Rammstein from Worst to First

Rammstein is comprised of six members: Till Lindemann, Flake Lorenz, Richard Kruspe, Paul Landers, Oliver Riedel, and Christoph "Doom" Schneider. To date they have released six studio albums, two live albums, and three DVD's. They will soon be releasing a greatest hits compilation entitled Made in Germany 1995-2011 and I wanted to celebrate by making a Rammstein list. The new compilation features a new song called Mein Land. 

Rammstein is one of those bands that I know what I can expect from them with each album. Eleven songs, lyrics with double meanings (all of them in German), crazy music videos, and so on. One thing I always hear about Rammstein is that their albums sound the same, but I disagree with that. Just like I believe that no AC/DC album sounds like another. Similar, but not the same.

6. Rosenrot (2005) - Sort of a part two to their previous album Reise, Reise and I think it even features a few songs that were excluded from Reise, Reise for some reason or another. The design of the album covers are even similar. It's a pretty solid release and there are a few standout moments. Te quiero Puta! is a song sung entirely in Spanish along with an accompanying trumpet section. Stirb nicht vor mir (Don't Die Before I Do) is a ballad where vocalist Till Lindemann and guest-vocalist Sharleen Spiteri exchange verses in peculiar fashion. Till sings verses in German and Sharleen sings verses in English. It's a quite a feat to do that and make the song sound sincere. It really works. Benzin, Mann gegen Mann (which is a song about homosexuality from the point of view of a homosexual man), and Rosenrot are also worth mentioning because they are probably the best songs on the album and it makes sense that they would also be the first songs on the album.

Benzin 3:46

Mann gegen Mann 3:50

Rosenrot 3:54

Spring 5:24

Wo bist du 3:55

Stirb nicht vor mir (Don't Die Before I Do) (featuring Sharleen Spiteri and Bobo) 4:05

Zerstören 5:28

Hilf mir 4:43

Te quiero Puta! (featuring Carmen Zapata) 3:55

Feuer und Wasser 5:17

Ein Lied 3:43

5. Herzeleid (1995) - Rammstein's debut album is remarkably solid and their brand of Neue Deutsche Härte is already intact and waiting to be heard and built upon. Just how good of a debut album this is is often overlooked. Of course it was embroiled in controversy because the original album cover was accused of Nazism. The members appeared without shirts and some folks believed they were making themselves out to be "the poster boys of the master race." The song Weißes Fleisch was also accused of sparking the Columbine Massacre. The song is about a rapist, but the first line of the song translates to "You, in the schoolyard. I, ready to kill." Well, the rest of the song is even more disturbing, but I guess no one bothered to read the rest of it. It's about rape from the point of view of the predator. At any rate, I'm not going to let all the accusations stop me from enjoying the song or the album. The album doesn't make me want to kill people. It just makes me want to rock out and continue learning German. Most of the the songs on this album can be heard on their live album/DVD Live aus Berlin.

Alternate album cover:

Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?  5:18

Der Meister 4:08

Weißes Fleisch 3:36

Asche zu Asche 3:51

Seemann 4:48

Du riechst so gut 4:49

Das alte Leid 5:44

Heirate mich 4:44

Herzeleid 3:41

Laichzeit 4:21

Rammstein 4:25

4. Sensucht (1997) - It seems the only Rammstein song most people know (most people in the U.S.A., anyway) is Du hast. While I like the song I can't say it's my favorite on the album or my favorite Rammstein song at all. I believe this album is the only album entirely in German to be certified platinum in the U.S.A. Quite an accomplishment, but it's mostly due to Du hast. I think Engel, Bestrafe mich, and the title track are better songs. Anyway, there are a few sordid tracks on here. Spiel mit mir is a song about incest as sung from the point of view of a sister who wants to have sex with her brother. All of Till's lyrics are "first person" lyrics and if you take all of his lyrics seriously you'll think he's one sick guy. Bück dich is about sodomy with another guy. The title of the song actually means "bend over." And like I said, it's all sung in the first person. So keep that in mind. I am not gay, but I have no problem listening to the song and rocking out to it. Some folks might not be so comfortable with that, though.

