimely death.

    Second, Sharon and Ozzy were trying to negotiate his release from his original record deal with Sharon's father, Don Arden, who was racking it up taking the lion's share of the revenue generated by record sales; the contract demanded a final record, and it was decided to give him one full of Sabbath material as a retaliation, knowing full well that such a record could not compete with the potential sales of a brand new studio record.

    Third, Ozzy hated the poorly mixed, rush-released "Live at Last" album, which was released in Europe and constituted the only Sabbath live document at the time; and last but not least, Ozzy and Sharon heard that Sabbath were planning to release a live album with their (then) current lineup with Ronnie James Dio, so they thought this was a perfect occasion to annoy them. Finally, after listening to some of it and having my curiosity whet, I decided to get it and therefore complete my Ozzy collection. The end result? A live album that's surprisingly good, sounding way better than "Live at Last", on a par with "Live Evil" and miles ahead of "Reunion" (I can't comment on "Past Lives" since I haven't heard it).

    That being said, and especially if you compare this album with other Ozzy live releases (especially "Tribute", which features live recordings only a year or so older), this one sounds a little too good, suspiciously good, at least as far as the vocals are concerned. I'm willing to bet that Ozzy punched-those-in in the studio. But that doesn't really take away from the album, as the rest of the performance sounds quite honest, specially `cause there are noticeable glitches here and there! Remember folks, guitarist Brad Gillis had been in the band for a short time and had to rush-learn and rehearse the material, so very often in the recording, you can hear him having to resort to extensive use of his whammy bar in order to hide mistakes and find his way back in.

    But he ultimately pulls off an great job, masterfully backed by Rudy Sarzo on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums, by far Ozzy's best rhythm section ever. The band, for the most part, sounds tight and strong, making great performances of these Sabbath tracks, which remain for the most part quite respectul to the originals. As Ozzy himself points out, some of these songs, such as "The Wizard" and/or `Symptom of the Universe" were rarities seldom included in Sabbath's set list, so this is a wonderful chance to hear those songs in a live context, "The Wizard" in particular being a highlight (at least it is for me).

    Some of the songs have minor changes in their structure, and I think I can hear at least one edit in there, but probably the thing that I was the most surprised of was to hear that Ozzy skipped singing the last part of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", though: I mean, I understood his doing that for "Reunion" since he simply could no longer reach those high notes, but in 1982, I would have expected him to go for the big ones...oh well, no matter...

    Bottom Line: this is a CD worth checking out, if nothing else for its historical value, but I truly believe that Ozzy and Sabbath fans alike can truly enjoy this. This is the greatest live album Sabbath never made. Get it before it becomes unavailable.

    4 out of 5 stars Not bad for a set list learned in a matter of *days*.......2006-11-26

    Learning of Ozzy's plans for an all Sabbath set list, his band learned the majority of these songs in a matter of days, having only played a handful of Sabbath songs during the Diary tour (Paraniod/Iron Man/Children of the Grave). The gigs (only two) were going to be recorded for a live album Ozzy was contractually bound to release. No pressure there.

    What happens next is this record, and it's phenomenal.

    When I listen to this now, I can't help thinking of the circumstances, but you wouldn't know it by listening to this band, sounding like a heavy metal jazz trio, all precision and mastery, but with enormous power. Dig the killer guitar and drums. I know I do. Oh yeah, Ozzy sounds pretty good too...

    5 out of 5 stars Some of the best guitar playing ever!.......2006-11-07

    One thing you have to give Ozzy, he has always surrounded himself with the best musical talent around. And nobody, nobody, has ever played with as many legendary guitar players. Perhaps the one that gets talked about the least is Brad Gillis and anybody that has ever heard this album would have to scream why!? Gillis absolutley shreds, playing as energetic and crisp notes as I have ever heard. I have always felt that this album had to have been double tracked in the studio, but have later found out that it was all live, Gillis is a freak! It is too bad that Gillis did not opt to stay with Ozzy, especially since he left Oz to go do that NightRanger crap. If you like Ozzy and his Sabbath hits and love incredible guitar playing, you cannot go wrong with this album.
    Speak of Da Devil
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • SiCcMaDe MuSiK
    • X- Loc is wreckin yall niggaz
    • HOT!!
    • PIck it up right now!
    • must buy
    Speak of Da Devil
    Nefarious
    Manufacturer: Black Market Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Gangsta & HardcoreGangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B00004NKFJ
    Release Date: 2000-02-29

