Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard Of Ozz CD

Recorded between March 22 & April 19, 1980. Includes liner notes by Phil Alexander.

Digitally remastered by Stephen Marcussen (Marcussen Mastering).

After the quiet implosion of Black Sabbath, the wise money was not on former vocalist, Ozzy, being the one to redeem himself musically. However, with shrewd management by his wife and a hotshot Californian in the shape of ex-Quiet Riot guitarist, Randy Rhoads, he reinvented himself and his musical persona, and created a startling debut album. Combining Rhoads' impetuous flurries of heavily stylized guitar, his own series of lyrical caricatures--"Crazy Train" and "Revelation (Mother Earth)"--and a healthy dose of controversy, citing renowned satanist Aleister Crowley as the subject matter for "Mr. Crowley," he ensured himself acclaim and commerciality in equal measure.

Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo album was originally credited to the band Blizzard of Ozz, an appropriate designation since the songs were written and produced by Osbourne with guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer Lee Kerslake, and because the album is remembered as a showcase for Rhoads. In this refurbished version, which features some newly recorded overdubs and which has been remixed and remastered, Rhoads again stands out for his effective guitar work, but one is also struck by the lyrical persona Osbourne was presenting to the world on his maiden voyage after Black Sabbath. Clearly, his sacking by his former band and the resulting binge of depression and substance abuse that took up 1979 were still much on his mind when he came to record this album in the spring of 1980, and the songs are full of references to alcoholism ("Suicide Solution," said to have been inspired as well by the alcohol-related death of AC/DC singer Bon Scott), Satanism ("Mr. Crowley," which pondered the legacy of Satanist Alistair Crowley), and addiction to pornography ("No Bone Movies"). The singer opened the album by disclaiming any pretensions to wisdom ("I Don't Know") and sounded like he was mourning his departure from Black Sabbath on the ballad "Goodbye to Romance." But "Crazy Train" and "Revelation (Mother Earth)" suggested that there was some reason for hope on a global basis and, by the end of the album, "Steal Away (The Night)" indicated he had worked his way through his troubles to a new optimism. The bonus track, "You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You," apparently an album outtake with new bass and drum parts added by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin, is another example of Rhoads' majestic playing and is actually one of the disc's catchier tracks. ~ William Ruhlmann

Additional Tracks

Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Bob Daisley (vocals, bass guitar, gong); Randy Rhoads (guitar); Don Airey (keyboards); Robert Trujillo (bass guitar); Lee Kerslake (drums, timpani, tubular bells, percussion); Mike Bordin (drums, percussion, gong); Danny Saber (tubular bells); John Shanks, Mark Lennon (background vocals).

Audio Remasterer: Stephen Marcussen.

Audio Remixers: German Villacorta; Thom Panunzio.

Liner Note Author: Phil Alexander.

Recording information: Ridge Farm Studio (03/22/1980-04/??/1980).

Photographers: Mark Weiss; Ross Halfin; Neal Preston; Fin Costello; Paul Natkin.

Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Randy Rhoads (guitar); Don Airey (keyboards); Bob Daisley (bass, gong, background vocals); Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion, tubular bells, timpani); Mark Lennon, John Shanks (background vocals).

Producers: Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Randy Rhoads.

Uncut (8/02, p.112) - 3.5 out of 5 - "...Surprisingly melodic..."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.53) - "[A] work of genius....[With] some superb songs, many of which are now regarded as timeless classics."