Sehnsucht 4:05

Engel (featuring Bobo) 4:25

Tier 3:48

Bestrafe mich 3:37

Du hast 3:56

Bück dich 3:23

Spiel mit mir 4:46

Klavier 4:26

Alter Mann 4:25

Eifersucht 3:37

Küss mich (Fellfrosch) 3:30

NOTE: Some versions have different bonus tracks. One version has English renditions of Du hast (even though the English lyrics are not accurate... I think Rammstein just wanted to screw with anyone who couldn't speak German) and Engel, but the version I have includes a remarkable cover [sung in English] of Depeche Mode's Stripped. 

ANOTHER NOTE: There are six different covers for Sehnsucht. All of them feature a different member of the band and their face in some sort of bizarre torture device. 

3. Liebe ist für alle da (2009) - Rammstein have balls. The main reason I state this is because of the song Pussy and its music video. The music video is a porno. I don't think any of the musicians can be seen naked because there are body doubles for the penis and ejaculation scenes. And yes, I've actually seen the music video. It was the first new Rammstein song in three years and I thought the whole porn site thing was a joke. Well, it wasn't, but I listened to the song anyway. The song itself is pretty funny. It's in both German and English so you could probably understand at the least the verse: "You have pussy. I have dick. So what's problem? Let's do it quick." The rest of the album is also stellar. The song title B********* is not bleeped because it's a cuss word. In the song the word is Bückstabü and it's a word that doesn't exist. It's just a word that can stand for whatever you want it to mean and  the chorus translates to "Whatever you want is what I get." 

Didn't I say they had balls? Considering that the title of the album means Love is there for everyone...

Alternate cover:

Rammlied 5:20

Ich tu dir Weh" (I Hurt You) 5:02

Waidmanns Heil 3:33

Haifisch 3:45

B******** (Bückstabü) 4:15

Frühling in Paris 4:45

Wiener Blut 3:53

Pussy 4:00

Liebe ist für alle da 3:26

Mehr 4:09

Roter Sand 3:59

Führe mich (special edition bonus track) 4:34

Donaukinder (special edition bonus track) 5:18

Halt (special edition bonus track) 4:20

Roter Sand (Orchester Version) (special edition bonus track) 4:06

Liese (special edition bonus track) 3:56

2. Mutter (2001) - Absolutely amazing. There's a reason that five songs from this album are going to be released on the greatest hits compilation. Every single song on here is extremely good, but I think the first six are great. The song Ich will had a music video about a bank robbery where a bomb goes off and the video was set to debut in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. Links 2-3-4 is a response to allegations of Nazism. In the song they say "my heart beats to the left" which means they aren't "far right Nazis." Zwitter is apparently about the joys of being a hermaphrodite.

Mein Herz brennt 4:39

Links 2-3-4 3:36

Sonne 4:32

Ich will 3:37

Feuer frei! 3:11

Mutter 4:32

Spieluhr 4:46

Zwitter 4:17

Rein, raus 3:09

Adios  3:49

Nebel 4:54

1. Reise, Reise (2004) - This was the first Rammstein studio album I ever bought. I had Live aus Berlin and I thought it was amazing, but I wanted to wanted to hear some of their studio work. Something other than Du hast anyway. Every song on here is great. Most of the songs appear on the live album/DVD Völkerball and they all work really well both live and in the studio. Amerika (some scathing commentary sung partly in English), Moskau (sung partly in Russian), Mein Teil, Stein um Stein, Keine Lust, the acoustic jam Los, and the beautiful ballad Ohne dich are all highlights for me. I think this is the quintessential Rammstein album and that's why I put it at number one.

