This week, we got some depressing Ozzy news. According to a recent video post made by Sharon, Ozzy’s health has been worsening, and he’s been unable to leave the house very often. This has been causing a problem with a television series currently in production that’s supposed to cover his move from the US back to England. Apparently, he doesn’t want to go, or just doesn’t feel like it.
In addition to the TV series disruptions, Ozzy also cancelled his appearance at Mad Monster in Arizona. Despite conflicting reports from news outlets, Mad Monster is not a Black Sabbath Reunion show, a farewell concert or a film festival. It’s a horror movie convention where the main point is to buy autographs and pictures with mostly D-list celebrities. The Osbournes were probably the only reason anyone was going to the thing in the first place. I should know, because I paid 666.00 (plus tax) for the “Ultimate Sin Package” and was planning on making the trip to have some albums signed.
While it’s very sad the appearance won’t be happening, Ozzy’s health is obviously the most important thing here. The worst part is reading all the terrible news articles claiming that he’s on his last legs and going to be dead soon. How horrible. These people should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. He’s still doing some private autograph signings soon (hopefully in the comfort of his home), so get in on those if you want to. I did.
On the brighter side of things though, Ozzy has just starred in a commercial where he warns kids not to be boofing Liquid Death powder. If you haven’t seen this commercial yet, look it up and let it make your day.
Anyhow, today we’re taking a look at a new Ozzy release from Casino Records (a constant favorite of mine and apparent theme on this site) called Broken Chains and Broken Rules. This is a Randy Rhoads era concert, and it really is a good one. I hadn’t heard this show prior to getting this set, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. This pressing, as always, is limited. In total, there are only 300 copies: 150 red, and 150 yellow. I got the yellow one, but I also have a red on the way. I think at this point these are mostly sold out, but there is a one-time re-press coming on “clear ice” vinyl, and that one will be limited to 200 copies. So, if this appeals to you and you can’t find the colored copies, there is still time to get in on the new one.
Overall, the quality of this set is great. This is of course standard for Casino Records, as they only produce good stuff. The pressing is silent and flat, made with high quality wax and beautiful full color labels. It’s a double LP, but it doesn’t come with a gatefold. Instead, it’s a standard sleeve that’s a bit thicker to accommodate both discs. It all comes sealed in a nice plastic outer sleeve with an individually numbered hype sticker in red or yellow, reflecting the color of the vinyl inside. As far as the setlist goes, this concert was on the Diary of a Madman tour, so you can expect all the favorites from that era.
Live Recording – Met Center, Bloomington, Minnesota, USA 15th January, 1982
A1 Intro
A2 Over The Mountain
A3 Mr. Crowley
A4 Crazy Train
B1 Revelation (Mother Earth)
B2 Steal Away (The Night)
B3 Suicide Solution
B4 Guitar Solo/Drum Solo
C1 Goodbye To Romance
C2 I Don’t Know
C3 Believer
C4 Flying High Again
D1 Iron Man
D2 Children Of The Grave
D3 Paranoid
D4 Randy Rhoads Death Reports
The audio itself was advertised as being a soundboard, and it definitely sounds like one to me. However, it’s not an absolutely perfect one. There are some dropouts and peaking, but it doesn’t get unlistenable at any point. The overall recording quality varies throughout, with some areas being 10/10, and others being maybe a 4/10. When the music gets going and you crank up the volume, it mostly sounds great. Unlike a lot of boots which I think are mainly good for historical preservation purposes, this is one you can actually turn up and rock out to.
As far as the performance itself goes, this is up there with the best ones. I’ve reviewed a couple different releases from this time period with this lineup, so there is really no point going into great detail again. Afterall, most of you Ozzy fans know what’s happening here. Sarzo, Aldridge and Airey are great. Randy Rhoads is being Randy Rhoads. One point always worth mentioning though is the quality of Ozzy’s vocals. On this particular night they are excellent, and he’s really fired up. A solid performance, complete with lines such as “Be a part of my soul!!”. “Suicide Solution” is mentioned as being a feature piece for the whole band, whereas it was usually announced as a feature for Randy. It’s definitely a unique rendition of the song, and worth checking out. It’s very long, so Oz must have known he’d need a break.
One unique aspect of this set is that as bonus tracks, it includes “Randy Rhoads Death Reports”, which is pretty interesting. At first, I thought that this inclusion might be a little bit tasteless. Then, I realized that it’s been 42 years since Randy died, and that his death was certainly a big moment in rock and roll history, not to mention Ozzy history. I can’t tell if the audio is from radio or television, but it’s high quality and still very sad to listen to. The reports are mostly factually correct, with a major exception being the claim that the band was staying in a mansion, and that the plane crashed into it. Having the reports included certainly puts the timing of the show in perspective… the night this show was recorded would have been almost exactly two months before Randy’s death. After this performance, I believe he only ever played 31 more shows (plus a guitar clinic).
All and all, this is a great set that I think any Ozzy and/or Randy fan would love to have. You don’t need to get both colors, but it’d be cool if you did. The red and yellow both look great and compliment the Ozzy logo on the cover really well. The clear version looks pretty nice in the photos, but I don’t personally like it as much as the colored versions. As with all Casino stuff, you really can’t go wrong, so pick it up if you can. Soon, I think I’ll be reviewing at least one other recent Casino title (Zeppelin), so stay tuned for that one, and good luck in the hunt!