Ozzy Osbourne
Diary of a Madman
Jet Records 37492
Produced by Max Norman, Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads
1981
**** Recommended
Ozzy’s second solo album, without a doubt his second best.
This would be his last with the Blizzard of Ozz band: guitarist Randy Rhoads (ex-Quiet Riot), bassist Bob Daisley (ex-Rainbow) and drummer Lee Kerslake (ex-Uriah Heep). Most of the songs are credited to all four members, two credited to all except Kerslake.
Within a year’s time the entire band would depart, Rhoads the last to go–dying in a plane crash early in 1982.
After two mediocre albums (Bark at the Moon in 1983 and the Ultimate Sin in 1986), he’d hook up for a long-term relationship with guitarist Zakk Wylde for the forgettable No Rest For the Wicked album in 1988, two noteworthy albums in the 1990s (No More Tears in 1991 and Ozzmosis in 1995), and two halfway decent sets in the 21st century (Down to Earth in 2001 and Black Rain in 2007). He’d eventually depart with Wilde and release a set of covers (Under Cover in 2015) and Scream in 2010, but his only truly essential studio albums were his first two with this Blizzard of Ozz band.
— winch (author of 
Sounds Good 