Reise, Reise 4:11

Mein Teil 4:32

Dalai Lama 5:38

Keine Lust 3:42

Los 4:25

Amerika 3:46

Moskau (featuring Viktoria Fersh) 4:16

Morgenstern 3:59

Stein um Stein 3:56

Ohne dich 4:32

Amour 4:50

The Loss List

• 2007 Week 9 vs. Pats - It was the battle of two undefeated teams and the Colts came up short. I can't remember one specific play from this game. I just remember the fact that the Pats got by with an untarnished record and finished the season 16-0. Of course the Pats would lose the only game that really mattered, but the Colts should have been the first ones to beat the Pats and not the Giants. 
• 2009 Week 16 vs. Jets - The Colts were up 15-10 when Jim Caldwell made the dumbest move a coach could possibly make. He rested the starters in the third quarter. I can understand resting the starters if the team is up by thirty-eight points with only a quarter of play left, but this was unforgivable. You don't rest your starters until you know you have a game in the bag. Thanks for screwing up the season, Jim. 
• 2009 Week 17 at Buffalo - Ah, Jim. Sure Peyton Manning threw an interception, but he never got a chance to do anything else. Jim Caldwell must have thought the game wasn't tough enough with all of the snow and decided to get Painter in and throw away the game. I've never seen an uglier 14-2 in my life. It was a sign of more bad things to come. 
• Super Bowl XLIV - I hate living this close to New Orleans. Everyone down here seems to be a fan of the Saints and it's sickening. And how everybody went on and on about the onside kick and the interception. Ugh, you'd think the Saints had never won anything before. Oh, wait... Well, I guess no one can stay a loser forever. Not even the Saints. 
• 2010 Week 11 at Pats - Did I ever mention I have an intense dislike for the Patriots? The Colts were down 31-14, but they managed to close the gap to 31-28. Another Colts score could have won the game, but Manning's final pass was intercepted. 
• 2010 Week 12 vs. Chargers - Manning was intercepted four times the Colts were trounced 36-14. 
• 2010 Week 9 at Philly - Again an interception ended the game. I've never been an Eagles fan and I'll never be a Vick fan and this game was the worst of both worlds for me. Got to lose to both of them at the same time. What joy.
• 2010 Week 10 vs. Cowboys - Manning got intercepted four times and lost the game in overtime by a score of 38-35. The Cowboys were horrible last year and what makes things even worse was the fact that Jon Kitna was the guy to lead the Cowboys to victory. Jon Kitna! Are you kidding me? We went to overtime with Jon Kitna and lost? 
• 2010 AFC Wild Card vs. Jets - Well, the Colts were up 16-14 with less than a minute to go and Jim Caldwell decided to let the Jets get themselves together by calling a timeout instead of letting the Jets call their own timeout. What a kind person you are, Jim. Just a kind man and a real sport about things. Who cares who wins? It's not like the games really matters. It's only the playoffs... It's not like the entire season hinges on this one game and that if you lose it's over... 

The chances are pretty high that if Peyton Manning think's it's a bad call than it's a damn bad call.

• 2011 Week 7 at Saints - 62-7. It takes a special kind of suck to lose a game by that much and that kind of suck is called the "Suck 4 Luck." Did I mention Jim Caldwell was the coach in this game, too?  Funny how often he appears on this list...
• Any other loss from 2011 - They pretty much dissolve into one another after a while...
• The Miracle at the New Meadowlands - My second favorite team is the Giants and I've already said that I hate the Eagles and Michael Vick. The Eagles scored four unanswered touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the game and won it 38-31.

• Iron Bowl 2010 - We gave up 24 points to Cam Newton and the Tigers. We were 9-2 at this point so we were screwed out of the National Championship, but we were hoping to do the same to them. Of course we failed miserably. And this game caused the Harvey Updyke tree-poisoning thing which is another really pleasant memory. 
• Bama-LSU 2010 - LSU scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Bama responded with a touchdown of their own, but the defense couldn't get a stop and LSU got away with a win.
• Bama-South Carolina 2010 - Our first loss of the season and the one that put the kibosh on our National Championship hopes.
• Bama-LSU 2011 - Damn kickers. I don't hate Cade Foster, but I do hate the fact that if any college is capable of finding a kicker that can make a fifty-yarder than it's Alabama. That's just pathetic. Bama should have won that game going away, but it didn't happen. 
• 2008 SEC Championship vs. Florida- Probably the reason why I could care less if Tim Tebow has a successful NFL career. 
• 2009 Sugar Bowl vs. Utah - The Tide were completely manhandled in this one. 

Ozzy Osbourne from Worst to First

I figure doing a list about Ozzy would be a nice way to follow up a list about Black Sabbath. Later on I think I'll put my feet to the fire and do lists for Motorhead and Alice Cooper, but right now I'll focus on the Ozzman.

I kind of put Ozzy in the same category as Stephen King in that no matter what I'll be waiting to see what's next on the horizon and more than likely I'll enjoy it to some degree.

11. Under Cover (2005) - Cover albums don't really generate a lot of attention or respect from me. I think I only have three in my possession. They are mostly worth looking at just to see what kind of songs the musicians like. Well, Ozzy and I have a lot of things in common. We both think Leslie West is an amazing guitar player and that Mountain was a great band. Having Leslie West guest on the cover of Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" really made my day. I just kind of wish Ozzy could have chosen something a bit more obscure than "Mississippi Queen." Mountain has a lot of good songs that most people have never heard of and the only one Ozzy chose is one most people already know. A wasted opportunity, if you ask me. Anyway, nine of the covers on here had already been released a year earlier on the Prince of Darkness box set. So not only is it a cover album, but it's also an unoriginal cover album. And the covers aren't really standout. I like a few of them, but none of them are all that great. It's just Ozzy for the sake of Ozzy.

