Randy Rhoads ~ Blizzard/Diary recordings

[Jayster]

Even though I've been listening to these fine albums for 3 decades, I've just recently read that they were both recorded at the same time(witch explains the Kerslake/Daisly thing).


After letting this soak in for a couple of days, I was even more impressed with the range of playing on both albums. Randy had a distinctive sound and none of the songs sounded tired or rehashed at all. So for the last few weeks I've been wearing out those albums and rediscovering my love of his timeless playing.

RIP Mr. Rhoads

[Hellbat]

I got the re-issue boxed set for Christmas this year. I was super into Sabbath right about the time these albums came out and couldn't believe the stuff Randy was playing at the time. He was my first real guitar hero.

Unfortunately I missed the Ozzy/Motörhead tour and never got the chance to see him live. In fact I've never seen about 50% of my heroes play live and a lot of them are gone. (SRV, Gary Moore)

[Newc]

I hated Blizzard when it came out. His tone was thin and buzzy and it sounded nothing like Sabbath, and he was wanking, not riffing like Iommi.

[xenophobe]

I have to admit, I was one of the "Ozzy Is God" generation people... I was 12 when Blizzard came out. Ozzy was god. I missed the Diary tour... I could only chose between Judas Priest or Ozzy. Judas Priest won because they were coming a month earlier. Sadly, I got grounded and didn't get to see either.

[Axegrinder87]

I hated Blizzard when it came out. His tone was thin and buzzy and it sounded nothing like Sabbath, and he was wanking, not riffing like Iommi.

I agree, but even Randy wanking sounds amazing. Diary of a Madman in my opinion is a perfect album.

[Trem]

I can't believe it took so long to get all the footage and stuff out.
There are also isolated tracks of Randy out there now and you can really hear the layers. I'm interested to know how they came about. It seems someone would have done it a lot sooner if it were so possible. Or if they got leaked, ( i know if i was remixing/remastering or otherwise had my hands on those tracks, they be leaked. Fuggems
You can hear some punch ins and just all the stuff that gets buried in a mix. The one for Diary of a Madman is awesome, as are Ozzys isolated vocals for it.

On the subject i just found an old Ozzy that i used to have in 85 from Bark at the Moon. I watched it again for the first time in 25 years a few nights ago. I had this concert on vhs taped from mtv and i watched it a million times, it was a prized fucking possession, lol...and this chick recorded over it to spite me for fucking her friend...ahhhk, gone forever i figured, lol. Well i found it....Anyway, it was like my first real "concert" and Jake E Lee was brand new. Anyway it's a kick ass Ozzy show, Jake fucking rips on it, and he's just so cool while doing it. His solo was the coolest shit i had ever seen back then.
I used to pit this video up against Vivian Campbell in the RJD live Vid from that time. I watched that recently as well, dunno, i dig em both, but i think Jake was probably better.

Anyway, It's floating around right now, good (DVD) quality too. Salt Lake City Show.

[sully]

Even though I've been listening to these fine albums for 3 decades, I've just recently read that they were both recorded at the same time(witch explains the Kerslake/Daisly thing).


After letting this soak in for a couple of days, I was even more impressed with the range of playing on both albums. Randy had a distinctive sound and none of the songs sounded tired or rehashed at all. So for the last few weeks I've been wearing out those albums and rediscovering my love of his timeless playing.

RIP Mr. Rhoads

Yep, he's amazing. Those albums weren't recorded at the same time, though. About 8-9 months apart, iirc. I think that Diary would have been even better if they would have been allowed the time to finish the album.

Sully

[sully]

I can't believe it took so long to get all the footage and stuff out.
There are also isolated tracks of Randy out there now and you can really hear the layers. I'm interested to know how they came about. It seems someone would have done it a lot sooner if it were so possible. Or if they got leaked, ( i know if i was remixing/remastering or otherwise had my hands on those tracks, they be leaked. Fuggems
You can hear some punch ins and just all the stuff that gets buried in a mix. The one for Diary of a Madman is awesome, as are Ozzys isolated vocals for it.