    Tracks:

    1. Worldwide (Hanifah)
    2. The Hole
    3. Catch You
    4. Fatal Blow
    5. Never Loved
    6. Trail By Fury
    7. Only In The Studio
    8. Jealous
    9. Hellraizer
    10. The Evil That Men Do
    11. Decapitation
    12. Use Yo Nina
    13. Incarcerated
    14. Nefarious

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars SiCcMaDe MuSiK.......2005-08-13

    Man X-Raided Loc aKa NeFaRiOuS this album (speak of the devil) is da best,best,best album since the xtorist and on this cd, track 3 it's called (catch You) sicc as hell and it makes my truck bump loud I play that song everyday so to tell you da truth it's worth it. Much luv 2 X-Raided aKa NeFaRiOuS.

    5 out of 5 stars X- Loc is wreckin yall niggaz.......2004-08-07

    i listened to "HOLE" for like 3 months st8 on repeat... this cd is off the chain... buy all the x-raided cds to see his lyrical skill mature into the siccest flow in tha us... props ta BLH & SICX.... MADMAN Foe LIFE

    5 out of 5 stars HOT!!.......2003-11-13

    I'ma have to say that this album is tight as hell, Nefarious (X-Raided) never lets his fans down. My personal favorites are "Hole", "Catch You", "Fatal Blow", "Never Loved", "Trial By Fury". Get this if you like West Coast Gangsta Rap.

    5 out of 5 stars PIck it up right now!.......2000-03-18

    X-raided may be locked up, but this cd is blazin... X comes harder then ever in this soon to be sac town classic!

    5 out of 5 stars must buy.......2000-03-16

    this is an album worth buying,his flows and hooks seem uncanny.if u like bumpin beats this has it all phat lyrics and his beat appearance will take over your mind and spirits
    Speak of the Devil
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Ozzy Fights His Record Company & Black Sabbath & Gives Us A Kewel Live Album
    • 4.5 stars - excellent live album
    Speak of the Devil
    Ozzy Osbourne
    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
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    1. Tribute
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    ASIN: B00004SLR9
    Release Date: 2002-12-17

    Tracks:

    1. Symptom of the Universe
    2. Snowblind
    3. Black Sabbath
    4. Fairies Wear Boots
    5. War Pigs
    6. Wizard
    7. N.I.B.
    8. Sweet Leaf
    9. Never Say Die
    10. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
    11. Iron Man/Children of the Grave
    12. Paranoid

    Album Description

    1995 special collector's edition 22 bit-remaster, complete with all original artwork plus bonus photos. At the peak of his career Ozzy made this unforgettable show in California in 1982. With exciting performances of old Black Sabbath's hits like 'Paranoid', 'Iron Man,' and 'Children of the Grave'. Sony.

    Album Details

    The First Remastered Reissue of the Classic Ozzy Solo Album Has the Original Recordings Unexpurgated, Including the Original Bassist and Drummer Tracks. Includes Black Sabbath Classics Like "Paranoid", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "War Pigs" and Many More.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Ozzy Fights His Record Company & Black Sabbath & Gives Us A Kewel Live Album.......2006-04-06

