Randy Rhoads: Reflection of a Guitar Icon

The decline of classic rock has precipitated the decline of the guitar hero.  But even in the 70s and 80s, it was rare to find a six-stringed musician elevated above the rest of the band.  You’ve got Clapton, Page, Gilmour, Van Halen.  And then there’s Randy Rhoads, whose stint on Ozzy Osbourne’s first two solo albums earned him the sort of accolades other guitarists spend a lifetime trying to earn.  But his untimely death cut short a career that shaped the future of metal music in more ways than one.

Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon is the sort of documentary VH1’s Behind the Music used to do so well, right down to the cliched voice-over dialogue requirement, “But behind the scenes tensions were brewing.”  Of course, every band has tension.  And Randy’s time with Quiet Riot was a constant struggle for recognition and record deals, to the point where when Ozzy came calling there was really no hesitation.

 

Director Andre Relis’ film is made up of lots of rare concert footage (Quiet Riot was a staple on the Hollywood music scene), insightful interviews and archival comments from Ozzy and Randy himself.  It paints a portrait of a loyal and generous musician whose talent was obvious from the start, but whose ambitions were tempered by childhood humility.  It was only a matter of time until Rhoads made it big, but that he did it with such class seems the most surprising compliment.

 

Most of the running time is dedicated to Quiet Riot’s club success that failed to translate into anything tangible.  As you might expect, there’s no licensing deal for Rhoads’ work with Ozzy so the viewer has to imagine those classic riffs that put the guitarist on the cover of every magazine and eventually saw him enshrined in the rock and roll hall of fame.  But it’s not a dealbreaker.  The doc delivers enough info on Rhoads talent – and tragic end – to make it work a watch for fans and non-fans alike.

 

Extras on the Blu-ray include extended interviews, additional music clips and never-before-seen footage.

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