Randy Rhoads ~ Blizzard/Diary recordings

[~K~]

Jakes tone on BATM yes, and somewhat on Ultimate but on the tour live his sound on that tour was way too compressed sounding. It sounded like ass. I saw that tour multiple times and it wasn't a bad night, it was the setup in general.

I agree with this 100% Trem - I preferred Jake's tone over Zakk's, Vivian Campbell's (funny that he sort of "took over" from Jake) over Goldy et al., and yes - Sammy's voice over Dave's (that ought to get me kicked out of here!). When it's new and cool to you, I think it's what you hear first that can't be beat. Then again, I like Pantera's version of Planet Caravan better than Sabbath's. In the case of Ozzy/Sabbath, I'm glad they split up - I can't imagine not having "Ozzy" solo, or even Mob Rules without Dio. I liked both versions of Sabbath.

[Jayster]

ALERT: Sharon and Ozzy are going to erase ALL Randy Rhoads tracks. Gus G was paid $100 to re-do them.

Hahahaha, it wouldn't surprise me. They are whores who will do anything for money, I've even seen Ozzy doing a commercial to remind men to get the prostate checked(that was really unexpected).

As far as Randy's tone, of course it would be much different if those albums had been recorded more recently. I think for the time, and having to fit in the mix that it was pretty good. IMHO the early eighties offered very little in tone that pleased me(some of the playing was fantastic though!).

[Mr Metal]

It's easy to look back and say Randy's tone sucked. Having "been there" however when Blizzard and Diary were released, I can clearly remember how shocked all my friends and fellow players (and myself) were with those tones. Nobody had ever heard anything that "evil" and aggressive sounding...and nobody was complaining that those tones sucked. His sound was new, different, and powerful. I can't imagine songs like "Flying High Again" and "Mr. Crowley" sounding better with a different tone...it worked for that material at that time.

*Edited for spelling before Ron jumped me

Absolutely.......I was one of those people to whom Randy sounded amazing..........so powerful and in your face.......so new...... I had heard nothing like that before.........not even from EVH.........and yes, the tone still fits the songs

[sully]

Absolutely.......I was one of those people to whom Randy sounded amazing..........so powerful and in your face.......so new...... I had heard nothing like that before.........not even from EVH.........and yes, the tone still fits the songs

Me three.

Sully

[Larz]

Was You Can't Kill Rock and Roll ever performed live with Randy? Damn shame if it never was. My favorite song ever. Amazing guitar composition.

I know it wasn't on Tribute and have never seen Ozzy play it at the5 or 6 shows I've seen.

[ulijdavid]

Me three.

Sully

Same here. At the time his tone was incredible to me. Maybe not the tone, but the total aggression. It seemed he was on the edge of total feedback and at any moment.

[Trem]

It seemed he was on the edge of total feedback and at any moment.

Cranking that Marshall up like that, and add in the "chip pan", and I think he was

[Hellbat]

For me it was the songwriting on Diary and Revelation. It was when I realized that music didn't have to be all blues/pentatonic based. Shortly afterwards Yngwie came on scene and drove that point home.

[ginsambo]

I got Blizzard and Diary of a Madman again after years, although I always had the live Tribute album and I also got Under the Blade by Twisted Sister again a few weeks later. The thing that struck me when I first listened to them again is the raw power of Under the Blade, it really moves me, apparently they recorded outside of a barn with their Marshalls cranked inside, the other thing is I noticed is how thin and tinny Blizzard and Diary sounded, especially compared to Tribute. So much so that for all that composition and guitar stuff it just kind of bypasses. me slightly, escpecially without Tribute as a reference. So what is the secret?...Volume? Was Randy's volume on 1 or something in the studio?

[Rupe]

I got Blizzard and Diary of a Madman again after years, although I always had the live Tribute album and I also got Under the Blade by Twisted Sister again a few weeks later. The thing that struck me when I first listened to them again is the raw power of Under the Blade, it really moves me, apparently they recorded outside of a barn with their Marshalls cranked inside, the other thing is I noticed is how thin and tinny Blizzard and Diary sounded, especially compared to Tribute. So much so that for all that composition and guitar stuff it just kind of bypasses. me slightly, escpecially without Tribute as a reference. So what is the secret?...Volume? Was Randy's volume on 1 or something in the studio?

The answer is in my earlier post

[Hellbat]

If memory from reading old interviews serves, Max Norman set up his cabs at the bottom of a stone stairwell and they miced the sound from the top with the amps cranked.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aM9dGXOoxQ

He sounds pretty good here! I have yet to find anything that Max Norman produced or engineered that I like the sound of, guitar or otherwise. Just my humble opinion of course!

[SausageofPower]

Max Norman (with Neil Kernon) did a hell of a job on Lynch Mob's Wicked Sensation, IMHO. Great guitar sound. Thick but with plenty of high end too.

[Endrik]

What a lot of kids don't realize nowadays is that all of these pro tools and advanced effect engines weren't available back in the day. The integrity of the musicians showed through. True there were still some tricks available(tape splicing, etc...).

You don't need Pro Tools to dial a guitar amp or record it.

On his isolated master tracks one can clearly hear that there's phase issues going on. Probably because of the micing + they are dubbed twice which makes it even worse + some bad compression which at the end makes it pretty boxy and thin sounding.

The guitar sound itself doesn't help either. With distortion and EQ pedal the sound was turned into something very solid state sounding. Some weird harsh frequencies up front. No bubbly compression but more like distortion box straight to board character.

The drums and the bass sound fucking awful too on those albums.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Not quite guitar related, but I have been revisiting the earlier Ozzy stuff a lot recently (Blizzard, Diary, Speak, Bark, and Tribute) and I notice a huge difference in the sound of the Daisley/Kerslake lineup live vs. Sarzo/Aldridge...way more groove and feel with the former, even if they only made it on two tracks on Tribute, hearing that the difference with the later guys playing their studio parts is pretty huge. As much as I like Rudy and Tommy, I would probably call them (and Brad Gillis who I also like a lot) more gimmicky players vs. Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake. Guess I never really cared before but I would love for a full live record to come out with Bob and Lee in some form, which will probably never happen officially due to the legal troubles between those two and the Osbourne camp.