hennemusic

On May 31, the musical legacy of Ozzy Osbourne is finally getting cleaned up.

The release of reissues of Ozzy’s first two solo albums, “Blizzard Of Oz” (1980) and “Diary Of A Madman” (1981) is long overdue, given the antics of Sharon Osbourne.

The legacy of these albums was scarred in 2002 when Sharon let her emotions get the better of her during legal issues with former Ozzy bandmates Bob Daisley (bass) and Lee Kerslake (drums). Sharon tried to erase Bob and Lee’s contributions by re-recording the bass and drum parts on these records with Ozzy’s then-current band members, Robert Trujillo (now with Metallica) and drummer Mike Bordin. The original versions of the albums disappeared.

Sharon lied in the 2002 press release, saying “Ozzy wanted to remove them [Bob and Lee] from these recordings.” In an interview with Classic Rock last summer, Ozzy busted Sharon publicly on this, letting fans know it wasn’t his idea, he didn’t approve of it and that he wanted the originals reissued.

No word on whether Sharon plans to apologize to fans for her handywork; check the links at the end of this post for more background on the history of Sharon’s actions.

Long revered by rock fans around the world, these two albums created a template for hard rock in the 1980's and beyond as they were marked by the ground-breaking and historic union of Ozzy and the late guitar hero Randy Rhoads. These definitive versions of 1980's "Blizzard Of Ozz" (with previously unreleased bonus tracks) and 1981's "Diary Of A Madman" are available individually on vinyl or CD, or together in a deluxe collector's box. All versions were restored and remastered from the original analog sources by George Marino.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of "Blizzard of Ozz" includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with bonus tracks, while the new Legacy Edition of "Diary Of A Madman" includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with a bonus second CD of previously unreleased live performances featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads with rhythm section Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). A single disc version of the remastered "Diary Of A Madman" will also be available.

For serious fans and collectors, the limited edition 30th Anniversary deluxe boxed set houses the restored and remastered vinyl and CD editions of both albums plus the "Ozzy Live" compact disc. Beyond the music, the box set is highlighted by a variety of exclusives including an expansive 100-page coffee table book, a two-sided wall-size poster, a precise and detailed full-size replica of Ozzy's iconic gold cross that he has worn for 30 years, and “Thirty Years After The Blizzard” DVD.

This new “Thirty Years After The Blizzard” DVD chronicles Ozzy's years with Randy Rhoads features previously unseen footage of Ozzy and Randy filmed in 1981 & 1982; it incorporates rare archival photos and films; along with new and revelatory interviews with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Lemmy (Motörhead), Steve Vai, Nikki Sixx, Rob Halford, Zakk Wylde, Bill Ward and more. The DVD also contains over 70 minutes of additional rare live performances and interviews; included is the premiere of more than 30 minutes of newly-discovered never-bootlegged footage of Ozzy and Randy from the Blizzard of Ozz tour shot from the front of the stage at New York's fabled Palladium on May 2, 1981. This new feature is a must-see for aficionados of Ozzy's epic release, Blizzard of Ozz and its pivotal effect on rock & roll history.

Blizzard Of Ozz (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)

01. I Don’t Know (5:13)
02. Crazy Train (4:51)
03. Goodbye To Romance (5:33)
04. Dee (0:49)
05. Suicide Solution (4:17)
06. Mr. Crowley (5:02)
07. No Bone Movies (3:52)
08. Revelation (Mother Earth) (6:08)
09. Steal Away (The Night) (3:28)

BONUS TRACKS
10. You Looking At Me, Looking At You (Non-LP B-Side, Previously Unreleased in the U.S.) (4:15)
11. Goodbye To Romance (2010 Guitar & Vocal Mix, Previously Unreleased) (5:42)
12. RR (Previously Unreleased – Randy Rhoads guitar solo) (1:13)

Diary Of A Madman (Legacy Edition)

DISC 1
01. Over The Mountain (4:31)
02. Flying High Again (4:44)
03. You Can’t Kill Rock And Roll (6:59)
04. Believer (5:15)
05. Little Dolls (5:39)
06. Tonight (5:50)
07. S.A.T.O. (4:07)
08. Diary Of A Madman (6:14)

DISC 2 - Ozzy Live (recorded on the Blizzard of Ozz tour)
01. I Don’t Know
02. Crazy Train
03. Believer
04. Mr. Crowley
05. Flying High Again
06. Revelation (Mother Earth)
07. Steal Away (The Night)
08. Suicide Solution
09. Iron Man
10. Children Of The Grave
11. Paranoid

Diary of a Madman/Blizzard of Ozz 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set

Box Set Includes:

* Blizzard Of Ozz (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
* Diary Of A Madman (Legacy Edition)
* Blizzard Of Ozz (180-gram LP – original album only)
* Diary Of A Madman (180-gram LP – original album only)
* DVD - contains "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" documentary - and additional rare and unreleased performances and interviews.