Blizzard Of Ozz or Heaven And Hell?

I've been on a steady diet of Ozzy since last week's show in Dallas. There's something about seeing a band live for me...it kind of reinvigorates my passion for their music. So I thought what the hell, might as well resurrect the age old argument - which is the better of the two albums: Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz or Black Sabbath's first post-Ozzy era album Heaven and Hell?

It's a tough choice, but for my money it's Blizzard of Ozz. I can't say enough how great both records are and how I think Tony Iommi is the man, but there's a certain vibe to Blizzard that I just dig. I was hooked from the opening riff to "I Don't Know". Everything from the massive hit "Crazy Train" to the amazing classical guitar work of "Dee" into the tough as nails "Suicide Solution" all the way through classics like "Mr. Crowley" and "No Bone Movies", the album never lets up.

Like I said, it's a tough choice between the two albums because I absolutely love Heaven and Hell. The album opens with maximum Iommi riffage combined with Ronnie James Dio's haunting vocals to create one of the most perfect metal atmospheres known as "Neon Knights". And you cannot deny the toughness of tunes like "Children of the Sea" and "Lady Evil" along with the excellent arrangement of "Die Young".

What can I say, I was seven years old when these two albums came out and I'm just a little bit jealous of the generation of headbangers that were fully able to appreciate the rare occasion that one great band would split and become two great bands. Regardless of which album you prefer, both are outstanding representations of the state of heavy metal in 1980. I've attached my favorite tracks from both albums for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Ozzy Osbourne - "Suicide Solution"

Black Sabbath - "Neon Knights"