Blizzard of Ozz

If you ask me, then Black Sabbath had barely a bad album and their first 6 with Ozzy were great. I also can, contrary to all the critics, enjoy Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! even though the sound has severely changed, but there was still that last piece of Black Sabbath feelig it contained nonetheless. However, after I have given myself some listens to this album, I was not that much frustrated anymore that Black Sabbath kicked Ozzy out after their last 70s album.

Ozzy is a personality in the rock and metal world and his work with Black Sabbath has reached a legend status with which he still is respected for even today. However, this debut album showed that Ozzy was maybe Black Sabbath's face, but definitely not the brain behind it.

Let's start with the short part: The things I like: Ozzy's voice is strong. It always was. He always had a bright singing voice since the Paranoid album and all the songs are sung like this. It is a really motivating and brightening singing voice and actually quite enjoyable. Also, this guy has a great way to express his feelings in the lyrics. No matter what topic he's writing about, he doesn't write just anything, but always describes how he feels about this part. So it's quite enjoyable to read the lyrics at least.

Now to the longer part: the things I dislike on this album: Everything else.
First of all, as good as his voice is, if you first don't know how to sing and second don't know what to sing, then you waste your beautiful singing voice. No matter if Crazy Train, I don't know, Mr. Crowley or every other song on this album: This guy doesn't use any variation at all. He has 3 to 4 notes he sings on the first verse and keeps it like this for the rest of the fucking album. Damnit Ozzy, I know well that you can better! You have done it on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Dirty Woman, especially the ending part. And if you couldn't remember, you should have at least noticed you're singing garbage when listening to the recordings! That's why I said reading the lyrics are enjoyable. Because enjoying that stuff while listening to the songs is extremely exhausting.

Which brings us to the next problem, the songwriting. If not even a guy like Randy Rhoades, who was involved in the songwriting can help this album, then you know it's pretty pretty bad. And Blizzard of Ozz has manifested Ozzy in the rock and metal world as what he now is known as: just an image guy. He doesn't even try to write anything remarkable or great. Everything is just intended for fast cash grab. If he slept through the last 4 decades and saved his whole solo material for nowadays to be released on Spotify and other music streaming services, people would have listened the shit out of it. He could have released this album track by track and you would see average rock fans lose their shit about it, because every song is kept as simple as possible. How can you ruin a song with such an intro like Crazy Train like this? Only by just missing the opportunity to build the climax it served. This is the typical Eye of the Tiger shit, where you build up the first songs of a song like this and make everyone exciting and suddenly it just slows down and leads to nowhere. But has anyone told Ozzy to stop with that? No, that song became a hit!

The next problem are the guitars and I don't care who is on this guitar, I mean we had Marty Friedman in Megadeth for 5 consecutive albums and nobody is hyping these albums to the sky simply because Friedman is on the guitar. If you're wasting someone's talent, then you're wasting someone's talent, a talented person can't turn shit into gold just by touching it. And the songs on this albums are really just waste. Goodbye to Romance and Revelation (Mother Earth) are very very simple and uninspired ballads. I think Ozzy was on a trip when they recorded these songs and though he will perform this stuff on some TV shows, where he can enjoy some singalongs. Same with Suicide Solution and No Bone Movies, which I can't even categorize. What are they supposed to be? Rock songs? Slow tempoed metal pieces? I just can't figure it out since they're not moving in any direction on these songs. And what is Dee? An instrumental people are supposed to listen to and think like "whoa, Randy Rhoades is the new Jimmy Hendrix, this guy is so talented"? I HATE pointless instrumentals like these. But OK, we had stuff like this back then in Black Sabbath known as Fluff and Embryo, so people in that time apparently really gave no shit on studio albums about guitar solos and preferred to astonish the audience live in concert instead.

1980 wasn't too early for good competition, since Judas Priest and Motörhead definitely had their good stuff out there already and with releases like Overkill and Stained Class out there, as well as Ozzy's ex-band Black Sabbath who completely humiliated him with the Heaven & Hell release there couldn't be any chance that people really grabbed this thing and were satisfied with the results. And even the hard rock bands back then had more to offer than this... whatever it is. It's another example for "don't judge a book by its cover, but reverse, since the artwork is great, other than the content.

If Ozzy wanted to continue with Sabbath this way, then nobody should be surprised that he was kicked out, because if the successor of Never Say Die! was supposed to move into this direction, then Black Sabbath would have damaged their legacy worse than they already did back then.

Remember back in the day when Ozzy’s solo stuff sounded good and had great writers and musicians backing him? I definitely do; it feels like it’s been a lifetime since those days. After having the displeasure of listening and reviewing Ozzy’s latest album, “Ordinary Man”, I felt the need to come back to what Ozzy sounded in his prime or at least towards the end of his prime if we include his work from Sabbath. Listening to the whole of “Blizzard Of Ozz” is like reliving a great relationship that had some issues here and there. The album has its lows but it’s over shadowed by the highs and there’s a good amount of highs.

Without Randy Roads, Bob Daisley, and Lee Kerslake I don’t think “Blizzard Of Ozz” would have been as famous nor as good as it should’ve been. First off, Bob Daisley himself is a very talented writer and a great bassist. His bass work for the albums he had with Ozzy always felt like having a second guitarist that really popped out to the listener. I don’t think the bass lines have much complexity writing wise but Bob is undeniably tight and straightforward as the loud bass cords pack a punch giving a good backup to Roads fantastic riffing in songs like “I Don’t Know”, “Steal Away (The Night)”, and the overplayed “Crazy Train”.

Speaking of Randy, holy shit can he dish out some groovy leads and solos. Randy had such terrific skill, being able to go from speedy soloing in “Mr. Crowley” to a more intimate, rock influenced riffing in “Goodbye To Romance”. His writing skills would only improve after this album into “Diary Of A Madman” which I think is the best album Randy has had his hands in creating. Randy just had a good sense on what makes a riff catchy, employing all of his influences from early metal and rock music he grew up listening to. It’s a shame what would happen to Randy after Diary but that’s a topic for another day.

Lee Karslake rounds out the album giving us a tight drumming experience. Some of my favorite tracks with Lee behind the kit is “Suicide Solutions”, “Mr. Crowley”, and “Revelation (Mother Earth)” which features just a little more variety in his play style. The drumming in general outside those listed songs sound simple in structure which has nothing against Lee, it’s the writing for the drums that sound so one note. Luckily that is improved in Diary as Lee does have more of an influence and a chance to shine with his writing ability seeing how he only helped write one song here when he came into the fold.

With everybody and their skills in tandem, it gives Ozzy a foot to stand vocally. After a decade of Black Sabbath, Ozzy still sounds great stepping into 1980 and in his first solo debut. I mentioned that “Crazy Train” has been overplayed to death, which is true, but I can see why it is as Ozzy gives a great performance here. He’s even able to pull off those early Sabbath vibes in “Revelation (Mother Earth)”. There’s not really much to say regarding Ozzy, he’s best when he’s surrounded with great writers and musicians and worst with well...look at the past decade of Ozzy material.

