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Blizzard of Ozz

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Untitled

Blizzard of Ozz is the debut studio album by British singer/songwriter Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S. Blizzard of Ozz was a commercial success and was certified 4x Platinum in the U.S., (a feat Osbourne would again achieve with the release of No More Tears). Blizzard Of Ozz is one of very few albums to achieve such certification without the benefit of a Top 40 single.[1] The album has sold over 6,000,000 copies worldwide, making it Ozzy's best-selling album to date.

In the UK, it was the first of four Osbourne albums to attain Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in August 1981.

This is Osbourne's first solo album and one of the two studio albums he recorded with guitarist Randy Rhoads before Rhoads' death in March 1982. The tracks "Crazy Train", and "Mr. Crowley" were released as singles. The former peaked at #9 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart and has remained a staple of pop, hard rock and classic rock radio for more than 25 years.[citation needed]

Blizzard of Ozz was re-released in 2002 with the original bass and drum tracks, recorded by Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, respectively, removed and replaced by new recordings by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin.

Just recently announced was the 2010 Sony Music Entertainment re-releases of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, featuring Randy Rhoads, with the original bass and drum tracks restored. These will be 2 disc Deluxe 30th Anniversary Editions with demos, rarities and previously unreleased live material. A limited Super Deluxe Edition of Blizzard of Ozz will be released in the U.K. only and features a newly designed DVD sized Digipak case with the 2 CD's, a 65 minute DVD featuring never-before-seen live concert footage & interviews with Ozzy and the band, 3 Fender guitar picks, stickers, a faux invitation to the resurrection of Alistair Crowley and an 18cm by 12cm glossy 58-page booklet. Release dates have yet to be announced, but now appear to be pushed back to 2011.[2]

Controversy

The song "Suicide Solution" has been criticized for its lyrics that allegedly encouraged suicide, and was alleged to be a direct cause in the October 1984 suicide of John McCollum, a nineteen year-old fan who shot himself while listening to Osbourne's records. The boy's parents sued Osbourne and CBS Records for "encouraging self-destructive behavior" in young persons who were "especially susceptible" to dangerous influences (McCollum et al. v. CBS, Inc., et al.). In his defense, Osbourne said that the song was really about the death of AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott, who perished due to alcohol-related causes just months before Blizzard of Ozz was released. Bassist Bob Daisley, however, contradicts this, claiming that he wrote the song about Osbourne's abuse of alcohol and drugs.[3] The McCollums' complaint was dismissed on the grounds that the First Amendment protected Osbourne's right to free artistic expression.

In 1986, Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake sued Osbourne for unpaid royalties, eventually winning songwriting credits on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. The 2002 reissues of these albums saw the replacement of the original bass and drum tracks of Daisley and Kerslake with new ones by Osbourne's then-current drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Robert Trujillo. Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, explained the re-recordings in a press conference: "Because of Daisley and Kerslake's abusive and unjust behaviour, Ozzy wanted to remove them from these recordings. We turned a negative into a positive by adding a fresh sound to the original albums." Daisley and Kerslake denied the allegations of abusive behaviour and continued to battle for royalties for their work on Blizzard of Ozz, but their case was dismissed by the US Supreme court on May 3, 2004, putting an end to any future potential litigation on the matter.[citation needed] However Ozzy states in his new autobiography that he felt sorry for removing Daisley's and Kerslake's tracks from the album and he did include he had nothing to do either with the removing or the re-recording process.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
Uncut[5]

The album reached #21 on the Billboard 200 chart, and is on the list of the top 100 best-selling albums of the 1980s.[clarification needed] Although Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley were released as singles, neither was commercially successful. Blizzard of Ozz is one of the very few albums amongst the 100 best selling albums of the 1980s to have achieved multi-platinum status without the benefit of a Top 40 single.

Uncut (8/02, p.112) - 3.5 out of 5 - "Surprisingly melodic."

Kerrang! (p.53) - "[A] work of genius....[With] some superb songs, many of which are now regarded as timeless classics."

Track listing

All songs written by Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, and Bob Daisley except where noted.

Original LP

Side one

  1. "I Don't Know" – 5:16
  2. "Crazy Train" – 4:56
  3. "Goodbye to Romance" – 5:36
  4. "Dee" [Instrumental] (Rhoads) – 0:49
  5. "Suicide Solution" – 4:20

Side two

  1. "Mr. Crowley" – 4:56
  2. "No Bone Movies" (Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley, Lee Kerslake) – 3:53
  3. "Revelation (Mother Earth)" – 6:09
  4. "Steal Away (The Night)" – 3:28

CD Issue

  1. "I Don't Know" – 5:16
  2. "Crazy Train" – 4:56
  3. "Goodbye to Romance" – 5:36
  4. "Dee" [Instrumental] (Rhoads) – 0:49
  5. "Suicide Solution" – 4:20
  6. "Mr. Crowley" – 4:56
  7. "No Bone Movies" (Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley, Lee Kerslake) – 3:53
  8. "Revelation (Mother Earth)" – 6:09
  9. "Steal Away (The Night)" – 3:28

2002 Bonus Track

  2. "You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You" – 4:19

On the 8-track tape version, a reprise of Crazy Train is included at the end of program four.

Personnel

Production

Sales accomplishments

In Media

References

  1. ^ a b "RIAA Gold & Platinum database". Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  2. ^ BLIZZARD OF OZZ and DIARY OF A MADMAN 30th Anniversary Issues Delayed. Pitriff.com, retrieved October 11, 2010
  3. ^ IMDB Biography
  4. ^ Huey, Steve. "Review Blizzard of Oz". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  5. ^ Uncut (August 2002): 112. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "BPI certified awards". Retrieved February 15, 2009. [dead link‍]
  7. ^ "CRIA certified awards". Retrieved February 12, 2009.
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