Why was Randy Rhoads' tone so crap?

[rokker]

Ozzy was a long shot in the record companies eyes back then...so they had a small budget on Blizzard.
Probably didn't help anything.

 

[rlord1974]

The year has NOTHING to do with it. Led Zep recorded their first album in 1968 (released in '69) and it still sounds amazing to this day...

Agreed, but Zep used AMP distortion and Page wasn't going for MONDO amounts of gain. Rhoads wanted to make our faces bleed with drive and distortion, which I believe mainly came from a boost.....

Yup, you've opened a can of worms big enough to catch Moby Dick. FWIW, many of the best recorded tones ever were done with a solid state Tube Screamer boosting an amp. As already stated, it was probably a combination of the producer and the fact that Ozzy was on a limited budget.

I agree Dan, but a lot of those tones you reference were "boosted" tones (i.e., a clean boost or a little dirt in front of an amp already dialed in dirty). Blizzard sounds like the majority of the grind is coming from a pedal.

For example:

1) Dial in a Marshall to sound pretty good without the pedal, add a TS with the OD on 2 and the Level on 8 = The majority of the tones you reference above.

2) Dial in a Marshall to sound pretty good without the pedal, add a TS with the OD on 10 and the Level on 3 = Blizzard.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Was going to comment but...

...people are getting mad.

 

[rlord1974]

And, just to clarify, I don't actually think his tone was 'crap'. It was just "different" and, imo, sounds like it was generated by a stomp more than tubes.....

 

[rlord1974]

Was going to comment but...

...people are getting mad.

Who is getting mad? If anyone is getting mad, they need to relax. This is the interwebz for the love of God. The whole point of forums is to breed discussion and, the last time I checked, we are all entitled to our own opinion on matters.....

PEACE

 

[Greazygeo]

Either way the drums, bass, vocals etc all sounded MUCH better on Led Zep 1...

I think the drums sound like crap. They don't sound good on the Ozzy discs either.

 

[rlord1974]

Good drums:

Bad drums:

Blizzard resides somewhere in between these two extremes!

 

[Greazygeo]

Impossible to know, really. But I agree his recorded tone is not my favorite. I also agree with RVS that since his playing/writing was badass it doesn't really matter. Who knows how much of a role drugs played in the end tone too, lol. Tracking and mixing while everyone's flying, and likely everything done at loud volumes? Your high end gets messed up. Just like guys I know who dial in WAY too much high end, they've lost some hearing from years of loud volume and are just compensating to where it sounds normal to them. But Max Norman's work with Megadeth (RIP, Coundown, Youthanasia etc.) sounds better, IMO. Though RIP sounds good because of the songs/playing more than the "tone," too IMO. So not sure it's entirely his fault.

I've been listening to the latest remasters and there is some very cool stuff on there. Many layers that were not very noticeable before. With all those tracks to mix would be tough to get working with a limited time. They may have spent most of the money tracking and not had much left over for mixing.

RIP is a very good sounding disc. From what I remember, they spent a ton of time on it to make it that way. It would be interesting to find out how much time was spent on each in the mix stage.

 

[Ventura]

it was 1980

EXACTLY!!!

Mo

No, not exactly as we have already discussed about.

Hey, it's my opinion.

Now listen, you've got Sharon the manager of Ozzy and his troup trying to make the best of a worst situation. She wants albums to be pumped out, and pumped out FAST. The key here wasn't sonic perfection, as we've all come to realize after decades of listening to Blizzard or Diary, the key was get 'em out fast and make money. So, the year, AND the scenario, DOES play a huge roll in it. Ozzy was booted from Sabbath, Sharon was running amuck, Ozzy was a mess, and they needed coin to get things off the ground. Chrissakes - Kerslake and Daisley were brought on board, thrown the sheet, and said to get down to it. They had fuck all coin to produce and re-produce; it just had to get done. So, yes, this specific time in the era and genre of RR and his stint, shortlived at that, has gobs to do with his [lack of] tone.

Listen to Perry Mason - probably 100x the budget to make that crackerjack CD.

Mo

PS - and as for Zep. Hellfire, these guys were ON FIRE and knew their skill (pardoning a young Bonham and a yet-to-prove-himself Plant), but with JPJ and JP having the studio cred they did at the time, they knew how to hone in on the sound and get it to tape. Honestly, and I've said this before, I've always found the recordings of LZ to sound thin and muffled - BUT I GIVE THEM THE PROPS because what they were trying to attain at that time (here we go with 'time' again) they did damn well at.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Was going to comment but...

