What are you listening to?

Really hit me hard too, surprisingly. Like others have said, it does feel like he was oddly close to death so many times over the years, but he powered through like a true legend. The Osbournes have all been a pretty consistent part of my life for a while; after my parents separated, the reality show was the first time that my Mom, sister, and I had some good laughs. My mom would put on his music, and it was the first time in my life that I saw her truly happy about something of her own volition (long story there); she'd tell me about each song and describe how misunderstood Ozzy was by the general public, etc. Strange as it sounds, Ozzy was my gateway to truly seeing my Mom for the first time, and I've always held a special place in my heart for him since.

Didn't know my Mom was out when I heard the news, so I was the one who called and told her he'd passed and man, I haven't heard her react that way in ages, not even when her own mom died (another long story). He was her idol in so many ways. She's just one of countless others, though, and if nothing else, it's been lovely seeing all the outpouring of love from fans of his. He changed the music industry in so many ways and inspired so many. I know we'll feel still feel his effect for a while, but man, it sucks knowing he's gone.
 
It’s times like these I like to stop and just appreciate the fact that I was able to exist at the same time as Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Even saw Sabbath back in ‘05. It sucks seeing these omnipresent souls pass on. I wasn’t alive for Elvis or Lennon, but it’s gotta feel pretty similar (though perhaps less shocking in this case, but still world altering).
 
Misfit said:
It’s times like these I like to stop and just appreciate the fact that I was able to exist at the same time as Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Even saw Sabbath back in ‘05. It sucks seeing these omnipresent souls pass on. I wasn’t alive for Elvis or Lennon, but it’s gotta feel pretty similar (though perhaps less shocking in this case, but still world altering).
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I remember when we lost Kurt. I think that was the first and last time (prior to now) that I felt this weird sense of personal loss at the death of a musician. But yeah, I also feel very fortunate to have lived in an era when we had so many legends co-existing.
 
I was in 5th grade when Cobain died, and while I liked Nirvana, I don’t think I was emotionally mature enough to really process what a loss like that meant. Even though I just sat and watched MTV all day and followed the coverage like a zombie.
 
Its always weird when someone like Ozzy dies. He for the most part was so infinitely likable and his era of Sabbath and his first few solo records meant a great deal to me. Then again you look at his life and say how could it have gone much better. It isn't like we know these people as much as we think we do or rock musicians well into their 70s are likely to make more additions to their body of work that is that vital. (Bowie's shockingly good last record notwithstanding) Its always a strange feeling. A different one to when a wildly creative person dies young (tragic in an of itself) with still a lot to contribute to their creative output. Each one is different depending on where they sit on these continuums. Either way the first six Sabbath records sit there like massive chunks of granite. They still sound as great today as they did in 73.
 
Damien said:
Gutted.
I've thought I was prepared for this for like the last ten years, but it really does hit in an unexpected way. Like when we lost Bowie and Prince. Such massively influential and talented performers that I've grown up listening to for my entire life. Ozzy is one of the legends among legends. Sad to lose him for sure.
The daughter and I listened to some tracks from No More Tears on the way home from work.
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Prince and Bowie were both incredibly hard for me, as they were my two favorite musicians. It didn't help that they died in a year when so much turmoil was going on in my personal life.

Ozzy has been a constant in my life for SO long though. In the 80s I was growing up in a very conservative, fundamentalist Christian home. Ozzy was considered to be just shy of Satan himself by my parents, and I was forbidden to listen to anything by him or similar artists. Naturally, this just made me want to hear his music. I had friends who ran off their Ozzy & Sabbath albums onto cassettes for me, which I labeled with the names of Christian metal bands (also did this for bands like Motley Crue and any others that my parents might be aware of). I remember riding my bike in my neighborhood, listening to "Diary of a Madman" on my walkman...it seems silly now, but man was that like a massive act of teenage rebellion for me!

My musical taste has always been eclectic, but Ozzy and Sabbath were definitely my gateway to hard rock and heavy metal. What's amazing is that Ozzy's influence, much like Prince and Bowie, is found far beyond his own genre. No surprise that all the metal bands paid tribute to him, but he also inspired goth, new wave, darkwave, easy listening and even country artists to speak about his impact on their music. When you have acts as diverse as Danzig, Duran Duran, Elton John, Billy Idol, Flavor Flav, Alice Cooper, Phil Collins, Ice T, and even Donnie Osmond & Pat Boone paying respect...well...you know that is an artist who really transcended boundaries. Rest in Power, Ozzy. Heaven just got a little louder!
 
Anyone here that is an fan of the surround (5.1) and/or spatial (Atmos) music mixes and found on SACD and Bluray Audio?

