Published on Aug 28, 1999
In the early ’80s, Ozzy Osbourne had the unenviable task of
proving that there was life beyond Black Sabbath. Many had already
written Osbourne off, and did not take any solo attempt he would
make seriously. If you’ve watched VH-1’s “Behind The Music” special
on Osbourne, you already know the circumstances that led to his
finally declaring a solo career.
That first move out of the gates, 1981’s
Blizzard Of Ozz, introduced many to the guitar talents of
one Randy Rhoads, and it spawned songs that would become
cornerstones for Osbourne’s post-Sabbath career. But in retrospect,
this album didn’t have the power or sound that Osbourne needed to
really give the scene a kick in the ass.
The overall sound on
Blizzard Of Ozz is a bit strange; if it’s at all possible,
it seems like the mix needed more treble
and more bass. There just isn’t a crispness that I
personally like to hear – and what Osbourne would achieve on later
albums.
First, the highlights. There is no denying that “Crazy Train” is
one of Osbourne’s best songs ever. The frantic guitar work by
Rhoads (combined with some of the most familiar guitar licks in
heavy metal) sets the tone for this track, and secures Rhoads a
place in history as a guitar legend. Yes, I love this song.
A few others on
Blizzard Of Ozz are enjoyable, but they don’t nearly reach
the same level of excellence as “Crazy Train” did. The opening
track, “I Don’t Know,” is a nice way to announce the return of
Osbourne, and bassist Bob Daisley has some tasty four-string work
on this one. “Suicide Solution” has been targeted by more groups
than I care to count, but one thing remains clear: this song is
not
– let me repeat that,
IS NOT
– advocating suicide in any manner. If anything, this song is
about the dangers of alcohol, something Osbourne knew all too
well.
The remainder of
Blizzard Of Ozz teeters between half-baked metal and syrupy
ballads. (I almost said that Black Sabbath would never have done
ballads, but then I remembered the song “Changes”.) Tracks like “No
Bone Movies” and “Steal Away (The Night)” hardly rank as classics,
though they’re at least listenable. “Goodbye To Romance” is a
surprising fork in the road for Osbourne, and not one of my
favorite moments in his career. Same goes with “Revelation (Mother
Earth)”, which tries to show it has some balls a third of the way
through. (To Osbourne’s credit, he’d get the ballad idea down pat
soon enough.)
I realize that uttering any potential negative about
Blizzard Of Ozz is cause for flame mail, public ridicule,
and even tar & feathering. But 18 years after this came out,
Osbourne has proved that this album was merely a stepping stone
towards his eventual superstardom. And while it had a few of the
bricks needed to build that foundation, this record as a whole was
hardly the whole foundation.
We’d get to know Osbourne and Rhoads better on the follow-up
disc
Diary Of A Madman (and would sadly bid goodbye to Rhoads
after a tragic plane accident), and Osbourne would continue to
improve his songwriting and sound, even as he continued to battle
his own personal demons. But
Blizzard Of Ozz, while an okay start, hardly symbolized the
true return to glory of Osbourne.