It takes a special kind of warped genius to listen to the music of metal’s own Prince Of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, and imagine that one of his most downbeat, mournful songs would make perfect sense when compacted together with the music of one of the sunniest, most uplifting and joyous pure pop bands ever. Fortunately, internet mash-up king DJ Cummerbund is just that kind of warped genius.
On paper, the idea of splicing Ozzy’s 1991 power ballad Mama, I’m Coming Home (from the singer’s sixth studio album, No More Tears) with the Beach Boys’ effervescent Fun, Fun, Fun really shouldn’t work, what with their sharply contrasting moods and and minor/major key chord progressions. And yet, somehow, the two coalesce perfectly, giving a fresh new perspective on two familiar classics. We can only salute the DJ Cummerbund’s delightfully off-kilter imagination.
Ozzy is currently at work with producer Andrew Watt on the follow-up to last year’s Ordinary Man album, which is set to feature contributions from Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith.
“I think it's so cool for a rock fan to be able to listen to half an album with Chad Smith on drums, and then you flip it over and you get to hear Taylor Hawkins,” Watt said last year. "The last album was really special for everyone involved. And so there was no point in Ozzy or me doing this again unless we thought we could bring something new to the table. And I feel like we're achieving that."
