"Blizzard of Ozz" is the debut solo studio album from former Black Sabbath vocalist, Ozzy Osbourne, released in 1980 on Jet Records. The line-up for the album was Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Randy Rhoads (guitar), Bob Daisley (bass), Lee Kerslake (drums) and Don Airey (keyboards).
After Black Sabbath fired Ozzy in 1979, he and Sharon Arden (Ozzy's manager and now wife), set about putting together a solo band. The outcome of that was former members of Quiet Riot, Uriah Heep and Rainbow joining Ozzy on this album to start what was to become a legendary solo career. It is the genius of the guitar playing of Randy Rhoads that nails this album in history as one of the greatest rock albums ever.
What you have on this album are very strong songs which are played at a lot of Ozzy shows. "I Don't Know", "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" are huge crowd favourites. You also get a mixture of songs ranging from soft ballad-esque, "Goodbye to Romance" and "Revelation (Mother Earth)", to full-on heavy metal, Steal Away (the Night) and "No Bone Movies".
What would a project featuring Ozzy Osbourne be without a little controversy? "Suicide Solution" provided that, when a lawsuit was brought against the singer after a fan shot himself while listening to the song. Not surprisingly, the suit was thrown out of court.
In summary, while Black Sabbath carried on with singers such as Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan, Ozzy became an icon and heavy metal's Godfather, and this album has a lot to show for his elevated status. "Revelation (Mother Earth) gives you a taste of what Sabbath could have had with its doom-laden riffs and Ozzy's mellow tone. Whether Sabbath could ever have pulled off "Crazy Train", we'll never know. But one thing for sure is that no heavy metal record collection is complete without Ozzy's debut solo offering.
1. I Don't Know
2. Crazy Train
3. Goodbye to Romance
4. Dee
5. Suicide Solution
6. Mr. Crowley
7. No Bone Movies
8. Revelation (Mother Earth)
9. Steal Away (the Night)
My rating: 8/10
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