Patient Number 9

Patient Number 9 is the thirteenth album, released just two years after Ordinary Man, a late-career work again produced by Andrew Watt. Guitarists representing different generations — Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Zakk Wylde, Mike McCready — guest across the record, giving each song a different color. Including a performance by the late Taylor Hawkins, the album won the Grammy for Best Rock Album, vividly proving that Ozzy’s creative drive had not faded even late in his career. The title track “Patient Number 9” is a signature song where Jeff Beck’s fluid guitar and Ozzy’s shaded voice intertwine. From “Immortal,” featuring Mike McCready, to “Degradation Rules,” with old ally Tony Iommi, and “Nothing Feels Right,” where Zakk Wylde stands out, the lavish cast draws out the best in each song. Though long at sixty-one minutes, its dynamic sequencing keeps the tension to the end. With varied guests and Ozzy’s own character intertwined, it became his final studio album, an accomplished work that takes on special meaning as the close of his career.