Rocky Mountain Way* - Joe Walsh 4:32

In My Life - The Beatles 3:30

Mississippi Queen - Mountain 4:11

Go Now* - Bessie Banks 3:42

Woman* - John Lennon 3:45

21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson 3:53

All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople 4:34

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield 3:20

Good Times - The Animals 3:45

Sunshine of Your Love* - Cream 5:10

Fire - Crazy World of Arthur Brown 4:08

Working Class Hero - John Lennon 3:22

Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones 7:11

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Wyse, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Bordin

(*) Previously unreleased

10. Down to Earth (2001) - This one took a little bit to grow on me. It's not quite an industrial metal release, but it's close enough that you could see him going that route in the future. This album feels dominated by the presence of producer Tim Palmer who also co-wrote most of the album. Well, I guess Tim Palmer wanted this to be Disturbed's The Sickness as sung by Ozzy. That's pretty much what it is. My favorite songs off here would have to be Running Out of Time, Facing Hell, and Black Illusion. And maybe Dreamer even though it's far from my favorite Ozzy ballad. I can't say I'd really recommend this one to anybody, though. It's just not all that good.

Gets Me Through 5:04

Facing Hell 4:26

Dreamer 4:45

No Easy Way Out 5:06

That I Never Had 4:24

You Know...(Part 1) 1:06

Junkie 4:28

Running Out of Time 5:06

Black Illusion 4:21

Alive 4:54

Can You Hear Them? 4:59

No Place for Angels (international edition bonus track) 3:23

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, Mike Bordin, Tim Palmer, Michael Railo, Danny Saber

9. Ozzmosis (1995) - It was a bit of a coin-toss as to where I was going to put this one. There are only five heavy songs on here if you count one of the bonus tracks. The rest of the songs are ballads. This is a really soft and personal album for Ozzy and that makes it different from just about anything else in his catalog. Zakk Wylde does his best to shine and Geezer Butler (who had joined Ozzy's band after a falling out with Iommi) helps to make things heavy where he can, but again this album is dominated by soft songs. All of the soft songs are not bad, but I only really like about half of them. The main reason I rank this one low is because it's just too inconsistent from start to finish. It goes from being heavy to being too soft for too long and then back to heavy again. 

The standout tracks for me would have to be Perry Mason, I Just Want You, Tomorrow, See You on the Other Side, and Old L.A. Tonight.

Perry Mason 5:53

I Just Want You 4:56

Ghost Behind My Eyes 5:11

Thunder Underground 6:29

See You on the Other Side 6:10

Tomorrow 6:36

Denial 5:12

My Little Man 4:52

My Jekyll Doesn't Hide 6:34

Old L.A. Tonight 4:48

Whole World's Fallin' Down (2002 reissue bonus track) 5:05

Aimee (2002 reissue bonus track) 4:46

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Geezer Butler, Deen Castronovo, Rick Wakeman

8. Black Rain (2007) - Zakk Wylde's last studio album with Ozzy is his best since No More Tears. It's even heavier than Down to Earth, but it contains stronger and more diverse material. The reason this was Zakk Wylde's last outing with Ozzy was because Ozzy's band was starting to sound too similar to Zakk's band, Black Label Society. I can see what Ozzy meant after I listened to it again and the most obvious example is the title track. It sounds just like a Black Label song. 

Not Going Away 4:32

I Don't Wanna Stop 3:59

 Black Rain 4:42

Lay Your World on Me 4:16

The Almighty Dollar 6:57

11 Silver 3:42

Civilize the Universe 4:43

Here for You 4:37

Countdown's Begun 4:53

Trap Door 4:03

Tour Edition disc 2

I Don't Wanna Stop (Live) 3:44

Not Going Away (Live) 4:36

Here for You (Live) 5:22

Nightmare (originally a Japanese and iTunes bonus track) 4:40

I Can't Save You (originally a Japanese bonus track) 3:32

Love to Hate (originally an iTunes pre-order bonus track) 3:57

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Rob "Blasko" Nicholson, Mike Bordin

NOTE: Below is the version I got and it did not contain any bonus tracks, a booklet, or anything else. It was just a sleeve and a CD. 