On the subject i just found an old Ozzy that i used to have in 85 from Bark at the Moon. I watched it again for the first time in 25 years a few nights ago. I had this concert on vhs taped from mtv and i watched it a million times, it was a prized fucking possession, lol...and this chick recorded over it to spite me for fucking her friend...ahhhk, gone forever i figured, lol. Well i found it....Anyway, it was like my first real "concert" and Jake E Lee was brand new. Anyway it's a kick ass Ozzy show, Jake fucking rips on it, and he's just so cool while doing it. His solo was the coolest shit i had ever seen back then.
I used to pit this video up against Vivian Campbell in the RJD live Vid from that time. I watched that recently as well, dunno, i dig em both, but i think Jake was probably better.

Anyway, It's floating around right now, good (DVD) quality too. Salt Lake City Show.

Some of the isolated tracks (Crazy Train and Mr Crowley) came from the Guitar Hero game. I guess in order to put the songs in the video, they need to isolate the tracks. It's awesome, for sure.

I'm 100% with you on that BATM show; I don't like to hear most people play Randy's stuff (especially Zakk), but Jake RULED.

[Scooter]

I don't like to hear most people play Randy's stuff (especially Zakk), but Jake RULED.

Agreed! I didn't see BATM, but I saw Ultimate Sin w/ Metallica (+Cliff) and it was one of the top concerts I've EVER been to.

[Newc]

I was 12 when Blizzard came out.

Same here. However, I saw Cheap Trick in '82, not Ozzy

At the time, I heard that Ozzy left Sabbath. I figured it was the worst career move he could make.
Only found out years later that they booted him. Such was the state of "reporting" at the time, I guess.

[Whoopu2]

Same here. However, I saw Cheap Trick in '82, not Ozzy

At the time, I heard that Ozzy left Sabbath. I figured it was the worst career move he could make.
Only found out years later that they booted him. Such was the state of "reporting" at the time, I guess.

Lol well it's still disputed to this day whether or not Ozzy "was fired" or "left". The answer varies depending on who you ask.

[pro-fusion]

Even though I've been listening to these fine albums for 3 decades, I've just recently read that they were both recorded at the same time(witch explains the Kerslake/Daisly thing).

I don't believe they were recorded at the same time.

Blizzard was recorded in late 1979/early 1980, while Diary was recorded later in 1980 after the first UK tour, and just before the first American tour. In fact, the window of time for recording Diary was so short that Randy's scratch leads--intended only as placeholders--were used in the final mix because he didn't have time to record "proper" leads. Even the scratch tracks were awesome!

[vector]

I agree, but even Randy wanking sounds amazing. Diary of a Madman in my opinion is a perfect album.

+10000000

[MetalMedal II]

Lol well it's still disputed to this day whether or not Ozzy "was fired" or "left".

I'm pretty sure I've heard Ozzy himself say he got kicked out, and IIRC it was Ward that told him.

In a similar vein, I was shocked to hear somewhat recently that DLR was the one that voluntarily left VH in the 80s to start his own band. The VH camp always spun it as they couldn't get along and gave him the boot, which makes perfect sense knowing how Dave is, but more recently VH fessed up and said that was a real shocker when Dave left em.

[Newc]

I'd always heard DLR left, and that it was because "they" were more interested in living in the studio and shopping for Rolexes than anything else. He wanted to go in and lay down whatever and release it, whereas the people who actually had musical vision wanted that vision realized in the studio, rather than just do the AC/DC or ZZ Top thing and release the same album they'd always done.


Who's to say, maybe they could have gotten away with it like AC/DC have. We'll never know.

However, I liked the DLR albums (well, Crazy from the Heat and Eat 'Em and Smile) more than the Van Hagar stuff.

By the same token, had Rhoads been given more time in the studio, there's no telling what he may have come up with. Perhaps a more critical analysis of his tone would have led him to refine it into a less-saturated but heavier, more articulate version.


And yes, those albums were recorded separately. Daisley and Kerslake were hired for the studio and tour, then kicked for the first tour when they wanted more money, then re-hired for the 2nd album studio work, and replaced by Sarzo and Aldridge for the tour.