This 1981 classic is the last to feature Randy Rhodes. It feels that his playing matured when compared to "Blizzard of Ozz". The overall vibe of the album lends itself for Rhodes to begin expanding the neo-classical nature of his playing. It might also be the strongest vocal performances of Ozzy's solo career. "Over the Mountain " finds his voice soaring over the riffs, and even on a more rock n roll song like "Flying High Again," his voice falls perfectly over the hooky riffs. This is also the last Ozzy album on which Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake plays, and the lineup shifts that resulted in Bob Daisley being given his walking papers are credited to Sharon's controlling nature.
"You Can't Kill Rock N Roll" is one of the strongest Ozzy power ballads, but not the strongest on this album, as that award goes to the darker title track. These songs were also given more room to sprawl out, as most songs run about six minutes. The darker "Believer" benefits from a great bass line. Ozzy's voice is way up front in the mix, taking some of the bite from the guitar, but it still stands the test of time. "Little Dolls" has creepy lyrics, but is one of the more straightforward songs on this album. "Tonight" is another ballad, this time with a piano as the centerpiece. Ozzy sounds great on it, and in many ways, it is the blueprint for the ballads that came later.
"S.A.T.O" is the second best song and the hardest rocking song. I think this is one of Ozzy's best vocal melodies. The title track is Ozzy's most epic solo song, and stands toe to toe with any song from 'Sabotage" in terms of how dark and powerful the dynamics. The lyrics were written during his obsession with the movie "The Exorcist" which is my favorite movie as well. I will round this one up to an 11, as it's that tier of an album.
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