Ozzy Osbourne
Blizzard of Ozz

THE REVIEW

Ozzy Osbourne, after leaving Black Sabbath, reinvents himself as a musician and produces this splendid and superb "Blizzard Of Ozz" (1980), confirming himself as a first-class artist who has always shown, over time, dedication and commitment to his genre by surrounding himself with an excellent band of which, obviously, the standout element is Randy Rhoads, a great guitarist whose genius has now been recognized by everyone. What I am about to describe is a fundamental album, probably one of Ozzy's most successful works.

Initially, the album "Blizzard of Ozz" not only demonstrated the band's great ability but also an infallible impulsiveness by combining excellent support bands, including the former Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads, who was a stunning discovery, indeed proving to be one of the most famous and influential heavy metal guitarists of the '80s and summarily in the history of Rock.

Songs like the opening "I Don't Know", passing through the famed "Crazy Train", the superb ballad "Goodbye To Romance", the instrumental "Dee", "Suicide Solution", the excellent "Mr. Crowley", the overwhelming "No Bone Movies", "Revelation (Mother Earth)", "Steal Away (The Night)", are all superb examples of Hard/Heavy with valuable sound and harmonic solutions and a great melodic and emotional impact. Randy Rhoads' guitar is exceptional, absolute, and genius in both solo (his famous sad and melancholic solo in "Mr. Crowley") and rhythmic parts, capable of competing equally with the virtuosity of Eddie Van Halen; both are two exceptional Axe-Men who ruled with their great compositional prowess throughout the '80s. A superb work, a key album in Ozzy's career and beyond.

Recommended is the CD reissue with the addition of the Bonus Track "You Lookin' At Me Lookin' At You". An album that is an absolute must-have, along with the equally stunning "Diary Of A Madman" (1981), to understand and better comprehend all the Heavy Metal of the '80s. An absolute and indispensable Must.