Ozzy Osbourne

Blizzard of Ozz

A slap in the face to fans nationwide.

Review Score:

(2/10)
NOTE: THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE 1995 REMASTER OF BLIZZARD OF OZZ, WHICH HAS OZZY OSBOURNE RUNNING DOWN THE SIDE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU BUY THIS, AS IT'S JUST A TRIBUTE ALBUM OF THE ORIGINAL ALBUM, NOT THE REAL THING. BELOW YOU WILL FIND A REVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL REMASTERING, NOT SOME REHASHED TRIBUTE PREFORMED BY THE NOW-WASHED UP OZZY! WHATEVER YOU DO, TRY TO FIND THE OTHER VERSIONS OF THIS CD! MOST CD STORES DON'T SELL THIS CD BECAUSE OF ALL THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, BUT MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PICK IT UP ANYWAYS! I ONLY GAVE THIS VERSION 5 STARS BECAUSE THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL "Blizzard of Ozz", and here it is:

Released in 1980, this was Ozzy Osbourne's first record in his solo career, and his most popular.

After being kicked out of Black Sabbath for disorderly conduct, Ozzy Osbourne set out to find instrumentalists for his new solo band. First off, he hired former Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoad
,Don Airey on keyboards, and Tommy Aldridge on drums. With his lineup complete, Ozzy and Co. set out to make the album that would eventually become Blizzard of Ozz. Ironically, being
kicked out of Black Sabbath was Ozzy's blessing, as he found much greater success in his solo career, and Black Sabbath made Heaven and Hell with Dio, one of their best albums if not the
best.

Released in 1980, this record immediately received rave reviews from critics, impressed at the mastery of Rhoads' guitar playing and Ozzy's soul-searching vocals, and the sheer amount of
variation in the songs, from all-out rockers like "Crazy Train" to melodic ballads like "Goodbye to Romance". Although Blizzard of Ozz only got as high as #21 on the Pop Album charts, and
"Crazy Train" only charted as high as #9 on the Mainstream Rock charts, This CD's legacy still lives on today with such radio staples as "I Don't Know", "Crazy Train", and "Mr. Crowely".
Unfortuneatly, this album was greeted by angry parents because of such songs as Suicide Solution, and that's what originally hurt sales. With Randy Rhoads legendary Guitarmanship, he equaled and even beat out Eddie Van Halen for the best guitarist, and even though he only made two albums with Ozzy, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, his legacy is still as pronounced today as it was in the 80's. So is this CD overrated or is it truly a classic that should be owned by everybody? Truly it is a classic, and read below for song ratings to see why.

Track Ratings:

I Don't Know-10/10:Starts off the album perfectly, introducing the listener with an insane riff by Rhoads that Ozzy perfectly dishes out his vocals over. The Chorus is great, and at about 2
minutes 30 seconds in, Ozzy dramatically changes the song with a ballad-like quality, but then he quickly switches back to the full-throttle rocking! Good musicianship!

Crazy Train-15/10:Who hasn't heard this? Played at football games around the world, it truly is hard not to hear. Starts off with Rhoads' legendary riff and Ozzy's "Aye Aye" that perfectly starts the song off with a bang. Great chorus, and maybe the best guitarmanship on the whole album. Perfect solo by Rhoads, and it shows why he was one of the best soloists out there.

Goodbye to Romance-10/10:For all you ballad-haters out there, this happens to be one that you might like! With the Soul-searching melody and Ozzy's brooding vocals, this song makes you feel like you want to cry. A great chorus("Goodbye to Romance, Goodbye to friends", and a solo by Rhoads that fits the tone perfectly. One of the best ballads out there PERIOD!

Dee-8/10:A tribute to Randy Rhoads' mother, it shows a softer side to Rhoads with a heartfelt solo off an acoustic guitar. Gets downgraded because its only 50 seconds long.

Suicide Solution-9/10:Really good lyrics from Ozzy, and this is the song that angered many parents because of its slightly mature lyrics, but really they overdid it. Ozzy's vocals sound
sardonically sarcastic, and it really enhances the song's dark tone. Gets downgraded for a lack of a good solo from Rhoads, but it does have a killer riff(No pun intended!).

Mr. Crowely-10/10: The Organ solo rocks! The organ solo perfectly develops "Mr. Crowely"'s dark and mysterious tone, and Ozzy's haunting vocals truly make this a song perfect for any
horror flick. Great solo from Rhoads, and the solo clocks in at about 40 seconds long.

No Bone Movies-10/10: I don't understand why people say this is a filler song! This is a flat-out tough rocker with Ozzy's sarcastic vocals and an absolutely lovable riff from Rhoads, with a great solo coming in about 1 minutes and 45 seconds in. Aldridge's drumming is also a highlight here, as his drumming sounds more pronounced than on most tracks.

Revelation(Mother Earth)-10/10:A slow ballad that tries to warn people about the end of the world, it's a very soulful song that would fit in any horror movie. Gets harder as it goes along,
with a superb solo from Rhoads and great keyboarding.

Steal Away(The Night)-10/10: Another hard rocker that never fails to please, this is probably the fastest song on the album, and Rhoads' riff is pure bliss. Great Chorus and killer solo, as usual.

Overall, Blizzard of Ozz is nearly perfect, with "Dee" being it's only low point, but that's only because it's 50 seconds long. This album perfectly shows us why Ozzy Osbourne and Randy
Rhoads' names have lived on for over 20 years, and their legacy on Rock N Roll will never be forgotten. If you are a fan of Rock in General, you should already have this album or be ordering
it off Amazon now.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!PERFECT FOR ROCK FANS AND THIS IS THE ALBUM TO
BUY IF YOU ARE TRYING TO GET INTO OZZY!EVEN THOUGH THIS ALBUM IS
AWESOME, CHECK OUT DIARY OF A MADMAN IF YOU WANT TO SEE A TRULY
SUPERB CD! Thanks for Reading!

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