Initially released on September 20, 1980 in the U.K., “Blizzard Of Ozz” marked Ozzy’s debut studio album, following his departure from BLACK SABBATH. The expanded digital 40th-anniversary edition is set for release September 18 on Sony/Legacy. The new package includes Ozzy hits “Crazy Train”, which will hit certified five-times-platinum status to coincide with its September release date; the gold-certified (in four countries) “Mr. Crowley” (both of which feature Randy Rhoads on guitar); along with “Suicide Solution”, plus live versions of seven tracks that are currently unavailable digitally. The record was ultimately certified five times platinum and was ranked No. 9 on Rolling Stone’s list of “100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time” in the U.S.; platinum (or multi-platinum) in another 12 countries and gold in an additional 13 countries. “Blizzard Of Ozz” was the first of two studio albums recorded with guitarist Randy Rhoads. The album’s “Crazy Train” went on to become one of Osbourne’s signature tracks; the song has also become one of the most played sports anthems frequently heard at NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL games. It peaked at No. 9 on Billboard’s Top Tracks chart upon release — and in 2009, the song achieved a five-times-platinum certification. The live tracks — “I Don’t Know”, “Crazy Train”, “Mr. Crowley”, “Revelation (Mother Earth)”, “Steal Away (The Night)” and “Suicide Solution” — were recorded on the “Blizzard Of Ozz” tour and were previously found only in the “Blizzard Of Ozz”/”Diary Of A Madman” 30th-anniversary deluxe box set. “You Said It All” (live) was originally found on the 1980 “Mr. Crowley” live EP, recorded in 1980 at the Gaumont Theater, Southampton, U.K. and was also not previously available digitally.Ozzy Osbourne’s 1981 solo debut Blizzard of Ozz was a masterpiece of neo-classical metal that, along with Van Halen’s first album, became a cornerstone of ’80s metal guitar. Upon its release, there was considerable doubt that Ozzy could become a viable solo attraction. Blizzard of Ozz demonstrated not only his ear for melody, but also an unfailing instinct for assembling top-notch backing bands. Onetime Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads was a startling discovery, arriving here as a unique, fully formed talent. Rhoads was just as responsible as Osbourne — perhaps even more so — for the album’s musical direction, and his application of classical guitar techniques and scales rewrote the rulebook just as radically as Eddie Van Halen had. Rhoads could hold his own as a flashy soloist, but his detailed, ambitious compositions and arrangements revealed his true depth, as well as creating a sense of doomy, sinister elegance built on Ritchie Blackmore’s minor-key innovations. All of this may seem to downplay the importance of Ozzy himself, which shouldn’t be the case at all. The music is a thoroughly convincing match for his lyrical obsession with the dark side (which was never an embrace, as many conservative watchdogs assumed); so, despite its collaborative nature, it’s unequivocally stamped with Ozzy’s personality. What’s more, the band is far more versatile and subtle than Sabbath, freeing Ozzy from his habit of singing in unison with the guitar (and proving that he had an excellent grasp of how to frame his limited voice). Nothing short of revelatory, Blizzard of Ozz deservedly made Ozzy a star, and it set new standards for musical virtuosity in the realm of heavy metal. – Steve Huey