No More Tears [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] (CD - 1991)

Engineers: Duane Baron, John Purdell, Michael Bosley.

Includes liner notes by Phil Alexander.

Digitally remastered by Stephen Marcussen (Marcussen Mastering).

Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Zakk Wylde (guitar); John Sinclair (keyboards); Randy Castillo (drums).

Audio Mixer: Michael Wagener.

Liner Note Author: Phil Alexander.

Recording information: A & M Studios; Devonshire Studios.

Photographers: Matt Mahurin; Gene Kirkland; Neil Zlozower.

After an extended bout with alcoholism and drug addiction, Ozzy Osbourne emerged clean and sober for the recording of 1991's NO MORE TEARS, one of his most successful solo albums ever. Soon after the album's release, Ozzy stated publicly that the album's supporting tour would be his last, and dubbed the outing "No More Tours." As it turned out, the tour was far from Ozzy's last. Ozzy is joined by guitarist Zakk Wylde, drummer Randy Castillo, while original Ozzy solo member Bob Daisley and newcomer Mike Inez (who eventually became a member of Alice in Chains) switch off on bass.

Renowned metal producer Duane Baron helped Ozzy achieve a rocking and heavy sound throughout, as Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmeister contributed to the writing of several songs. Several videos for songs received extensive airplay on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, including the epic (and slightly Beatles-esque) title track, the fierce rocker "Mr. Tinkertrain," plus three melodic and more sedate compositions ("Mama, I'm Coming Home," "Time After Time," and "Road to Nowhere"). NO MORE TEARS was one the '90's most popular and enduring heavy metal releases, and one of Ozzy Osbourne's finest efforts.

Having been cleared earlier in the year in another lawsuit concerning the supposedly suicide-inducing subject matter of his music, Ozzy Osbourne reinvigorated his sound and expanded his following with his sixth studio album, No More Tears, in the fall of 1991. Finding more sympathetic producers in Duane Baron and John Purdell to replace Roy Thomas Baker (who had helmed his last effort, 1988's No Rest for the Wicked), collaborating with Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead on four songs, and retaining the services of guitarist Zakk Wylde, Osbourne brought his music into the 1990s. Songs like "Desire" and "S.I.N." had an energetic, contemporary metal sound, and Osbourne effectively changed gears to turn out gentle ballads like "Mama, I'm Coming Home," which gave him his first U.S. Top 40 hit on his own. Not cowed by his court cases, he wrote songs about child abuse ("Mr. Tinkertrain") and serial murder ("No More Tears") from the point of view of the criminals. But he also considered his own place in the general scheme of things in the tribute to the rock & roll lifestyle "Hellraiser" and the reflective "Road to Nowhere." It all made for an unusually broad range of material, and the album returned him to the Top Ten and multi-platinum status. The 2002 reissue adds two appropriate bonus tracks, "Don't Blame Me," which was the non-LP B-side to "Mama, I'm Coming Home," and "Party With the Animals," which appeared on the 1992 soundtrack to the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both are powerful rockers, and they make the album an even stronger collection. ~ William Ruhlmann minimize