Ozzy Osbourne's new album Patient Number 9 is due September 9th and available for pre-order in a variety of formats from the Revolver shop.
Ozzy Osbourne's new solo album, Patient Number 9, features an all-star cast of guest contributors including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Duff McKagan, Robert Trujillo, Josh Homme, Chad Smith and the late Taylor Hawkins. But for many die-hard fans of the singer, the biggest names are two long-time Ozzy collaborators making their long-awaited return to the Prince of Darkness' side: Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde.
We talked to Wylde about his three-decade-plus relationship with Ozzy and what it was like joining some of his guitar heroes on Patient Number 9.
TELL US THE STORY ABOUT HOW YOU FIRST DISCOVERED OZZY OSBOURNE.
ZAKK WYLDE I remember being in art class. My one buddy Tommy — he must have been like 11 years old — he had a sculpture of a jawless skull, which is basically the Black Label skull now: Skully. It was a jawless skull with a lightning bolt going through it that said, "Black Sabbath 666."
I was like, "Wow, what is that?" And he goes, "Oh, it's just a rock band my older brother listens to." And I thought it looked so cool. I just wanted to figure out what it was. So, I was at the mall with my mother and my mom was like, "You can get a record." OK, so obviously, I ended up buying We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll — but we know it's a double album.
I had never heard a Sabbath song before in my life. So, I put the record on and I was beyond terrified the whole time I listened to the album. I was Catholic when I first put the needle down on it, and halfway through the second LP, I was a full-blown Satanist. And by the end of the album, I converted back to Catholicism just so I could thank God for creating Black Sabbath.
WHAT IT WAS LIKE CONTRIBUTING TO PATIENT NUMBER 9.
If you would've told me when I was 15 years old to imagine someday I actually was on a record with Ozzy, Lord Iommi, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, forget about it. It's definitely beyond an honor to be on the record with all of them and then playing guitar behind him, without a doubt, man.
YOU'VE WORKED WITH OZZY A LOT OVER THE YEARS. CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW THAT EXPERIENCE HAS INFLUENCED YOUR OWN CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT?
I view it as a fraternity and a brotherhood. That's the college that we went to, you know what I mean? It's our alma mater and we all go back and celebrate. I always view it as like the New York Yankees. Once you put that uniform on, it doesn't matter what other team you've ever played on. When you become a New York Yankee, what's expected out of you is championships every year. There is no losing season. You're expected to win every time. Once you put that uniform on, you're not on a normal team. That's the way I've always viewed and it's an honor.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR STANDOUT STORY OR MEMORY FROM RECORDING WITH OZZY?
We were up in Bearsville, New York, at Bearsville studios [in the Nineties]. And the console that was in there was used for the Who's Tommy. So the guy's explaining to Oz about what this console is. Me and you would be like, "Wow, this is pretty cool," because it's a piece of history, you know? Like, the Who's Tommy was recorded on this console.
[The engineer is] going, "Oz, you know what was recorded on this? Tommy." Oz goes, "Huh? Who's Tommy?" And he is like, "Come on, Oz. You know, Tommy was recorded on this." Oz goes, "Who the fuck is Tommy?" He says 'The Who! Tommy the opera!'
Oz goes, "Ohh," and then Oz leans over to me and goes, "They're going to have to use coal to fire this thing up!" The guy was sitting there trying to impress Ozzy with these historical facts and Ozzy's just oblivious. He's not a gearhead. He's like, "Just gimme the mic and let me sing."
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE OZZY'S EVER GIVEN YOU?
Him and my father, they would tell me, "Work hard and don't be a douche," and that's pretty much it. Then they just left. I said, "Is there anything else?" They go, "That's pretty much it. We gotta go now." [Laughs] That's the secret to life."
Pick up Patient Number 9 in various formats, including limited-edition colored vinyl, at the Revolver shop.
