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List Price: $7.98 | | Label: Sony
Salesrank: 571195
Released: October 17, 1990 |
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| Used Price: $0.24 |
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| Media: Audio Cassette |
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Blizzard of Ozz Track Listing:
1. I Don't Know
2. Crazy Train
3. Goodbye to Romance
4. Dee [Instrumental]
5. Suicide Solution
6. Mr. Crowley
7. No Bone Movies
8. Revelation (Mother Earth)
9. Steal Away (The Night)
Editorial Review:
The first solo effort by the former lead singer of Black Sabbath, Blizzard of Ozz 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 even today. "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." While Osbourne hasn't always been taken seriously, even by heavy metal listeners, his influence on the genre has been considerable. Blizzard of Ozz is an excellent example as to why. --Genevieve Williams
Blizzard of Ozz Reviews:
Ozzy Osbourne's solo debut is still a masterpiece almost 30 years on 
2008-08-17 - Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne released his first solo album entitled Blizzard Of Ozz in the United Kingdom in late 1980 and here in the United States in the Spring of 1981.
After being dismissed from Black Sabbath in 1979, Ozzy continued to spiral out of control until he was saved by a lady named Sharon Arden (who was the daughter of Black Sabbath's then-manager Don Arden (and eventually became Ozzy's often controversial manager and later wife)). She and Ozzy put together a band that included ex-Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, ex-Rainbow and Uriah Heep bass player Bob Daisley and a then-22 year old guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads from Los Angeles, California all came into his life and helped his launch a solo career that would be big and yes NOTORIOUS!
We begin with a backwards gong effect before the sure fire riff of "I Don't Know". This is straight-up metal which featured some of the Ozzman's most memorable singing and Bob Daisley's killer lyrics. It's not at all surprising to find that this one still gets played on the radio on a very regular basis. Nice opener. Next is "Crazy Train" which is arguably Ozzy's most famous solo song ever, and once you listen to it, it really isn't that hard to see why. From Ozzy's maniacal echo-plexed opening laugh and vibra-slap to Randy's killer riff and superb vocals, I can see why this song is a classic in the rock and roll world. Next is the Ozzman's first attempt at a ballad called "Goodbye To Romance". This is one of my favorite tracks and Ozzy's vocals plus Randy's melodic rhytm playing and middle solo is amongst his best. Also, Don Airey's ending synthesizer solo sounds triumphant. The instrumental "Dee" is next and is basically a Randy Rhoads classical guitar solo and showing why he was one of rock's greatest guitarists. Next is the first half closing and possibly Ozzy's most controversial song ever "Suicide Solution". Supposedly, Ozzy whote the song as a hidden message for fans to commit suicide. In fact, it was written in tribute to Ozzy's fallen friend, Bon Scott of AC/DC, who died in February of 1980. The song supposedly contained subliminal messages of "get the gun, get the gun" and "shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot". It was acutually vocal phrasings. This song is a killer rocker with a powerful Rhoads riff and stellar playing from messieurs Kerslake and Daisley.
The album's second half starts with "Mr. Crowley" which is a classic metal tale about the legendary satanist Aleister Crowley and became a radio staple in later years and a favorite album track. From Don Airey's awesome opening organ-style synthesizer solo right down to Randy Rhoads' guitar solos at the end, this song ROCKS. Next is "No Bone Movies" which is a basic hard rocker from Ozzy. I have no complaints with this song whatsoever, in that I feel it is an excellent song. Also, hearing Randy perform a rare slide guitar solo was excellent. The epic "Revelation (Mother Earth)" follows and is both eerie and melodic at the same time. This song is my favorite on the album and may be a slower track, but its eerie nature and subject matter and ending solo section from Rhoads and Daisley and Kerslake keep it from being what you could call a ballad. The song, in some places musically, is reminiscent of "She's Gone", a song Ozzy recorded with Black Sabbath in 1976 on their Technical Ecstasy album. We then rock out with Blizzard's closing track the rocking "Steal Away (The Night)". This track rocks and rules!
Blizzard of Ozz was also a huge success commercially becoming Ozzy's first Gold album (eventually Quadruple Platinum selling album) in the US within days of its release after a controversial incident with his record label involving the biting off of the head of a live bird at the CBS Records offices but the music is why this album is timeless.
This original version, nor the superb 1995 Bob Ludwig remaster (this issue I am reviewing) of BoO is no longer available after a spat between Sharon and ex-Ozzy members Daisley and Kerslake over owed royalties caused Sharon to re-record all of BoO's backing tracks.
