Another Ozzfest, another album, and another year of the Ozz-Man is in the books. No one can argue with the fact that Ozzy Osbourne is an icon. I like to call him "The Johnny Cash of Heavy Metal."

Look at their careers and you will see where I draw some of the parallels. His successful career has now spanned over 30 years, starting off with his famed start in Black Sabbath and then moving onto an equally successful solo career. I will be reviewing his solo discography (ie. No Black Sabbath material).

1980 - Blizzard of Ozz

The first of the two Ozzy Osbourne/Randy Rhoades albums. Blizzard of Ozz is simply a masterpiece Ozzy had just left Black Sabbath signed a record deal, and this was released to compete with Black Sabbath's Dio debut Heaven & Hell.

"Crazy Train" is an anthem, now. "Goodbye to Romance" is an excellent ballad. "Suicide Solution" has a great lyrical theme, despite all its controversy. "Mr. Crowley" is an eerie song that also works great for a horror movie soundtrack, as I know from personal experience. I recommend this one to not just fans of metal. I recommend this to the casual listener. You will appreciate this album!

Strong Tracks - "Crazy Train," "Goodbye To Romance," "Suicide Solution," "Mr. Crowley," "Revelation (Mother Earth)," "Steal Away (The Night)," and "I Don't Know"

"Eh..." Tracks - "Dee," "No Bone Movies"

Weak Tracks - NONE

Rating: *****

1981 - Diary of a Madman

This is the second and last studio album to be released featuring Randy Rhoades before his tragic plane accident. This one generally is most hardcore fans of Ozzy's favorite solo album. Personally, I prefer Blizzard of Ozz, but that is just me.

To me, this one is all about "Flying High Again." I love that song. "Over the Mountain," in my opinion, is a bit overplayed. The rest is gold. The title track, "Diary of a Madman," is a bonafide classic!

If you are a casual listener of music and loved my first suggestion of Blizzard of Ozz, then you are going to love this one as well. If you are a metal fan of any kind... this belongs on your shelf / iPod.

Strong Tracks - "Flying High Again," You Can't Kill Rock 'n' Roll," "Believer," "S.A.T.O.," "Diary of a Madman"

"Eh..." Tracks - "Over the Mountain," "Little Dolls," "Tonight"

Weak Tracks - NONE

Rating: *****

1982 - Speak of the Devil

This featured Ozzy performing all of the Black Sabbath hits live. This was done to mostly to compete with Black Sabbath's live album featuring Ronnie James Dio. This is the first album to not feature Randy Rhoades.

When I rate a live album, I look for a few things.

Song Selection - It's a concept live album featuring nothing but Black Sabbath songs. So, naturally, it gets a Grade A here.

Sound Quality - The sound on the album is very good. No real complaints.

Artist Performance - Ozzy's voice was off during these performances. To be blunt, he mostly sounds drunk throughout the set. The band's timing is also a bit off the

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