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Blizzard of Ozz

 
Album Review: Blizzard of Ozz
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Blizzard of Ozz

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  • Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1980
  • Total Time: 39:19
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Ozzy Osbourne's 1981 solo debut Blizzard of Ozz was a masterpiece of neo-classical metal that, along with Van Halen's first album, became a cornerstone of '80s metal guitar. Upon its release, there was considerable doubt that Ozzy could become a viable solo attraction. Blizzard of Ozz demonstrated not only his ear for melody, but also an unfailing instinct for assembling top-notch backing bands. Onetime Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads was a startling discovery, arriving here as a unique, fully formed talent. Rhoads was just as responsible as Osbourne -- perhaps even more so -- for the album's musical direction, and his application of classical guitar techniques and scales rewrote the rulebook just as radically as Eddie Van Halen had. Rhoads could hold his own as a flashy soloist, but his detailed, ambitious compositions and arrangements revealed his true depth, as well as creating a sense of doomy, sinister elegance built on Ritchie Blackmore's minor-key innovations. All of this may seem to downplay the importance of Ozzy himself, which shouldn't be the case at all. The music is a thoroughly convincing match for his lyrical obsession with the dark side (which was never an embrace, as many conservative watchdogs assumed); so, despite its collaborative nature, it's unequivocally stamped with Ozzy's personality. What's more, the band is far more versatile and subtle than Sabbath, freeing Ozzy from his habit of singing in unison with the guitar (and proving that he had an excellent grasp of how to frame his limited voice). Nothing short of revelatory, Blizzard of Ozz deservedly made Ozzy a star, and it set new standards for musical virtuosity in the realm of heavy metal. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
I Don't Know Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (5:14)
Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (4:50)
Goodbye to Romance Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (5:36)
Dee [Instrumental] Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (:50)
Suicide Solution Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (4:16)
Mr. Crowley Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (4:56)
No Bone Movies Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (3:58)
Revelation (Mother Earth) Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (6:09)
Steal Away (The Night) Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, Randy Rhoads Ozzy Osbourne (3:30)

Credits

Ozzy Osbourne (Vocals), Ozzy Osbourne (Producer), Ozzy Osbourne (Harmony Vocals), Ozzy Osbourne (Main Performer), Don Airey (Keyboards), Tommy Aldridge (Drums), Bob Daisley (Bass), Bob Daisley (Gong), Bob Daisley (Guitar (Bass)), Bob Daisley (Vocals), Bob Daisley (Producer), Bob Daisley (Harmony Vocals), Lee Kerslake (Percussion), Lee Kerslake (Drums), Lee Kerslake (Bells), Lee Kerslake (Producer), Lee Kerslake (Tympani [Timpani]), Max Norman (Engineer), Randy Rhoads (Guitar), Randy Rhoads (Producer)
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Wikipedia: Blizzard of Ozz
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Blizzard of Ozz
Studio album by Ozzy Osbourne
Released September 20, 1980
Recorded March 22 to April 19, 1980
Genre Heavy metal
Length 39:19
Label Jet
Producer Ozzy Osbourne
Professional reviews
Ozzy Osbourne chronology
Mr. Crowley Live EP
(1980)		 Blizzard of Ozz
(1980)		 Diary of a Madman
(1981)

Blizzard of Ozz is a heavy metal album by Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S.. Blizzard of Ozz remains Osbourne's highest-selling album to date, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone.[2]

This is Osbourne's first solo album and one of the two studio albums he recorded before guitarist Randy Rhoads' death in March 1982. The tracks "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" were released as singles. The former peaked at #9 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart and has remained a staple of pop, hard rock and classic rock radio for more than 25 years.[citation needed]

Contents

Reception

The album reached #21 on the Billboard 200 chart, and is on the list of the top 100 best-selling albums of the 1980s.[clarification needed] Although Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley were released as singles, neither was commercially successful. Blizzard of Ozz is one of the very few albums amongst the 100 best selling albums of the 1980s to have achieved multi-platinum status without the benefit of a Top 40 single.

Uncut (8/02, p.112) - 3.5 out of 5 - "Surprisingly melodic."

Kerrang! (p.53) - "[A] work of genius....[With] some superb songs, many of which are now regarded as timeless classics."

