Amazing is not A strong enough word!!

[StyxMark68]

I have finally received My copy of Velocity Publishing Group's coffee table book "Randy Rhoads" written by Steven Rosen and Andrew Klein and I am seriously amazed! When it arrived via UPS, I first noticed the size of the box, and the overall weight of the package. It's big and heavy. What struck Me next was how well done the packaging was. You could tell that much thought and care was being utilized in the overall process. Outside box with A sealed inside box. Around the inside box was crushed up heavy packing paper. This was done so that the inside box would not shift around inside the outer box during it's travels. The inside box was dead center. Great job! The sealed inside box contained the book, and when I opened it, it was packed very well. The book fits the inside box to A tee and the book itself is surrounded by bubble wrap. So, fantastic job with the packaging!
There it was, right in front of Me. finally. I noticed and recognized the cover right away from the many pictures on the net. But, The shots that You see are nothing compared to seeing it in person. I reached in and picked it up. It's fairly heavy. You can tell by just picking it up that the quality is certainly there. Everything from the book's binding right to the cover oozes fantastic craftmanship. Also, this is not A lap-type book, and I wouldn't recommend trying to read or hold it that way. It's way too big and heavy for that.
So, it was time to dive right in. For starters, I had planned only to glance through the book....not read it quite yet. I wanted to take all of it in. So, I began. I was immediately astonished with page layouts, page quality, and picture quality. It has to be seen to be believed. No joke. Next, I was taken back by how many photos that I had never seen before. I've been A Randy Fan since the Early 1980's, so I have seen many through the years. But never before could I continue counting the many pictures I have never seen published or on the net until now. I read bits and pieces to just get A taste of the writting style that was used and I can honestly say, it is fantastic as well. Great writting throughout the entire book.
About halfway through, A smile began to really show on My face after each page turn. The book leaves no stone unturned that I could tell. It really does chronicle Randy's life VERY well! Things I was unaware of. Some questions were answered and not by reading, but just looking at the ton of pictures.
By the time I was done "Glancing", I was speechless. All I could say was..."WOW!! Seriously WOW!" To be honest, the time just flew by. I spent about Two hours just flipping through the pages!! And that was going at A good steady rate. The Chapter on The Accident was so heartbreaking, but done very well, and informative. There are many pictures of The Scene that I had never seen before. There are also many pictures of Andrew Aycock. I had never seen what He had looked like ever. The Pictures of Randy's Guitars and Equipment was done so very well!
This book is A piece of historical legacy of the Man We all know as Randy Rhoads! Much love and care has been placed and planted in this book....it really does show. Thanks to the Authors for putting this out. You should be very proud. No matter how You feel about Them with the pending lawsuit, the book stands alone as A well done labor of love. If You haven't purchased A copy of the book yet, what are You waiting for?!!? It certainly is worth every single penny You spend on it. This is A piece of Randy's legacy You DO NOT want to be without!! Hope You all enjoyed the review.

[RRFan4Ever]

Sounds like it was packed phenomenally and is a fitting tribute to Randy- I just can't get over the sneaky underhanded shit the "authors" pulled to acquire the materials in making the doc... I mean, book.

But that's just me. Glad you like it and wanted to share in your experience with it.

[StyxMark68]

Yes. The way the book was packaged for delivery was very well done. It always concerns Me when I order things over the net to be shipped. I have heard, and read so many horror stories about the condition of goods once They arrive at their destination. Especially expensive goods either ruined, or severly damaged beyond repair. I really don't think any shipping company cares about Your items as much as They care about getting it to You fast and on time. My Wife said that when the truck came with My copy of the book, the driver just threw the box onto the porch with not A care in the world. She knew it had arrived for Me when She heard...."Bang!" They didn't even knock or ring Our door bell. So, I was very happy in regards to the care They took to make sure it wasn't able to be damaged very easily.
The book is incredible. And is an amazing tribute to Randy! I too thought about the price tag, and kinda hesitated in buying it at first wondering if it seriously would be worth the money spent. Well, it most certainly is and then some!
As far as what is going on with The Authors and the Rhoads Estate. I won't judge, as I am not there, and wasn't there to see what went down. I have read both sides of the story and I feel that if Your not there, then You really don't have A clear insight into the legal battle that is coming. On One side I am so very glad that The Authors put their time and effort into the book project for Randy's Fans. This kind of thing has been long overdue. Their hard work really paid off in the final product. On the other hand, if They were involved in sneaky tricks with The Rhoads Estate, To what extent are We speaking about? Only Those involved parties know what has transpired. We can only read and guess. The book was made with class. I could find nothing wrong with the way Randy's Story is told. There are lot's of personal pictures....so, maybe that's what the main fuss is about? I know all about the Doc deal, and it's A shame that it never came to be. I do agree with The Rhoads Estate putting forth legal action in regards to that failed project. I am not so sure about the book though. Now, I am waiting to receive Ron Sobol's Awesome Book/DVD set to arrive!! I can't wait! I feel like A kid at Christmas. And thanks for reading My Review.

[RandyRox]

.

[StyxMark68]

An update....I just received My copy of Ron Sobol's amazing book "Randy Rhoads: The Quiet Riot Years", and it is fantastic! A great companion to the Velocity release! Ron personally autographed the book for Me as well. What an awesome touch. This book is another MUST have for any Randy Rhoads Fan. You can't really compare it to the Velocity release as it only covers Randy's days with Quiet Riot. Of course the Velocity release covers Randy's entire lifetime. I would say that the Velocity release is much larger in size and content overall, but Ron's book dives A little deeper into those early years with Riot up until He leaves to go with Ozzy. The Velocity book has A bit more text to read than Ron's book too. Overall, the quality is top notch for both books. The pictures in both books are fantastic, and in great quality as well. One edge that Ron's book has over the Velocity release is the DVD that comes with the package. I haven't had A chance to view it yet, so I can't give any honest review. Just like the Velocity book, there are many unreleased pictures I have never seen. I really like the personalized autograph message option too. One thing that struck Me in comparing both books. I really couldn't find any "Questionable" pictures in the Velocity release. Maybe the Accident photos. But nothing that Made Me cringe really. But, in Ron's book however, I came across About 4-5 pictures that I certainly found Cringe worthy. I found that surprising as The Rhoads Family is going after the Velocity release, and not Ron's book. Nothing against Ron at all, I found His book incredible. But, I question why the One release, and not the other?