Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz

Blizzard of Ozz, the first solo effort by the former lead singer of Black Sabbath, became a classic, due in large part to Osbourne's partnership with the late Randy Rhoads. The most immediately recognizable song is "Crazy Train," whose distinctive riff has made it a staple of rock radio. "Mr. Crowley" and "Suicide Solution" generated considerable controversy, which is equivalent to good press when it comes to heavy metal. Other strong tracks include "Revelation (Mother Earth)" and the opening song, "I Don't Know." This 2001 reissue includes the bonus tracks "You Lookin' at Me Looking You." While even heavy-metal listeners haven't always taken Osbourne seriously, his influence on the genre has been considerable. Blizzard of Ozz demonstrates why Ozzy commands lasting respect. Following a spat between band members, the parts played originally by bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake have been recorded over. --Genevieve Williams Amazon.com

 JUST PLAY ATTENTION TO RANDY!!!!!!!
IF ALL OF YOU WHERE OZZY FANS YOU WOULDN'T GIVE THIS ALBUM BAD REVIEW'S. IT STILL HAS THE SAME DAMN FEEL TO IT. ESPECIALLY IN REVELATION THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY REVELATION. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH IT WAS ALL ABOUT RANDY AT THIS TIME FRAME SO TAKE YOURSELF OUTSIDE WITH THIS ALBUM AND BEAT YOURSELF TO DEATH BECAUSE THIS IS STILL THE BEST ALBUM THAT HAS CAME OUT. ASIDE FROM DIARY OF A MADMAN THIS ALBUM HAS THE BEST SONGS THAT HAS EVER CAME OUT FOR ROCK- CRAZY TRAIN, I DON'T KNOW, MR. CROWLEY, GOODBYE TO ROMANCE, SUICIDE SOLUTION, REVELATION (MOTHER EARTH)!!!! SO IF YOU STILL WANT A METAL ALBUM THAT YOU CAN HEAR FROM THE START TO THE FINISH THIS IS THE ALBUM THAT YOU SHOULD GET. SO FOR THE BAD REVIEWS OF THE ALBUM FROM THESE OTHER CRACK HEADS JUST TAKE YOURSELF OUT!!!! AND LEAVE THE ALBUM ALONE!!!!!! May 6, 2008

 Don't Mess With A Classic
I just heard somebody else's copy of this bastardization of Ozzy's first solo album. I really thought I was going to vomit.

No collection of heavy metal or hard rock is complete without Blizzard Of Ozz, and the album itself is easily worthy of five stars. This "remaster," however, is a joke. I, for one, am not laughing (unless you call dry heaves "laughter").

Listen to all the other reviewers and get a used copy of the 1995 remaster with the small album cover and the big yellow "OZZY" written down the right side. Hell, get a badly warped copy on vinyl that has been treated with a power sander then run over by a bus, or a copy on 8-track that has been sitting in a hot car for 25 years. Either would sound better than this. May 6, 2008

 A Fraudulent Rip Off!
I must agree with other reviewers on this version. This is a great ablum but the remastered version is just terrible. Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin just don't muster up to what had been performed by Bob Daisly and Lee Kerslake: not by a long shot. The drums are virtually mute and the bass is too loud. Whatever moneys they might want in royalties, Ozzy should just pay up and give us what was before, not this re-doctored crap. Don' buy this version and get the original with Daisly's and Kerslake's tracks if you can.

This is just false advertisement taking Ozzy fans for suckers and nothing more. To all fans world wide who feel they've been ripped off by this terrible remix labeled 'remastered' and who want to send a message to the music industry to stop taking us for idiots, I would suggest filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) at www.ftc.gov reporting such sales tactics as being false advertisement in violation of U.S. Federal law. They will investigate it and, given the fact that there is no indication that this album is really a remix of new tracks until you buy it and look inside for the details, they will probably fine Ozzy and the label more than what it would have cost them to pay Bob Daisly and Lee Kerslake their royalties.

Otherwise, this is a great album that launched Ozzy's solo carrer. A little rough compared to 'Diary of a Madman' but just great guitar work nevertheless. One of my all-time favorite albums. April 5, 2008

 Well, going out on a limb here...
Really am going out on a limb here... But I seriously think the new remaster sounds great. Better than the original or the '95 remaster? Maybe not. Maybe so. I'm not one to judge on this matter.

However, the new bass and new drums have made me rethink about how Ozzy interpreted it then... And how he might interpret it now. Maybe it was just because of lawsuit purposes, but there's a possibility that he actually wanted to bring a new perspective onto the album, showing the world he's got new perspectives on life.

Personally, I almost like Robert's bass playing better than the original recording. It's nice, fat, thick, and heavy. Really adds a lot to the atmosphere the album tries to get across, and his playing really sets a dark and gloomy tone and mood.

Drums, I have no comment. I cannot hear any rhythmical differences, but I'm not an experienced drummer. They sound different from the original, yeah, but that's the whole point to remastering... Either making something sound better, or to make it sound different or new.

Randy's guitar really got higher up in the mix, but doesn't cover up any of the bass or drums, which cut through the mix rather well without messing up Randy's guitar parts. The mix was actually really good, in my opinion. Everything is clearly hearable without EQ tweaking or turning on "Deep Bass Boost", and that's a sign of great mixing to me, besides the fact that the album just SOUNDS good.

Ozzy's voice sounds fine, or as fine as Ozzy can get.

The haters? They may be justified. But I feel like this is still a worthwhile album to give a listen to... Unless you're a die-hard, hardcore, must-be-all-original tone nazi type of fan, in which case...
Get the original or '95 remix. March 27, 2008

 Blizzard of Ozz
When first released in 1980 the question was: Will it sound like Black Sabbath or what else can we expect? Well, it wasn't quite like Black Sabbath but it certainly was Ozzy. What we didn't expect was the likes of guitarist Randy Rhoads being "discovered" & introduced. One thing was for sure though, Ozzy took the heart & soul of Black Sabbath with him. Sabbath's Heaven and Hell proved that they would never be the same nor would they quite recover.

Ozzy certainly "lightened" it up with this album; nothing was quite as heavy as Black Sabbath. But Ozzy certainly did one thing with this album: he & Randy Rhoads created a signature song in "Crazy Train". "I Don't Know" is a great opening song & title for the album. The title was certainly indicative of the most common answer given to the question: What's it gonna sound like? "Suicide Solution" is another great song though its reputation is far more sinister than what it really is. Randy Rhoads showcases his classical guitar licks on "Dee". "No Bone Movies" tells it like it is. The only weak moment on the album is "Revelation (Mother Earth)". The bonus track "You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You" should've always been there, it's a welcome addition.

This was a good debut from the Father of Metal. Most of us were not disappointed with this release, it still sounds good today. March 19, 2008

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