On the latest “Ozzy Speaks” episode on Ozzy’s Boneyard, rock icon Ozzy Osbourne related to him one of the wildest stories from his past that left them both amused and in shock. The story would revolve around his experiences with acid upon recording Black Sabbath’s iconic album Volume 4.
Ozzy recounted a particularly bizarre day when he took ten tabs of acid. Feeling a little adventurous, he made up his mind to have a walk in the nearby field. What happened next was right out of some surrealist comedy. He found himself chatting with a horse for about an hour. Yes, you heard that right-a horse!
“I took 10 tabs of acid, then went for a walk in a field. I ended up standing there talking to this horse for about an hour. In the end, the horse turned round and told me to fuck off. That was it for me,He said.”
The discussion got comic when, maybe tired with all Ozzy’s talk, the horse basically said to Ozzy, “fuck off.” That weirdly enlightening moment of clarity led Ozzy to a big decision: he was off the acid.
That anecdote isn’t supposed to be any funny story but brings forth the chaotic life that surrounded every rock musician in the 1970s. Ozzy has that special humor which makes light of a time when drugs became common in the music industry. Through his experiences, anything that’s happened has become part of rock lore, bringing into view the extremes of one’s lifestyle during this era.
Volume 4 was recorded under the prevalence of drug and alcohol consumption. It is said that members spent more money on drugs than on recording this album. According to the guitarist Tony Iommi, the atmosphere was “absolute pandemonium.” This mix of productivity and disorganization set up a special environment in which the band members let their crazy experiences be put into their music.
Despite chaos, some of Black Sabbath’s most memorable tracks came through Volume 4. Songs like “Iron Man” and “Snowblind” reflect struggles and themes of addiction that were just so pervasive in their lives. “Iron Man” speaks to feelings of loneliness, while “Snowblind” addresses the effects of cocaine directly. The songs strike a chord with fans and further prove chaotic experiences mixed within the band shaped this record.
But recording was not without its problems. The group developed growing tensions, fed by drug-taking and artistic differences. The fact that the album title was changed from “Snowblind” to Volume 4 was consideration enough to reflect the pressures they felt from their record label, Warner Bros. This name change showed that a struggle between their artistic work and the commercial expectations placed upon them was very clear.
Besides the resounding success, the band was simultaneously falling prey to personal demons harnessed by their now-escalating abuse of drugs. Ozzy’s addiction issues finally compelled him to leave Black Sabbath in 1979. This being a major turnaround for him, Ozzy went on to create a widely popular solo career when his album Blizzard of Ozz hit the stores in 1980.
Ozzy Osbourne‘s rise and fall through addiction and recovery are well-documented. Events affected not only his music but also helped mold his persona in the public eye. Songs such as “Crazy Train” show his themes of mental instability, an extension of chaos that usually came along with his lifestyle.
The excesses of Ozzy’s past are something he is loud and clear about today, serving as a reminder to so many other artists. Rather demonstrably, the ability to turn personal turmoil into dynamic music has linked this artist to his fans for generations. With a voice that still continues, he reminds his fans of that wild, crazy world of rock and roll captivity in which creativity so often danced hand in hand with chaos.
Ozzy’s comic and humiliating experience with a horse somehow really brought his acid use to an end. But it still stood witness to the wild ride that was Black Sabbath’s Volume 4. With laughter and music, Ozzy Osbourne has etched his mark on the rock genre-proof that chaos breeds creativity.
