Why is it that those with creative talents that border on genius tend to die young and much too soon. This has become almost synonymous with the premature passing of some of the greatest musician of the last 50 years. Most seem to be from the rock and metal corner of the musical landscape. Some has been due to the very lifestyle led by these musicians. A lifestyle of libertine excess that catches up to their talent way too soon.
One such individual who went before his time yet made such an impact on the music scene that he’s considered one of the greatest metal guitarist of all-time (I say one of the best guitarist in or out of metal). His name was Randy Rhoads.
Only 25 when he passed away not due to a life of excess (he was actually quite responsible a rock star in his era where sex, booze and drugs were commonplace) but to a tragic accident that didn’t need to happen.
While some always point to his guitar work on the Ozzy Osbourne song “Crazy Train” from his solo debut album, I always thought one of his best guitar work was on another song from that debut album. The song I speak about is “Mr. Crowley”.
The song itself is one of those songs that drove parents crazy when they first heard their young teenage sons listening to it. I mean it’s a song about self-proclaimed Anti-Christ, libertine and sex magick user Aleister Crowley. Yet, it’s not Ozzy’s vocals that make the song memorable. It’s Rhoad’s lead guitar performance with special focus on the two guitar solos which rise up in the middle of the track and closes it out.
Mr. Crowley
Mister Crowley
What went down in your head?
Oh, Mister Crowley
Did you talk to the dead?
Your lifestyle to me seems so tragic
With the thrill of it all
You fooled all the faithful with magic
Yeah, you waited on Satan’s call
Mister Charming
Did you think you were pure?
Mister Alarming
In nocturnal rapport
Uncovering things that were sacred
Manifest on this earth
Oh, conceived in the eye of a secret
Yeah, they scattered the afterbirth
(guitar solo)
Mister Crowley
Won’t you ride my white horse?
Mister Crowley
It’s symbolic, of course
Approaching a time that is classic
I hear that maiden’s call
Approaching a time that is drastic
Standing with their backs to the wall
Was it polemically sent?
I wanna know what you meant
I wanna know
I wanna know what you meant, yeah!
(guitar solo/outro)
Great Guitar Solos Series
- Master of Puppets (by Metallica)
- Free Bird (by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- Hotel California (by The Eagles)
- Stairway to Heaven (by Led Zeppelin)
- Texas Flood (by Stevie Ray Vaughan)
- Comfortably Numb (by Pink Floyd)
- Powerslave (by Iron Maiden)
- Fade to Black (by Metallica)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (by Queen)
- Sweet Child o’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses)
Through the Shattered Lens 
I was fortunate enough to see Randy live in 1981. I had a ticket for the Ozzy concert on the next tour, as well, and the plane crash happened two weeks before the show.
It’s difficult to pick the best solo from that classic first Ozzy album, but “Mr. Crowley” is a good choice.
However, it’s important to note that the version you’ve posted is not the original. This is a re-recording that was made, long after Randy’s death, for less-than-honorable reasons (an outright injustice to the other guys who played on the album), but I won’t expound upon that here, as this post is meant to honor Randy. But this version of the song is simply not as good as the original, from the vocals on down. Even the synthesizer intro is inferior, having less of the gothic majesty of the original – it sounds a bit like it was played on a Casio keyboard.
Surprisingly, even the guitar tracks are different, though clearly still Randy. Not sure why those were replaced, or even why or how replacements were available. He more-or-less follows the same phrasing patterns, but the originals have more finesse.
So for the sake of both ethics and aesthetics (and authenticity), here is the original “Blizzard of Ozz” album version –
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Corrected…I was wondering why there was a longer version.
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As I understand it, Sharon had more to do with it than Ozzy. (She apparently manages the business end of things.)
It’s a great song with great solos from a great guitarist on a great album.
I remember the sense of anticipation and competition as fans waited to hear both Ozzy’s reemergence and the next Sabbath album. Which would be better?
As it turned out, it was an awesome tie. Each party managed to put together a classic heavy rock album, Ozzy with the mostly-unknown young guitar wizard, and Sabbath with the then-also largely unknown powerhouse vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and each packed with great songs. (In the midst of the Rhoads guitar onslaught, I think Tony Iommi holds his own on the “Heaven and Hell” album, with some really fine playing of his own.)
It was a great time in hard rock history. Whether it was the rivalry between the bands or just the energy of a new start from which each band benefitted, the result was the nearly-simultaneous release of what most fans consider each band’s best albums.
I often wish I wasn’t so old, but I’m glad I was around for that. 🙂
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