Ozzy Ozbourne - Speak of the Devil

Easily the best live DVD of the great and powerful Oz this guy's seen in a long time. 'Nuff said!The original Speak of the Devil was released as a live recording from the Ozzy Ozbourne band back in the early 80s, with a show that was also filmed for MTV back in the day.  The live recording was released as a double LP that included Oz doing a full set of Black Sabbath hits - it's even been documented that original guitarist Randy Rhoads (RIP) had opposed the idea and unfortunately didn't live to see the day of the performance.  Fast forward 30 years for the release of Speak of the Devil on DVD this time showcasing the band's regular live set, including tracks from both of Ozzy's albums at the time (Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman), as well as a few Sabbath tunes.

Speak of the Devil (2012) is truly a gem. Where else can you see Ozzy in his prime, sounding this amazing?  Truly a magic moment caught on film - it's just a shame that Rhoads wasn't alive to see [and, more importantly, play] it. Filmed shortly after Randy's untimely death, it's just awesome to see and hear how well they sounded that night.  Stepping in was young axe slinger Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) to assume the role that no one could. And while Gillis may be no Rhoads, he does an amazing job on this DVD. 

The show itself also just looks great. And it's been remastered so well I had to stop and focus on the screen at times to convince myself there were no overdubs. These classic shows are where it's at for me, giving a good sense of the grand production values of a tour that I wasn't able to see back in the day - I think I was studying for a trig test (Doh!).  But now this DVD gives me a chance to jump back to the past with what has to be one of the best live Ozzy DVD's out there today.   A must for any metal fan, this DVD will get frequent viewings at La Casa de Ragman (fancy, huh?).

Bottom Line: The self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness in his prime.  To all of you that wonder why Ozzy is such a metal icon, watch this and you will understand.

- Ragman is wondering if Little John is related to you know who...