Diary of a Madman album review

Madman56 · Post by **Madman56** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:41 am

Been going through some stuff and came across this review of Diary of a Madman from and old Record Review magazine, enjoy...

Despite the tirades of "never say die" hard Black Sabbath fans, the split that took Ozzy out of Sabbath and brought Ronnie James Dio in was the best thing that happened to both parties involved. Ozzy is happily in love with his new band and it shows. Having the brilliant Randy Rhoads on your side is about as good a blessing as you can get. Ozzy rescued his career from the gutter and is sitting on top of heavy metal mania again. It's his second blessing in life as he calls it but I think Diary of a Madman is a double dose of good spirits. It far surpasses the reaches of Blizzard of Ozz. It took only one steady listen to leapfrog the second Ozzy Lp over the first.
Randy Rhoads is the guitar find of 1981. And now I have to figure out a way to justify putting both Ozzy albums in my top ten along with The Mob Rules. It's a rare year when metal is so difficult to sort out. I think this may be the best year ever for heavy metal and the blizzard boys, Ozzy and Randy, as they got their fingers good and dirty twice. Madman is a killer that takes off where Blizzard was reaching out. It may be necessary to get a couple of copies, the first gets worn out too quick.
-Jon Sutherland

NoQuattro · Post by **NoQuattro** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:49 am

Good review. If they would have done a third studio album, I'm sure it would have upped the bar even more.

DMRX · Post by **DMRX** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 5:03 am

AWSOME!!!!!!!!!1

That is Great!Thanks for posting.

stealaway · Post by **stealaway** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:56 pm

Well said! Nice review!

stlrox · Post by **stlrox** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:30 pm

I have to agree 100% with this review. Especially the part about OZZY being solo, and Sabbath with DIO. Blizzard/Diary & Heaven & Hell/Mob Rules were 4 great albums.

I think we missed out on 2 great 3rd albums by both artists.

Post by **Trigger** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:36 am

Great revue and I have to say I don't think either band would have been as good if they were not just as they were at that time! Those for albums were amazing and all the artists involved wereat the top of their games at that point and had the best bands available to suit their styles.

Fozzy41 · Post by **Fozzy41** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:45 pm

Great to read a revue like that, can't seem to remember too many revues as good as that back in the day.
I remember that early 80's period quite well, I was into both bands, Blizzard and Sabbath, and saw them both in concert around this time, ('80 & '81) but looking back I probably didn't fully apreciate what a fantastic time it was to be a fan of Ozzy and Sabbath at this time, I suppose we just took it a bit for granted.
It only now, almost 30 yrs later, that I fully understand what a special period in time for music it was, those 4 albums are classics and have stood the test of time remarkably well, because lets be honest, as good as some their releases have been over the past 20 odd years, neither artist, Ozzy or Sabbath, have come close to this golden era.

Post by **Trigger** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:48 am

Hi Gaz

I was around back then like you and I remember thinking that Sabbath & Ozzy were now ahead of the competition by miles, a year or so earlier Ozzy with Sabbath had began to sound stale and dated, then the split came and to be honest I (and my friends) expected little from either of them.
Fast forward a year and 'Bloody Hell'!!! both were now amazing although for me Ozzy led the race and put a much improved Sabbath into his shadow. 30 years later and both acts are great but Heaven and Hell are a much better band than the Ozzy band has become although I still favor Ozzy because his entire career is stronger than Sab/Dio.

Fozzy41 · Post by **Fozzy41** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:01 am

Trigger wrote:
30 years later and both acts are great but Heaven and Hell are a much better band than the Ozzy band has become although I still favor Ozzy because his entire career is stronger than Sab/Dio.

Yeah I agree Ian, Ozzy's back catalogue is a lot stronger than Sabbath's. In the 80's and 90's Ozzy was still putting out great albums, whereas Sabbath were mediocre (although Headless Cross is a good album) The Devil You Know is a pretty good album, but nowhere near on par with their early 80's output, but still looking forward to seeing 'em if they tour the UK.
Now that Zakks out of Ozzy's band it'll be interesting to hear his new album, whenever that comes out.

tedeeoo · Post by **tedeeoo** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:26 pm

I listened to "Diary" on the way to work this morning (first time I had listened to it in a while) and it's still just a mother-fu@#er of an album, every song on that record is just killer. I actually prefer Sabbath with Dio and "Heaven and Hell" is one of the all time great metal songs, I like the new album to. I had no idea that every Sabbath record with RJD had gone platinum (not sure about the new one), even Dehumanizer.

