On July 23, 1978, Van Halen and AC/DC opened the show for the Pat Travers Band, Foreigner, and Aerosmith at the Day on the Green concert at the Oakland Coliseum. Van Halen was midway through their first world tour, and this was their first northern California appearance. The band delivered a spectacular set. With Dave Lee Roth singing, they covered most of their debut album – “On Fire,” “I’m the One,” “Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love,” “Atomic Punk,” “Feel Your Love Tonight,” and “You Really Got Me” …

In 1990, Jason Becker was rapidly ascending the heights of guitar stardom. The 21-year-old had already released two Cacophony albums with co-guitarist Marty Friedman – the Shrapnel releases Go Off! and Speed Metal Symphony – and well as his acclaimed 1989 solo album, Perpetual Burn. Most notable of all, Jason had just completed the sessions for David Lee Roth’s A Little Ain’t Enough. Fans were anxiously anticipating Roth’s new album and upcoming tour – after all, Dave had previously performed alongside Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. A Little Ain’t Enough …

While working as the resident engineer at England’s Ridge Farm Studio, Max Norman was hired by Ozzy Osbourne to produce Blizzard of Ozz. Released in 1980, the platinum album revitalized Osbourne’s career and made Randy Rhoads a guitar hero. Norman was back onboard for 1981’s Diary of a Madman, which Ozzy cites as his personal favorite among his records. Our interview, which took place on August 4, 1982, focused on the techniques Max used to capture Randy’s sound on those Ozzy Osbourne albums.
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When did you first meet Randy Rhoads?
When we …

In August 1982, I was gathering interviews for a Randy Rhoads cover story for Guitar Player magazine. After speaking to Randy’s mother, brother, and Rudy Sarzo (see my previous blogs), I received a phone call from Sharon Arden, publicist for Jet Records. The future Mrs. Osbourne asked if Ozzy could say a few brief words to me about Randy Rhoads. A few moments later, a familiar and slightly confused-sounding voice said, “Ah, um, this is Ozzy.”
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I am happy to hear from you! Tell me about Randy Rhoads.
I’m sad by the …

Randy Rhoads and Rudy Sarzo played side-by-side in Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne’s band. A skilled Cuban-born bassist, Rudy initially auditioned for Quiet Riot near the end of Randy’s tenure. They became friends, and Randy recommended him to play on Ozzy’s Diary of a Madman tour. Both musicians appear on Ozzy’s live Tribute album.
Since then, Rudy Sarzo has enjoyed a storied career. After Randy’s death, he played on Ozzy’s Speak of the Devil. He joined the reconstituted Quiet Riot for the multi-platinum Metal Health album and continued with the band through …

Let’s continue our Randy Rhoads celebration by turning to his brother, Kelle Rhoads. Randy and Kelle grew up in the same house, attended the same schools, started a band together, and worked in their mom’s music store. After Randy joined Ozzy Osbourne’s band in 1980, he returned home during breaks from recording and touring. In fact, he spent his final days off – a ten-day break the Diary of a Madman tour – at the family home in Burbank, California. Less than a week later, Randy perished in a plane …

Guitarist extraordinaire Randy Rhoads burst into mainstream rock and roll with the release of Ozzy Osbourne’s debut solo album, 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz. His timing was unassailable: This was the height of the “guitar hero” era, and Randy’s playing on “Crazy Train” and other songs brought him legions of followers. He delivered an even more magnificent performance on Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman, with its enduring hard-rock classic, “Flying High Again.” Tragically, Randy perished in a March 1982 plane crash midway through the Diary of a Madman Tour.
To celebrate …

Some guitarists just seem destined for ascendency. I felt this for the first time listening to Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” on Don Menn’s stereo at Guitar Player magazine in 1978. It happened again a few months later while watching Steve Morse front the Dixie Dregs. In the 1980s, that premonition came roaring back while listening to early demos of Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Shawn Lane, and Buckethead. And now, after a many-year hiatus, that intuition strikes again: Meet Gretchen Menn, best known for her work with …

With the release of 1978’s self-titled Van Halen album, 23-year-old Eddie Van Halen rewrote the rules of rock guitar. His sheer speed, unusual note choices, inspired finger tapping and whammy work, and fiery tone inspired guitarists everywhere. His impact was especially felt among crotch-rock guitarists in big-name bands, who saw their dreams of becoming “the next Jimi Hendrix” blown away in the 1:42 it took to listen to “Eruption.” Within months, it was virtually impossible to go into a music store or listen to a garage band without hearing some guitarist …