I guess for my closing segment I will stress that this isn’t a perfect album. There’s some average and basic song structures and filler songs such as “No Bone Movies” and “Steal Away (The Night)” that take up the album. The production is also a issue as the album as a whole sounds flat with the biggest offender of the production is the drums being so low in the mix. Compare “Blizzard Of Ozz” and “Diary Of Madman” and you’ll see noticeable jump in quality, both production wise and writing.

Still, even with all that, “Blizzard Of Ozz” is a classic as Ozzy persues his solo career mixing in his sounds that he helped develop in Black Sabbath while trying to commercialize it. Its simply an album that isn’t overtly complex but is well written and executed properly. There is legitimate care and heart put into this and when you look at what Ozzy has become, I think some will come to appreciate this albums quality more. A great album and a classic in the genre but not the best, nor a masterpiece and you know what? Nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with that at all.

After writing the review for Ozzy's poor excuse of a heavy metal album "Ordinary Man", I decided to listen to his debut album "Blizzard of Ozz" not just to regain my sanity, but to also remind myself a time when Ozzy was still a good musician. I can agree with those who say this album is a classic. There are a lot of amazing moments in this album, and is packed with tons of memorable moments.

Let's start off with the lead single of the album "Crazy Train". Some people may find this a bit overrated with a more radio-friendly sound. This is true to some extend, but even for radio-friendly standards, this song still kicks ass. One of the song's strongest suits is the guitar riff. Randy Rhoads guitar performance in this album is superb, but his style truly shines here. The guitar riffs on this song is fast-paced with a distorted sound that adds in a crazed atmosphere. Osbourne's vocals are also excellent here, as his singing fits well with the frenzy instruments. The chorus part is especially memorable, with Osbourne's mix of whining and shouting gives off the impression that he is going crazy as things are falling apart. It's easily one of the best songs off the album.

While "Crazy Train" is one of the best songs off the album, there are also plenty of good songs. "Mr. Crowley" starts off with devilish synths and a gothic piano that creates a mysterious atmosphere. Ozzy also sings about a person named Mr. Crowley, who has talked to the dead and has done other creepy deeds in the past. The guitar solo around the two minute mark is one of the best guitar solos in Osbourne's discography, as it's fast and distorted, and adds in an epic moment in the song.

"Goodbye to Romance" is one of the more slower songs on the album, and it is pretty good. The guitar riff is slow, and has a reverb effect that gives it a sweet sound. Osbourne's singing here is amazing, as his voice is on key the entire time, and gives off a romantic feeling. The voice also works well with the lyrics of a break up. While many love songs in heavy metal fall flat, this one is executed perfectly with the slower production and fine singing.

However, this album isn't perfect. The acoustic guitar in "Dee" comes before the heavier, darker sound of "Suicide Solution". I think it would've been better if Ozzy had placed the song before "Goodbye to Romance". Also, in "No Bone Movies", Ozzy's vocals are a little quiet, and don't offer much of a punch to the aggressive atmosphere of the song. I think the quiet vocals are caused by poor mixing , though I'm sure that issue is fixed in later releases of the album.

While there are some minor flaws in the album, that doesn't stop the album from being good. With excellent guitar riffs, dramatic vocal performances, and a variety of atmospheric themes, there's a lot to enjoy in this album. It's kinda sad to see Ozzy regress to a more generic and boring sound in later years, but I will always have this album to remind myself what good Ozzy Osbourne music sounds like.

In light of the bitter disappointment that Ozzy’s new album ‘Ordinary Man’ has proven to be (perhaps unsurprisingly considering the personnel involved and the cynical philosophy behind its creation), it behoves me to redress the balance by offering a review of what I consider to be a classic album for the ages, ‘Blizzard of Ozz’.

The history of Ozzy’s dismissal from Black Sabbath and the subsequent building of what was going to be the Blizzard of Ozz band is well documented, and I needn’t reiterate it here. However, I do want to start by immediately recognising the magic that came about when four men put their musical minds together and built something new, exciting and timeless. ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ is not only the greatest of Ozzy’s releases, I would argue that it’s one of the greatest rock/metal albums of the 1980s.

Firstly, we have the songwriting personnel of Bob Daisley and Randy Rhoads. To put it succinctly, Bob Daisley is my hero. His lyrics and sense of songwriting made Ozzy’s solo career a success every bit as much as the guitar wizards who formed the backbone of the sound. Literally everything that Ozzy said in his lyrics in the 1980s was actually said by Bob Daisley. In fact, it’s Daisley’s clever and poetic lyrics that I believe are a key distinguishing factor between the 80s albums and the disappointments that are ‘Down to Earth’, ‘Black Rain’, ‘Scream’ and the godawful ‘Ordinary Man’. Even the lyrics and tone of the great ‘No More Tears’ album are dumbed-down (perhaps with the exception of Lemmy's contributions) compared with what came before when Daisley held the pen.

The lyrics on ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ are philosophical, poetic, slightly occultist, witty at times but always championing intelligence and independence. This is why Ozzy and Sharon worked with Daisley across all of the 1980s albums, even amidst the animosity between the two camps. For a full account of the inner workings of Ozzy’s 80s solo career, I recommend Daisley’s book ‘For Facts Sake’. It is certainly an eye-opener. He is a true legend.

I’d rather not dwell on Randy Rhoads, but his supreme excellence must be acknowledged, of course. The essential riffs are all here: ‘Crazy Train’, ‘Suicide Solution’, ‘Mr Crowley’, ‘Goodbye to Romance’. The vibrancy, the skill and the sweet, sweet guitar tone are as engaging today as they were in 1980. Yes, Eddie Van Halen set the template for 80s guitar histrionics in 1978, but so did Rhoads in 1980. Again, I don’t want to harp on ‘Ordinary Man’, but compare the sound of that album with ‘Blizzard of Ozz’.

Ozzy, despite some pretty heavy substance abuse around this period, sounds strong and as melodic as he ever would. Free of overly synthetic effects, his natural voice is a thing to behold. He will always remain one of my favourite singers due to an uncanny ability to sell the song, regardless of technical skill or any of those other red herrings that critics like to prattle about - his ear for melody here is superb. There’s no question that Ozzy’s personality shines on this album. Elsewhere, Lee Kerslake’s drumming is solid and powerful while Don Airy’s keyboards are tasteful and appropriate – both gelling superbly with the whole unit.

The warm, analogue, production engineered so well by Max Norman at Ridge Farm Studio in rural England simply shines. It's a delight to listen to and never tires the ears. The album cover is one of metal’s all-time great images, although the attempt to erase Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake from history by only including photos of Ozzy and Randy in the 2011 re-release booklet is a cynical and bitchy move. You'll forgive me for not naming names...

