When you think about how young he was, and how talented he was, and how succesful he was going to be, you will get sad. At least I did. In 2 years, he influenced so many guitar players to come, it's incredible. Even in relatively simple songs, such as "Paranoid", he manages to add an unbelievable solo that you never would have expected. Every song from "Blizzard" is on here, and in my opinion, they all sound better. "Beleiver" and "Flying High Again" also sound great. This album doesn't have all the unnecessary bad language that Live & Loud has, and is a better album anyway (although Live & Loud is pretty good). Randy's guitar work is just amazing, that's all I can say, you really have to hear it for yourself. R.I.P. Randy, we love you.


Talent and tragedy beyond words...   December 30, 1999
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I originally bought this CD more than a decade ago. If you could somehow "add up" the musical talent of all the artists on the dozens of CDs I've bought since then, it might--just might--come close to the talent you'll hear on this one.

There have been, and always will be, many guitarists who possess the same level of technical ability that Randy Rhoads did. A few have probably even surpassed him in that area. But being a great musician isn't so easy as developing mere technical ability. Instead, it demands a raw, innate creativity that makes the listener ask, "how did he ever come up with that?"

We've all heard Ozzy songs, if only on the radio. If you like them at all, you will love "Tribute." Why? Well, I always despised the horribly over-produced, over-polished sound on Ozzy's releases from the 80s (i.e. "Blizzard Of Oz," etc.). The music just sounds "canned," for lack of a better word. You won't find any of that here. Instead, Randy's incredible talent shines through. I don't think there has ever been a better guitarist.

In discussions of music, it is often suggested that a particular artist either lacks or has "feeling." If you never fully understood what that meant (and who could blame you?), listen to this CD carefully and all will come clear.


An essential CD to those considering it.   May 15, 2000
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I am usually not one for live CDs. I think they tend to just be limited performances that usually suffer from poor production. It is the other way around with this CD. I find that Ozzy Osbourne really outdoes himself as does his guitarist Randy Rhodes. Together their songs are packed with such energy and force that this CD just cannot be missed. There is not a bad note on the entire disc. The best moments on this Cd are "Suicide Solution" which features a guitar solo from Rhodes that just left me in shock. It was metal guitar that could not be topped. As for the rest of the album it is just as good. Most of Osbourne's hits are heard and they are performed very well. Some even sound better on this album then their original studio recordings. Definately pick up this Cd, because it goes beyond excellence. This was Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhodes in their prime and it cannot be missed.


This CD showcases the real talent of Randy Rhoads.   November 21, 1998
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Ozzy Osbourne's tribute to the late Randy Rhoads is an excellant showcase of his talents with the electric guitar. I personally recomend the CD for anyone who wants to experiance the genius Randy displayed with his few short years with The Blizzard of Ozz. It was a real tragedy when Randy died and I am particularly saddened that no one can know how great Randy could have been. If you are looking for a straight Ozzy live album, skip Tribute right now for Live and Loud and come back to Tribute later. The live versions of such hits as Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, and Flying High Again are magnificent, and the solo in the middle of Suicide Solution will amaze you. An excellant album, a real treasure of a fallen guitar hero.


A definitive overview of a great, lost musician.   April 4, 2000
Karl John Krumrey IV (Detroit area, Mi)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Tribute... Live... these are albums commonly associated withsomething only hardcore fans of a particular artist or act would buy.This 16-track powerhouse, containing the entire Blizzard of Ozz album, a few tracks from Diary of a Madman, and 3 classic Sabbath songs, plus studio outtakes of 'Dee', quickly erases that connotation, rather, making this live/tribute album an essential buy for not only Ozzy / Randy Rhoads fans, but for any guitar freak or lover of rock. Rhoads is given free room to roam live. No studio constraints means that he plays these songs his way. His exhuberance and talent not only bring out the best in each song when performed live, without studio enhancement (the only enhancement is slight post-production on the mix) but obviously has an effect on Osbourne, who is obviously having the time of his life during this concert. (Unlike most 'cut and paste' live albums, this was recorded during one single concert, giving it a remarkable sense of continuity) Throughout the album, the entire band is given their chance to demonstrate that they were Ozzy's best backing band, but Rhoads is obviously the star, especially during a few select guitar solos (Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley) and his own showcase during Suicide Solution, which is as close of a guitar summit as Eddie Van Halen's 'Eruption'. Rhoads was that good. The only difference is the amount of time he had to demonstrate it. One cannot help but compare Rhoads to Eddie Van Halen, because at the time of these recordings, they were far and away the two greatest guitar players out there, possibly, ever. Their styles are similar, and it's almost impossible to say one's better than the other, especially since Rhoads, thanks to his short life, wasn't given a fair chance to challenge the master. This album remains a perfect tribute to him, his talents, and Ozzy Osbourne's greatest era, (Mr. Osbourne proves to be a softy, constantly chanting 'We love you all' throughout the album). It's quite possibly the best live album ever recorded.