Customer Reviews

Diary of a Madman/Blizzard of Ozz

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Was going to settle on this set because of the price thinking they were those 2002 remasters... No, they are the better 1995 remasters and I am stoked about it, two for the price of one and the 1995 versions!

As we all know, the 2 albums that you are possibly considering for purchase are true metal milestones, right? Ok, that being said, the only gripe I have about this 2 CD set is that there are no extras. No pictures, lyrics, or credits. This is a bare-bones product when it comes to this set. However, the musical significance of these 2 albums are worth not having any extra's. I think this is the only way to get the original versions. Sharon Osbourne remixed them with new bass and drum tracks and those are the versions that are readily available. For shame. I will never buy those. Get yours before you can't anymore. These are out of print with the original bass and drum tracks. (Originally, bass was played by Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake was the drummer and I believe Rudy Sarzo played the bass on "Diary of a Madman.)

this album arrived ahead of schedule and sealed in great condition. i, truthfully, thought that the albums were covertly issued remasters, but, actually, the albums are both the late eighties versions, prior to the 95 remaster. the sound quality is great, and this is the way these albums were meant to be heard, especially in the sense of the great randy rhoads. my only gripe is the fact that this set DOES NOT contain the cd booklet as the regular releases from the late eighties did, that is a bit of a fault from a collector's standpoint, but, the late eighties versions of these albums individually are impossible to find, especially sealed. i found them, but at much more than they were worth originally. that said, a great buy for a completist or a fan that despises the current remasters of 2000 as i do.

4.9 stars

This is exactly what should exist: Ozzy's two best solo albums the way they were first recorded. The original, truly smokin' albums, remastered perfectly in 1995, not the shameful remakes from the grasping hands of that zero-talent idiot Sharon. Still hard to believe she did that; oh well, just further proves what a greedy piggy she is. It's a shame for those who hear that instead of these original, truly classic recordings.

But what really matters is that you can get both of these classics together at less than the price of one of the original album mix cds from Japan, etc. (I'd have loved them to include the rare RR-era singles You Said It All and You Looking At Me, but maybe next time, when Sharon finally realizes that paying Bob and Lee their royalties is worth the many poodles she can buy by reissuing these properly.)

Randy Rhoads never played better than on these two, and that's the best metal guitar, period, along with Eddie. RR is absolutely killing here; nobody has surpassed these tracks, almost 30 years later. Tonight, SATO, Crazy Train, You Can't Kill Rock and Roll, Crowley, and so many others showcase his insanely clean, tight playing. Randy added a whole 'nother level of crispness and class to metal guitar on Blizzard, and then topped that with Diary. It's hard to imagine while hearing these now how much of an impact they had on the rock scene, but at the time they changed the entire game.

Plus Ozzy's voice is in fine shape, the songs are some of his best, and Bob and Lee are a great rhythm section. All told, this is one of the best metal quartets of them all. Check out some of the live tracks on youtube from this time, especially the live studio tracks; incredible, especially how consistently intense Rhoads was. Tommy and Rudy add a lot as well.

Get this used while you can, or on ebay. It's worth every penny.
Or, just transfer your vinyl to cd and get better sound for free...

R.I.P, Randy Rhoads. I sure would love to have heard where his playing was going next. Dang!

As most Ozzy fans already know, Blizzard of Oz along with Diary of a Madman were significantly changed for the worse with bass and drum parts re-recorded for the 2002 re-master. This package contains both of the unaltered 1995 re-masters of those albums. While I am tempted to dock this release a star for not containing the original booklets or even any sort of liner notes whatsoever, I am very grateful these superior recordings are still available. The original re-master of Blizzard of Oz is especially difficult to obtain, so purchase this apparently out-of-print release while you can.