7. Scream (2010) - I guess you could consider this a semi-sequel to Black Rain. It's got the same feel and the same producer, but this time the album is even heavier and a more "technical" sound thanks to the addition of guitarist Gus G. Now when I first heard this album was coming out I was a little disappointed that Zakk Wylde wasn't going to be on it, but I was even more disappointed that the album was going to be called Soul Sucka. Yep, you read that right. Soul Sucka. Well, I thought, Ozzy had lost whatever was left of his mind. There was no way in hell I was going to buy the album if it was called that. Just wouldn't be able to do it. And I thought about what the contents of such an album might be. I pictured a Nu-Metal Hell and duets with Snoop Dogg.

Of course that isn't what I ended up getting at all. I ended up getting what I would call Ozzy's strongest release since No More Tears. Of course if the album had still been called Soul Sucka at the time of its release I might not have the courage to say that. But I could I could see why Ozzy might want to call it that. The song Soul Sucker is very strong if you can keep from smirking every time you hear the phrase "Soul Sucka" repeated by the background vocals. Other songs that really stand out to me are Let Me Hear You Scream (sort of a sequel to I Don't Wanna Stop), Life Won't Wait, Time, Let It Die (although this one did seem a bit silly at first), and Diggin' Me Down. 

Now let me just say that Diggin' Me Down has to be one of the absolute worst titles for a song I've ever heard in my life outside of the hip-hop and pop genres. It just screams, "I wish I had dreadlocks, ripped jeans, and a Slipknot wallet with a chain on it!" The title is absolutely awful. But the song itself is one of the heaviest and darkest songs Ozzy has done in quite some time. It is the ultimate "mosh pit" song.

Let It Die 6:06

Let Me Hear You Scream 3:25

Soul Sucker 4:34

Life Won't Wait 5:06

Diggin' Me Down 6:03

Crucify 3:29

Fearless 3:41

Time 5:31

I Want It More 5:36

Latimer's Mercy 4:27

I Love You All 1:02

Tour Edition disc 2

Hand of the Enemy (previously unreleased track from the Scream sessions) 3:41

One More Time (originally released as a pre-order iTunes exclusive) 3:07

Jump the Moon (originally released as a bonus track on the Japanese pressing) 2:54

Bark at the Moon (live) 4:29

Let Me Hear You Scream (live) 3:25

No More Tears (live) 7:18

Fairies Wear Boots (live) 6:35

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Gus G, Rob "Blasko" Nicholson, Tommy Clufetos, Adam Wakeman

6. No Rest for the Wicked (1988) - This is the first Ozzy album I've gotten to on my list that feels like an actual band made it instead of a bunch of hired hands. It's a solid effort even though there aren't any instant classics on here. Bloodbath in Paradise and Breakin' All the Rules are probably my favorite tracks. 

Miracle Man 3:44

Devil's Daughter (Holy War) 5:15

Crazy Babies 4:15

Breakin' All the Rules 5:15

Bloodbath in Paradise 5:03

Fire in the Sky 6:24

Tattooed Dancer 3:53

Demon Alcohol 4:30

Hero (originally a hidden track) 4:49

The Liar (2002 re-issue bonus track) 4:32

Miracle Man (Live) (2002 re-issue bonus track) 3:48

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Bob Daisley, Randy Castillo, John Sinclair

5. The Ultimate Sin (1986) - This release (along with Ozzy's Live & Loud, Speak of the Devil, and Just Say Ozzy) has been deleted from the Ozzman's catalog. Why has it been deleted? I don't know. Maybe it has to do with owing Phil Soussan unpaid royalties over the song Shot in the Dark (a song that appears on Just Say Ozzy and Live & Loud) or maybe it doesn't. I don't really care. I just know that all of the squabbling made it really hard for me to get this one in my collection. This was before I discovered Amazon. Instead I had to go to obscure stores and ask around because Wal-Mart sure didn't carry it. Or so I thought. Ironically, the version I found was a German import and I bought it from Wal-Mart. Of course it must have been a fluke because I haven't seen it there since. Anyway, I do feel that The Ultimate Sin is extremely overlooked. The production isn't all that great and there are more than a few corny 80's lyrics, but I think overall it's very solid and it doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the likes of Speak of the Devil as a forgotten Ozzy record. If any Ozzy release deserves to be remastered it's this one. 

