Entertainment For Lively Minds
Lemmy v Ozzy
Well you know the drill.
Two fine chaps from these shores who conquered the world with their particular brands of heavy metal and who between them sum up everything that's good, wholesome and life enhancing in that particular genre.
One pioneered the industrial doom metal sound with a seminal 70s band, establishing the template for haunting apocalyptic vocals that's been imitated by legions ever since though rarely matched. The other launched his own brand of blues on speed turned up to eleven. One rewrote the textbook on how to deliver a full tilt metal arena show, biting bats, hanging dwarves and general OTT cocaine fuelled mayhem. The other played it loud and fast with head thrown back, standing astride his Rickenbacker and growling rusty nails down the mike at 130 plus decibels.
Both have made some classic heavy metal records and played with great guitar heroes and drummers. Both give excellent interviews to the press, devoid of any introspective self serving bullshit, instead packed full of dry working class wit and astute observations about music and life. Both have consumed more drugs than St Thomas hospital and drank more alcohol than George Best and Ollie Reed combined.
Which one do you prefer? I'm torn. Its a dilemma. But lets see. I'll go for Lemmy. He just has the edge over Ozzy, though only cos I've seen him live more times.
The floor is open.
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Lem
was in Hawkwind - that's enough
Lemmy
wants to be out there on the road rockin' n rollin'. Walks it like he talks it
Ozzy is being dragged around by his hardfaced cow of a wife, a pathetically incapable figure.
Lemmy
has aged well whereas Ozzy......well..
Mister Osbourne was once in a groundbreaking band,
who did several rather splendid long players and had one huge hit single, and then he spent 30 odd years rehashing this formula.
Mister Kilmister was once in a dodgy hippy band long enough to have one hit single, and then in a dodgy greaser band who had one hit single, and then he spent 30 odd years rehashing this formula.
I'd have to give it to Oz, for the first track on the first Black Sabbath album, and the better songs on the next few albums.
Lemmy
I think your excellent summary of their relative talents and achievements almost says it all.
Saw both many times as a youngster. When you're 16, Ozzy's arena-filling special effects, back and forth crab-walk and constant appeals to 'Make some noise!' would have put him in pole position, but his tendency to become a parody of himself and a penchant for the dollar paid by reality TV slightly dulls his edge.
Lemmy, on the other hand, has remained resolute in the face of time. He likes what he likes, is erudite, knowledgeable and one mean mother of a pension-age rocker. Even the recent beer ad where Ace of Spades is played as a meandering blues number is a classic interpretation of his contribution to music whilst doubling as a playful dig at the perception he's been around since the Devil stood at the crossroads. All that, Hawkwind and No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith, which I played to death and taught my mother the words to We Are the Road Crew from. What's not to like?
Lemmy for me.