I moved over the winter, and this past week one of my last "settling in" tasks was to finally wire up my speakers and surround system. So getting caught up on some of the recent releases -

Who's Next (stand alone blu-ray from the Lifehouse boxset) - this is sold out but absolutely great, not only does it contain the full album in 5.1 and Atmos, but also Instrumental versions, plus 14 extra tracks that were recorded during the Lifehouse sessions that were released later as singles, B-sides, on Odds and Sods, including four songs from the original EP they planned to do as the follow-up to Tommy, plus the unedited versions of 4 great singles - Relay, The Seeker, Join Together, Let's See Action. Supposedly Who Are You may be next for the surround remix - I hope so, because that along with Who By Numbers would complete their best run (I feel) of Tommy through Who Are You all in surround. Anyway, the Atmos/5.1 mixes are just awesome. It's like a double album now with all the extra songs, close to 2 hours of prime Who.

Purple Rain (new Atmos mix on blu-ray) - not as aggressive as some mixes but I liked it, an album where all the songs are at least good and some are great. Some Prince superfans feel the mix is a bit too far removed from the original mix to not represent the intent, but that doesn't bother me and I haven't A/B'ed it to notice the differences. Only disappointment for me was "Baby I'm a Star" which seemed to lack some of the punch compared to the way it kicks in on the original CD.

Piano Man (Japan release of the original Quad mix on SACD) - the Quad mixes from the early 70's tend to be more discrete in each speaker and a less atmospheric/layered than current surround mixes, but I really liked this one. Might be biases as I always liked this album, probably my favorite or second favorite Billy Joel (The Stranger on top), kind of different from his later stuff, but some good, basic songs, not overdone.

Jagged Little Pill (new Atmos mix on bluray) - not an overly ambitious album in terms of instrumentation to begin with but they use the surround well to fill the room - I liked they keep Alanis' vocal clear in the center channel, they really stand out in a good way. All time fun angry album, love the opening one-two punch of All I Really Want and You Oughta Know.

Changing direction, Make It Big! (new Atmos mix on bluray) - I suspect many in this thread do not appreciate Wham! too much but this disc includes their full second album (which is really a proto George Michael solo album) plus the tracks they released for their Final compilation of that plus remixes in the UK, and assorted singles, which were released in the US as a third CD - Music from the Edge of Heaven. Anyway, as pop music goes, this is great pop music and a fun listen and I liked the surround mix which adds to the fun. That this is 40 years old makes me feel ancient.

Anyway, up next includes some Simple Minds, a new 5.1 and the original quad for 461 Ocean Boulevard and original quad for There's One In Every Crowd, Pyromania, and De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising.

If anyone else is into surround mixes, join in, or if you want to know more about it, happy to chat about what has been released.
 
Didn't want to jump into it on the heels of Ozzy's passing, but I saw Ghost last Monday in Boston and it was a great time. Packed house at the Garden and the lock-up your phone thing went fine. It was the second time I had attended an event with that rule and it does make for a better experience, though admittedly I prefer how Maynard handled the phone thing during the Sessanta tour which was to just ask people to refrain from using it until he told the audience it was okay. Maybe it was because that crowd runs a bit older, but people actually abided by his request and he told the crowd they could "take out their stupid fucking phones," just before the last song.

Back to Ghost though, I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they are fast becoming one of the better live experiences out there. They're in Maiden territory for me and this is the third time I've seen them as a headliner. It was also the most expensive concert ticket of my life so far so I'm glad I enjoyed it as much as I did. It did mean I didn't bring the kids, but I might have to if/when they come around again because they love Ghost (sometimes to the point of not wanting to listen to anything else which can get annoying). It was a good set though, not super heavy on the new album and a couple deeper cuts from the old days.
 
Misfit said:
Didn't want to jump into it on the heels of Ozzy's passing, but I saw Ghost last Monday in Boston and it was a great time. Packed house at the Garden and the lock-up your phone thing went fine. It was the second time I had attended an event with that rule and it does make for a better experience, though admittedly I prefer how Maynard handled the phone thing during the Sessanta tour which was to just ask people to refrain from using it until he told the audience it was okay. Maybe it was because that crowd runs a bit older, but people actually abided by his request and he told the crowd they could "take out their stupid fucking phones," just before the last song.

Back to Ghost though, I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they are fast becoming one of the better live experiences out there. They're in Maiden territory for me and this is the third time I've seen them as a headliner. It was also the most expensive concert ticket of my life so far so I'm glad I enjoyed it as much as I did. It did mean I didn't bring the kids, but I might have to if/when they come around again because they love Ghost (sometimes to the point of not wanting to listen to anything else which can get annoying). It was a good set though, not super heavy on the new album and a couple deeper cuts from the old days.
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I'll be seeing Ghost in Houston here in a couple of weeks (been a big fan since just before the second album dropped). I've seen them a few times before, but this is the first time in a bigger arena. If you'd told me years ago that this pseudo Satanic, ultra theatrical group with a small-but-devoted fanbase would be playing venues that sports teams usually play in, I'd have laughed incredulously. I'm happy for their success, but I kinda miss seeing their "Rituals" in tiny venues with my fellow weirdos. Still, this gives them the ability to really go all-out with the over-the-top theatrics they so clearly are made for. I'm really happy to hear that "Monstrance Clock" is back in the setlist, as that was always a great number live, and I can imagine how incredible it will be to hear a crowd that size singing along.
 
