No Rest for the Wicked (Ozzy Osbourne album)
Encyclopedia
No Rest for the Wicked is the fifth studio album by Ozzy Osbourne
. It was released on October 22, 1988 and was re-issued / remastered on August 22, 1995 and again on June 25, 2002. The album was certified gold in December 1989 and has since gone double platinum. No Rest for the Wicked is the first album to feature Zakk Wylde
on guitar. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200
. As of 2010, the album has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
"Miracle Man", "Crazy Babies", and "Breakin' All the Rules" were released as singles
with accompanying music video
s. The song "Hero" was an unlisted hidden bonus track on the original 1988 release, and at that time was commonly believed to be named "Fools Know More".
certification
(United States)
CRIA
certification
(Canada)
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
. It was released on October 22, 1988 and was re-issued / remastered on August 22, 1995 and again on June 25, 2002. The album was certified gold in December 1989 and has since gone double platinum. No Rest for the Wicked is the first album to feature Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
on guitar. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. As of 2010, the album has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
"Miracle Man", "Crazy Babies", and "Breakin' All the Rules" were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
with accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s. The song "Hero" was an unlisted hidden bonus track on the original 1988 release, and at that time was commonly believed to be named "Fools Know More".
Track listing
2002 reissue bonus tracks
Subject matter
- "Miracle Man" is about the Reverend Jimmy SwaggartJimmy SwaggartJimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
's 1988 prostitution scandal and the general hypocrisy, in Osbourne's eyes, of "televangelistsTelevangelismTelevangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
". In the video for the song Zakk Wylde wears a mask with the likeness of Swaggart and Osbourne cavorts with swine, his pants around his ankles, carrying around a large staff decorated with a dollar signDollar signThe dollar or peso sign is a symbol primarily used to indicate the various peso and dollar units of currency around the world.- Origin :...
. - "Bloodbath in Paradise" is about the Tate/LeBianca murders by The Manson FamilyCharles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
. Although it is stated by Phil Alexander, Editor-In-Chief of Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Magazine, that it is about the Vietnam war in the 2002 remaster booklet, the song clearly refers to the Manson Family with lyrics like "You're comin' home - there's blood on the wall and Charlie / and the Family made house calls." This could be seen to conflate the two themes, as 'Charlie' was a nickname used by U.S. servicemen for the Viet Cong. However, mentions of "Helter Skelter", both a BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song and Manson's name for his predicted apocalyptic warHelter Skelter (Manson scenario)The murders perpetrated by members of Charles Manson's "Family" were inspired in part by Manson's prediction of Helter Skelter, an apocalyptic war he believed would arise from tension over racial relations between blacks and whites...
, are frequent within the song further deepening the references towards Manson. - "Demon Alcohol" is about the dangers of alcohol, much like "Suicide SolutionSuicide Solution"Suicide Solution" is a song by Ozzy Osbourne. It is track five on the album Blizzard of Ozz released in 1980. Guitarist Randy Rhoads wrote the riff to the song , and Bob Daisley helped co-write the lyrics...
" from Blizzard of OzzBlizzard of OzzBlizzard of Ozz is the first solo studio album by British singer/songwriter Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S.. It is the comeback album of Osbourne following his firing from Black Sabbath the previous year...
. - "Hero" deals with Osbourne's acknowledgment that he is viewed as a champion of sorts by his fanbase, and the uneasiness he feels as a role model.
Personnel
- Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
- vocals - Zakk WyldeZakk WyldeZachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
- guitar - Bob DaisleyBob DaisleyRobert John "Bob" Daisley is an Australian musician, bassist and lyricist who has performed in genres of rock, blues, R&B, hard rock and metal.-Early career:...
- bass - Randy CastilloRandy CastilloRandolpho Francisco Castillo was best known as Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999-2002.-Early years:...
- drums
Production
- Produced by Keith Olsen & Roy Thomas Baker (except "Miracle Man" & Devil's Daughter", which were produced by Keith Olsen)
- Recorded & Engineered By Roy Thomas Baker, Gordon Fordyce & Gerry Napier
- Mixed By Keith Olsen
- Mastered by Greg FulginitiGreg FulginitiGregory Fulginiti is an American recording and mastering engineer.In a career spanning three decades, Fulginiti was nominated for the TEC Awards by Mix magazine 6 times, earned 175 Gold and Platinum Awards, 25 Multi-Platinum Awards, 100 Number One recordings, 135 Grammy nominees, including the...
at Artisan Sound Recorders - 2002 Reissue produced by Bruce Dickinson
Sales accomplishments
RIAARecording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(United States)
| Date | Designation | Total Sales |
|---|---|---|
| December 19, 1988 |
Gold | 500,000 |
| April 17, 1989 |
Platinum | 1,000,000 |
| August 15, 1997 |
Double Platinum | 2,000,000 |
CRIA
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(Canada)
| Date | Designation | Total Sales |
|---|---|---|
| October 31, 1988 |
Gold | 50,000 |
| December 21, 1988 |
Platinum | 100,000 |