Post by **Trigger** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:17 am

tedeeoo wrote:I listened to "Diary" on the way to work this morning (first time I had listened to it in a while) and it's still just a mother-fu@#er of an album, every song on that record is just killer. I actually prefer Sabbath with Dio and "Heaven and Hell" is one of the all time great metal songs, I like the new album to. I had no idea that every Sabbath record with RJD had gone platinum (not sure about the new one), even Dehumanizer.

I think that with Sabbath Dio was better suited but if you were lucky enough to see Ozzy with the Sabb's in 1997 when they recorded the 'Reunion' album I have to say that they were amazing, I was there at both shows with an audience over half full of fans who had traveled from all over the world to see the event.
What it was was the energy of an Ozzy show with a much improved performance by the old Sabb band.
I do think however that Dio is a better Sabbath front man BUT Sabb will never write as many strong songs as Ozzy has been lucky enough to have on his albums. Which is sad for me because TI writes the biggest demonic guitar riffs imaginable

tedeeoo · Post by **tedeeoo** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:52 pm

Trigger wrote:
tedeeoo wrote: I do think however that Dio is a better Sabbath front man BUT Sabb will never write as many strong songs as Ozzy has been lucky enough to have on his albums. Which is sad for me because TI writes the biggest demonic guitar riffs imaginable

Very much agree with those statements Trigger.

HuntsAnnexStudios · Post by **HuntsAnnexStudios** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:09 am

I liked the review as well,... but I had to stop, re-read and snicker at the sentence (that old Ozzy/Randy chestnut, that keeps being regurgitated over and over again) about how "Ozzy saved Randy's career from the gutter",.... did Sharon write that herself? LOL!

If anyone was in the gutter it was Ozzy while he was depressed and existing on a steady alcohol diet from Gil Turner's Liquor Store on Sunset, and Cocaine from Georgie M. over on North Cherokee.

Randy may have not had the commercial success with QR, but he was only a young kid trying to break out at that time,... and two tanked Lp's at age 22 doesn't mean you are doomed for life,...he had his whole life in front of him, and he had many doors available to him, or doors which were soon to be presented, before and after Ozzy got him.

I dunno,... I really resist this "Implanted Osbourne's fairly tale - sales pitch", that if Ozzy hadn't found Randy (hey, what happen to Dana Strum here - another Sharon editing job), Randy never would have made it,... ever.

Their reasoning, and what they have managed to convince many people to believe, is that just because QR wasn't working out for Randy prior...., that is proof positive that Randy absolutely never would have had any commercial success without the kindly "hand-out and step-up" the O's so graciously provided.

I think that is total rubbish,... Remember, even if the whole Blizzard of Ozz thing never came about,...... MTV and the Van Halen's broke the whole L.A. rock scene so wide open, that within four years time, any kid with long hair and a leather coat who could get out to L.A. was getting a record deal, and an appearance on Ricki Rackman's Headbangers Ball.

Believe me, the World would have heard from Randall William Rhoads soon enough,... even without Sharon Ardens help, guidance. money and song writing abilities (oh wait she hasn't actually taken credit for the song writting,... yet)

Think about it,,.. Randy would have been fine,.... and on top within a few years anyway (okay maybe not with Kevin, Drew, and Kellie,... or maybe so, who knows on that one),..... and possibly alive today.

Well,......... by my way thinking, not only was Ozzy & his career the thing that actually lay in the gutter, but Ozzy was so far down the rabbit hole, it took the combined strength of talents of Randy, Bob, and Lee all working together to pull Ozzy and his failed career and life out of the gutter.

Sad how the three people who made it all happen for them,..... all got hurt the worst,... and that hurting still continues.

All in all though, that article was a good read,.... and good for a little chuckle with a bile chaser,... " Ozzy rescued Randy's career from the gutter" Still makes me laugh and wince after all these years of hearing that one.

-Jimmy