Which is the most appropriate way to start a review in one of the most classical releases in the history of Heavy Metal? There are a lot, but each one is personal and unique. 

Speaking for myself, that was the first vinyl that I have ever bought in my life, and furthermore Randy Rhoads made me realize which was going to be my relationship with guitar playing.

But enough with me, in early 80’s as Ozzy was deep in drug addiction and alcoholism, he has been through out from Black Sabbath and after a short dark period of booze and self destruction, he is pushed from Sharon Arden( future Mrs Osbourne &  his manager του) to make a comeback with a new band created by him. Actually she could recognize the obvious talent and the perspectives that no one else could. Somehow that band had to be found in order to make the vision reality. So, on the drums Lee Kerslake was recruited and on the bass Bob Daisley, leaving only a gap for the guitarist in order to be completed. The candidates were many and all were trying to mimic Tony Iommi. After a lot of hours of rehearsals Ozzy was exhausted when someone introduced him Randy as a qualified player (Dana Strum of Slaughter), Ozzy did not even try to say hello, and he waved to begin. The myth says that Randy was tuning and warming up when Ozzy hired him! The next day he was sure that he was dreaming. Luckily for everyone he was not. The vibes created from the first gathering of the band made it clear how the future would be the revolution of the new Heavy Metal in vinyl.

The release was multi-platinum and reached until #9 selling only in US 4, 1 million copies and remains till today the most successful album of his career.

One classic track after another, “Mr. Crowley” which is referring to the apocryfist Aleister Crowley in which Randy Rhoads shows his unique talent in a solo that changed the guitar formula on playing Heavy Metal. The colossal “Crazy Train”, with the characteristic killing riff, rhythm section hard as a rock and o Ozzy at his best while Randy for one more time plays a fantastic solo. Its been said that Randy was playing tapping /hammering  before that technique was known to the audience from the guru-master Eddie Van Halen, and in combination with his classical education gave a more lyric appearance to the tracks. Next classic track is the “strange” for its lyrics “Suicide Solution”, track that put him into trouble with the law after some teenage suicides (but he was judged innocent at last). And finally the mid tempo ballad- “Goodbye To Romance” which characterized a whole generation of fans globally. It is said that for the specific track Ozzy had some scratch notes that made no sense and Randy finalized it as a song, while he taught him how to sing it and that was their first co-operation.

So without any doubt, that release is classic and gave him the title of the Godfather of modern Heavy Metal. Hundreds of musicians and groups used it as the “Holy Bible” to create the music that we all love.

More analytically the tracks and the performers are the following:

Side One:

1. "I Don't Know" 
2. "Crazy Train" 
3. "Goodbye to Romance" 
4. "Dee"
5. "Suicide Solution"

Side Two:

1. "Mr. Crowley" 
2. "No Bone Movies" 
3. "Revelation (Mother Earth)" 
4. "Steal Away (The Night)"

Band:

• 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 [Timpani], Producer
  

Additional Band:

• Don Airey - Keyboards
• Rudy Sarzo - Bass 

• Max Norman