The Ultimate Sin 3:45

Secret Loser 4:08

Never Know Why 4:27

Thank God for the Bomb 3:53

Never 4:17

Lightning Strikes 5:16

Killer of Giants 5:41

Fool Like You 5:18

Shot in the Dark 4:16

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Jake E. Lee, Phil Soussan, Randy Castillo, Mike Moran

NOTE: The Ozzman Cometh is a greatest hits collection and the version I have has Shot in the Dark on it, but I believe the collection has been re-released and Shot in the Dark has been replaced with Miracle Man from No Rest for the Wicked. 

4. Bark at the Moon (1983) - The 1995 remaster and the 2002 "remaster" of Bark at the Moon are two different things. I remember when I was listening to some of the tapes my dad had recorded in the eighties and I heard You're No Different for the first time. I loved it. Then I got Bark at the Moon on CD and the exact same song was different. Similar, but still different. And it wasn't just that one song. I realized I'd been stiffed with the 2002 release and it was very different than the original 1983 release and the 1995 remaster. The 2002 "remaster" sounds more modern, but it just doesn't have the same charm for me. 

Listen to the 1995 version of Centre of Eternity...

Now listen to the 2002 version of Centre of Eternity... 

Can you tell the difference? 

Bark at the Moon 4:17

You're No Different 5:49

Now You See It (Now You Don't) 5:10

Rock 'n' Roll Rebel 5:23

Centre of Eternity 5:15

So Tired 4:00

Slow Down 4:21

Waiting for Darkness 5:14

Spiders (2002 reissue bonus track) 4:31

One Up the 'B' Side (2002 reissue bonus track) 3:25

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Jake E. Lee, Bob Daisley, Tommy Aldridge, Don Airey

NOTE: The 2002 "remaster" also claims that Ozzy Osbourne wrote all of the songs by himself. I'm not sure if the 1995 remaster makes the same claim, but the 1997 version of The Ozzman Cometh that I have also makes the same claim. Now I ask how a man who can't play a single instrument could possibly do that?

3. No More Tears (1991) - Ozzy's last truly great release and the only one since that feels like a band actually made the album.

Mr. Tinkertrain 5:55

I Don't Want to Change the World 4:04

Mama, I'm Coming Home 4:11

Desire 5:45

No More Tears 7:23

S.I.N. 4:46

Hellraiser 4:51

Time After Time 4:20

Zombie Stomp 6:13

A.V.H. 4:12

Road to Nowhere 5:09

Don't Blame Me (2002 re-issue bonus tracks) 5:06

Party With the Animals (2002 re-issue bonus tracks) 4:17

NOTE: The Live & Loud double album that soon followed is also pretty great, too. You could probably make a drinking game out of it, too. Just take a shot every time Ozzy drops the "f" bomb and you'll be hammered after three or four songs. 

ANOTHER NOTE: There are two versions of Hellraiser. There's this one by Ozzy and another one by Motorhead that can be found on their album March or Die. The Motorhead version of the song was used in the movie Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Since Lemmy co-wrote the song with Ozzy than neither version can really be called a cover, but the Ozzy version did come first. 

2. Diary of a Madman (1981) - There was no doubt that the Rhoads releases were going to top the list, but I wasn't sure which one would come out on top until just recently. There are very evenly matched as far as I'm concerned, but I think Blizzard of Ozz is just a tad better. 

Over the Mountain 4:31

Flying High Again 4:44

You Can't Kill Rock and Roll 6:59

Believer 5:15

Little Dolls 5:39

Tonight 5:50

S.A.T.O. 4:07

Diary of a Madman 6:14

2011 Legacy Edition disc 2

I Don't Know 5:08

Crazy Train 6:26

Believer 5:37

Mr. Crowley 6:19

Flying High Again 4:17

Revelation (Mother Earth) 5:58

Steal Away (The Night) 8:00

Suicide Solution 8:34

Iron Man 3:12

Children of the Grave 5:07

Paranoid 3:17

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Johnny Cook

1. Blizzard of Ozz (1980) - This got me into Ozzy and through Ozzy I discovered Sabbath and a love of the guitar. I always enjoy listening to this one. 

