''No Rest for the Wicked'' is the fifth solo studio album by English heavy metal vocalist

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

. It was released on 28 September 1988, and was re-issued / remastered on 22 August 1995, and again on 25 June 2002. The album was certified gold in December 1988 and has since gone double platinum. It peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was the first album to feature guitarist

Zakk Wylde Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy meta ...

, keyboardist John Sinclair and the first to feature bassist

Bob Daisley Robert John Daisley (born 13 February 1950) is a retired Australian bass guitarist. He has collaborated on several occasions with Ozzy Osbourne, for whom he contributed bass, backing vocals, co-production and songwriting. He has also worked wi ...

since ''

Bark at the Moon ''Bark at the Moon'' is the third solo studio album by British heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, originally released in December 1983. The album marks Ozzy's change to a synth infused pop-metal sound, with both its "sonic production, and in ...

''.

Overview

''No Rest for the Wicked'' is the recording debut of lead guitarist

. After firing lead guitarist

Jake E. Lee Jake E. Lee (born Jakey Lou Williams, February 15, 1957) is an American musician best known as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne between 1982 and 1987 and later as a member of the band Badlands with Ray Gillen. He formed the band Red Dragon Car ...

in 1987, Osbourne received a demo tape from Wylde and later hired him after an audition. Bassist/lyricist

made his return to Osbourne's band after the two had a falling out in 1985. Once the album's recording was complete, Daisley was once again out, replaced by Osbourne's former

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

bandmate

Geezer Butler Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born 17 July 1949) is a English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He has also recorded and performed with Heaven & Hell ...

for subsequent promotional tours. "Miracle Man", "Crazy Babies", and "Breakin' All the Rules" were released as

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

with accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

s. The song "Hero" was an unlisted hidden bonus track on the original 1988 CD and cassette releases. The song "Miracle Man" was a pointed barb aimed at disgraced

televangelist Televangelism (wikt:tele-, tele- "distance" and "evangelism," meaning "Christian ministry, ministry," sometimes called teleministry) is the use of media, specifically radio and television, to communicate Christianity. Televangelists are minister ...

Jimmy Swaggart Jimmy Lee Swaggart (; born March 15, 1935) is an American Pentecostalism, Pentecostal televangelism, televangelist, southern gospel, gospel music recording artist, pianist, and Christian author. His television ministry, which began in 1971, an ...

. Swaggart had long been critical of Osbourne's music and live performances, before he himself was involved in a 1988 prostitution scandal. Creative Director John Carver was hired by Sharon Osbourne to conceptualize and art direct the album sleeve for "No Rest For the Wicked". John's concept was to position and portray Ozzy as Jesus Christ. John commissioned legendary photographer Bob Carlos Clarke to photograph the sleeve. John's image of Ozzy has achieved legendary status and has appeared in various "best album sleeve..." books.

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals *

– guitar *

– bass *

Randy Castillo Randolpho Francisco Castillo (December 18, 1950 – March 26, 2002) was an American musician. He was Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999 to his death in 2002. Ea ...

– drums * John Sinclair – keyboards

Production

*Produced by

Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s. Career Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...

and

Keith Olsen Keith Alan Olsen (May 12, 1945 – March 9, 2020) was an American record producer and sound engineer, who worked with Magnum, Rick Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne, the Grateful Dead, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Heart, Santana, Saga, ...

, except "Miracle Man" and "Devil's Daughter", which were produced by Keith Olsen * Recorded and engineered by Roy Thomas Baker, Gordon Fordyce and Gerry Napier * Mixed by Keith Olsen * Michael Sadler of Canadian band

Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

did the background vocals shortly before recording was finished, which is why he has no official credits * Mastered by

Greg Fulginiti Gregory Fulginiti (born February 13, 1951 in Cape May Court House section of Middle Township, New Jersey) is an American recording and mastering engineer. Fulginiti grew up in Wildwood, New Jersey and graduated from Wildwood High School in 1969 ...

at Artisan Sound Recorders * 2002 reissue produced by Bruce Dickinson * 2002 remastering by Chris Athens

Charts

Album

Singles

Certifications

References

External links

*
Official Ozzy Osbourne website
{{Authority control 1988 albums Ozzy Osbourne albums Albums produced by Keith Olsen Albums produced by Roy Thomas Baker Epic Records albums Columbia Records albums