THIS IS A USED ITEM!
MEDIA CONDITION IS MINT!
PACKAGING IS MINT!
THIS IS A COMPACT DISC!
Prince of Darkness is one of the most substantial Ozzy Osbourne collections ever assembled. Released in 2005, this massive four-CD box set doesn’t simply run through the obvious hits. Instead, it digs into Ozzy’s solo career with album classics, live recordings, demos and rarities before dedicating an entire disc to collaborations and another to newly recorded covers.
The first two discs trace Ozzy’s solo career from the Randy Rhoads years through Down to Earth. Naturally, the essentials are here, including “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Diary of a Madman,” “No More Tears” and “Dreamer,” but they’re surrounded by live recordings and demos that make the collection far more interesting for established fans.
The Randy Rhoads material remains extraordinary. “I Don’t Know,” “Crazy Train,” “Over the Mountain” and “Diary of a Madman” capture the partnership that created some of the most influential heavy metal of the early 1980s. The collection then moves through the Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde eras, documenting how Ozzy continued to reinvent his band without losing his unmistakable identity.
Things become considerably stranger on Disc Three. Dedicated to collaborations and guest appearances, it brings together Ozzy with artists including Motörhead, Primus, Therapy?, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Sabbath and others. There’s even his version of “Stayin’ Alive” with Dweezil Zappa. It’s an eclectic collection, but that’s exactly what makes this disc such fun.
Disc Four takes another turn entirely. Ozzy tackles songs that influenced him, recording his own versions of material associated with The Beatles, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, King Crimson, Mountain, Buffalo Springfield and others. This material would later form the basis of his Under Cover album.
Presented as a substantial 4CD box set, Prince of Darkness is much more than another Ozzy greatest-hits package. It provides an entertaining journey through his solo career while collecting enough demos, live material, collaborations and curiosities to make it worthwhile even for collectors who already own the studio albums.
