Ordinary Man

Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man
Critic Score
Based on 21 reviews
2020 Ratings: #452 / 871
User Score
Based on 367 ratings
2020 Rank: #852
Liked by 14 people
February 21, 2020 / Release Date
LP / Format
Epic / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
NME

Ozzy Osbourne is having an absolute ball on ‘Ordinary Man’, and he’s not afraid to explore corners of the graveyard he’s hitherto untouched.

90
The Young Folks

This album is Ozzy Osbourne hosting us to his finest entertainment and at the end of the day, it’s a hell of a good listen too.

90
Spill Magazine

Ultimately, Ordinary Man sets the bar for hard rock records for the next decade and not only lives up to, but exceeds, Osbourne’s legendary status, 50 years later.

80
Evening Standard
Prince of Darkness still knows how to bring the noise.
80
AllMusic

How he's making music this strong after riding the crazy train for more than half-a-century is anyone's guess, but the better songs here rank among his best.

80
Classic Rock

If this is Ozzy’s swansong – and his lyric sheet, advancing age and postmillennial work rate suggest that’s not inconceivable – then, like Sabbath’s 13, it’s a credible end to an extraordinary career.

80
The Arts Desk

Ordinary Man is the most poignant, deranged and high-volume album about growing old you're likely to hear.

80
Kerrang!

This is an album to celebrate. There’s life in the old dog yet, and what’s more he’s learned some new tricks, which can only be applauded at this point.

80
Uncut
Blistering opener "Straight To Hell" sets the carpe diem tone.
75
Consequence of Sound

There’s strong songwriting, both musically and lyrically, with a handful of infectious choruses throughout the album. If anything, Ordinary Man suffers from being too crisp and too polished.

70
musicOMH

It succeeds in its rawness, its slapdash cobbling together of predictable riffs and lunatic poetry. It falls down on its inability to break free from the template Ozzy laid down with Randy Rhoads a lifetime ago

70
MetalSucks

It’s nice to hear Osbourne feeling engaged and energized again — something lacking on his last few releases. If it is, indeed, his final testament, it’s not a bad note to go out on.

70
Metal Injection

While the album may be entitled Ordinary Man, Osbourne has come through with a record that proves that even in his old age, the Prince of Darkness can still be unpredictable.

70
Clash

It's silly, it's sad, it's an eternally clumsy man bowing out with as much grace as he could ever muster.

70
Rolling Stone

Some of the songs are elegiac, some are packed with comic-book laughs, but throughout the album he sings with a youthful vivacity that seems at odds with his seventy-something years.

70
Exclaim!

The record is easily the most captivating music he's made on a solo record since the early '90s, and despite small flaws with select songs, he's created another record worthy of people's attention.

66
Sputnikmusic

The end result is an engrossing number of tales written and smothered by slapdash and generic songwriting, which is a damn shame when you look at the bigger picture.

65
Pitchfork

On his best album in decades, the most famous man reaches again for big hooks and big statements, with help from new friends like Post Malone.

60
The Guardian

Ordinary Man may have its lachrymose moments lyrically ... but that’s not true of the music.

60
The Irish Times
A star-studded and emotionally charged rock extravaganza.
60
XS Noize

There’s a lot to like on Ordinary Man. For fans of Ozzy Osbourne, from his Black Sabbath days through his solo career, much of the album will be familiar territory and new material from the Prince of Darkness will always be welcomed.

Doofy
22

First there was Ozzmosis, now get ready for Ozzteoporosis

Doublez
65

What to expect from an Ozzy Osbourne album in 2020? I see nothing but pleasure

Ozzy is a legend that we owe a lot to and we'll never be able to thank him enough. First of all, we owe him mainly Heavy Metal, with his band Black Sabbath, notably with 2 innovative albums released 50 years ago just this year (offbeat of course) to name but a few, then of course his solo career where he offered us so many wonderful things in the 80s. So when I heard that he had cancelled his tour, that he was ... read more

JustSomeGuy
70

Ozzy's new and final release is pretty much what you would expect from him at this late stage in his career, but that doesn't make it any less of a joy to listen to.

Ordinary Man is a very enjoyable and highly emotional album. Seeing as this may be his last ever studio effort, you can really tell that he wanted to make something special here. Realistically, he could have ended his studio output off with Scream and no one would mind, but he went the extra mile and made an album he could be ... read more

Suggley
65

i'll make you scream i'll make you defecate

Artemiy_Kopych
45

Oh my fucking God. I honestly forgot how AWFUL this album sounds. If you thought that it wouldn't go worse for ozzy's album mixing, then you probably never heard of this record.

This shit is SO overcompressed to the point that it actually ruins some songs that could have been good. But instead just turns into a noise because of the mixing.

About the songs, there are some really great stuff, like the title track (featuring Elton John), Scary Little Green Men and All My Life. And even the song ... read more

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Added on: November 8, 2019