Description
Ozzy Osbourne unveiled the artwork and some details for his upcoming LP, Ordinary Man. The Feb. 21 release, which is available for pre-order now, will be Osbourne’s first solo album in almost a decade.
The news came after the launch of the title track – a duet with Elton John – and the singles “Straight to Hell” and “Under the Graveyard.”
“There’s a line in ‘Ordinary Man’ where I sing, ‘I don’t want to die an ordinary man,’ which I don’t think I will,” Osbourne said in a statement. “It was a lot of fun to do, though. It’s a lot different from my other albums. We recorded it quickly, which I haven’t done since the first Black Sabbath album. This made it a different process, which I actually enjoyed.”
He added that securing guests John and Slash “just came together. … When I was writing ‘Ordinary Man,’ it reminded me of an old Elton song, and I said to Sharon, ‘I wonder if he would sing on it?’ We asked and, lo and behold, he agreed, and sings and play piano on the song.”
Ordinary Man will be available as a standard CD, deluxe CD, black vinyl, deluxe gatefold swirl-color vinyl, picture disc and digital album. All physical copies will include a code that can be entered into a contest for a chance to win prizes, including a laminate that will get the winner into any Osbourne show in 2020.
The road to Ordinary Man was anything but ordinary. Osbourne started working on the LP after a serious fall forced him to postpone touring plans. During the tedious process of recovery, the Prince of Darkness found comfort by working on new material.
“If it wasn’t for making this record, I would still be on traction, thinking, ‘I’m going to be lying here forever,'” the 71-year-old rocker previously confessed. “I’ve missed music so badly. My fans are so loyal and so good. Up until making the album, I thought I was dying. But that got me off my arse. … It’s the greatest album I’ve done.”
Ordinary Man notably includes some high-profile collaborations, including Elton John, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
As excitement builds for Osbourne’s new LP, the former Black Sabbath frontman is preparing to return to the road. The rocker’s No More Tours 2 will resume on May 27, with Marilyn Manson slated as opening act.