Overall, ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ is a resounding success, and it is a true testament of the magic that can happen when four ambitious musicians with a lot in common create an album together. I believe it's superior to 'Diary of a Madman', as great as that album is, due to the follow-up being quite rushed and slightly lacking in songwriting depth - an admission made by both Randy and Bob. It is 'Blizzard of Ozz' that truly shows the songwriting skills of this duo, and the tracks have now become classics of heavy metal.

It's a joyous celebration of rock n roll and an unending source of happiness and entertainment. This is how I prefer to think of Ozzy. And Bob.

WAAAAAAH! Ozzy did a reality show! WAAAAAAH! Sharon threw eggs at Iron Maiden! WAAAAAAH! Ozzy called Dio mean names!

Ok yes, all of those are pretty stupid, but just like Metallica with Ride The Lightning, it doesn't matter what crimes the artist committed. The fact is, this is arguably the greatest debut in heavy metal of all time. Most shocking of all is it allowed Ozzy a clean break from the doom metal style into something a bit more forward thinking. Power metal-ish even. Musically this actually isn't all that different from Heaven & Hell. Straight down the line verse-chorus rock & roll with just a little more adrenaline because that's how the evolution of rock & roll is supposed to work.

Obviously none of this would be possible without one specific element: The Crazy Train riff! More specifically, its composer Randy Rhoads! You very well could have called this album Randy Rhoads: Blizzard of Ozz. Sure it would mean Ozzy would still be the singer (nothing is wrong with that), but at least there would be SOME inclination of a permanent duo. Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, ok, I'll be the first to admit these guys are pretty bare bones, but they do come up with some neat tricks every so often, like in Goodbye To Romance Bob comes up with a bass line that tastefully mimics the last couple of measures of Randy's solo. Plus if you really listen close to Crazy Train, that's a sixteenth note hi-hat rhythm keeping that time. Probably the fastest example of this until Run To The Hills came along.

There really is only one criticism of this album that holds substantial water: Why bother getting this when every song here is on the live album Tribute, and live albums are usually always better than the studio recordings (Tribute is NOT the exception)? Well, the brilliant outro riff of Mr. Crowley is played clean there for some reason, but here we get it in it's distorted glory. That's really the only complaint I have, but it's so miniscule...not to mention there is a tonality here that is charming in its own right (a solid reason why the studio version of Crazy Train remains just as much a radio staple as the live version despite the live version having a music video).

Highlights? More or less the staples you've been told, Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, I Don't Know, Steal Away (The Night). Forget whatever invective has been flung Ozzy's way over the past near 40 years, this is a classic hard rock/metal staple no music fan should be without.

Of all the biographies in rock and roll, you probably owe it to yourself to read Ozzy's first. (And then Lemmy's, which I'm currently doing.) Apart from the dove-biting and bat-biting and the tragic aeroplane accident and the amusing, almost-tragic quad bike accident - "I was only doing fucking 4 miles an hour" according to the man himself - there has been a lot of other shenanigans over the years, a large part of which has nothing whatsoever to do with Black Sabbath and absolutely everything to do with Ozzy the solo artist. However, the whole concept of Ozzy as a solo artist is a rather strange one, certainly since some of his guitar players have attracted almost as much as attention as the singer, not to mention the other well-known musicians that formed part of his band for this album.

Certainly keen to be distanced from his Black Sabbath days, the premise for Blizzard of Ozz was to juxtapose big-hitting heavy metal and hard rock tunes with some more conventional songwriting and nifty guitar work courtesy of Randy Rhoads. This album may seem slightly odd these days due to its rather lopsided nature, but back at the transition between the '70s and '80s it was not unusual for musicians to dash ideas together from opposite sides of the spectrum and to see no obvious penalty commercially. Here, the presence of some pronounced balladry sits alongside simple rocking tunes like 'Suicide Solution', while there is experimentation from different quarters on 'Mr Crowley' and 'Revelation (Mother Earth)', not to mention the large dose of keyboards supplied by Don Airey that also seem a product of the time. It's difficult to say how much input Ozzy himself had on the development of these songs (since he was mostly involved with a tussle between thirst and liver), though everything was written by the band and produced by them too, so one can imagine a productive environment with few restrictions on creativity.

What surprises to some degree is that the apparent freedom really comes through on the recording, with a genuine sense of enjoyment and adventure lighting up the majority of the album despite the frequent changes in direction. Maybe playing music under the influence really can turn out better than you'd expect (something else that Lemmy would weigh in on). There isn't another Ozzy album, nor even really a Sabbath album, where the band sound so happy to try things and have a singer who can add the finishing touch: the range of styles that both music and vocals pass through is oddly gratifying, making me think that this band could have tried just about anything if they had really put their minds to it. Even more strangely, the heavier songs aren't necessarily the best, since the slightly generic likes of 'No Bone Movies' and 'Suicide Solution' don't even come close to the majesty that 'Revelation' achieves in its second half, where there is a cacophonous glory of the band kicking down boundaries and not giving a fuck about the consequences. Naturally, the singles are great, particularly 'Mr Crowley', which sees that spine-tingling organ combine with Ozzy's voice in a manner that hadn't been done since the birthing throes of 'Black Sabbath' 10 years before, Rhoads' ass-kicking solo merely a bonus.

The thing that makes me very happy to listen to this whereas I look more critically on Diary of a Madman is that this album is about songs, not performances. I don't have to glean pleasure from the magic of Rhoads or focus on Bob Daisley's bass to take my mind off the ballad ('Goodbye to Romance' is not too bad for Ozzy's forays into lighter material), since the whole experience is enjoyable on its own merits, as it should be. Ozzy does a good job at suiting the shifting music, still not having much in the way of tune but certainly sounding like a leader at all times, really getting into the terrific verses of 'Steal Away (The Night)'. There is a lot of playfulness at work in the slower songs, such as the aforementioned ballad, where the first half is plain and earnest but the second half nicely ornamented to prevent it becoming tiresome; however, it falls to the quicker numbers to show that exuberance is a winner too, everyone having a great time partying on the 'Crazy Train' and the lyrics showing a (probably) tongue in cheek Ozzy singing about the "dangers of porn" with amusing lines like: "Voyeur straining, in love with his hand / A poison passion, a pulsating gland". The final reason that this stands above most of the Ozzman's other solo work is that there isn't anything that I recoil at, as is the case with parts of other albums. Nothing is awful, some parts are really awesome, and even the mediocre bits are turned to account by the energy and freedom of the band. Really good stuff.