I Don't Know 5:13

Crazy Train 4:51

Goodbye to Romance 5:33

Dee 0:49

Suicide Solution 4:17

Mr. Crowley 5:02

No Bone Movies 3:52

Revelation (Mother Earth) 6:08

Steal Away (The Night) 3:28

2011 Expanded Edition bonus tracks

You Looking at Me, Looking at You (Non-LP B-Side) 4:15

Goodbye to Romance (2010 Guitar & Vocal Mix) 5:42

RR (Outtake Guitar Solo) 1:13

Line-up: Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Don Airey

Losing Sucks

Like pretty much everyone I really hate losing. What was that George Patton quote? "Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn't give a hoot and hell for a man who lost and laughed." Well, that's pretty much true. I don't know how other people handle losing or how long they cling on to certain awful game memories, but for me it takes a few days to get over most losses and a lot longer to get over others. I mean, all losses are not made equal.

Let's take a look at my Indianapolis Colts this year. Currently, they are 0-9. However, only one of the losses still pisses me off. All of the others I can pretty much accept and I'm almost fine with it. The one I can't take is the 62-7 loss to the Saints. That's because the last time those two played it was in the Super Bowl. Instead of getting vengeance or even trying to look competitive the Colts made Drew Brees look like a god amongst mere mortals. It's probably one of the worst losses I've ever seen. It was so bad I stopped watching after about two quarters. I just couldn't take it.

There are other losses that really sting. Pretty much anytime the Colts lose to the Patriots is a real tough one to take. Since 2001 the Patriots lead with the series against the Colts by a total of 7-5. In the postseason the Patriots lead the Colts 2-1. All of this history and the fact that some moron decided to have these teams play against each other pretty much every year makes the Pats the team I hate most in the NFL. Which is weird, isn't it?

The Texans, Jaguars, and Titans are the ones that should be the Colts' biggest enemies. But they aren't. At least not yet. Maybe that's because until just last year the other three teams in the AFC South weren't viewed as much of a threat by most fans. It's really hard to feel intimidated when you've got Peyton Manning taking the snaps. And the only reason the other teams had a shot in 2010 was because Peyton wasn't having the best year. He was throwing too many interceptions and the Colts just weren't up to snuff. Well, it happens to everyone, right? The Colts would recover and kick butt again in 2011, right?

It wasn't until this wretched 2011 NFL season that I realized that losing really sucks. I can take all the heartbreaking playoff losses because that at least means we're in the freaking playoffs. But now everyone is talking about the Suck for Luck campaign. Sheesh, what a difference a year makes. But you know what? As bad as this year is for the Colts and as bad as the loss to the Pats will be this year there's something even worse than losing.

After watching the Alabama Crimson Tide lose to LSU 9-6 I had trouble sleeping that night. Those missed field goals were really eating at me. I just kept thinking that we should have won that game. I went to sleep pissed off Saturday night and I woke up the same way Sunday morning with the realization that my Colts were going to get their asses kicked by the Falcons. What a crummy weekend for football.

Then I read this article where this Auburn guy ranked the most memorable/horrible football losses of his life and he said how those losses helped put things in perspective. Sometimes we get too involved in sports. Way too involved. Just like the idiot Harvey Updyke that shamed all of us Bama fans when he poisoned those Auburn trees. He can take his "Roll Damn Tide" and shove it up his ass for all I care. I know some stupid Auburn fan placed a Newton jersey on the statue of the Bear, but that's no reason to kill the trees and claim it was an adequate response.

So we got to keep ourselves in check. It's okay to hate a team, but it's not okay to resort to breaking the law or even thinking about it. Chances are that if you dream of slitting Eli Manning's throat because he put a whupping on the Patriots in the Super Bowl and again in week 9 of 2011 than you need some serious help.

Sometimes we catch ourselves saying things that sound crazy to someone who hasn't been initiated into the football world. I have nothing but respect for Bill Belichick, but that doesn't mean I won't call him a ass-munching turd-burglar from time to time. It takes an immense amount of respect to earn my hatred and vice versa. If I respect a team it's because they are a great team and if I hate a team it's because they are a great team that has whupped my team's ass on more than one occasion. So saying I hate Auburn or LSU is actually a compliment to them and a begrudging admission of excellence and accomplishment.

So anytime you hear an Alabama fan say, "Fuck you, ya damn Tigers! I hope you burn in Hell ya damn sonsabitches! We'll beat the everloving dogshit out of you next year." What it really means is something like this: I really respect this team, but I sure wish we could've won. Ah, gee whiz. But it was a good game and the best team won. At least there's always next year. This same translation usually applies to Auburn fans, too.

