10 Most Underrated Ozzy Osbourne Songs
2. Crucify The Dead - Slash
Throughout his career, Ozzy has remained a fairly insular act. Aside from the occasional duets present on some of his own tunes, you don't see him straying too far outside of his comfort zone unless it's for a good reason. Then again, if Ozzy was looking for some fresh blood from a guitar player, he really hit the jackpot by hopping on a Slash track.
When the former Guns N Roses star was making his first ever solo album, Ozzy was one of the first names on the list to contribute. Even though this kind of thing had the potential to be a sleaze version of Ozzy, he actually comes through with a fairly compelling performance in his normal register. It also doesn't hurt that the backing track seems tailor-made for Ozzy, with a foreboding atmosphere that makes you question as to whether Slash had a ghostwriting credit on some of Ozzy's greatest tunes.
Though this is a showcase for Ozzy's vocals, it's really hard to ignore the pure magic that Slash has during the solo break, as he matches Ozzy's intensity note for note, almost getting subtle hints of Tony Iommi with every chord strike. For as much as Ozzy might want to depart from his previous band, this song reads like it was written by a guy who has studied the gospel of Black Sabbath and recontextualized in for a new generation.