There are few artists that have come about that can make a huge portion cringe at just the mention of their name. Ozzy Osbourne, after his departure from the great Black Sabbath, wandered for a year looking for exceptional musicians to work with and make a solo album. Ozzy had met the then unknown Randy Rhoads, a local guitarist that was in the band Quiet Riot, who had released a few albums in Japan, and were rather popular there. A man in Randy Rhoads who was just born to play the guitar. Osbourne had chosen him only after Rhoads tuned up and played some riffs and scales. From then, metal history was made. Blizzard of Ozz is Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo album, and remains a favorite of the metal community to this day, spawning popular songs like Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley, that even people who don't listen to metal or Ozzy's music could recognize after a few measures.

The sound on Blizzard of Ozz is mainly based around Ozzy's rather nasal voice, and Randy Rhoads ultra heavy guitar tone. The bass sound usually seems rather hollow, and the drums provide solid beats without too much flair, and seem to be rather danceable (i.e. Crazy Train's drum beat during the verses). Randy also provides a lot of classical influence, especially in his solos. Although there have been some guitarists to hint at classical in the past, Randy was fixated on classical playing. The solos and fills add great amounts of melody to the songs. A great example of his classical playing is the solo acoustic performance Dee, and fantastic ballad Goodbye to Romance.

Throughout the album, though, Ozzy also hints at themes that were ever-present on Black Sabbath albums. Suicide Solution is a warning of how alcoholism can ruin your life, and can even be a method of suicide. There is a part that people have claimed as subliminal, where it sounds as if he's saying "shoot" or "do it," but it was ruled out of court as a combination of sounds that formed to make those sounds. Yep, that's right, idiots brought this song and band to court! The song itself is vicious in its approach, with a very simple drum beat. It contains no real solo, though. There is also the song Mr. Crowley, which hints at themes of Aleister Crowley, famed satanist amongst other things.. The song also starts off with a very memorable, yet haunting organ part, and contains several mind blowing solos. It is one of the highlights of the album.

Blizzard of Ozz, though, isn't a perfect album at all. Ozzy's voice is extremely nasal at some points, and on Crazy Train, it sounds as if there's a roomful of lambs bleating out constantly. The guitar tone, also, can sometimes be annoying. "No Bone Movies" is an absolutely dreadful song, whether it is about pornography or horrible horror movies. The guitar playing is absolutely boring, with cliched pseudo-blues riffs, except for the great slide solo of course. Over all of that, Ozzy does his "lamb bleating" thing, and it is extremely annoying. Steal Away (The Night) is another bad song, although I can't really put my finger on it. To me, it sounds like a ripoff of Van Halen's Running With the Devil, and the song just sounds too "poppy" and out of place on the album.

Overall, this is a rather great metal album. It is a milestone of 1980, and kickstarted that particular decade with a bang. It contains some of Ozzy's best songs, and some of Randy's best guitar work. It isn't without it's flaws, though, however at the end of the day it should be bought post haste.

By 1979, Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne seemed to have run its course. After a near-decade of legendary landmark albums such as Paranoid, Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and their eponymous debut, a combination of rampant drug and alcohol abuse, frustration, and apathy led to Osbourne's dismissal by the band. And while the Black Sabbath name would continuously juggle frontmen and musicians in the 1980's, Ozzy would embark on a highly-successful solo career. And while his life and career would become a mix of infamy and controversy, it is with his debut album that he solidified himself as a rock and metal legend. And oh yeah, Randy Rhoads does a pretty good job helping him out.

Ozzy has always made sure he's had a solid guitarist behind him, such as Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. But it was because of Randy Rhoads' involvement with Ozzy's first two albums that he followed the trend of having a solid axeman. Rhoads may not be as memorable a riffer as Tony Iommi, but his technical skill playing and soloing rooted in classical music is what sets him apart from the rest. The end result is not grinding and brooding, but rather, an upbeat and epic rock sound. Even the album's darker moments, such as Mr. Crowley and Revelation (Mother Earth), feature Rhoads' epic style. His solos and riffs alone on Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, Goodbye to Romance, Suicide Solution, and Steal Away the Night is what designates his status as an all-time great and essential piece to Blizzard's puzzle for success.

Blizzard of Ozz is basically a who's who of immortal metal classics. As often as it's played at every sports game imaginable, Crazy Train remains the sing-along arena staple that it was in 1980, with Ozzy's classic chorus and Randy's speedy solo. Mr. Crowley helped solidify Ozzy's status as a controversial rock icon with its lyrical content but features perhaps the two most celebrated guitar solos in metal history, and with good reason. And while not as memorable as good ol' Iommi, Randy flexes his riffing muscles in album opener I Don't Know, fun and fast-paced Steal Away the Night, and the infamous Suicide Solution, which became the center of a lawsuit against Mr. Osbourne. And while power ballads are often cliched and always tough to pull off successfully, that's exactly what Ozzy manages to do. Goodbye to Romance, Ozzy's farewell ode to Black Sabbath, is emotional and may sound schmaltzy, but it's 100 percent genuine. Dueling guitar and keyboard solos coupled with Ozzy's catchy yet heart-breaking lament of a chorus definitely set the standard of what a power ballad should be. And while Revelation (Mother Earth) may not be as memorable as Goodbye to Romance, it features its own share of experimentation with haunting acoustic and piano melodies and a great Rhoads guitar solo comes swinging out of nowhere. The only songs that could be considered "filler" are No Bone Movies and Dee. No Bone Movies is a mid to fast-paced rocker that seems to be about the dangers of porn addiction, or uses porn as a metaphor or drug addiction, I don't know. Still, it's a solid rocker and does its job. Dee is a 50 second acoustic instrumental piece which, nicely enough is dedicated to Randy's mother Delores. And even though it greatly contrasts with the rest of the album, Randy shows off his classical stylings and hey, it's a song dedicated to his mother, so you can't be too harsh.

One bit of controversy that continues to surround this album (and no, it's not the controversial 2002 reissue) is that Blizzard has more of a mainstream, arena, and (gasp!) "pop" feel than the Black Sabbath Ozzy material. But did Black Sabbath with Dio still sound like Black Sabbath? If they were allowed to reinvent themselves, why not Ozzy? In fact, it's because songs like Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, and Goodbye to Romance are so catchy and "mainstream" that make them so memorable and beloved. The combination of quality and accessibility is truly a testament to Ozzy's career and music. And while Ozzy would continue to follow up with solid albums such as Diary of a Madman, Bark at the Moon (which is actually more "commercial" than Blizzard), and No Rest for the Wicked, Blizzard of Ozz shows the greatest diversity and technical ability.

To put it in the plainest terms, Blizzard of Ozz is basically the Ozzy and Randy show. Bob and Lee prove to be a solid support team with bass and drums, but it's Randy's guitar and Ozzy's singing which take center stage on the album. The riffs may not be as memorable as Sabbath's, but the solos are mind-blowing and absolutely unbelievable. And while Ozzy has never been heralded for being the most technically skilled vocalist (probably the least-skilled of any Sabbath frontman), he definitely proves to be consistent and reliable. Not bad considering what he'd done and continue to do to his body for the better part of 4 decades. For his debut album, it was make or break for Ozzy and he made the absolute most of it. Without Blizzard of Ozz, I honestly don't think you could say he'd be as big of a star as he is today.