There is this page on Facebook called Toomer's for Tuscaloosa that I proudly like because they are the ones who helped Tuscaloosa after the tornadoes. And I saw the term "Wartide" used on that page and I kind of like it. It feels weird saying it because I really don't want Auburn to win a game ever. However, I want them to be competitive that why Bama can beat them when they are at their best. So I guess I support Auburn to a degree, but I support the people that helped Tuscaloosa even more. And if Auburn were to somehow upset Bama this year than I guess it wouldn't sting as much as it did last year. It would still sting a lot, but maybe not as much. Or maybe more. I don't really know because I try not to think about it. But I would congratulate the Auburn fans anyway and listen to their crummy jokes and let them rub my nose in it for a little while (a very little while) because they know and I know that I'd do the same thing to them if and when Bama beats them. It isn't the Iron Bowl without some smack talk. Just like the Ravens/Steelers rivalry in the NFL.

And that's just the way we like it.

Anyway, I've decided that I'll make up a "loss" list of my own in the next couple of days. Then I'm going to wait maybe five years and make another. I want to see just how many of the losses that mean a lot now might not mean so much in the future.

I'm also going to make a "victory" list too. Hopefully I'll have more memorable victories than losses.

National Metal Day - 11/11/11 (One louder)

It's like how much more black could this be? And the answer is none.
None more black.

I'm practically foaming at the mouth wondering what the Sab Four will have in store for us fans. On National Metal Day (also known as National Nigel Tufnel Day and also Veterans Day) the Sab ones will make an announcement of some sort. My guess is a tour and a new album. If it's not than whatever this announcement will be will be bit of a disappointment to most folks. Especially with all the secrecy surrounding the announcement.

While a reunion tour would be nice the real  holy grail is a new album and the metal godfathers sure ain't gettin' any younger.

If Dio-Sabbath could do it than certainly Ozzy-Sabbath could do it, right? Tony's got the riffs and Ozzy's still got some pipes. Just get it done. Hell, if Axl Rose could put out Chinese Democracy and if David Lee Roth can get back with Van Halen (and to possibly put out a new album) than it makes sense that a new Sabbath album with Ozzy could actually happen. Ozzy's last album sounds more like Sabbath than anything he's done in a while so he's got to be in the mood, right?

Is that what they will announce on 11/11/11? I wish. 11/11/11 won't come around again until November 11, 2111 so this announcement better be something big. Or else it will look like a Stonehenge in danger of being crushed by a dwarf.

Dragon Ball Z - Lord Slug: Movie 4 (Uncut, English Dubbed Version)

Not the best Dragon Ball Z movie and pretty short in running length compared to movies 2 and 3, but there are a few things I really like. The music on the Funimation dub comes to mind. The movie uses a rock soundtrack and these are the songs:

Finger Eleven - First Time

Dust for Life - Dragonfly

Dust for Life - Step Into the Light

American Pearl - Free Your Mind

Deftones - Elite

Boy Hits Car - I'm a Cloud

Finger Eleven - Drag You Down

Dust for Life - Seed

American Pearl - Automatic

Disturbed - Fear

Boy Hits Car - The Rebirth

Disturbed - Stupify

Breaking Point - Coming of Age

I think it works really well with the movie and it makes it seem a bit more than just an average Dragon Ball Z movie. Another thing I really like about the movie is the fact that the enemy is a Super Namekian and the roles Piccolo and Gohan play in the movie. But the way the villain meets his demise is the same exact way the villains meet their ends in the previous two movies and that is a bit of a bummer. It is actually pretty funny considering the Spirit Bomb only killed one villain in the entire series of Dragon Ball Z.

The primary villain comes to earth in search of the dragonballs to give him eternal life which is a typical theme. It's a theme repeated in the early episodes of Dragon Ball Z and that kind of makes the movie stick out even less. The villain, the evil Lord Slug, wishes to "terra-freeze" the planet by launching specialized pods into the sky that will release black clouds. The clouds would eventually cause the planet to freeze.

Goku doesn't want that to happen so it's up to him to stop him. From there the two characters fight and Goku does his thing.

This is the last movie where Goku doesn't transform into a Super Saiyan or at least "can't" transform into a Super Saiyan. Although there is some quasi-Super Saiyan transformation where Goku maintains his black hair.

Eh, I've seen better movies, but this one is okay. 

6.1/10