Randy Rhoads interview

A long lost Randy Rhoads interview reveals that while the guitarist loved playing in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, he found the limitations of his heavy metal show frustrating, and hoped to move far beyond them.

Journalist John Stix had interviewed Rhoads twice, and the results are published in the current free online edition of iGuitar magazine.

Rhoads said: “Everything happens so fast in this band that I haven’t had enough time to really think what I want to do.

For instance, I do a solo live and I do a lot of these things that Eddie Van Halen does, and it kills me that I do that. It’s just flash – it impresses the kids and I’m trying to make a name as fast as I can.

I wish I could take time and come up with something that nobody has done. Unfortunately, it will take me a few years.”

When asked if he was able to achieve anything that made him proud, Rhoads said: “I can’t. I experimented with a few things and tried to get some classical things in, but I couldn’t get it in with this set. It calls for flash.

The kids aren’t interested in musical experience. If I sat down and played some classical it wouldn’t impress them. Ozzy has an incredible following with his audience and most of his kids want non-stop.”

Rhoads saw a strong connection between metal and classical music and cited Deep Purple, Leslie West and Michael Schenker as examples of how the genres could be merged.

It has been reported that Rhoads was not a fan of Black Sabbath and that he didn’t know why Osbourne hired him – especially since he only got to tune up at his audition before being offered the job. His favorite songs were Revelation (Mother Earth) and Mr. Crowley, because of the classical influence.

Looking back on his emerging career, he reflected: “I was afraid of competition because I thought everybody was better than me. You can’t be lazy. You have to love the guitar. I did.”

Randy Rhoads died on tour aged 25 in 1982 when an airplane joyride went tragically wrong.

It's a shame we'll never know what Randy could've went on to do.

Quote :

It has been reported that Rhoads was not a fan of Black Sabbath and that he didn’t know why Osbourne hired him – especially since he only got to tune up at his audition before being offered the job.

That was one of the best things Ozzy and Sharon could've done at that point in Oz's career. They could've found a Tony clone. Instead they went in a different direction. His albums with Randy sound nothing like Sabbath.

Yeah, watching Randy onstage during the "Diary" tour compared to "Blizzrd" and it realy isn't much of a surprise reading stuff like this. I have read stuff over the years that kinda/sorta touches base with these sentiments but not as specific as posted above, thank you.