Ozzy's first solo album came out the same year as Sabbath's first post-Ozzy album. Sabbath had their secret weapon in the form of Dio himself; Ozzy, for his part, had his own ace up his sleeve in Randy Rhoads, a prodigiously talented guitarist whose shredding is far and away the most appealing aspect of this album.

Let's face it: as compelling as he was in his prime as a frontman, Ozzy's talent for lyrics has always been hit or miss, and that's never truer than on this album, with dubious rhymes infecting most of the songs and some pieces, like the bizarre anti-porn piece No Bone Movies, descending into incoherence. ("Hungry for bodge", Ozzy? Really?) What Ozzy has always needed is a high-quality musical backing to elevate his wails from drunken rambling to thunderous, almost operatic statements. In Sabbath this was provided by Iommi's doomy riffs; here, it's Rhoads who steps up to the plate with technically flashy soloing that pushes songs such as I Don't Know and Crazy Train from goof-off territory into the staples of Ozzy's act they became.

However, in any review carried out today, the album needs to hold its own not only against Heaven and Hell - which I would argue is a more consistent album, having no song as out of place or limp as the utterly needless ballad Goodbye to Romance that blots the running order here - but also faces stiff competition from Tribute, the double live album documenting the 1981 tour which was released in honour of Randy. Said album includes all the songs from here, plus a wealth of classical guitar material from Randy culled from the recording of the brief interlude Dee on Blizzard, without the sleek studio production job that renders some songs (such as Suicide Solution) rather lifeless on this disc. On balance, Blizzard of Ozz was a listenable and entertaining product that proved that Ozzy could be a viable commercial force without Sabbath, but it's not stood the test of time nearly as well as Heaven and Hell, or Ozzy and Rhoads' own Tribute.

There's no doubting the iconic wave Mr. Osbourne has been riding since his SABBATH days, augmented all the more by his solo work, increasingly-maddening "Ozzfest" debacles and media whoring. It's all in conjecture, and understandably so, but at the end of the day shouldn't the overall product be as sound and meaty as the constant praise? After all, that's what should be the most important...right? Right?

So let's see if his now-legendary beginnings hold true those ideals...

I think I owned this disc for a good month or so before I got rid of it. And with good reason. There is absolutely nothing on this album that should even be remotely considered "legendary", at least, in my book. This wasn't Ozzy attempting some kind of new stylistic beginnings after his fallout with SABBATH. This was Ozzy's attempt at a pop album which ended up heavy as a result of him not seeming to know any better. Seriously...this is one of the most bland and sterile acts of musical banality I've come across this side of all the shitty local demos I've checked out or SUFFOCATION's "Human Waste". Nothing is working in the listener's favor...the production is wooden, the guitar tone is an irritating grind, the drumwork has that plasticy touch, and Ozzy's wails never clicked with me, although this time around it's more palatable due to his ability to sing REAL vocal lines versus shadowing the guitar licks. And even though Randy Rhodes was able to molest the six stringed monster like no one else back then and evoked all sorts of talent, it's wasted on this exercise in devastating solipsism, with all his riffery and solowork thrown into the background with everyone else to make sure the Ozzman gets all the face time he's allowed. And at the end of the day, it's the songs themselves that are supposed to be the main reason for consistant lovey-doveyness, and none of them have any sort of staying power; tepid, middle-of-the-road, and devoid of any sort of substance outside of obvious ability...and the biggest sin in all of this is the lamentable "Crazy Train". By all the gods of death, I hate hate HATE this song with every fiber of my being; annoying, overplayed, and performed with that "just starting out" band feel that stays in the listener's head far too long (and am I the only one here who noticed that the first part of Randy's solo is OUT OF KEY??? Oops!). Then again, other songs like "I Don't Know", "Suicide Solution", "No Bone Movies" and "Mr. Crowley" are all as equally irritating and shallow, so I guess no one wins in the end.

All in all Ozzy's first foray into the popular music world is about as fulfilling as cotton candy, and since then each successive album has somehow made things worse. With such a shitty, unfortunate beginning, how is that even possible? No fucking thanks...

With Ozzy often finding himself these days in the same "fallen from grace" position as his peers in bands like Metallica and Queensryche, I always hope that future generations will remember the man's earliest studio albums as some of his greatest achievements. Released in 1980, this particular album proved that Ozzy could find success away from Black Sabbath and also introduced the mainstream world to the late guitarist Randy Rhoads following two unnoticed albums with Quiet Riot.

Even though this album was released as a singer's solo debut, it is pretty safe to say that everything on here is all about the guitar playing. Rhoads truly steals the show on this album as well as on the following "Diary Of A Madman" and manages to be both intense and versatile throughout. Of course, Ozzy himself puts on a decent performance and carries the hooks well in spite of being put on the spot more than he ever was in Sabbath. The rhythm section is also enjoyable though it doesn't get to stand out as much as could...

Musically, you could say that this album serves as an extension of the sound that previously appeared on Sabbath's first four albums. The songs are generally driven by the guitar in a way that resembles "Master of Reality" and the atmosphere is overwhelmingly dark when compared to some of Ozzy's later solo efforts. The extensive theatrics on this album also seem to expand on those that were merely hinted at on works such as "Sabotage" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath." However, the songs rarely go into the slower tempos of the singer's alma mater and instead go towards fast, upbeat tempos that were hardly ever explored in those days.

The songs reflect this diversity of influences well and go into many different styles through the nine-song duration. You've got some dark metal tracks ("I Don't Know," "Suicide Solution," "Mr. Crowley"), upbeat anthems ("Crazy Train," "No Bone Movies," "Steal Away (The Night)"), a few more melodic moments ("Goodbye to Romance," "Dee"), and an amazing hybrid in the form of "Revelation (Mother Earth)." The lattermost track is definitely my favorite of the lot with its apocalyptic imagery and excellent guitar work though you can't deny the fun that still manages to come along with "Crazy Train" in spite of it being so overplayed recently...

Predominately written by bassist Bob Daisley, the lyrics on this album are also noteworthy and may some of the most sophisticated ever associated with the Ozz. A variety of topics are presented and generally include society ("Crazy Train," "Revelation (Mother Earth)"), addiction ("Suicide Solution," "No Bone Movies"), personal struggles ("I Don't Know," "Goodbye to Romance"), a bit of occultism ("Mr. Crowley"), and good ol' fashioned debauchery for good measure in "Steal Away (The Night)."

