Randy Rhoads fans rejoice—a 30th anniversary collector’s box set celebrating Ozzy Osbourne’s seminal Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary of a Madman (1981) albums is set for May 31 release.
2011 marks the 30th anniversary of both albums, which are milestones in the history of modern metal and enduring testament to Rhoads’ monumental contribution to rock guitar. They took metal in a new direction on the early 1980s and inspired whole new generations of fans and players.
Both albums have been restored and re-mastered from the original tapes for these special editions. The deluxe box set includes a 30th anniversary expanded edition of Blizzard of Ozz on CD, a legacy edition two-CD set of Diary of a Madman, both albums in their original form on 180-gram vinyl, an Ozzy Live CD (previously unreleased live performances from the Blizzard of Ozz tour), DVD documentary Thirty Years After the Blizzard, a 100-page coffee table book, a full-size replica of Ozzy’s cross from the Blizzard album cover and reprints of the original promotional posters on one double-sided poster. All these materials are housed in a special collector’s edition case.
A very impressive and highly comprehensive collection, all in all, and a must for hardcore Randy Rhoads fans. Just have a look at the documentary preview seen here: