Blizzard of Ozz
is a heavy metal album by Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S..
This is Osbourne's first solo album and one of the two studio albums he recorded before guitarist Randy Rhoads' death in March 1982. The tracks "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" were released as singles. The former peaked at #9 on Billboard
s Top Tracks chart and has remained a staple of pop, hard rock, and classic rock radio for more than 25 years.
Blizzard of Ozz
remains Osbourne's highest-selling album to date, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone. [1]
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BLIZZARD OF OZZ - TRIBUTE TO OZZY OSBOURNE TICKETS
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Reception
The album reached #21 on the
Billboard 200 chart, and is on the list of the top 100 best-selling albums of the 1980s.
[clarification needed] It is notable for having achieved multi-platinum success even without the benefit of a
Top 40 single.
Uncut
(8/02, p.112) - 3.5 out of 5 - "Surprisingly melodic."
Kerrang!
(p.53) - "[A] work of genius....[With] some superb songs, many of which are now regarded as timeless classics."
Controversy
The song "
Suicide Solution" has been criticised for its lyrics that allegedly encouraged suicide, and was alleged to be a direct cause in the October 1984 suicide of John McCollum, a fourteen year-old fan who shot himself while listening to Osbourne's records. The boy's parents sued Osbourne and
CBS Records for "encouraging self-destructive behaviour" in young persons who were "especially susceptible" to dangerous influences (McCollum et al. v. CBS, Inc., et al.). In his defence, Osbourne said that the song was really about the untimely death of
AC/DC vocalist
Bon Scott, who perished due to alcohol-related causes just months before
Blizzard of Ozz
was released. Bassist
Bob Daisley, however, contradicts this, claiming that he wrote the song about Osbourne's own dangerous abuse of alcohol and drugs.
[2] The McCollums' complaint was dismissed on the grounds that the
First Amendment protected Osbourne's right to free artistic expression.
In
1986,
Daisley and drummer
Lee Kerslake sued Osbourne for unpaid royalties, eventually winning songwriting credits on
Blizzard of Ozz
and
Diary of a Madman
. The 2002 reissues of these albums saw the replacement of the original
bass and
drum tracks of Daisley and Kerslake with new ones by Osbourne's then-current drummer
Mike Bordin and bassist
Robert Trujillo. Osbourne's wife and manager,
Sharon, explained the re-recordings in a press conference: "Because of Daisley and Kerslake's abusive and unjust behaviour, Ozzy wanted to remove them from these recordings. "We turned a negative into a positive by adding a fresh sound to the original albums." Daisley and Kerslake deny the allegations of "abusive behaviour" and continue to battle for royalties owed them for their work on
Blizzard of Ozz
. However their case was dismissed by the US Supreme court on May 3, 2004, putting an end to any future potential litigation on the matter.
[3]
Track listing
All songs written by
Ozzy Osbourne,
Randy Rhoads, and
Bob Daisley except where noted.
Side one
# "I Don't Know" – 5:16
# "
Crazy Train" – 4:56
# "Goodbye to Romance" – 5:36
# "Dee" (Instrumental) (Rhoads) – 0:49
# "
Suicide Solution" – 4:20
Side two
#
"Mr. Crowley" – 4:55
# "No Bone Movies" (Osbourne, Rhoads, Daisley, Lee Kerslake) – 3:53
# "Revelation (Mother Earth)" – 6:09
# "Steal Away (The Night)" – 3:28
2002 Bonus Track
#"You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You" – 4:16
Personnel
- Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Producer
- Randy Rhoads - Guitar, Producer
- Bob Daisley - Bass, Gong, backing vocals, Harmony Vocals, Producer
- Lee Kerslake - Drums, percussion, Bells, Tympani, Producer
- Robert Trujillo - Bass (2002 reissue)
- Mike Bordin - Drums (2002 reissue)
Additional personnel
Production
Sales accomplishments
RIAA certification[ (United States)
]
| Date
| Designation
| Total Sales
|
July 31,
1981
| Gold
| 500,000
|
June 18,
1982
| Platinum
| 1,000,000
|
August 11,
1992
| Double Platinum
| 2,000,000
|
March 22,
1994
| Triple Platinum
| 3,000,000
|
August 15,
1997
| Quadruple Platinum
| 4,000,000
|
|
;
BPI certification (United Kingdom)
| Date
| Designation
| Total Sales
|
August 21,
1981
| Silver [4]
| 60,000
|
|
;
CRIA certification [5] (Canada)
| Date
| Designation
| Total Sales
|
July 1,
1981
| Gold
| 50,000
|
October 1,
1981
| Platinum
| 100,000
|
|
References
- RIAA Gold & Platinum database
- IMDB Biography
- Ozzy Osbourne
- BPI certified awards
- CRIA certified awards