Ozzy Osbourne / El Paso 1982 / 1CD

The legendary recording, also known as “Randy Rhoads’ posthumous work”, has been brushed up. Introducing a press CD that permanently preserves the highest peak sound by “GRAF ZEPPELIN” mastering.
“February 23, 1982 El Paso performance” is engraved on this work. It is an audience recording that allows you to experience the whole story on site. The Randy era was also a time when there were many detailed member changes, so let’s first check the position of the show from a rough activity overview.

● 1980
《B Daisley, L Carthlake, L Bridgewater》
・ September 3-November 8: UK (37 performances) ← *TRIBUTE
● 1981
《R Sarzo, T Aldridge, L Bridgewater》
・ April 22-September 13: North America # 1 (93 performances + UK 1) ← *TRIBUTE
・ November 1-December 2: Europe (11 performances)
《R Sarzo, T Aldridge, D Eiley》
・December 30th + 31st: North America #2a (2 performances)
● 1982
・January 1-March 18: North America #2b (45 performances) ← Coco
《Randy Rhoads died on March 19》

This is the history from Ozzy’s solo debut to Randy’s death. Lindsay Bridgewater was playing the keyboard on the symbol board “TRIBUTE”, but at the end of 1981 Originator: Don Airey joined the tour. After that, for about three and a half months until Randy’s death, a super band appeared that could be said to be “the strongest lineup in the Randy era.” Of course, our store archives many masterpieces during that special time. It’s also a good opportunity, so let’s focus on “North America #2” and organize our collection.

● Details of “North America #2b”
・January 1-6 (3 performances)
* January 7 “NEW MEXICAN REVELAITON (Albuquerque)”
・January 9-13 (4 performances)
* January 15 “HOWLING BLIZZARD (Minneapolis)”
・January 17-20 (3 performances)
*January 22 “MILWAUKEE 1982”
・January 23-February 8 (11 performances)
* February 9 “KALAMAZOO 1982”
・February 11-21 (9 performances)
*February 23: El Paso performance ← This work
・February 24-March 18 (9 performances)
《Randy Rhoads died on March 19》
* Note: “*” marks are live performances that can actually be heard in our collection.

This is the strongest lineup of live albums. Since no record was found for “North America #2a” at the end of the year, it was omitted and summarized after the beginning of the year. The El Paso performance of this work was the second half of the 37th performance of the 47-performance US tour, and it was also 24 days before Randy’s death (by the way, it was also the day when a certain Japanese music critic interviewed). Although it is not Randy’s final performance, it is a record of the end of the existing sound. This is the meaning of “Randy’s posthumous work” introduced at the beginning.
This work is the pinnacle of such historical records. As a matter of fact, a new master called “Master Tape” has appeared recently, but this work is different. Although the new master has become a hot topic, when I actually listened to it, it was a sound that made me wonder, “Is it really the master?” There are various doubts, but the best thing is the swell of the sound. The pitch and volume continued to fluctuate unstably, and it sounded like a player with dead batteries. However, the cause of this is not the dead battery during recording. As usual, it seems that monaural recording was recorded on stereo tape, but the left and right phases would have shifted significantly. It was the type of deterioration that occurs when mixing down to monaural without correction.
And so far, the topic of the new master on the internet. I dared to write this to warn collectors, and it has nothing to do with this work.
This work is not such a lame new master, but a brush-up of the conventional best master. Speaking of the best in the past, it will be our shop’s “TEXAS MADMAN”, but this work is not a remastered remaster, but it is also the highest peak update board with detailed mastering by “GRAF ZEPPELIN”. In fact, the sound is the best ever. Pitch and phase correction that does not allow deviations of 1/1000th of a second stabilizes with a snap, and the accuracy of balance adjustment through band analysis is unprecedented. As a matter of fact, this work is also mixed down to monaural (this reduces the deterioration and hiss noise of the left and right channels individually. Since it is a monaural recording in the first place, it is not downgraded), but precise phase correction is performed. Since it is made into a product after applying it, there is no swell or shaking like the new master of the net.
The final brave figure of Randy (existing) is depicted with such a supreme sound. The set is familiar, but it’s also a special stage, so let’s organize it again.

The Legend of Bloody Heroes (7 songs)
・Mr. Crowley / Crazy Train / Revelation (Mother Earth) / Steal Away (The Night) / Suicide Solution / Goodbye To Romance / I Don’t Know
● Others (6 songs)
・Diary of a Madman: Over The Mountain (★) / Believer / Flying High Again
・ Sabbath songs: Iron Man / Children Of The Grave / Paranoid
* Note: “★” marks are songs that cannot be heard in “TRIBUTE”.

… and it looks like this. Actually, Ozzy’s condition is not perfect, but Randy is doing well. The flowing melody is smooth and the riffs are sharp. Randy did not die at the peak as a guitarist, but it is a performance that clearly shows that he fell down on the way uphill while heading to the peak.
“Landy’s posthumous work” remains in the history of sound sources. It is a press CD that permanently preserves the highest peak sound version. It was a very disappointing sound, although I was very excited about the new master of the net. The original sound of this recording is nothing like that. The latest brush-up album in 2022 to pass down its true value to future generations. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

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REMASTERED BY GRAF ZEPPELIN

(remastered memo)

★ New and remastered from the original sound source.

★ After correcting the phase, it was converted to Mono (originally recorded in monaural), and the sound image is localized in the center.
*In the previous edition, the sound image was slightly biased to one side.

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★ Audience recording of “El Paso performance on February 23, 1982”, which is the last record of Randy Rhoads in existence. Recently, I was disappointed with the terrible quality of the net sound source called “Master Tape”, but this work is completely different. “GRAF ZEPPELIN” meticulously mastering the historically well-established best master. It is a press CD that permanently preserves “Randy’s posthumous work” that has been handed down among maniacs with the highest quality ever.