Who is Randy Rhoads and what exactly is so special about him?

Well for those of you who do not know who he is, he is perhaps one of the best guitarists that's ever lived. His technique, amazing solos and riffs and humbleness will always be sadly missed, since it is hard to listen to a guitarist with that much raw talent.

Anyhow, the album Tribute is the only way anyone could pay tribute to Randy. This is the only live concert CD I can find of him, and I think it is an excellent way to pay tribute to the man who changed the face of heavy metal.

There are SOOOO many excellent songs on this album, yet some manage to stand out so much more than others. One of these is Crazy Train, a classic Ozzy Osbourne/Randy Rhoads song. This shows Randy at his best with a killer riff and an extremely fast finger tapping solo, which is also complimented by a great bass line which starts the song off. Add the drums, along with Ozzy singing, and we have a classic heavy metal song.

Another great song on this album is Mr. Crowley, which is considered to contain one of the best guitar solos ever heard. A mellow piano solo starts it off, then a pause is held before entering into Ozzy singing with some signature licks from Rhoads, and Rhoads solo halfway into the song is testament to his virtuosic ability on the guitar. What makes this solo even more amazing is that it was improvised, which makes this solo and the fast tapping, high-pitch bending outro solo all the more memorable. This is Randy Rhoad's song, and will always be his song.

I Don't Know will always be a classic heavy metal song, with the slow gong intro, which eventually leads into the fast tempo riff pumping out of Randy's guitar. The song will also be remembered for its little bass licks in between the various time the riff is played, and Randy's solo is amazing here too, although this time, its just him moving his fingers up and down the fretboard in exceptional speed, that will leave you speechless.

This also contains Paranoid, a song during Ozzy's Black Sabbath days. This is a heavy metal anthem, and this is made even more special by another improvised solo from Randy; a true testament to his amazing musical ability.

The album also contains two special improvised solos. The first one is in Steal Away; a 4 minute drum thrashing solo, which is simply amazing and is just as amazing as Randy's skill on the guitar (the drummer must have hit every drum and cymbal at least 70 times). The other solo is in Suicide Solution, which contains a 4 minute Randy Rhoads solo. I think Randy Rhoads did everything possible on a guitar in this solo: fast tapping, lots of bends, use of the tremolo bar and he must have touched every note on that fretboard. How he does this, I do not know and it blows my mind.

I recommend this to any heavy metal fan, and I would also recommed this to any guitar player, since I think Randy Rhoads is the quintessential guitar player. God Bless You Randy. All of us down here miss you!

Recommended: Yes