Ozzy Osbourne/England,UK 1980 2Shows

From Ozzy Osbourne’s 1980 UK tour accompanying the release of “BLIZZARD OF OZZ”, the first half of the Manchester performance and the second half of the Ipswich “Gaumont Hall” performance will be released as a 2-disc title that will please fans, using precious audience masters! Since starting with the Glasgow performance on September 12, OZZY OSBOURNE has received enthusiastic support from fans and has performed a wonderful live show full of heat at each location of the tour. Sales of the first album “BLIZZARD OF OZZ” also increased steadily, eventually rising to 7th place in the UK charts (released in March ’81 in the US and rising to 21st place). The first London performance recorded on “HAMMERSMITH BLIZZARD” was also a great success, and Ozzy was in a daze and suffering after being fired from BLACK SABBATH a year ago, and he was doing so well that it was hard to believe. Disc 1 of this work contains the performance at the Manchester “Apollo Theater” on September 23rd, immediately after the Hammersmith performance, recorded with a good audience source. The sound source of this Manchester performance appeared last year as “NIGHT OF BLIZZARD”. There, materials distributed among domestic traders were used, but this time, it was remastered and made into a record based on the master provided by an overseas taper. The generation is clearly the impression above, and the sound has an edge more than the sound source known in Japan on the same day. I’m glad that the position of the taper was good, and the balance is particularly stable and easy to listen to, and I can say that this sound source is an excellent master even in the early ’80 tour. The excitement of the venue was wonderful from the opening “I Don’t Know”, and the applause and clapping from the audience gives you an outstanding sense of realism in “Crazy Train”. The outlook is also excellent for this era, and you can hear the delicate parts of the song properly in “Gooby To Romance”. You can also enjoy Randy Rhoads’ guitar playing to the fullest, and in his solo part following the heavy “Suicide Solution,” you will be overwhelmed by his brilliant, wild, and heavy guitar handling! Ozzy was in good form that day, and his high-tension singing throughout the entire live performance, including the encore “Paranoid,” attracts the ears of the listeners. Although there are some cuts from the master, such as the end of “Looking at Me Looking at You” and the beginning of “Crazy Train,” you can enjoy the 61 minutes of live performance full of excitement unique to the early days of the tour. The band was scheduled to take the stage at Hammersmith Odeon in London again on October 26th as the final stage of their debut tour, and they were also excited about the production of a new album and the US tour scheduled after the UK tour. Disc 2 contains the show in Ipswich on October 23rd, just before their second Hammersmith Odeon performance. The sound quality of the original master was a standard audience recording at the time, and there was some noise that seemed to be caused by microphone contact problems, especially in the opening part where “Carmina Burana” plays, but the sound quality was improved as much as possible by remastering, such as removing these noises and normalizing the sound by pitch correction, and the sound quality has been improved significantly beyond the original material. Although the visibility and separation are not as good as “HAMMERSMITH BLIZZARD”, the recording that captures the excitement and noise of the venue is very much like a live tape of that time. The sound image where Randy’s guitar can be clearly heard even in the vividness will be a nice point for fans. Since about 20 performances have already been digested since the start of the tour, the band communication and unity of the performance on stage have increased even more, and “I Don’t Know” and “Crazy Train” are showing more stable and mature performances than the live in September. The highlight of the live performance, “Mr. Crowley,” is a particularly wonderful performance, and Randy’s guitar solo at the end will catch the ears of fans beyond the level of sound quality. In addition, there are many noteworthy parts, such as “No Bone Movies,” which was not included in “BLIZZARD OF OZZ FIRST LIVE.” The audience is also enthusiastic, and the impact of “BLIZZARD OF OZZ” that Ozzy caused on the British scene and the excitement of the tour can be strongly felt from the recording. After the band finishes the British tour schedule in early November, they will finally set their sights on a large-scale US tour. Prior to that, in January 1981, they began working on their second album, “DIARY OF A MADMAN.” Two months later, in March, they finished recording the album, but Bob opposed Ozzy and Sharon’s desire to use Tommy Aldridge on drums, so the rhythm section was replaced, and a new lineup was born, including Tommy and Rudy Sarzo. This album contains the first and second halves of the 1980 live show, the only tour with Bob and Lee still in the band, separated by a one-month gap, making it an interesting package for listening and comparing. For enthusiasts, this will be an essential album for examining the live shows of the “BLIZZARD OF OZZ” period. Apollo Theatre, Manchester, UK 23rd September 1980 TRULY AMAZING SOUND Gaumont Hall, Ipswich, UK 23rd October 1980 AMAZING SOUND Disc 1 Live at Apollo Theatre, Manchester, UK 23rd September 1980 1. Carmina Burana Intro 2. I Don’t Know 3. You Looking at Me Looking At You 4. Crazy Train 5. Goodbye To Romance 6. No Bone Movies 7 Mr. Crowley 8. Suicide Solution 9. Guitar Solo/Suicide Solution(Reprise) 10. Drum Solo 11. Revelation (Mother Earth) 12. Iron Man 13. Children of the Grave 14. Steal Away (The Night) 15. Paranoid Disc 2 Live at Gaumont Hall, Ipswich, UK 23rd October 1980 1. Carmina Burana Intro 2. I Don’t Know 3. You Looking at Me Looking At You 4. Crazy Train 5. Goodbye To Romance 6. No Bone Movies 7. Mr. Crowley 8. Revelation (Mother Earth) 9. Suicide Solution 10. Guitar Solo 11. Drum Solo 12. Iron Man 13. Children Of the Grave 14. Steal Away (The Night) 15. Paranoid Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals Rhoads – Guitar Bob Daisley – Bass Lee Kerslake – Drums Lindsay Bridgewater – Keyboard