...people are getting mad.

Who is getting mad? If anyone is getting mad, they need to relax. This is the interwebz for the love of God. The whole point of forums is to breed discussion and, the last time I checked, we are all entitled to our own opinion on matters.....

PEACE

Not saying you were...

 

[rlord1974]

PS - and as for Zep. Hellfire, these guys were ON FIRE and knew their skill (pardoning a young Bonham and a yet-to-prove-himself Plant), but with JPJ and JP having the studio cred they did at the time, they knew how to hone in on the sound and get it to tape. Honestly, and I've said this before, I've always found the recordings of LZ to sound thin and muffled - BUT I GIVE THEM THE PROPS because what they were trying to attain at that time (here we go with 'time' again) they did damn well at.

 

[rlord1974]

Was going to comment but...

...people are getting mad.

Who is getting mad? If anyone is getting mad, they need to relax. This is the interwebz for the love of God. The whole point of forums is to breed discussion and, the last time I checked, we are all entitled to our own opinion on matters.....

PEACE

Not saying you were...

Not saying you were saying I was, my man! I was just sayin'

 

[JakeAC5253]

Dude, you're joking right?

Randy's tone was priceless. You must have tin ears. Randy was a brilliant guitar player and if you think his tone was not exactly what he wanted then you just need to crawl back into your closet.

I can't believe that I am even replying to your bullshit post, but you deserve a good kicking in the ass.

Hate to comment on your bullshit post, but maybe YOU have tin ears if you think Blizzard of Ozz guitar tone sounds like a Les Paul into a Marshall Plexi or JCM. The EQ curve is not natural sounding at all.

 

[Ventura]

PS - and as for Zep. Hellfire, these guys were ON FIRE and knew their skill (pardoning a young Bonham and a yet-to-prove-himself Plant), but with JPJ and JP having the studio cred they did at the time, they knew how to hone in on the sound and get it to tape. Honestly, and I've said this before, I've always found the recordings of LZ to sound thin and muffled - BUT I GIVE THEM THE PROPS because what they were trying to attain at that time (here we go with 'time' again) they did damn well at.

Moustaches have a direct effect on tone.

 

[Greazygeo]

Hate to comment on your bullshit post, but maybe YOU have tin ears if you think Blizzard of Ozz guitar tone sounds like a Les Paul into a Marshall Plexi or JCM. The EQ curve is not natural sounding at all.

Its a Distortion + into a MXR eq with the mid sliders cranked. The Altec speakers also have a boosted mid kind of sound.

 

[rlord1974]

Dude, you're joking right?

Randy's tone was priceless. You must have tin ears. Randy was a brilliant guitar player and if you think his tone was not exactly what he wanted then you just need to crawl back into your closet.

I can't believe that I am even replying to your bullshit post, but you deserve a good kicking in the ass.

Hate to comment on your bullshit post, but maybe YOU have tin ears if you think Blizzard of Ozz guitar tone sounds like a Les Paul into a Marshall Plexi or JCM. The EQ curve is not natural sounding at all.

I don't like where this is headed.....

 

[Ventura]

 

[JakeAC5253]

Dude, you're joking right?

Randy's tone was priceless. You must have tin ears. Randy was a brilliant guitar player and if you think his tone was not exactly what he wanted then you just need to crawl back into your closet.

I can't believe that I am even replying to your bullshit post, but you deserve a good kicking in the ass.

Hate to comment on your bullshit post, but maybe YOU have tin ears if you think Blizzard of Ozz guitar tone sounds like a Les Paul into a Marshall Plexi or JCM. The EQ curve is not natural sounding at all.

I don't like where this is headed.....

I think I just the whole conversation.

 

[roadifier]

 

[Subclavian]

you know I'm a huge fan of all things Ozzy because I think ALL of his guitar players represent what is, AT THAT TIME, the best guitarist in the business. Randy, Jake, Zakk, even Gus has impressed me.

[put flame suit on]

However, with the exception of "No More Tears" i've never thought any of the Ozzy records sounded great. They're either overproduced, underproduced, or put out waaaaaaay too quickly. Not trying to sound blasphemous or start a war because Randy is why I picked up the guitar in the 80's....just my honest opinion.