    Not so long after the tragic death of his best friend and inspiration Randy Rhoads, Ozzy owed the then CBS shootoff Jet Records a live album. With Randy barely in his grave, Ozzy refused to put a live album with Rhoads playing on it because he didn't want to capitalize on his death. He thought that would be blasphemy. Ozzy was probably right, even though the fans wanted nothing but that particular album. Well...fans and record label be damned, Ozzy wasn't about to turn Randy's legacy into a meal-ticket and since he had been feuding with his old bandmates in Black Sabbath, the answer became a reasonable one. Since Sabbath had the balls to put out their first official live album (there were many a bootleg or unofficial live album of Sabbath -Live At Last being the best of the lot) with Ronnie James Dio at the helm, including Dio renditions of Ozzy's Sabbath material, what better way to get back at The Sabs than record a live album of his own with nothing but Sabbath material on it. That's just what Ozzy did. With newly acquired (and mostly detested) Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis, bassist Rudy Sarzo & drummer Tommy Aldridge, Ozzy hit The Ritz in New York City on September 26 & 27, 1982 to record and take the best from those two shows. No Black Sabbath hit was left untouched (although many of my favorites were absent). The is like the live version of We Sold Our Souls For Rock'N'Roll. Though Brad Gillis could never even dream of reaching Randy Rhoads' perfection, he played a mean Toni Iommi for those two nights. The band was tight and the music flowed and Ozzy managed to honor his fallen friend by taking a stab at his former bandmates. Speak Of The Devil is a straight-forward Sab-Fest, nothing more. If you want the better of the two live Sabbath albums at the time, between SOTD and Live Evil, I'd have to pick Speak, for production values most of all (Live Evil was horribly produced and butchered by then-waring bandmates Dio & Iommi), and then for the trueness to the tunes. I love Ronnie James Dio, but Ozzy was meant to sing these tunes.

    Dig it!

    4 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars - excellent live album.......2004-04-26

    After leaving Quiet Riot to join Ozzy's band, it seemed guitarist Randy Rhoads had a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, the guitar genius became overwhelmed with the sensation of invulnerability that many celebrities obtain, and this ultimately lead to his death in a bizzare plane accident on March 19, 1982. The brilliant guitarist died in his twenties.

    Not long after Randy's death, the record company asked Ozzy to record a live album to rival his old band's new live release, Live Evil. Ozzy was forced to do so due to contractual obligation, but he said the album would have nothing to do with Randy. For this album, Ozzy recruited future Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis. So, how is this album Ozzy was reluctant to create? Read on and find out.

    PROS:
    -If you loved Ozzy-era Black Sabbath, you'll love this, since it's an album of nothing but Black Sabbath tracks.
    -Many of these tracks outshine the original Sabbath versions!
    -This is THE ONLY Ozzy release to feature Brad Gillis.
    -Unlike earlier CD issues of the album, this 1995 remastered version IS NOT MISSING ANY TRACKS.

    CONS:
    -It's nothing but Sabbath stuff! This means die-hard fans of Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman may be left out in the cold.
    -Though many songs are better than the original Sabbath versions, many are weaker than the originals because they don't work well with an eighties metal sound.
    -Ozzy himself stupidly doesn't like this album, so it's not going to get rereleased! This means it's the hardest Ozzy album to find.

    OVERALL:
    This album isn't perfect, but it's still excellent, and it's definitely Ozzy's most underappreciated piece of work as a solo artist. If you happen to come across this rare gem in a store, by all means pick it up, because you may never get the chance again (this album is HARD to find - I can't stress that enough!)
    Speak of the Devil
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Speak of the Devil
      John Abercrombie , Dan Wall , and Adam Nussbaum
      Manufacturer: Ecm Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B0000031Y2
      Release Date: 1994-06-14

      Tracks:

      1. Angel Food
      2. Now And Again
      3. Mahat
      4. Chorale
      5. Farewell
      6. BT-U
      7. Early To Bed
      8. Dreamland
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      Speak of the Devil
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Speak of the Devil
        Ozzy Osbourne
        Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Japan
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B000PWQOAS
        Release Date: 2007-06-30

        Tracks:

        1. Symptom Of The Universe
        2. Snowblind
        3. Black Sabbath
        4. Fairies Wear Boots
        5. War Pigs
        6. Wizard
        7. N.I.B.
        8. Sweet Leaf
        9. Never Say Die
        10. Sabbath,Bloody Sabbath
        11. Iron Man/Children Of The Grave
        12. Paranoid

        Album Description

        Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.

        Album Details

        Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.
        Heart Shaped World
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Heart Shaped World

          Manufacturer: Reprise Records
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B000FTMY3M

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