This original issue of Blizzard is RECOMMENDED!
average, but has some good songs 
2008-07-20 - I can't believe so many people actually prefer Ozzy Osbourne's solo career to Black Sabbath. The stuff he was doing with Sabbath was groundbreaking and unlike anything else in the 70's. Take Ozzy's high pitch vocals and combine them with Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi's extremely dark and heavy riffs, and you have yourself a legendary band.
Blizzard of Oz is just a slightly faster, but more predictable (songwriting-wise) effort compared to the stuff he was doing with Black Sabbath.
Sure, it's got the big hits, such as "I Don't Know" which over the last 10 years or so has caught on as far as radio exposure goes, and of course "Crazy Train" is a classic. Randy Rhoads is a fantastic guitarist. It's just a shame Ozzy wanted to take his heavy metal in a cheesy direction. "Steal Away (The Night)" is a pretty bad song as far as Ozzy's vocals are concerned. How people can honestly say this stuff is great while the Never Say Die album is average is a total mystery to me. No way.
"Goodbye to Romance" is a pretty bad ballad. Ozzy was never very good at these kind of songs, even with Black Sabbath. However, with Sabbath, at least the other band members had the creativity to spice up the ballads with mellotrons and other interesting arrangements. We don't have Sabbath to make these Ozzy songs interesting anymore.
"Mr. Crowley" is pretty boring. It never really goes anywhere. You either like it or you don't. "Revelation (Mother Earth)" has average Ozzy vocals, but thankfully the great guitar playing near the end saves it.
Overall, nah, it's not a classic, and I recommend you pick up some Black Sabbath albums instead.
Punked 
2008-04-09 - First of all, I had both vinyls (blizzard of ozz, diary of a madman) in the eighties, but sadly I sold, trade and/or lost them.
Tired of having sucky bad-compressed mp3s in my PC, I decided to order them both by Amazon. Let's have both CDs! I saw that these were the 95 reissues (with Lee Kerslake & Bob Daisley in the rythm section). I says here: original CD reissues from 1995. Good deal because you can't find them anywhere.
But - alas! - I received those goddamned 2002 versions with Sharon & Kelly on bass and drums!
Like we say in my good ol'town: Punked!
Ozzy in his prime
2008-03-22 - This was the first of Ozzy's two studio albums with the legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads. In my opinion, these were the golden days for Ozzy. There is a passion and a playfulness to the whole thing that far outstripped his later work, which became formulaic, staid, and commercial. All kudos to the guy and his wife - they made a killing. But before the wheelbarrows of loot really started rolling in, there was a time when Ozzy worked magic alongside a brilliant guitar player whose sound still inspires today.
The songs on this album and Diary of a Madman allowed me to cut my teeth as a teenage metal guitar player. To this day, I have many fond memories whenever a track comes up on the radio, or on iPod shuffle. This is just one of those classics that never really gets old for me.
BLIZZARD OF OZZ... THE PERFECT STORM ! (Ozzy's first solo album is a heavy-metal must-have)
2008-02-07 - After Ozzy Osbourne's, uh, split with Black Sabbath, he fell into a reclusive drug-laced alcoholic depression. He busted out of that state of misery with a heavy-metal classic. Blizzard Of Ozz (1980) features Ozzy teamed with guitar superstar Randy Rhoads, and the album is metal guitar heaven. Ozzy is at the top of his game as a singer, and the songs are all choice cuts. Blizzard Of Oz is the perfect storm. Randy rips lightning from the sky with his electric axe while rock veterans Bob Daisley (bass) and Lee Kerslake (drums) provide the furious thunder, and Ozzy whips up the wicked winds with his raging vocal performance.
Blizzard comes right out rocking with I Don't Know and the wild classic Crazy Train. It calms down with the lonely anthem Goodbye To Romance and Dee, a short classical guitar instrumental. Suicide Solution rocks as hard as anything here, and was dedicated to the late Bon Scott of AC/DC. The surreal classical-metal Mr. Crowley is a tribute/letter to Aleister Crowley, the British occult philosopher. Revelation (Mother Earth) is an epic track that references the book of Revelations in The Bible, and ponders the future of the planet, including the apocalypse.
This is essential Ozzy, and a heavy-metal must-have. It's that's simple.
*Beware of the newer 2002 re-issue of Blizzard Of Ozz: Different bass and drum tracks have been dubbed in over the original recording.
