Ozzy Osbourne

No More Tears

"Can You Say Mr. Tinkertrain?" Yes, Actually....

Review Score:

(10/10)
No More Tears(1991). Ozzy Osbourne's Ninth Album.

Around the time Grunge was ruling the charts with Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten, seemingly Washed-up Metal God Ozzy Osbourne broke on to the scene, releasing No More Tears, often regarded as one of his best albums, commercially and critically. After the single "Mama I'm Coming Home" claimed the #21 spot on the Billboard Top 40(Ozzy's only Top 40 hit!), No More Tears soon after rode up the charts, claiming a Top 10 spot, reaching #7, and soon after No More Tears was certified Platinum. Ozzy even earned a Grammy for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "I Don't Want To Change The World", and it is the only Grammy he ever received!To this day, the songs "No More Tears", "Mama I'm Coming Home", and "I Don't Want To Change The World" receive radio airplay quite often! Teaming up with Lemmy Kilstener of Motorhead, who wrote 4 of No More Tears tracks, future Alice In Chains Bassist Mike Inez, and the Rightful Heir To Randy Rhoads Throne, Zakk Wylde, No More Tears stands as one of Ozzy's strongest albums, and you can read on to find out why!

Track Reviews-

Mr. Tinkertrain- A song about child abuse, this stands as one of Ozzy's darkest! This songs starts off eerily, with a Music Box playing behind kid's shouts, but soon after Wylde's guitar sweeps in, and Ozzy's sarcastic vocals take center-stage. Wylde and Ozzy are in top-form here, and this is one of No More Tears best songs. The intermission is to die for here!

I Don't Want To Change The World- Wylde's sludgy riff defines the song, with Ozzy's searing vocals behind it making a perfect relationship. Wylde's bluesy solo is one of his best here! Straight-Up Metal Rocker!

Mama I'm Coming Home- Ozzy's best ballad! The soulful Acoustic Guitar behind Ozzy's soulsearching vocals work really well, and you feel compelled to pull out your lighter for this one. The chorus, although a little gospel-y, is one of Ozzy's most memorable!

Desire- Desire is a Heavy Metal rocker in the vein of Alice in Chains, with Wylde's riff slowly building up to Ozzy's vocals, which truly shine in the chorus, where he mixes his voice with Wylde's guitar perfectly. The Alarm Siren and the Demonic Laugh really add to this song, and build up to the wicked solo!

No More Tears- One of my favorite songs, clocking in at over 7 minutes this is truly the album's highlight. Inez's Bass Line and a slow Synth Line start us off, but soon after Ozzy's sarcastic vocals tell the story of Serial Murder like only he can. Wylde is in top-form here, and some of his best work is on this song. GREAT INTERMISSION!

Sin- Don't be fooled by the bluesy solo at the beginning, this is one of No More Tears hardest! A Lightning fast riff from Wylde and equally fast vocals from Ozzy only simmer down in the chorus, a melodic interlude to very Hard Rock!

Hellraiser- Hard Rock at it's finest, Hellraiser is surprisingly slow(As the title might not have suggested), mainly focusing on the chorus, which is sung very soulfully from Ozzy! Wylde is still in top-form here though!

Time After Time- Another slow song, Time After Time reminds us all of Sweet Memories from Long Ago.. Ozzy's vocals are top-notch here, and he sings with an unmistakable flair only he can have. Wylde's heart-piercing guitar riff only adds to Time After Time's depth.

Zombie Stomp- Builds up slowly, with a slow bass line from Inez eventually giving way to Ozzy's vocals, which steal the show, but nonetheless Wylde is in top-form. Ironically this sounds a little like White Zombie, and that's a good thing!

A.V.H.- Starts off with an Off-Tune guitar, but Wylde's guitar swoops in, giving way to Ozzy's vocals, that are at times dark and light! Heavy Metal at it's best, AVH is a Hard Rocker mixed with a Ballad!

Road To Nowhere- Wylde's heart-wringing riff and Ozzy's beautiful vocals make this one of the strongest tracks, and a close second to "Mama I'm Coming Home" for the best ballad! Great!

Extra Tracks-

Don't Blame Me(B-Side to the "Mama I'm Coming Home" single)- Don't Skip this track! One of the catchiest songs, you might find yourself humming right along with Ozzy to the chorus! Almost sounds like "I Don't Know", and that's a good thing!

Party With The Animals(Featured on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Soundtrack)- Once again, don't skip this song! One of my personal favorites, Wylde's riff and Ozzy's vocals will have you banging your head away! Metal at it's best, Party With The Animals ends No More Tears the perfect way! The chorus is great!

Overall, No More Tears deserves 5 Stars all the ways, and I found NOT ONE WEAK Track! The Bonus Tracks only add to this little gem, and along with Diary and Blizzard, this is one of Ozzy's best! NOT TO BE MISSED!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! FANS OF ROCK, METAL, GRUNGE, AND PEOPLE GETTING INTO OZZY SHOULD DEFINITELY PICK UP NO MORE TEARS, AND I HIGHLY DOUBT YOU'LL BE DISAPPOINTED! OZZY'S LAST GREAT EFFORT!

Also Recommended-

Dirt- Alice In Chains
Blizzard of Ozz- Ozzy Osbourne
Holy Diver- Dio

Thanks For Reading!

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