Speak of the Devil (Ozzy Osbourne album)

Speak of the Devil
Live album by Ozzy Osbourne
Released 27 November 1982
Recorded 26–27 September 1982 at The Ritz in New York
Genre Heavy metal
Length 70:16
Label Jet/Epic
Producer Max Norman
Ozzy Osbourne chronology
Diary of a Madman
(1981)		 Speak of the Devil
(1982)		 Bark at the Moon
(1983)
Alternative cover
United Kingdom Talk of the Devil cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Speak of the Devil is an album by Ozzy Osbourne featuring only performances of his Black Sabbath songs. It was released on 27 November 1982. This release was named Talk of the Devil in the UK, that being the more commonly expressed idiom there.

In the UK, it was the second of four Osbourne albums to attain Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in January 1983.

The album sleeve states that it was recorded at The Ritz in New York on the 26th and 27 September 1982. In a June 2007 interview with producer/engineer Max Norman posted at KNAC.COM, he states that the album features 3 songs that were recorded during the rehearsal for the show rather than the show itself. The songs were then completed with additional tracks of crowd noise. Norman did not identify specifically the songs.[2]

This is the only official Osbourne recording to feature Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis, who had stepped in for the recently deceased Randy Rhoads, following Bernie Torme's brief stint. However, Gillis did tour with Osbourne during this time period, and did play solo material from the first two solo albums on the tour. These recordings can be heard/seen on the Speak of the Devil VHS/Laserdisc and more recently the Japan only DVD release.

Osbourne has publicly disowned and slated the album, saying it was only recorded due to pressures from the record label. In April 2002, this album was deleted from Osbourne's US/North American catalogue and is no longer being made. However, the album is still being made in Japan and in other markets.

The song "Sweet Leaf" was omitted on the initial pressing Compact Disc releases of the album, due to 'timing restrictions'. It was restored, however, when the album was remastered in 1995.

This is the first album to feature Rudy Sarzo, who left to rejoin Quiet Riot less than a month later, the other album being Tribute. Brad Gillis also left to join Night Ranger. Bob Daisley, who had been the bassist for both of the previous studio albums, would continue in that role, while Jake E. Lee would replace Gillis for the next album, Bark at the Moon.

Speak of the Devil was released one month before Osbourne's old band Black Sabbath released Live Evil. In the US, sales of Speak of the Devil were much better than those of Live Evil. In the UK it was Live Evil which attained the higher chart-placing: figures on ultimate sales are not widely available. Both albums are a result of the unofficial Live at Last album released in 1980, a year after Osbourne left Black Sabbath.

There was an official video/laserdisc and now Japan only official release DVD also titled Speak of the Devil, but it has different content, Osbourne performing his own songs plus some Black Sabbath covers. The band line-up are the same of Osbourne, Gillis, Sarzo, Aldridge and Airey.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.

Side one

No. Title Original Album Length
1. "Symptom of the Universe"   Sabotage (1975) 5:41
2. "Snowblind"   Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (1972) 4:56
3. "Black Sabbath"   Black Sabbath (1970) 6:04

Side two

No. Title Original Album Length
4. "Fairies Wear Boots"   Paranoid (1970) 6:33
5. "War Pigs"   Paranoid (1970) 8:35
6. "The Wizard"   Black Sabbath (1970) 4:43

Side three

No. Title Original Album Length
7. "N.I.B."   Black Sabbath (1970) 5:35
8. "Sweet Leaf"   Master of Reality (1971) 5:55
9. "Never Say Die"   Never Say Die! (1978) 4:18

Side four

No. Title Original Album Length
10. "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"   Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) 5:34
11. "Iron Man"/"Children of the Grave"   Paranoid (1970) / Master of Reality (1971) 9:12
12. "Paranoid"   Paranoid (1970) 3:10

Personnel

Sales accomplishments

RIAA certification[3] (United States)

Date Designation Total sales
24 January
1983		 Gold 500,000
11 August
1992		 Platinum 1,000,000

BPI certification[4] (United Kingdom)
as Talk of the Devil

Date Designation Total sales
1 January
1983		 Silver 60,000

CRIA certification[5] (Canada)

Date Designation Total sales
1 May
1983		 Gold 50,000
1 October
1981 not correct		 Platinum 100,000

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ KNAC.COM - Features - Max Norman Feature
  3. ^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum database". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=speak%20of%20the%20devil&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 15 February 2009. 
  4. ^ "BPI certified awards". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=24254. Retrieved 15 February 2009. 
  5. ^ "CRIA certified awards". http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=1&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25ozzy+osbourne%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=22&csearch=20&nextprev=1. Retrieved 15 February 2009.