Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz / Diary of a Madman (Expanded Editions)
Reissues in the top slot for the weeks best guitar Cds? What this? With so many of his achievements now commonplace,it's difficult for younger people to understand the impact of Randy Rhoads. Unless you were aware of European heavy metal enough to be familiar with Uli John Roth's work in The Scorpions,you hadn't heard that kind of classical inspired lead work before,most certainly not from an American guitar player. The precision of the double (and triple!) tracking was unprecedented. These albums stand as major achievements in heavy metal and are two of my personal favorites. While these are indeed "remastered",a better term might be "restored". These are the original performances,back on Cd for the first time since the rerecorded debacle meant to rob Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake of royalties. 
Reissues in the top slot for the weeks best guitar Cds? What this? With so many of his achievements now commonplace,it's difficult for younger people to understand the impact of Randy Rhoads. Unless you were aware of European heavy metal enough to be familiar with Uli John Roth's work in The Scorpions,you hadn't heard that kind of classical inspired lead work before,most certainly not from an American guitar player. The precision of the double (and triple!) tracking was unprecedented. These albums stand as major achievements in heavy metal and are two of my personal favorites. While these are indeed "remastered",a better term might be "restored". These are the original performances,back on Cd for the first time since the rerecorded debacle meant to rob Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake of royalties. 
If you can't find it in your heart to put more money in the Osbournes coffers,I understand. The catch is, when there is a brilliant artist like Randy Rhoads,whose career is so cruelly brief,every recording is a treasure. What of the new material,then? Thankfully,it's stuff you actually want to listen to more than once. Blizzard is a single Cd with the B-side "Looking at You,Looking at Me", a 2010 vocals and guitar only remix of "Goodbye to Romance" (Hey,a legitimate reason to remove bass and drum tracks! There's a new trend.) and about a minute of solo Randy that will make you wish he had recorded an "Eruption" style shred fest.I would love for the tapes released as "Live E.P.",containing the B-Side "You Said it All", to turn up some day.I have this on a bloody CASSETTE and wouldn't mind a nice Cd version. Diary is a two disc affair,offering up a live set,all songs you've heard before ,but it's always interesting to hear different versions. The most interesting thing about Randy live,is how he would take a song with multiple lead and rhythm tracks and seamlessly edit them into a one guitar performance. Greedy Osbournes or not, I think Randy's worth it.
