As a 16-year-old heavy metal fan I had tickets in my hand to attend the "Blizzard of Ozz" tour on March 29, 1982 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in E. Rutherford, New Jersey. I was excited to see Ozzy Osbourne live in concert with his phenomenal guitar player Randy Rhoads in tow. This show never took place as the young six-stringer was killed in a tragic plane crash 10 days prior to the show.

At the time you couldn't stop the crazy train that was Ozzy Osbourne and the tour ultimately continued on with replacement guitarists Bernie Torme, and then Brad Gillis, filling in for the posthumously legendary Rhoads.

So, it was on June 12, 1982 - less than three months since Rhoads' demise that cameras caught up with the band to record the "Diary Of A Madman" concert at Irvine Meadows, California. That show - previously aired on Halloween night in 1982 on MTV - is now available on DVD from Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The audio has been digitally restored and remastered for DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time. Speak Of The Devil includes the classics "Mr Crowley" "Over The Mountain" "Crazy Train" "Flying High Again" "Iron Man" "Paranoid" "Goodbye To Romance" and many more.

The concert is a perfect snapshot of Ozzy Osbourne's live performances in the eighties with dramatic staging and masses of energy with a setlist based around his first two solo albums and a few Black Sabbath classics. The line-up for this show features Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Don Airey (keyboards); Tommy Aldridge (drums); Brad Gillis (guitar) and Rudy Sarzo (bass).

Highlights are the gothic backdrop which set the somber tone and the heroic guitar playing by Night Ranger's Brad Gillis - who stepped in admirably during a demanding situation to deliver a knock-out performance that had Ozzy and band flying high again.

Ozzy has always been one of heavy metal's great frontmen and, despite the difficult circumstances, the show presented on Speak of the Devil captures him at his absolute best.

Track Listing:
1) Over The Mountain
2) Mr Crowley
3) Crazy Train
4) Revelation (Mother Earth)
5) Steal Away (The Night)
6) Suicide Solution
7) Guitar / Drum Solo
8) Goodbye To Romance
9) I Don't Know
10) Believer
11) Flying High Again
12) Iron Man
13) Children Of The Grave
14) Paranoid

Related Links: For more information on OZZY OSBOURNE and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - Ozzy Osbourne | Eagle Rock

(Originally Published on July 20, 2012)