Attack of the Killer Track! is a series that explores tracks from artists from a variety of genres. Some of the tracks were singles, some of them were obscure b-sides or long forgotten album tracks. One thing is certain – all of them are killer tracks.
In the wake of global or personal tragedies, people tend to reach for musical anthems that provide a feeling of unification. After the attacks in Paris at an Eagles of Death Metal show, my Social Network feed was inundated with clips of John Lennon’s Imagine. Truly, one of the best songs in history by one of my favorite artists. I also found myself playing Dreamer by Ozzy Osbourne – a song that equally embraces hope while facing the realities of this world head on. One of Ozzy’s musical heroes is John Lennon and this song was written with a Lennon-esque vibe in mind. A plaintive ballad, it lays bare Ozzy’s voice along with some true emotion. You trainspotters might realize that Robert Trujillo plays bass on this song (and the album it is taken from, Down To Earth). Trujillo went on to play bass for Metallica and will soon be the longest tenured bassist in Metallica’s existence (no small feat!). At any rate, this is one of my favorite songs of all time. Ozzy goes through seemingly insurmountable problems – the destruction of Mother Earth, religion, prejudice – and dreams for an end to these problems. It might not be the worldview you think Ozzy would have or even the song you’d expect from Ozzy. Give it a try – what it is, is a perfect song in the style of The Beatles by an artist who isn’t always given a fair shake. “If only we could all just find serenity / It would be nice if we could live as one / When will all this anger, hate and bigotry… / Be gone? / I’m just a dreamer / I dream my life away”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCCiwPEdEpg]