•
Rating:
No, I can't believe it, out of 4351 reviews (at the time of writing), only 1 concerning Ozzy, the "Prince of Darkness," that means one plus 4350!!! I feel obliged as an Ozzy fan and a new member of the community (besides for personal pleasure) to review other albums, and I will start with this "Blizzard of Oz".
In Ozzy's history outside of Black Sabbath, there have been three guitarists: Randy Rhodes, Jake E. Lee, and Zakk Wilde. With Randy, the Ozzy production was excellent, with Jake almost a failure, with Zakk great. A coincidence? I don't know, but I don't think so. This is Ozzy's first solo album and also his best, and just like in the following "Diary Of Madman", the contribution and skill of Rhodes (tragically deceased some time later
in a plane crash) are notably felt compared to subsequent works. The album itself is heavy metal/hard rock, very classic, with all ingredients skillfully balanced, beautiful melodies (including the inevitable Ozzy-style ballad...), great metallic riffs spit out by Randy's Jackson and Les Paul, excellent solos.
An album dominated by the guitar (at the time there was debate whether Rhodes or Van Halen was better...) the undisputed queen of the genre, and the genius of Ozzy, taking the first step towards his new career with this great "debut," a milestone in Ozzy's career, and for all the nostalgic metalheads and '80s guitarists.
Don't pay attention to the images, Ozzy has always been a picturesque character, from the cover to some photos in the booklet (where he looks quite flamboyant at times...) what matters is what reaches your ears.
An anecdote: it is said that the song "Suicide Solutions" played backward contains a message saying "Kill yourself," and according to legend, a young man committed suicide after listening to it repeatedly. All nonsense! There are no subliminal messages, and the person writing to you has heard it many times, but still hasn't felt like killing themselves, quite the opposite...
I prefer another tale, as reported in the collection "The Ozzman Cometh" by Ozzy himself, according to which while auditioning to choose the guitarist with whom to collaborate, a small guy arrived with a black Les Paul and as soon as he put his hands on his guitar's fretboard, Ozzy said: you are the greatest guitarist I have ever seen
and he replied but I haven't done anything yet!
...the rest is history.
Only masterpieces from this album: "Crazy Train," "I Don't Know," "Dee," "Mother Earth," "Mr. Crowley," "Goodbye To Romance", pillars for all the heavy metal to follow.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 I Don't Know (05:17)
People look to me and say
Is the end near, when is the final day
What's the future of mankind
How do I know, I got left behind
Everyone goes through changes
Looking to find the truth
Don't look at me for answers
Don't ask me---I don't know
How am I supposed to know
Hidden meanings that will never show
Fools and prophets from the past
Life's a stage and we're all in the cast
Ya gotta believe in someone asking me who is right
Asking me who to follow, don't ask me, I don't know
I don't know---I don't know---I don't know
Nobody ever told me I found out for myself
Ya gotta believe in foolish miracles
It's not how you play the game
It's if you win or lose you can choose
Don't confuse, win or lose, it's up to you
It's up to you---It's up to you---It's up to you
SOLO
Repeat
02 Crazy Train (04:56)
All aboard, hah hah
Aye, aye, aye
Crazy, but that's how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it's not too late
To learn how to love and forget how to hate
Mental wounds not healing
Life's a bitter shame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I've listened to preachers, I've listened to fools
I've watched all the dropouts who make their own rules
One person conditioned to rule and control
The media sells it and you live the role
Mental wounds still screaming
Driving me insane
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I know that things are going wrong for me
You gotta listen to my words
Yeah
Heirs of a cold war, that's what we've become
Inheriting troubles, I'm mentally numb
Crazy, I just cannot bear
I'm living with something that just isn't fair
Mental wounds not healing
Who and what's to blame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
03 Goodbye to Romance (05:35)
Yesterday has been and gone
Tomorrow will I find the sun
Or will it rain
Everybody's having fun
Except for me I'm the lonely one
I live in shame
[Chorus]
I say
Goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends,
Goodbye to all the Past
I guess that we'll meet
We'll meet in the end
I've been the king
I've been the clown
No broken wings can hold me down
I'm free again
The jester with a broken crown
It won't be me this time around
To love in vain
[Chorus]
I feel the time is right
Although I know you just might
Say to me
Whatcha gonna do
Whatcha gonna do
But I had to take this chance goodbye
To friends and to romance
And to all of you
And to all of you
[Chorus]
And the weather's looking fine
And I think the sun will shine again
And I feel I've cleared my mind
All the past is left behind again
[Chorus]
05 Suicide Solution (04:19)
Wine is fine
But whiskey's quicker
Suicide is slow with liquor
Take a bottle drown your sorrows
Then it floods away tomorrow
Away tomorrow
Evil thoughts and evil doings
Cold, alone you hang in ruins
Thought that you'd escape the reaper
You can't escape the master keeper
'Cause you feel life's unreal
And you're living a lie
Such a shame who's to blame
And you're wondering why
Then you ask from your cask
"Is there life after birth"?
