Diary of a Madman

Diary of a Madman is the last studio album to feature Randy Rhoads, and a second record that deepens the direction set on the debut Blizzard of Ozz. The lineup with Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake is unchanged, and Rhoads’s classical writing sense and sharp riffs develop, alongside Ozzy’s earnest voice, into more complex and dramatic songs. Shortly after this album Rhoads died in a plane crash at just twenty-five, giving the record a special weight as the densest document of his extraordinary talent. The driving “Over the Mountain” and the nimble “Flying High Again” give the album momentum, while the stately title track “Diary of a Madman” builds a climax through a grand, orchestrated structure. From the lyricism of “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll” to the drive of “S.A.T.O.,” the whole album keeps its faith in melody and clever development rather than leaning on speed and weight. With Rhoads’s invention alive in every corner, it stands as the peak of the early Ozzy band, its brilliance still undimmed.