ZAKK WYLDE: The Best Thing For RANDY RHOADS Was Hookin' Up W

[fortress]

Ultimate-Guitar.com: You appear on the "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" DVD blazing through some of Randy's [Rhoads] licks.

Zakk: Nothin' for nothin', the best thing for Randy was hookin' up with Ozzy. Me and J.D. [BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bassist] were talkin' about it. "Where is he putting 'Diary Of a Madman" on a QUIET RIOT record? Where is he putting 'Revelation' on a QUIET RIOT record? Or 'Over the Mountain' or 'Goodbye to Romance'?" To me, we were trying to figure out what QUIET RIOT sounded like and I actually heard a song. You know who they sound like? SWEET. Remember that band? I listened to those QUIET RIOT records and go, "It doesn't like sound QUEEN" but you hear influences. And you know what was so funny was you listen to all of that and ZEPPELIN was at the height of their massiveness and Randy wasn't into ZEPPELIN at all. No ZEPPELIN anywhere or SABBATH. Randy even said it. He goes, "'I never liked BLACK SABBATH.'" He loved Alice Cooper and Leslie West. I remember reading that in Guitar Player magazine that he loved Leslie West and he mentioned Steve Lukather and he mentioned Earl Klugh. He was talking about Eddie and said, "Man, I really dig Eddie Van Halen. I really love his playing" and stuff like that. He mentioned Leslie West and he goes, "Man, it just sounds so mean and nasty the way he played the blues."

Ultimate-Guitar.com: You bring up the point that no one ever seems to mention — that Randy really flourished once he joined Ozzy's band. In QUIET RIOT, to be honest, Randy was just another good guitar player floating around Los Angeles.

Zakk: Neil Zlozower [famous rock photographer] had seen him and he goes, "I know you love Randy and he's your guy but I saw him back in the day with QUIET RIOT and it was just like, ehhh." Just like pretty much what you're saying.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Exactly.

Zakk: Because Eddie Van Halen was just destroying everybody. Then Neil took those classic pictures of Randy sitting on the couch with all his guitars, and he said, "Zakk, when I took those pictures when they played the Inglewood Forum [17,000-seat arena], I went, 'What did they do? Just lock him in a room for like 12 hours and make him play guitar?'" He goes, "Zakk, it didn't even sound like the same guitar player.'" And nuttin' for nuttin' but you listen to those QUIET RIOT records and then you listen to "Diary" and "Blizzard"? It's like, "Ahh, get outta here — this isn't the same guitar player."

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Randy changed dramatically when he started working with Ozzy.

Zakk: When you listen to Randy's live solo, it has snippets of all his unique traits that he had in his playing. I'm talking about the actual live solo in "Suicide Solution". Me and J.D. were listening to it and I was like, "Dude, it's all in there." Just snippets of the diminished stuff; him muting with the scales; him with the legato and classical stuff. Just in that short little guitar solo; it's amazing.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: You really liked Randy's live sound?

Zakk: I thought it was better than the "Blizzard Of Ozz" sound; I think the live sound was way better. Because the chorus that he had on his guitar just sounded huge, massive and warm. I think the actual production overall was better on the "Diary Of A Madman" album. Mind you it was the second album. It's like when I listen to BLACK LABEL records, I know for a fact that this last album we did production-wise and fidelity-wise is the best sounding record I've ever done. Because I listen to all of 'em back to back and it's like when you listen to ZEPPELIN records. They all have their own unique character but definitely "Zeppelin IV" [is the one]. If you were gonna say to Jimmy [Page], "You can only leave one record for people to know what you did on this planet," you've gotta leave that one because the production is beyond phenomenal; the songwriting is amazing; and the stars aligned when they did that album. That's their "Sgt. Pepper's", you know what I mean? With METALLICA, it's the Black album; with GUNS [N' ROSES], it's "Appetite"; and with AC/DC, it's "Back In Black". The production and the writing is amazing. It's a marriage of all the things that make it great.

[oth]

houses of the holy was zeps opus not 4.

[Paul Wolfe]

Apparently Zakk and Zloz never heard Randy play laughing gas... his solo spot on that song wasn't 'just another good guitar player'... for that matter, check out Ed live prior to the release of Van Halen, he was playing covers and, while good, he wasn't 'destroying everybody'.

Zakk's opinion is just like anyone else on this board, just a fan's opinion.

[Rhoads-Fan]

I tend to think Bob Daisley had more of an influence than possibly Randy did. Bob has also said he talked to Randy about the way the music should be played.

[GuitarJoe]

I love that Zakk, as famous and popular as he is, is still "one of us", one of the Randy fans. And a true fan at that. And he's always been so gracious about mentioning him in interviews and even playing some RR models on tour. Zakk is the man!!

And for what it's worth I think he's right, and I think that's what Randy discouraged fans from tracking down the QR records: because he had finally found his identity as a musician with Ozzy. The songwriting, playing, performances, Randy could finally do what he wanted with Ozzy as opposed to making pop albums in hopes of attracting record companies.