Of course, this album does have its flaws. While "No Bone Movies" and "Steal Away" are pretty fun rockers, they do go into borderline filler territory and "Mr. Crowley" does feature some awkward verses that are fortunately made up for by the powerful instrumental segments. And in a way similar to AC/DC's Brian Johnson, Ozzy's vocals may also be a little weak in comparison to the instrumental prowess but this is easy to overlook when you consider how used to his voice you probably are due to his recent saturation...

All in all, this album is an essential listen for metal fans of all kinds as well as for anyone that calls themselves a fan of the guitar. While the album's successes do make me wonder why the reviews for it here on the Archives are so mixed, the flaws do help me see how some don't like it. Oh well, I suppose every metalhead has an Ozzy phase at some point...

My Current Favorites:
"I Don't Know," "Crazy Train," "Goodbye to Romance," "Suicide Solution," and "Revelation (Mother Earth)"

Osbourne really stepped into the fantasy realms of his psycho mind and plugged out a fine, yet too polished, studio outing. Without any concept, the Blizzard would carry an "American style"- status. Daisley wrote the lyrical score for this album, Rhoads invented the riffs and Ozzy got out of his bathtub and invented few excellent recordings, some medicore and some really poor material that we find to be fillers.

The opening salvo of "I dont know" has incredibly simple riff with added fuel of aquistic moment overbearing the good, yet mad solo. No Bone Movies stays full steam a filler, althought in Tribute the live chords of this song are kinda nice. Mr.Crowley, Crazy Train and Suicide Solution simply gets the job done. My freakin face melts when I get to the "All aboard the crazy train" moment. This epic musical score offers the first solo Ozzy go, while not being Osbournes best attempt, still kicks ass.

The material is a good mix of heavy metal and rock and roll. Two ballads Revelation( Mother Earth) and Goodbye To Romance set the mood set for a dreamy, if not crazy altitudes. The crazed charm of Ozz begings to enfold of the rock classics, such as Steal Away, where the moment is stolen, but for good deeds.

The album lacks personality and concept, so in the songs itself there is no story or point. Because this record has no concept, its taken way too malicourlsy. With no imaginitive fantasy realm, its more of a: "Hi this is Ozzy I am crazy and all". Everyone knows that so some material do get repertuous. Its just that Ozzman commands:"This is what I was in Sabbath, now this is what I will do the following 30 years". That announcement reflects the point of this heavy metal record. Some fans may want to leave Ozzy, but they certainly are in the minority. New recordings got this commercial pop rock taste and this album is the one to talk about one day and listen to when you are young and vulnerable. There are, yes we are being exposed to certain "pop hooks", which is good counting the measure that pop is the bottom line metal idea.

With horrificly fast running time, this album falls short to most of Ozzy Osbournes recordings, not because this is bad, but because the later stuff rocks way too hard. After Randys death some fans left Ozz for good, but indeed similar album to this is for example the heavy "Black Rain". Some really rare solo moments are treasured to this record and its like listening to gospel with kick ass writers and composers.

Before I say anything else I have to make clear that Ozzy, as a singer, is totally insignificant to me and sometimes I really despise and hate his voice. Still, bearing in mind what he has offered to heavy metal all these long years, I have the obligation towards him to be as objective as I can and see his albums as the work of many musicians, not just Ozzy.

And now that I’m done let’s see what’s in store for us. Blizzard of Ozz is Ozzy’s first album in his solo career. He has gathered a line-up of good musicians, especially the amazing guitarist Randy Roads. You can tell by the cover that after his break-up with Black Sabbath he has returned with some wild intentions. His voice, I think, sounds kind of heavier than before but still remains so recognizable. The sound of the band deviates from that of Black Sabbath and tends to a more “American” style. I think it is good the fact that he didn’t stay stuck to the past and make the album sound more updated and “fresh”.

The collaboration among the band and their performance is very good but what really stands out is the incredible, melodic guitar playing by Roads. Sometimes it plays a key role letting Ozzy come second. Some of the most well-known riffs that have been written are included in the Blizzard… I wish I could make the same nice comments about the vocals but apparently Ozzy just doesn’t have it in him. He is a fine composer, a colossal frontman, no doubt about it! However he doesn’t have the ability to any better than that.

Blizzard of Ozz owes his existence to three metal hymns. Crazy Train, Suicide Solution and Mr.Crowley have written their own history in the book of heavy metal. Crazy Train is a fantastic song with a superb riff. I hear it at almost every rock club I may go to. Suicide Solution became well-known because of the trouble it brought to the band but also gave them some good advertising and promotion. Of course we all know that you must be too stupid to kill yourself, let alone only by listening to a song.

Mr.Crowley is a composition that smells like Sabbath to me. I’m not saying that Ozzy stepped on his Sabbath fame. It’s just that its’ heavy, slow riff and feeling fooled me for a moment to believe that he had never left them. For many fans this song is probably his best.

I’m disappointed by the fact that there are two ballads in the album, in a total of nine songs including Roads’ acoustic monologue on Dee. And to be honest only one of them is quite okay. Goodbye to Romance is very emotional and reveals a sensitive side in Osbourne’s soul. On the other hand Revelation is a completely useless one. It does more bad in the album than good.

Steal Away(The Night) is a fine sample of how heavy metal should be played back then. It has a pretty fast tempo and it can excite you. The remaining songs though are not of big importance. They are only expanding the playing time which would be too little without them.

In overall, Blizzard of Ozz is not too bad. It has its’ ups and downs. It is however too overlooked by many because it marked the beginning of Ozzy’s solo career. Okay, it was a nice start but considering what followed it makes it lose many points.

The only thing this album is excellent at is proving one undisputable truth in Metal: A respectable guitarist does NOT fix everything.

Now before everyone jumps on the Randy Rhoads bandwagon, so few realize that the only reason his fame continues to this day is due to this unfortunate death. He recorded a total of four albums, not enough to warrant permanent popularity. Besides the next album is where he was at his finest and even that is the same thing as this. Just like every single Heavy Metal, or Rock in General, guitarist from 1980 on, Randy Rhoads blatantly rips off the ideas of the legendary but nauseatingly underrated Rik Emmett. Everything about his guitar tone, style and speed are so ludicrously derivative that it’s hard to truly revere them.

Where this album also suffers is production and dreadful track listing. We begin with the worst produced song on the album, I Don’t Know. Well, Ozzy, I Don’t Know, I’ve spent years trying to figure out why you are famous, but songs like this just prove how much better Sabbath got once your inept voice was discharged.

After the tedious opener we get the atrocious start of Ozzy’s trademarks. The only attribute of Crazy Train is hardly a quality. It manages to sum up all the things that would appear on at least one song on every future album. The whole “I will act crazy so people will think I am cool, when in reality I am just raping them of their money. But its okay people at least I have a good guitarist, right? Right?” This rumpus, can’t call it a song, is the worst on the album.

