“When he picked up on the riff, I thought, Are you kidding? But he turned that into a Grammy-winning song” Zakk Wylde says Ozzy Osbourne has a “real gift” for recognising when a riff works
Ozzy Osbourne may be known for his powerful vocals and electrifying performances, but The Prince of Darkness has an equally great “gift” for picking up the magic in a riff, according to guitar virtuoso Zakk Wylde.
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Having worked as Osbourne’s guitarist and co-writer for years, Wylde says that the musician has a talent for recognising hit material and knowing when a riff hits the mark — since the beginning.
“The funny thing with Ozz is that, when I played things like, say, I Don’t Wanna Change the World, I was just messing around having a joke, riffing, singing crazy shit,” Wylde tells Guitar Player. “But Ozzy heard something that clicked for him. When he picked up on the riff, I thought, Are you kidding? But he turned that into a Grammy-winning song.”
“Oz has such an ability to hear what works and how to realise the spark that the riff created for him,” he adds. “It’s a real gift that he has, and he’s been doing that since day one in Sabbath and with Randy Rhoads.”
“I’d play riffs to Ozzy, and he’d instinctively say ‘Yeah, that’s good’ or ‘No, I’m not feeling that one.’ Same with his vocal lines. I’d say nine out of 10 times the first thing that he sings is the keeper. The first thing he comes up with is the melody, and his great gift is to be able to sing a countermelody over a riff.”
As for his own creative process, Wylde says he likes to “sit in the kitchen at night with the dogs when everybody’s sleeping, and maybe put on some Pat Martino, Joe Pass or Scott Henderson or something, and cop some of those ideas.”
“I think it’s cool to hear something then incorporate it with something that doesn’t seem at all connected,” the guitarist explains. “That’s the excitement of music though, creating amazing new meals with the same ingredients everyone else has, yet managing to find something that’s uniquely your own. That’s what it’s all about for me.”
During the chat, Wylde — who’s now touring alongside Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, and Charlie Benante in the reformed Pantera — also says that it’s an “honour” to be playing his late buddy Dimebag Darrell’s stuff every night.
“It’s great to see how much joy people get from hearing those songs again. It’s the power of music and by playing the music, it’s like the guys are still alive and well. I try to keep as faithful as possible to the original solos for nearly everything.”
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