Ozzy's first farewell

No More Tears was Ozzy Osbourne's sixth solo album and also the most successful of his career, alongside Blizzard Of Ozz. The sales were justified as No More Tears is arguably Ozzy's third best album after the first two, alongside Randy Rhoads, and is the best of his collaborations with another of the great lead guitarists of his career, Zakk Wylde.  

   

The title track is a perfect example of why Ozzy is a spectacular vocalist, despite having a rather limited voice. What the singer does here is turn the lyrics into something really threatening because of the way they are sung, and Ozzy has an exceptional ear for melody and for dramatising lyrics. Musically, the most curious thing about the song is that psychedelic bridge in which the song is recited and not sung, and which gives way to Wylde's explosive solo, possibly with one of his Les Pauls; something that makes it clear that Ozzy knows how to choose his guitarists.  

The most outrageous guy in rock history - who escaped accusations and legal complications about his music being suicide-inducing - doubled down and started the album with a song, Mr. Tinkertrain, in which he played a paedophile, and later, in the title track, a serial killer. They don't call you the Prince of Darkness just for ripping the heads off bats... Later, on Hellraiser, he includes a lyric that fits him like a glove, courtesy of his friend Lemmy Kilmister, "Out of control, I play the ultimate role, But that's what lights my fire".  

  

The Motörhead frontman was also behind the lyrics of two of the other album's highlights, the powerful I Don't Want To Change The World and the delicate Mama, I'm Coming Home, which became the most successful single of the Black Sabbath singer's solo career. The album closed with the explosive Road To Nowhere, a mid-tempo track in which the influence of the dominant Hard Rock band of the moment, Guns N' Roses, could be felt.  

It was a great closing for a very special album in his career, as No More Tears was the first album he made after going on the wagon, but it was also the album with which he planned to retire from the stage, for the first time, and say goodbye to all his fans with a tour called No More Tours. Of course, Ozzy went back on his word, but you can tell that the legendary singer thought this was an album worthy of such a farewell.