Why I say the track listing kills is after two vomit-inducing songs we get a ballad and, at that point, there was no such thing as an adequate ballad by Ozzy. I am sure if we brought down NASA engineers and matched the world debt in the process, we could find a music where Ozzy’s voice fits it. One fact is Ozzy is best when he can’t be heard all that well, he has the most appalling voice in the history of Metal. No matter how good the music is on Goodbye to Romance, a first thus far on the record, it is absolutely eviscerated by the guy behind the microphones’ shrill ‘Dog Being Killed’ voice.

Now we get Randy Rhoads frenziedly ripping off one of his idols, Rik Emmett. If he was trying to outshine Rik Emmett then he failed as miserably as anyone who dares trying to compete with the most versatile and flexible guitarist in history. Just listen to Triumph’s “Fingertalking” or “Fantasy Serenade” and see how obvious here Randy Rhoads is imitating, AND FAILING, Rik Emmett.

The last song on side one, Suicide Solution, follows suit. Disposable trash. Side Two doesn’t start out any better, with Mr. Crowley, which has but only one abiding quality. Thus we introduce the always steadfast Don Airey, with his evil, chilling organ intro. The rest of the song itself is okay I guess, but after the last five abysmal tracks it barely eludes insipidness.

Thus far I know I have been mean to this album, yet my rating is a 60, you might be asking how I chose to give it such a rating. Well the answer lies in the last three songs, equaling 13:31. All three tracks have what the first six lack and that is imagination and enthusiasm, the band sounds engrossed, including Ozzy. No Bone Movies is uproarious and kicks ass, the last minute and a half is like an orgasm, the gradual build-up to a great swirling climax. I find it amusing that the best correlation given for this track is sexual in nature and yet the song is about a voyeur who has an unmanageable lust for masturbation.

Steal Away the Night is another kick ass track, though it cannot be called a ‘classic’. It is entertaining and vigorous with a piercing riff and finally the rhythm section equaling the velocity of the guitarist. There is only one real classic on this album and that is the only one I have yet to cover, Revelation (Mother Earth). Ozzy sounds good, even when he is singing in an poignant voice, the contrast amid acoustic and electric guitar playing is shrewdly done. It never sticks with either style long enough to erode its build-up, and for once on the album Ozzy does not fatigue his welcome. His voice here is stimulating, and the fact that four minutes of this song exist without his voice works wonders too as well. Those four minutes give the other members a chance to excel, in particular the aforementioned, consistent, Don Airey. His piano work here can only be described as ‘pretty’, it is supple and tender backed by elegant chords by Randy Rhoads. Those chords become serious and staining when he picks up the pace and fires off his best work on the album. It is the one time on the album where he can carry the whole band on his shoulders and succeed, his sense of timing is flawless here and establishes he was a very good guitar player, even if not the most innovative.

So in the end this album is a severe mixed bag, three good songs out of nine is not a very good percentage. I cannot commend this album, I propose to any new comer the first side of Bark at the Moon or the entire Ultimate Sin album. Those show what Ozzy was wholly capable of. Obtain the last three songs and avoid the rest, because you’re not missing anything.

Yes, I know this album is considered a classic by many. I personally am also a big fan of Ozzy in his eighties period. Yet I’ve always preferred his 1981 album ‘Diary Of A Madman’ over this one. There’s a simple reason for this. ‘Diary…’ was slightly less rock, more metal and darker.

A decent amount of the songs on Blizzard Of Ozz are firmly based upon hardrock. This obviously had something to do with Rhoads’ Quiet Riot background and Ozzy not wanting too sound too much like his previous band.
‘Suicide Solution’, ‘No Bone Movies’ and ‘Steal Away’ are typical yet very good seventies rockers. These kind of songs always sound better live than on album. The ‘Tribute: Randy Rhoads’ live recordings which were released in 1987 proved that.

The best songs present on Blizzard are the songs with the highest amount of metal and/or darkness. Opener ‘I Don’t Know’ works around an effective heavy riff and ‘Crazy Train’ balances between rock and metal but still sounds heavy.

Third highlight is the epic ‘Mr. Crowley’ with its mighty keyboard intro before plunging into a very dark but melancholic mid paced composition with an incredibly beautiful and powerful guitar solo. Truly a classic in Ozzy’s solo career.

The ballad ‘Goodbye to Romance’ has never been a favourite of mine. Neither was the live version. The lyrics are somewhat enjoyable but the song has always sounded too cheesy. The instrumental ‘Dee’ is gorgeous and of course way too short.

Yes, I like this album, but not as much as its follow-up.

Ozzy’s success as a solo artist has been well documented in the realm of both radio and music television; that much is certain, but with all the lousy acts that get their 15 minutes of fame on these venues one ought to question everything they herald. Although Ozzy, like his nemesis Ronnie James Dio has been blessed with collaborations with amazing guitarists, the relationship he has with his players is one of co-dependence rather than collaboration.

Rhandy Rhodes was not only Ozzy’s guitarist, he was his personal savior, and the evidence can be seen in this rather musically ambitious yet vocally mediocre collection of songs. As with all metal vocalists, he was nothing without a great band, and after being fired from Black Sabbath he returned to nothing until this album was released. Ozzy’s charm was not in his singing, although his work on “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and “Sabotage” was inspired, but in his image and stage persona. Unfortunately, stage presence counts for zero in the studio, while words and music count for everything.

One of the blessings that I’ve found in completely detaching myself both from radio and MTV is that great songs being overplayed has had zero affect on me. Classic songs off this album such as “Crazy Train”, “I don’t know”, and “Suicide Solution” rock hard and are loaded with solid guitar riffing and highly climactic solos. “Mr. Crowley” will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most amazing atmospheric and shred driven compositions of the early 80s, despite have a lackluster vocal performance. Even the vocally exposed ballad “Goodbye to Romance” is musically in good order.

Other songs on here are not bad, but tend to be lost in the collection of classic riff monsters. “Dee” is a brief instrumental that no doubt is meant to emulate similar works on previous Sabbath albums. Not bad, probably even more technically oriented than Tony Iommi’s caprices, but it’s a bit out of place here. “Steal Away” has some solid guitar work in it, but lacks any definitive hooks to put it up with the bulk of the stuff on the earlier half of the album. Everything else on here is a combination of what is lacking in both of these songs.

Basically to sum up, this is a good album, but it’s not something that falls into the category of being revolutionary. Rhandy Rhodes is a solid player and an excellent composer, but much of what he does here riff wise harkens back to both Sabbath and other rock/metal acts of the 70s, while his soloing is a more energetic variant on Eddie Van Halen’s model. “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules” were much more revolutionary both musically and lyrically than this was. Fans of the NWOBHM, shred, and traditional metal will like this, although fans of mid-70s era Sabbath will not be impressed with Ozzy’s shrinking high range and inability to get in the center of the pitch he’s trying to sing.