Oh, one more thing - Zep's best record was "Physical Graffiti" Ain't being a fan great?

[AndrewT1976]

+1 Zep's opus was definitely Houses...

[AceVader]

Even Delores knew Randy came into his own once he joined Ozz. I am not going to credit Ozzy with it, I think Randy had the freedom and encouragement to really just bring it, where as with QR they were going for the pop groove so he was constrained.

[axeman_12656]

I tend to think Bob Daisley had more of an influence than possibly Randy did. Bob has also said he talked to Randy about the way the music should be played.

Did Bob also hang the moon?

I mean how much credit does this cat think he should get?

[GuitarJoe]

I tend to think Bob Daisley had more of an influence than possibly Randy did. Bob has also said he talked to Randy about the way the music should be played.

Did Bob also hang the moon?

I mean how much credit does this cat think he should get?

Hahahaha!!! That really did make me LOL

[distortionplus]

I have always liked Zakk. Like people have said and I concur he is a RR fan no doubt. My thoughts are that Randy had it in him. He just needed the right situation for it to show itself. Ozzy type heavy music was the perfect to showcase what he could do.

That SS demo shows the kind of metamorphosis that was happening with him. He sounds about a third of the way there on that demo. Also on You Looking at Me Looking at You the solo sounds like QR stuff(some of the better I might add). The song was "Trouble" I believe. He didn't have time to actually come up with something new so he just rehashed a solo on the spur of the moment. Laughing Gas clearly shows he had the skills before BOO. He Just needed the proper atmosphere for him to grow as a player. You can tell he grew in just the short time between BOO and DOAM. He was still getting growing as a player at the time of his death.

Bob I'm sure was a good influence in many ways, but lets be realistic he was one piece out of four.

[Sky]

I tend to think Bob Daisley had more of an influence than possibly Randy did. Bob has also said he talked to Randy about the way the music should be played.

Did Bob also hang the moon?

I mean how much credit does this cat think he should get?

I should think he'd like, and deserves, a bit more credit than he got on the 30th Anniversary editions!
I've always found that Bob gives credit where it's due. He often says that it took all four members of the Blizzard of Ozz to make those two albums. Of course, Bob would have suggested things to Randy, Lee and Ozzy... Randy, Lee and Ozzy would have done the same thing, that's what happens when people create anything together. It's more a question of saying how things were back then, it's easy to forget that Randy, Bob, Lee and Ozzy were all friends before Sharon became involved with the band.

[Stiltzkin]

Also on You Looking at Me Looking at You the solo sounds like QR stuff(some of the better I might add). The song was "Trouble" I believe.

nah, it was "Breaking up is a heartache" but "Trouble" is damn awesome too

[AndrewT1976]

I think Bob was the most accomplished (musically) of the 4 when the assembled and wrote the album. Let's face it, as much as Randy had the skills, he needed to work with a bass player like Bob.

It was the perfect storm - a guitarist from L.A who had hidden classical abilities behind a wall of utter pop bliss. Ozzy's dark voice, Bob's orchestral magic, and Lee's fat groove on the kit. The whole thing was aces! That's why that album sounds so unique and fresh. It was the combination of everyones abilities.

QR was basically a Sweet and/or Slade rip off. I was never a fan of Dubrow's vocals, and I really don't think their rhythm section was that impressive either.

[axeman_12656]

I have read many times also that Ozzy was really hard on Randy in the studio and really pushed him. All the guys may have.

[Blind Mojo Johnny]

it's easy to forget that Randy, Bob, Lee and Ozzy were all friends before Sharon became involved with the band.

well said !
ever hear of the "Yoko" syndrome ?
but as much as we all ("disclaimer" - well there might be somebody here that doesn't feel this way so I guess I can't speak for everyone...) can't stand $haron osbourne she did have a hand in the money aspect of the whole situation which brought those 2 albums to national (+ global) attention. there are probably better albums out there with better songs (somewhere but who knows where) that have gone no where and have been heard by only a few people. the music business is the toughest most dangerous profession on the planet and it swallows people up like no tomorrow. and it's not what but who you know, so yes zack is totally right on the money. so yes Randy did hit pay dirt with the blizzard of oz

and as far as Bob Daisley goes have you ever played in a band or tried to write songs with a bass player that sucked ? or started playing bass because he thought it was easier to play because it only had 4 strings instead of six ? or was a guitar player that got recruited because his hair looked good ?
it drives you insane and is a total compromise at best...

or how about a drummer that thinks he is "lead drummer" it is even worse than the bass player syndrome

those 2 albums are like was said "the perfect storm" "every piece fell into place", "the stars aligned", "shit worked out for once" (I could go on but you hopefully get the point)

or how about a singer that looks real pretty but dogs commit suicide when he grabs the mic

take out one factor and the whole thing falls apart

and it is a matter of opinion which zep album is the best they all have high and low points
it's like what type of toilet paper do you think is best ?

and Stiltzkin what the hell is that on your avatar ??? I have yet to figure it out... please explain


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