I think Ghost is a wildly over-rated, over-exposed band, but that doesn't mean they're not a solid listening experience. And everything I've heard suggests their live shows are fantastic. If I was still the 'going to shows' type, I might be interested in seeing them. But I'm not. So I won't. Unless my daughter really gets into them. She's the only reason I attend live shows or live anythings anymore.
 
TheGillMan said:
I'll be seeing Ghost in Houston here in a couple of weeks (been a big fan since just before the second album dropped). I've seen them a few times before, but this is the first time in a bigger arena. If you'd told me years ago that this pseudo Satanic, ultra theatrical group with a small-but-devoted fanbase would be playing venues that sports teams usually play in, I'd have laughed incredulously. I'm happy for their success, but I kinda miss seeing their "Rituals" in tiny venues with my fellow weirdos. Still, this gives them the ability to really go all-out with the over-the-top theatrics they so clearly are made for. I'm really happy to hear that "Monstrance Clock" is back in the setlist, as that was always a great number live, and I can imagine how incredible it will be to hear a crowd that size singing along.
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I can’t help but laugh when thinking about how far the band has come. I bought the first album way back when because they were opening for Opeth/Mastodon and my friend told me I had to check out the band fronted by a satanic pope that plays 70s doom. I thought they were fun, kind of a joke, and never expected them to move beyond the small venue scene. The pop hooks they’ve been incorporating into their sound definitely helped them take off. I kind of wonder if Tobias Forge would like to move on, but the band is way too popular to abandon so he just does what he wants and manages to keep enough of the Ghost qualities alive. The new album is like 80s arena rock.
 
Damien said:
I think Ghost is a wildly over-rated, over-exposed band, but that doesn't mean they're not a solid listening experience. And everything I've heard suggests their live shows are fantastic. If I was still the 'going to shows' type, I might be interested in seeing them. But I'm not. So I won't. Unless my daughter really gets into them. She's the only reason I attend live shows or live anythings anymore.
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They are definitely over-exposed now, but I've been a fan for quite a while and love the fact that Tobias still makes great tunes, while not taking the whole thing too seriously. It reminds me so much of the over-the-top theatrics of 70s & 80s bands, and I genuinely love that.

I love going to live shows, but concert prices have gotten ridiculous in recent years. I mostly go to see local live acts that I don't have to take a second mortgage on my house just to afford a ticket. The Ghost show this year is the only one I currently have tickets to, and I justified it by making it a Christmas present for my s/o and I to give each other (since the tickets went on sale late last year). I figured if I was going to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a concert, then it might as well be one that I KNOW I'm going to see a great show. Since the beginning, Ghost has been a solid live act.
Misfit said:
I can’t help but laugh when thinking about how far the band has come. I bought the first album way back when because they were opening for Opeth/Mastodon and my friend told me I had to check out the band fronted by a satanic pope that plays 70s doom. I thought they were fun, kind of a joke, and never expected them to move beyond the small venue scene. The pop hooks they’ve been incorporating into their sound definitely helped them take off. I kind of wonder if Tobias Forge would like to move on, but the band is way too popular to abandon so he just does what he wants and manages to keep enough of the Ghost qualities alive. The new album is like 80s arena rock.
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Exactly. I always thought they'd remain a cult act with a loyal, dedicated fan base like Wednesday 13 or Calabrese (two bands I seriously love). I never dreamed they'd be headlining arenas, as I thought the whole Devil-Worshipping-Pope-and-His-Clergy bit would put off most of America.

It will be interesting to see what Tobias does in the future, when Ghost's popularity inevitably winds down. I definitely think it has grown far beyond what he expected, and that he has other things he wants to do.
 
Tobias definitely appears to be in the "get while the getting's good" mode. They toured heavily for Impera and have been pumping out music, plus the concert film. And good on him. It's not easy to make a good living as a musician anymore. That's awesome that you can enjoy Ghost with your s/o. Ghost is the only band my wife and I have seen together in the 14 years we've known each other. She's more of a country/pop girl while I've always been a metalhead.
 
Fortunately, I have pretty diverse musical tastes, though I DO tend towards Metal and Punk. She is more into stuff like Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, but I've drug her to some really theatrical shows like Alice Cooper and the Original Misfits. When we first started dating, I played her Ghost's first three albums over the course of a couple of weeks, and she really liked them. When I showed her some concert videos, she was really shocked at their image and performance because it wasn't what she expected based on the music, but those other concert experiences had primed her for some theatrics. When she finally got to see them live she was hooked, and has become completely obsessed with their music ever since. It's been fun to be able to share those experiences with her.
 
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