Ozzy's first is often considered his best by many a fanboy, but I can't get behind that theory, primarily because of the sheer epicness of his second album and some of the great material on a few of the later ones. But just because it's not the best doesn't mean it isn't a respectable classic.

As the title suggests, I firmly believe that "Mr. Crowley" justifies the purchase of this album on its own merit. A magnificent organ intro, killer riffing, great vocals and lyrics, and of course, one of heavy metal's most brilliant guitar solo moments all propel this song into the archives of metal greatness. The song continues to haunts me to this day, and I'm sure I've heard it hundreds of times. It's that fucking cool.

Mr. Crowley isn't the only high point here, however. Several metal standards are featured here, such as the quick paced "I Don't Know," the dark "Suicide Solution," and the Sabbath-esque "Steal Away (the Night)." There are more mellow songs as well, such as the well-written ballad "Goodbye to Romance," acoustic instrumental "Dee," and the epic sounding "Revelation (Mother Earth)." Every track is blessed with the phenomenal guitar wizzardry of Randy Rhoads, whose riffs are intricate, his fills plentiful, and his solos godlike. Ozzy has a few memorable moments in the form of melody lines and lyrics, but Randy definitely takes the spotlight here. The synthesizer work is notable as well, especially the "Mr. Crowley" intro and the piano part in "Revelation."

"Crazy Train" is Ozzy's most well known anthem, but aside from the magnificent guitar work, I believe it's wholly overrated. The songs on Blizzard tend to be either undeniable classics or just solid, decent songs. That inconsistency is the reason this album is not rated as high as the later albums.

Rhoad's playing is the reason to own this album. Overall, it's a solid example of 80's metal, despite being somewhat mainstream, and should be a part of just about every metal collection, whether you love Ozzy Osbourne or despise him.

This is my favorite Ozzy album...and its still pretty damn bad. We have three good tracks on this album, then a bunch of garbage. The album is very inconsistent and impossible to listen to from the beginning to end. The 3 tracks on this album do offer 3 different great things and are worth a listen, but I wouldn't buy the album over them.

After a boring intro song, Crazy Train offers this album hope, which disapears after this track. Crazy Train has a great opening riff done in an 80's style metal but without having a hair metal feel to it that pulls you right into some good vocals by Ozzy. The highlight of this album is the amazing solo Randy Rhodes does. Its lengthy, intense, and very enjoyable hitting many different and pleasant sounding notes. The solo totaly blows away anything on the rest of this album, or anything Ozzy has done with his solo career, its that damn good. After a boring ballad and an unispired instrumental track the ablum goes into the song with the best riff on it. Here the song has a great opening riff that streches throughout the entire song and manages not to get boring or annoying, but in fact stay good and enjoyable. The bass line here is also pretty good, its flowing with the riff and has volume. After this delightful track the album hits its last good song. Mr. Crowly has the best song structure of any song on this album. It has good solo's, good riffs, good basslines and drums, and some pretty good vocals. The song is very well written abd put together. The album then ends in a trio of garbage.

So aside from 3 great tracks the album totaly blows and is boring. Not even these three great tracks are convincing enough to make anyone want to buy this ablum. This album prooves that Ozzy at his best, is at best medeocre. Stay away from Ozzy in General

Let me start by saying that it is a shame that this is my favourite album that Ozzy did solo. Of course everybody will say that Randy Rhodes rules, but then again if one wants to discuss shredding, then Malmsteen or Buckethead or even Wylde can shred circles around Rhodes. He is not a bad guitarist by any means, but so very overrated. Ozzy himself doesn't have much of a voice, but then again he never really did.

I think that the album makes itself to be heavier than it really is. The guitar sounds rather weak, even though the riffs are there. The drums are nothing special, mainly just trying to keep the guitar in check. This is early enough in Ozzy's career that his voice is not going all shakey yet (see Live at Bodokan or whatever it's called). The main problem with these songs is that they have the most promising intro, and they just lose it as the song goes on. The band fails to return to the same formula that they used to write the first part, hence having the song just losing steam until it becomes simply boring.

3 very good examples of this - Mr. Crowley, with it's killer intro, promptly ruined by Ozzy's voice and the song change. Crazy Train, with one of the best riffs ever in it's into, suddenly gets all happy and cheerful, which is not good ladies and gentlemen, especially when you have a riff that badass as your intro. And lastly, Suicide Solution, with a really cool verse that is so singable, but the chorus really sucks dick. Goodbye to Romance just isin't good. Never really was, Ozzy sounds really strained.

Despite all that, this is still a fairly good album and the one to buy if you want an Ozzy solo album. However, anything (literally) by Black Sabbath is better.

This album really has one distinctive trait, and that is Randy Rhoads. His guitar solos are something out of this world, really - total fucking shredding, but with taste and a keen sense of melody. No wankery is to be found here, most every solo is pretty much memorable note for note.

The rest of the album... the thing is, Rhoads plays circles around everyone else. He plays a million notes a second, and the songs tend to seem fast at times, but then they really are not. For example, "I Don't Know", which starts with a crash and then that majorly fast riff, but when the bass comes in, it kinda plods along. Then the chorus is totally plodding along. Still a great song, because the solo completely saves it, but the thing is, this is not a band cut out to play speed metal, when only one instrument is going Hell Bent for Leather. Even Judas Priest with Dave Holland sounded far faster than this.

"Crazy Train" is the obligatory classic - not really the best song on here, because the chorus is just so grating the way Sucky Suckbourne sings it. His voice completely blows ass - Ozzy would be such a great band if they got rid of that cretin behind the microphone. Black Sabbath did the right thing, why didn't Ozzy?

The rest... "Goodbye to Romance", I'm sorry but this song just completely fucking sucks. Ozzy couldn't write a ballad to save his life. Dee is a little guitar noodle, pretty decent since Randy can definitely write great solos, acoustic, electric, you name it. "Suicide Solution" - man if I had to listen to that song more than once I'd kill myself too! It blows fucking donkey chunks!!

"Mr. Crowley" - my goodness, this song has so much promise. Listen to that intro, it's the most ominous thing since "Black Sabbath". Fucking immense atmosphere, then... "Miiiiister Crowwwleeeeey". Pffffft. Get that stupid cokehead away from the mike, we've got a guitar solo to record. The song plods through two verses, and then the monster solo. So good, in fact, that I once edited out the middle section using Cool Edit and just had keyboard intro and then outro solo. A winner is you!!

The rest - boring!! "Revelation" has a fucking sweet solo, but the riffs don't hold together - I have no idea who wrote the riffs, but poor Randy must have been falling asleep playing them. "Can we get to the solo already? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

So what we have here is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, toiling away with two competent but unspectacular musicians, one underused and underappreciated keyboardist, and some dickfuck that should've retired in 1948.