Almost 2 months later, it’s hard not to still see the Prince Of Darkness in plenty of places. The legacy that he left behind was not just with the rock legends Black Sabbath, but with his own solo career, which lasted for 4-something decades. Even the concert juggernaut that was Ozzfest will be an enduring legacy to Ozzy, as it created so many memories for a lot of people. It still hurts that he’s gone, as it makes the world a lot less metal, and a lot less fun.
So, to pay tribute to a fallen titan, I’m dedicating the rest of September, and parts of October, to taking a look at some of his releases. Something from the 80s, something from the 90s, something from the 2000s, and something from the start of the 2010s. We start off in Heavy Metal’s early day in the beginning of the 80s, where Mr. Osbourne was beginning to stretch his legs on his own. Little did we all realize at the time, but he would go on to establish a career that was just as good as his time in Black Sabbath, if not better in some places, and it all begins.....with the Blizzard Of Ozz. Let’s see what all the fuss was about!
Background
Taken from part 1 of my Ozzy overview:
“Upon leaving Black Sabbath on some rather bad terms, Ozzy recalled that "I'd got £96,000 for my share of the name, so I'd just locked myself away and spent three months doing coke and booze. My thinking was, 'This is my last party, because after this I'm going back to Birmingham and the dole". However, Jet Records owner Don Arden (Who also ironically had Black Sabbath on his payroll) signed Ozzy to a deal to make new solo material, and sent his daughter Sharon to L.A. to attend to his needs (aka “Protecting” his investment). Arden had hoped he’d come back to Sabbath, but that would not happen. Later, he tried to have Ozzy name his solo career “Son Of Sabbath”, but that didn’t happen either. Meanwhile, Sharon tried to convince Ozzy to form a supergroup with guitarist Gary Moore. As Gary recalled:
“When I lived in Los Angeles, G-Force helped him to audition musicians. If drummers were trying out, I played guitar, and if a bassist came along, my drummer would help out. We felt sorry for him, basically. He was always hovering around trying to get me to join, and I wasn't having any of it.”
In late 1979, under Don’s guidance, Ozzy would form the Blizzard Of Ozz. It would feature drummer Lee Kerslake of Uriah Heep, bassist-lyricist Bob Daisley (Rainbow & later Uriah Heep), keyboardist Don Airey (Rainbow & later Deep Purple), and Quiet Riot guitarist & guitar prodigy Randy Rhodes. Then, on the 20th of September 1980, and the 27th of March 1981 in the United States, the group’s first album was released. Also titled Blizzard Of Ozz, Jet Records would credit things simply to Ozzy, which in turned launched his solo career. Co-written with Daisley and Rhoads, it gave Ozzy considerable success, and while it accepted that Osbourne and Rhoads started the band, Daislet would later claim that him and Osbourne formed the band in England before Rhoads officially joined.
Blizzard Of Ozz would go on to chart high upon it’s release. It would make it to number 21 on the Billboard 200, number 8 on Canada’s top albums/cd list, and number 7 in Ozzy’s home country of England. It would eventually sell well also: in Australia it would be certified Gold at 35,000 sales, 60,000 in Britain on both the original & 2011 re-release (Silver), Platinum at 100,000 sales in Canada, and a whopping 5 times Platinum here in the United States, with sales equaling 5,000,000 copies. Pretty impressive if you ask me!”
Basic Description
Metal Legend.
To say that Blizzard Of Ozz is an essential album within the genre is an understatement. As phenomenal as Ozzy was within Black Sabbath, he proved that he was just as incredible when he was outside of that group. Sure, he managed to assemble a team of incredibly talented & like-minded musicians that carry their weight in more ways than one, but Ozzy himself seems liberated somehow. Like he can stretch out his voice in more ways than one, and nobody was going to stop him. That drive is what pushed him to go out on his own, surrounded by equally talented people, and the rest.....is history.
Best Track
I said this close to 3 years ago now, but you could throw a dart at this record, and it would hit a great song. From the infamous Suicide Solution, to the ode for one of the most infamous warlocks that is Mr. Crowley, you genuinely can’t screw up at all! However, to say that Crazy Train shouldn’t take the crown of best track of Blizzard Of Ozz is pure lunacy! Right from the very first second, you’re treated to a high-octane tune, with fast & powerful instrumentation, and singing from Ozzy that cemented his legacy in the 1980s & beyond as one of Heavy Metal’s true titans. If there’s anything even remotely bad about the track, it would be that it doesn’t open the album! In fact, it’s actually the second track, behind the lovely I Don’t Know. Regardless, Crazy Train is a classic, and is a song that should never be skipped.
Crazy Train
Worst Track
I stated it back in October of 2022, but I stand by when I said that there’s not a bad song on Blizzard Of Ozz. From top to bottom, everybody in the band were great in their role, with Randy Rhodes cementing his legacy as a guitar god. Even the recording & production behind the album was fantastic, as even modern re-releases still sound great. It’s only real weakness would be it’s age. Back when I looked at this record, it was just over 40 years old. In 2025, it turns 45 years old over in the UK, and 45 years old next year in the United States. It genuinely shows it’s age quite a bit now, as being 5-years short of half a century in age is pretty striking at this point. As important of a building block Blizzard Of Ozz was to Heavy Metal’s budding years, it’s also obvious as to how old it is.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Blizzard Of Ozz (Expanded Edition)
Overall Impression & Rating
Blizzard Of Ozz is a metallic classic! Sure, it’s exceptionally old in 2025, but the endurance of it’s legacy keeps it fresh in listener’s minds. Older fans look back at it fondly as the start of an amazing solo career, and newer age fans find it to be Heavy Metal of the nostalgia variety. Again, it’s most certainly dated, but it still sounds so good, whether it’s the vocal work from Ozzy or the instrumentation from the rest of the band. With his death still pretty fresh in our memory, fans have been looking back at his career from beginning to end, and we all agree.....that Blizzard Of Ozz is one of his best.
Blizzard Of Ozz gets a out of 10.
And that was my look at Blizzard Of Ozz. Ozzy’s first album on his own, it showed that he was great on his own, as was just as metallically strong as the band that gave birth to his career. With his passing not too long ago, it’s perhaps more important than ever to take a look at the legacy he left behind. Now, we set our sights on the 1990s, so join me at the end of the month for a look at one of Ozzy’s most infamous records.....and it just so happened to turn 30 years old here in 2025. See you then!
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