Tracks
Also by Ozzy Osbourne
People who bought this release also bought
After being fired from Black Sabbath, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne recruited young guitar prodigy Randy Rhoads to form a solo band. Originally a founding member of Quiet Riot, Rhoad's guitar playing combined elements of classical music with the traditional heavy metal style, a template that would be worked off of (but arguably never bettered) by hordes of '80s metal guitarists. Tragically, Rhoads was killed in a bizarre plane accident early in 1982, after writing and performing on only two albums with Ozzy. Not wanting to capitalize on his death at the time, a live album featuring his playing was released in 1987. The fittingly-titled 'Tribute' is not only the greatest testament to Randy Rhoads's extraodinary talent but also one of the greatest live albums in heavy metal history.
Ozzy's first and most popular solo album, 'Blizzard of Ozz', is featured in its entirety here. (Even a studio out-take of the brief instrumental interlude "Dee" is included at the end.) Rhoads's performances on these tracks often outdo their seemingly impeccable studio counterparts. Of special note is "Suicide Solution", which features an incredible unaccompanied guitar solo. Ozzy's vocal performance is also impressive. Often a hit-or-miss live performer, he sounds fantastic on this album. In addition to material from Ozzy's solo repertoire, a couple of Black Sabbath tracks are featured, as well: a medley of "Iron Man" and "Children of the Grave", and of course the concert-closing "Paranoid". While not necessarily better or worse, Rhoads's playing on these songs is radically different from Tony Iommi's original work, indicating just how different that metal would be in the '80s.
The only faults that one could find with this release is that only two tracks, "Believer" and "Flying High Again", are featured from Ozzy's excellent second studio album, 'Diary of a Madman', and the drum solo during "Steal Away (The Night)" is superfluous to say the least. Still, these are minor quibbles, as it's a miracle that this album even exists. A memorial to one of the greatest metal guitarists ever as well as simply being an awesome live album, if you are to get only one Ozzy album, make it 'Tribute'.
Ozzy's first and most popular solo album, 'Blizzard of Ozz', is featured in its entirety here. (Even a studio out-take of the brief instrumental interlude "Dee" is included at the end.) Rhoads's performances on these tracks often outdo their seemingly impeccable studio counterparts. Of special note is "Suicide Solution", which features an incredible unaccompanied guitar solo. Ozzy's vocal performance is also impressive. Often a hit-or-miss live performer, he sounds fantastic on this album. In addition to material from Ozzy's solo repertoire, a couple of Black Sabbath tracks are featured, as well: a medley of "Iron Man" and "Children of the Grave", and of course the concert-closing "Paranoid". While not necessarily better or worse, Rhoads's playing on these songs is radically different from Tony Iommi's original work, indicating just how different that metal would be in the '80s.
The only faults that one could find with this release is that only two tracks, "Believer" and "Flying High Again", are featured from Ozzy's excellent second studio album, 'Diary of a Madman', and the drum solo during "Steal Away (The Night)" is superfluous to say the least. Still, these are minor quibbles, as it's a miracle that this album even exists. A memorial to one of the greatest metal guitarists ever as well as simply being an awesome live album, if you are to get only one Ozzy album, make it 'Tribute'.