33 years ago today....

Ozzy Osbourne kicked off his solo career with 'Blizzard Of Ozz', released on this date back in 1980.

33 minutes ago, I kicked somebody right in the face. In the face, while eating some macaroni and cheese with broccoli. True story.

brokentulsa wrote:

Ozzy Osbourne kicked off his solo career with 'Blizzard Of Ozz', released on this date back in 1980.

33 years ago Blizzard of Ozz was born and was suppose to be a supergroup made up of Ozzy (Black Sabbath), Bob Daisley (Rainbow), Lee Kerslake (Uriah Heep) and young new guitarist Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot). Originally formed as the band "Blizzard of Ozz", the band's first album was to be released as a self-titled record but was later changed to Blizzard of Ozz featuring Ozzy Osbourne. The record company (or more likely Don Arden) would eventually release the record as Ozzy Osbourne, with the album simply annotated "Blizzard of Ozz" as the title, much to the annoyance of bassist/songwriter Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake who were shocked to find out they were backing musicians for Ozzy rather than a part of a band. The four were initially pictured on the back of the record, but their photos were later replaced with the touring band on the U.S. and any further pressings of the record. Only Rhoads was left of the original "band".

From every book I have read, Ozzy was drunk or passed out for much of the Blizzard of Ozz sessions, with the band writing most of the music and lyrics without Ozzy's involvement.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

33 minutes ago, I kicked somebody right in the face. In the face, while eating some macaroni and cheese with broccoli. True story.

Not that I want to derail this thread or anything, but I'm curious about this...?

ultmetal wrote:

From every book I have read, Ozzy was drunk or passed out for much of the Blizzard of Ozz sessions, with the band writing most of the music and lyrics without Ozzy's involvement.

Continuing the behavior that got him fired from Black Sabbath.

While it wasn't 33 years ago that I first heard it, this album was one of the very first albums I purchased in the "new-ish" compact disc format.

I purchased my very first cd player (early 90's) at Silo, then went immediately to Tower Records and bought Blizzard, GnR's Appetite and Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic.

2100+ cds later and I still have that original disc. The GnR one too. When I got Aerosmith's Box of Fire set, I got rid of the double. Still have the same Sony cd player too. I don't use it very often anymore (the cd tray gets stuck), but it still works.

Now that MG mentioned it, I am fairly sure that "Blizzard" was one of the first Compact Discs I bought when I first got a CD player, too.

I've never been much more than a casual fan of Ozzy's solo stuff but Blizzard is still a mighty solid listen. (My fave Ozzy is still No More Tears though...)

Great album! I didn't actually pick it up until a couple years later (on cassette)

I was a sophomore in high school when this came out.  What a great year for metal.

Amazing ! Has it been that long ? I was just a lad starting 7th grade in junior high when this came out and can still remember the buzz about the album. I didn't get it myself until about 3 years or so afterward.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I've never been much more than a casual fan of Ozzy's solo stuff but Blizzard is still a mighty solid listen. (My fave Ozzy is still No More Tears though...)

No More Tears was one of my first CD purchases, in 1993, when I got a CD player for my 15th birthday. I got 3 at once: NMT, Byrds Greatest Hits and a Paul McCartney live album called Tripping the Live Fantastic, which was such a random impulse buy and only got listened to like twice.

I got Blizzard on vinyl in high school. I don't think I got in on CD until the 2002 remasters thing.

Blizzard was the first Ozzy Osbourne album I got. It was on cassette and out of the cut out bin at a pawn shop I frequented in my early teens. I remember loving the album on first listen. Such a classic!!

 

Dig this album alot.....never had it on cd

Randy was/is phenomenal

Bummer it didn't stay "Blizzard of Ozz" and I am certain that when I saw the tour for this it was billed as "Blizzard Of Ozz" with Motorhead opening.

This was probably one of the first metal albums I ever owned as well, right along with Sad Wings of Destiny and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I almost never listen to solo Ozzy anymore, though.

I love that album, I am bit burned out, but can't deny the impact it had on me and my friends growing up

Quote :

Still have the same Sony cd player too. I don't use it very often anymore (the cd tray gets stuck), but it still works.

My player from 1986 still works.  Thing cost a fortune back then but certainly was well made.  When CDs took off in the early 90's people would look at it like what in the hell is that thing since it was so box-y looking.

Diary Of A Madman was the first proper album I ever bought.  I consider it my introduction to music fandom.  Very quickly after I went and got Blizzard.  Probably the fourth or fifth album I ever owned.  Both records always remind me of how Ozzy's image has changed/shattered.  He was to my young eyes so dangerous and reviled amongst more "proper" people so that of course made him cool.  Biting heads off things, supposed sacrifices, and my favorite - everyone at the concert spit into a bowl and Ozzy will drink it.  He certainly would've too, but how this was in praise of Satan I was never too clear on.  Saddest thing to me about his family's show was it made this scary imposing figure from my youth into a national joke.

One of my favorite Ozzy memories is an interview I saw. The interview itself was a typical, forgettable TV interview, but what I remember was that Ozzy was flanked by two men in monk's robes with the cowls up so you couldn't see their faces. They sat there silently throughout the interview segment and were never mentioned. It certainly added to the "Satanic" mystique that was prevalent around him at the time.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

33 minutes ago, I kicked somebody right in the face. In the face, while eating some macaroni and cheese with broccoli. True story.

All of this time and still nobody has done a serious study of Broccoli related violence! How long can this madness be allowed to continue?  

Sadly, I can't tell you when I added this album to my arsenal. I got into metal in 83' and immediately got "Bark at the Moon". I don't believe I had either albums with Rhoads until post 89', when I already had "Bark", "Ultimate", "Tribute" and "No Rest". As much as really enjoy the first album, I'm a much bigger fan of "Diary"...

Yeah I am reading the new Bob Daisley book 'For Facts Sake' and it talks about exactly what yo cited Scott

I gave this album a listen today and while I like it and defiantly remember when it came out I felt that some of it is beginning to sound a little dated..but alot of albums from that era do...By the way,  my first copy of this was on 8-track tape.....

I don't think I even started buying CDs until the mid 90's. I currently have the Daisley/Kerslake reissue that came out a couple years ago.

I've always felt 'Dee' should have been right before 'Goodbye To Romance'.

33 years ago Ozzy was a drunken wreck who relied entirely on the talent of his bandmates to make his records for him while his evil spouse/manager made sure that he got all of the credit and cash!

A great album, Lee, Bob and Randy should be proud.

I am not going to completely dismiss Ozzy's talent. He has a unique voice and I am sure he wrote a lot of the melodies, even in his drunken stupor. Doubt he would have gotten far without Randy Rhoads or Bob Daisley for that matter.

I know him being a drunken mess is true, but it was he and Sharon ( and some help from an unknown Dana Strum) who put this line up together and hired Max Norman to oversee the sessions.