Ozzy Osbourne rules out recording new solo album: ‘It’s wasting money’

Since Black Sabbath went their separate ways in February, Ozzy has played a handful of US festival dates this summer alongside guitarist and kindred spirit Zakk Wylde, bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson, drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman.

While he’s remaining active in the live arena, Ozzy has told Rolling Stone that he has no intention of recording a follow-up to 2010’s ‘Scream’.

“I would like to do another record but it's wasting money,” Ozzy explained. “Nobody's buying (albums). You don't have to sell that many records anymore to get a Number One. Depending how many records you've sold. You can have 30 or 40! Nobody buys them.”

Asked if he believes with Gene Simmons’ assertion that “rock is dead”, Ozzy replied: “Live, good rock music is not dead. But I think the record industry is really suffering now.

“There are only about two fing record companies left. And when I went to the Grammys a couple of years ago, there'd be artists who'd go from a fing laptop straight to the charts and release a record.

“It's really a sad thing for me. ... It's just changed so much. I said to Sharon, ‘It's like when vaudeville ended and f***ing modern music began. We're the history now.’

“And no matter what gimmick – what colour album, vinyl, whatever, the fact of the matter is people don't want it. Why should people buy records when they can download it. You can get anything now online.”

Ahead of their shows together in the summer, Zakk Wylde said he’d happily record a new album with his good friend.

"My relationship with Ozzy and Mrs. O (Sharon Osbourne) is if they call me up and say, 'Bring eggs and milk over and clean the dog run,' I do it,” Zakk told the Chicago Tribune.

“If Oz wants to do another record, then we knock it out. We haven't spoken yet about a record. Basically, right now it's about the shows."

Elsewhere in his Rolling Stone interview, Ozzy said he will never retire: “People around my age go, ‘I'm 65 now. I'm retired.’ Then they f***ing die.

“My father got a bit of cash from the job he had, did the garden and died. And I'm going, ‘That's a bit of an anti-climax after working so many years in a factory.’ I ain't retiring. People still want to see me, so what's there to retire from?”

He continued: “(Black Sabbath have) retired but I haven't. It's like I'm jumping off one boat onto another. People forget, I was with Sabbath from '68 to '79, but I've been on my own from '79 'til now.

“I've been on my own thing for a lot longer than when I was with Sabbath. I love what Sabbath did for me and I love what I did for Sabbath, but it's not the be-all, end-all of my own whole career.”