Ozzy Osbourne/UK 1980 Remaster

From the 1980 UK tour accompanying the release of Ozzy Osbourne’s “BLIZZARD OF OZZ”, the first half of the Manchester performance and the second half of the Ipswich Gaumont Hall performance are recorded using precious audience masters, and two discs that will please fans. Released as a group title! Since starting with the Glasgow show on September 12th, OZZY OSBOURNE has received enthusiastic support from fans and has performed wonderful live shows filled with enthusiasm at various locations on the tour. Their 1st album “BLIZZARD OF OZZ” also steadily increased in sales, eventually reaching number 7 on the British charts (and rising to number 21 in the US when it was released in March 1981). The first London performance recorded in the already-released “HAMMERSMITH BLIZZARD” was also a great success, and Ozzy was so active that it was like a lie that he was suffering a year ago due to being fired from BLACK SABBATH. Disc 1 of this work includes the Manchester Apollo Theater performance on September 23rd, immediately after the Hammersmith performance, with an excellent audience source. The sound source of this Manchester performance had appeared in the past as “NIGHT OF BLIZZARD”. They used materials that were distributed among domestic traders, but this time they have been remastered and made into a disc based on the master provided by an overseas taper. The generation clearly has the above impression, and the sound has more edge than the domestically known same-day sound source. Perhaps because the taper was in a good position, I’m glad that there is a sense of stability and ease of listening in terms of balance, and I can assert that this sound source is an excellent master even at the beginning of the ’80 tour. From the opening song, “I Don’t Know,” the excitement in the venue was amazing, and the applause and handclaps from the audience gave an outstanding sense of realism during “Crazy Train.” The outlook is also excellent for this era, and in “Goobye To Romance” you can clearly hear the delicate parts of the song. You can also enjoy Randy Rhoads’ guitar playing to the fullest, and in his solo part that continues from the profound “Suicide Solution”, you will be overwhelmed by the brilliant yet wild and heavy guitar handling! On this day, Ozzy was in good shape and captivated the listeners’ ears with his high-tension singing throughout the live performance, including the encore song “Paranoid.” There are some cuts derived from the master, such as from the end of “Looking At Me Looking At You” to the beginning of “Crazy Train,” but the 61 minutes of the original sound source allows you to enjoy the lively live performance unique to the early stages of the tour. It has been decided that the band will take to the stage at London’s Hammersmith Odeon again on October 26th as the final stage of their debut tour, and they are also enthusiastic about working on a new album after the UK tour and preparing for the US tour. It was rising. Disc 2 includes the show at Ipswich on October 23rd, just before the second Hammersmith Odeon performance. The sound quality of the original master was a standard audience recording at the time, and there was some noise in the beginning, especially in the opening part where “Carmina Burana” was played, which seemed to be caused by a microphone contact problem, but the sound quality was improved by removing these noises and correcting the pitch. The sound quality, which has been improved as much as possible through remastering, such as normalization, has achieved a significant improvement over the original material. Although it is not as good as “HAMMERSMITH BLIZZARD” in terms of visibility and sense of separation, the recording that captures the excitement and hustle and bustle of the venue feels very unique to the live tapes of the time. The sound image where you can clearly hear Randy’s guitar even in the vividness will be a nice point for fans. Having already completed around 20 performances since the start of the tour, the band’s communication on stage and the sense of unity in the performance have further increased, and songs such as “I Don’t Know” and “Crazy Train” have been performed even better than in the September live performance. It has started to show stable and mature performance. The live highlight “Mr. Crowley” is a particularly wonderful performance, and Randy’s guitar solo at the end will capture the ears of fans beyond the level of sound quality. Furthermore, there are many noteworthy parts such as “No Bone Movies” which was not included in “BLIZZARD OF OZZ FIRST LIVE”. The excitement of the audience was also enthusiastic, and the impact of “BLIZZARD OF OZZ” that Ozzy caused in the British scene and the excitement of the tour can be felt strongly from the recording. After completing their UK tour dates in early November, the band will be looking ahead to a major US tour. Prior to that, in January 1981, they began production on their second album, “DIARY OF A MADMAN.” Two months later, in March, the recording of the same album was completed, but Bob opposed Ozzy and Sharon who wanted to use Tommy Aldridge on drums, so the rhythm section was changed, and Tommy and Rudy Sarzo were replaced. A new lineup will be born. This work, which contains the first half and second half of the 1980 live show, which was the only tour with Bob and Lee, separated by exactly one month, is an interesting package from a listening comparison standpoint. For enthusiasts, it will be an indispensable book for examining the live performances 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 Randy Rhoads – Guitar Bob Daisley – Bass Lee Kerslake – Drums Lindsay Bridgewater – Keyboards