Controversy

The song "Suicide Solution" has been criticized for its lyrics that allegedly encouraged suicide, and was alleged to be a direct cause in the October 1984 suicide of John McCollum, a fourteen year-old fan who shot himself while listening to Osbourne's records. The boy's parents sued Osbourne and CBS Records for "encouraging self-destructive behavior" in young persons who were "especially susceptible" to dangerous influences (McCollum et al. v. CBS, Inc., et al.). In his defence, Osbourne said that the song was really about the untimely death of AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott, who perished due to alcohol-related causes just months before Blizzard of Ozz was released. Bassist Bob Daisley, however, contradicts this, claiming that he wrote the song about Osbourne's abuse of alcohol and drugs.[3] The McCollums' complaint was dismissed on the grounds that the First Amendment protected Osbourne's right to free artistic expression.

In 1986, Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake sued Osbourne for unpaid royalties, eventually winning songwriting credits on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. The 2002 reissues of these albums saw the replacement of the original bass and drum tracks of Daisley and Kerslake with new ones by Osbourne's then-current drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Robert Trujillo. Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, explained the re-recordings in a press conference: "Because of Daisley and Kerslake's abusive and unjust behaviour, Ozzy wanted to remove them from these recordings. "We turned a negative into a positive by adding a fresh sound to the original albums." Daisley and Kerslake deny the allegations of "abusive behaviour" and continue to battle for royalties owed them for their work on Blizzard of Ozz. However their case was dismissed by the US Supreme court on May 3, 2004, putting an end to any future potential litigation on the matter. [4]

Track listing

All songs written by Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley except where noted.

Side one

  1. "I Don't Know" – 5:16
  2. "Crazy Train" – 4:56
  3. "Goodbye to Romance" – 5:36
  4. "Dee" (Instrumental) (Rhoads) – 0:49
  5. "Suicide Solution" – 4:20

Side two

  1. "Mr. Crowley" – 4:55
  2. "No Bone Movies" (Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley, Lee Kerslake) – 3:53
  3. "Revelation (Mother Earth)" – 6:09
  4. "Steal Away (The Night)" – 3:28

2002 Bonus Track

  1. "You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You" – 4:16

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

Sales accomplishments

RIAA certification[2] (United States)

Date Designation Total Sales
July 31,
1981		 Gold 500,000
June 18,
1982		 Platinum 1,000,000
August 11,
1992		 Double Platinum 2,000,000
March 22,
1994		 Triple Platinum 3,000,000
August 15,
1997		 Quadruple Platinum 4,000,000

BPI certification (United Kingdom)

Date Designation Total Sales
August 21,
1981		 Silver[5] 60,000

CRIA certification[6] (Canada)

Date Designation Total Sales
July 1,
1981		 Gold 50,000
October 1,
1981		 Platinum 100,000

References

  1. ^ Huey, Steve. "Review Blizzard of Oz". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j9frxqe5ldse~T1. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
  2. ^ a b "RIAA Gold & Platinum database". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=blizzard%20of%20oz&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved February 15, 2009. 
  3. ^ IMDB Biography
  4. ^ Begrand, Adrien. "Ozzy Osbourne". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/o/osbourneozzy-blizzard.shtml. 
  5. ^ "BPI certified awards". http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=24254. Retrieved February 15, 2009. 
  6. ^ "CRIA certified awards". http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=1&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25ozzy+osbourne%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=22&csearch=20&nextprev=1. Retrieved February 12, 2009. 
v • d • e
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne · Rob "Blasko" Nicholson · Mike Bordin
Studio albums
Live albums
Extended plays
Compilations
Cover albums
Singles
Concert tours
Blizzard of Ozz Tour · Diary of a Madman Tour · Bark at the Moon Tour · The Ultimate Sin Tour · No Rest for the Wicked Tour · No More Tears Tour · No More Tours Tour · Retirement Sucks Tour · Ozzfest 1996 Tour · Ozzfest 1997 Tour · Ozzfest 1998 Tour · Ozzfest 2000 Tour · Merry Mayhem Tour · Ozzfest 2002 Tour · Ozzfest 2003 Tour · Ozzfest 2006 Tour · Ozzfest 2007 Tour · Black Rain Tour · Ozzfest 2008 · Ozzfest 2010
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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Diary of a Madman [Bonus Track] (2002 Album by Ozzy Osbourne)
Talk of the Devil (1982 Album by Ozzy Osbourne)
Music Box Biographical Collection: Ozzy Osbourne (Music Film)

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