In a bid to end 2020 on a high note, world-famous rocker Ozzy Osbourne will be releasing a 40th anniversary edition of his groundbreaking debut album “Blizzard of Ozz”.
It’s been an incredible year for Osbourne, who has well and truly re-established himself in the top echelon of musicians around the world. He began 2020 with the release of a new album titled “Ordinary Man”. His first solo album in almost a decade was widely acclaimed by both critics and fans alike.
Of course, Osbourne has some history behind him having been the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath before he had his own very successful solo career. The popularity of his music and his overall fame and notoriety have led to his likeness popping up in many industries outside of music.His impact on popular culture is simply undeniable.
His music has often been used in the video gaming industry where some of the most popular franchises such as Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and Rock Band 4 have featured his songs. His unique appearance has also been an inspiration to the iGaming industry, and there is even an official Ozzy Osbourne slot game that players can try and learn more about in an 888casino review like this one. In addition, this year he released his own 8-bit game titled “Legend of Ozzy” that pays tribute to the “Ordinary Man” album.
And, with all that behind him, he is looking to finish the year on a high by celebrating his past with the release of the anniversary edition of “Blizzard of Ozz”, the album that effectively launched his solo career.
The original “Blizzard of Ozz” began as a concept when he first left Black Sabbath in 1978. He would rejoin the band three months later, but the seed had been planted. He left Sabbath for good in 1979 and formed the group Blizzard of Ozz with Lee Kerslake on drums, Bob Daisley as bassist-lyricist, Don Airey on keyboard, and Randy Rhoads playing lead guitar. The record company attached to the project used the same name for their first album and launched it, along with Osbourne’s solo career, in September 1980. It is ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.
The anniversary edition will feature seven live tracks that are unavailable anywhere else, as well as digital versions of two long-form videos of Live and Loud and Live at Budokan. Of course, the complete package will include classics such as “Crazy Train”, which is likely to achieve 5x platinum status just in time for the re-release of “Blizzard of Ozz”, the always popular “Mr Crowley” and “Suicide Solution”.
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary release is the airing of “Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne”, debuting on the A&E Network in America and a new animated video for the aforementioned “Crazy Train”.
The original “Blizzard of Ozz” came at a difficult time in Osbourne’s life. Despite that, probably because of the album’s success and how it changed his life, he does not look back with regrets, even about leaving Black Sabbath.
“I was done with Black Sabbath. It needed me to leave or one of us to go. We were tired of fighting everything and everyone; we were fighting management, record companies, all that side of it. It became depressing for me, and it showed in the music,” he said, according to Rolling Stone.
If you are a new Ozzy fan, and there are bound to be plenty after “Ordinary Man” became a #1 rock album, the re-release of “Blizzard of Ozz” will be a great window into the origin of Osbourne’s solo career and for long-time fans it’ll be a welcome stroll down nostalgia lane.
