Under Cover

Under Cover is a strongly conceptual covers album on which Ozzy Osbourne took up classic 1960s–70s rock songs that form his own roots. It is built around recordings included on the box set Prince of Darkness, released the same year, with several newly recorded tracks added. Produced by Mark Hudson, it respects the frames of the originals while reinterpreting these classics through Ozzy’s distinctive voice and texture, making for a record full of affection. The song choices — Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” the Beatles’ “In My Life,” Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen,” King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” — strongly reflect Ozzy’s musical background and tastes. On John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” he draws out the original’s shadow, and on the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” its dramatic lift, each in his own way. Though a concept record apart from his original albums, it is intriguing for understanding the musical influences behind him, and enjoyable as a playful work on which a veteran returns to his origins.