OZZY OSBOURNE — Diary Of A Madman (review)

OZZY OSBOURNE — Diary Of A Madman album cover Album · 1981 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
SouthSideoftheSky
You can’t kill Rock ‘N’ Roll, but the guitarist might die in a tragic accident!

Ozzy Osbourne’s career was like a rollercoaster; first being kicked out of the band he had been in for close to a decade and then finding great success as the leader of his own band only to have his brilliant guitarist killed in a tragic plane accident after only two years. Diary Of A Madman was the second solo album from Ozzy and the last ever recording featuring the great Randy Rhoads (RIP). About what would have happened had Rhoads survived we can only speculate, but this album shows that he evolved as a player right till the end (he was, after all, only 25 years old when he died). As we all know Ozzy would continue a successful solo career for many years with other guitarists, but what a blow it must have been to lose Rhoads who was very influential on Ozzy’s first two albums.

It is often claimed that Diary Of A Madman was a bit rushed but, if that applies at all, it applies only to a couple of tracks in the middle of the albums that perhaps could have been somewhat further developed. The best tracks of the album, however, do not at all feel rushed or underdeveloped. On the contrary, this album contains Ozzy’s most elaborated piece of music ever in the excellent title track. This rather progressive song features strings and wonderful acoustic and electric guitars by Rhoads and a moving vocal from the man himself. Diary Of A Madman is probably my favourite Ozzy Osbourne song.

The rest of the album’s material is, in my opinion, up to par with the classic debut. That album had a couple of weaker tracks and so does this one. But despite some weak moments on both albums, I think they are both excellent additions to any Metal collection. Songs like Over The Mountain and Flying High Again are, together with the aforementioned title track, Ozzy classics. Compared to the debut, this second album is darker and a bit more serious in its subject matter.

Diary Of A Madman is an excellent companion to Blizzard Of Ozz
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