What you sow can mean hell on this earth
Hell on this earth
Now you live inside a bottle
The reaper's traveling at full throttle
It's catching you but you don't see
The reaper is you and the reaper is me
Breaking laws,
Knocking doors
But there's no one at home
Make your bed,
Rest your head
But you lie there and moan
Where to hide,
Suicide is the only way out
Don't you know what it's really about
Aah,ahh you got it, you got it, wow wow wow, get the flaps out!
Satan satan satan Ha ha ha ha
Wine is fine
But whiskey's quicker
Suicide is slow with liquor
Take a bottle drown your sorrows
Then it floods away tomorrow.
06 Mr. Crowley (04:56)
Mr. Crowley, what went on in your head
Ohhhh...Mr. Crowley, did you talk with the dead
Your life style to me seemed so tragic
With the thrill of it all
You fooled all the people with magic
Yeah you waited on Satan's call
Mr. Charming, did you think you were pure
Mr. Alarming, in nocturnal rapport
Uncovering things that were sacred manifest on this Earth
Conceived in the eye of a secret
And they scattered the afterbirth
Mr. Crowley, won't you ride my white horse
Mr. Crowley, it's symbolic of course
Approaching a time that is classic
I hear that maidens call
Approaching a time that is drastic
Standing with their backs to the wall
Was it polemically sent
l wanna know what you meant
I wanna know
I wanna know what you meant
yeahhhh....
07 No Bone Movies (03:58)
Silver screen such a disgrace
I couldn't look her straight in the face
A foolish picture I live in disgust
Degradation being eaten by lust
No bone movies
No bone movies
No bone movies
Inspiration that's blue and uncut
Can't kick the habit obsession of smut
Voyeur straining in love with his hand
A poison passion a pulsating gland
No bone movies
No bone movies
No bone movies
Flaps
(solo)
I shouldn't do it the guilt tells me why
I just can't stop I try and I try
X rated demon that lives in my head
Hungry for bodge and he wants to be fed
No bone movies
No bone movies
No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
No No, No bone movies
08 Revelation (Mother Earth) (06:09)
Mother please forgive them
For they know not what they do
Looking back in history's books
It seems it's nothing new
Oh let my mother live
Heaven is for heroes
And hell is full of fools
Stupidity, no will to live
They're breaking God's own rules
Please let my mother live
Father, of all creation
I think we're all going wrong
The course they're taking
Seems to be breaking
And it won't take too long
Children of the future
Watching empires fall
Madness the cup they drink from
Self destruction the toll
I had a vision,
l saw the world burn
And the seas had turned red
The sun had fallen, the final curtain
In the land of the dead
Mother, please show the children
Before it's too late
To fight each other,
There's no-one winning
We must fight all the hate
09 Steal Away (The Night) (03:30)
Now I feel the time is right
Love will flow like wine tonight
Give your love and it will come to you
If you feel that you and me
Could escape and hold the key
To a paradise that's true and free
Steal away,
Steal away
Steal away - the night
Now I've met your honesty
You are here and I am free
Broken chains have fallen all around
Point my finger at the fools
Broken chains and broken rules
Let it be rebellion rules tonight
Steal away,
steal away
Steal away - the night
Can it be a dream come true
Now that I am here with you
Tearful eyes of joy is something new
Runaway with me tonight
Dream the dream,
Light the light
Happiness is what you give to me
Steal away,
steal away
Steal away - the night
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By Freddy Craven
Randy Rhoads’ guitar is exceptional, absolute, and genius in both solo and rhythmic parts.
An album that is an absolute must-have, along with the equally stunning Diary Of A Madman, to understand and better comprehend all the Heavy Metal of the '80s.
By federicolaurent
Crazy Train, which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful songs sung by Ozzy Osbourne.
This is the first album from my favorite artist Ozzy Osbourne. It’s the first... not his best record, but still an album absolutely worth listening to.
