Did RANDY RHOADS Do the SABBATH Riffs Justice?

[@XanderPhillips]

When I was much younger I was hugely into RR and I was lucky enough to speak with his brother Kelle. One of the things I particularly remember is when I talked about trying to play songs exactly how he played them. He responded with something along the lines of “My brother would tell you try and put your own flair on other songs, because you need to be the best player that you are. Take influence from others and create your own sound”. Possibly the best musical advice I ever received. 😊

[@teriakamoto]

indeed

[@michael1]

Yeah well when I was much younger, so much younger than today I never needed anybody's help in any way. Possibly the best selling musical advice I ever gave to my student John Linen I think, I can't remember now.

[@kevinsbott]

Randy's bro sounds like a great guy.

[@MetalHead-ks9zq]

That was also what Bruce Lee was trying to teach about martial arts

[@laughingatyrfuneral]

Tony Iommi, like Bill Ward, was a total master of singular, focused simplicity. He formulated a vision that nobody before him was even close to, and did it by sticking to a pretty spartan toolbox. Randy Rhoads is a legend, he created things with Ozzy that really only he could, but his penchant for flash really comes through on his handling of the Sabbath riffs. The 80s was a time for that.

[@lasombra_br]

Well said!

[@MetalMike87]

I might be biased, but I still find difficult to find guitarists that can sound as HEAVY as Mr.Tony Iommi even in modern day metal.

[@TheDirge69]

Very well said. It is refreshing to read intelligent comments.

[@davesaenz3732]

Tony Iommi created Heavy Metal. 🎸

[@backtoshallabal6662]

Randy did not live up to Tony legacy and knew he was not capable of competing with him so he had to formulate his own way of playing. no one can get hat black sabbath sound.

[@schifrinlopez9952]

Randy's solo on children of the grave is one of the best solos ever.

[@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle]

I agree I mean listento any of the bootleg shows on youtube, every night slightly different, and hard to choose which one is the best, but the one on tribute is great

[@BOUZOUKI_PETE]

its very similar to the SATO solo

[@ChrisJacksonMusicArt]

I did a very short video on some of the nuance in that solo. Truly amazing. It was totally improvised each time he played it as well. Obviously he had an idea of what and where he wanted play but just let it fly. Randy forever!

[@elijahdoom568]

YES! Yes! yes...

[@stephenwinchester6668]

I came here just to post this!!! Awesome!

[@codymccormick7317]

After hearing the Randy version of paranoid it’s so hard to not play the bassline part and the little trill every time, he made it so damn catchy

[@John3rhoads]

The fact that many people love the Tribute album so much, myself included, should already mean this question is null and void. I think the only reason people even think it's a valid question to ask is because it's a question you'd ask about someone covering a legend status player like Tony. However, Randy is as much of a legend as Tony, which should speak volumes about his skills since we lost him so early in his career.

[@Chadner]

Yeah it's catchy, because that's the catchiness from the bassline! To me it sounds cooler if the guitar does the bread and butter and the bass can do the turnaround, they complement eachother really well.

[@sirkayda7205]

That's how I learned it as a young guitar player.

[@jsr-uz3oj]

@@John3rhoads I agree, I remember the day he died, and he was so talented he was incredible to see live and gone too soon.

[@michael1]

TBH a lot of Randy's stuff contains stuff that would have been better left to the bass player. I get it, it's tempting when you play without a band to try to make a more complete part, but leaving the bass for the bass player to play generally works better in a group setting. Jake E Lee basically did the same flaw when he replaced him - the whole idea of tuning down to C#, baritone guitars et al is the same flaw - guitarists thinking their part doesn't sound heavy enough because they don't have a bass player adding his part yet.

[@williamharding5994]

Randy was not mimicking anything, he was taking Tony's stuff and giving it his own incredible style.

[@MrNeiltonoman]

Absolutely, nothing worse than a note for note perfect copy of someone else's song. When playing someone else's song you should always put something of yourself into it.

[@Ceabrus74]

Iommi Is a master riffsmith heavily influenced by blues while Rhoads was a virtuoso shredder type trained in classical music. Completely different styles and both legends. Which I listen to depends on my mood. Can't go wrong with either.

[@mindeloman]

It's a common misconception that Randy's brother Kelle tries to set straight any chance he can: Randy was very much influenced by rock and electric blues of the era. His interest in classical guitar came much later. Late 70s. But it just goes to show that Randy, even at a young age, wasn't going to be pigeonholed into one thing. Sort of like Neil Peart going back and learning a different style of drumming. Randy was definitely working hard and applying himself to be a true classical guitarist. Even scheduling sessions with classical teachers when he had an off day during touring. Ozzy said that had he not died, he likely would've released a classical guitar album. Now that would've been something. Regradless of all of that, Randy was 25 years young when he tragically passed. How many people can claim they influenced millions of people at such a young age? And it warms my heart to see a younger generation playing his music.

[@kingv911]

All I can say is that the Ozzy "Tribute" album is one of the great live albums ever released. The whole band was magic on those tracks. Best version of Mr Crowley ever.

[@nacuda9]

You should check out recent releases of bootlegs found on here. Recordings arent always top notch but RR playing especially nearer the accident is way better than the Tribute album imo. I do love the album though.

[@gilbertp.9851]

Yes sir Randy kicked ass on Children of the grave!

[@kadinkol]

What people don't realize, they didn't go back and retrack any of Randy's live playing.

[@CBolt17]

That album helped take my guitar playing to the "next level".

[@ferox965]

As much as I love the Randy records, especially Diary, I think they don't sound great. Tribute fixed that. Brilliant. That version of Children of the Grave is awesome.

[@johnnymoon]

It’s crazy how heavy Randy got children of the grave to sound in standard. Sabbath actually played it in standard on the never say die tour and it didn’t sound bad, but not great either. Black Sabbath is my favorite band, so nothing will top the original for me, but I really do love Randy’s take on that. Out of all the sabbath songs he played, that was the only one that really felt like he made it his own. It’s cool that there is a tab book for that, cus I could never find any and just learned it by ear.

[@Powermad-bu4em]

Paul Gilbert basically does the Randy version with Racer X. It is amazing. But the original is still one of the heaviest things ever recorded.

[@justinellis9465]

The solo on Children Of The Grave is my favorite by Randy! It's such an epic take on an OG song!

[@mojopin70]

CHildren of the GRave live solo ( tribute) is a gem... there is a guitar cover on my channel lol :)

[@lilmoe4364]

Such a great tune

[@frentzen100]

When Sabbath played it in E on the NSD tour, they didn't bother with transposing, they just played it in the positions where they used to, only that the guitar was tuned to normal E. When Randy did it, he transposed it, so the basic was still C#. He just used the 5th string 4th fret as a base, and he moved everything 3 half steps down. So Randy's version was actually in the correct key (C#), while Sabbath just played it in the key of E. That's why it sounds different, even if both versions were in E tuning.

[@diegolopezlira3267]

I love Randy but in this case I choose Tony's original versions. They are heavier. Randy wings it here because he was forced to play this songs because of Ozzy's background. Maybe it was a little bit boring for him to play Sabbath's catalogue, but he was a total pro and made them justice in the end.

[@zakkmylde1712]

I don't think it was so much Oz's background as it was a lack of material. There was only Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman later to pull a set list from. Diary of a Madman had just come out and St Rhodes passed away on its supporting tour. Between both albums that's only roughly an hour and twenty minutes worth of music, in order to do a longer set some Sabbath tunes were a necessity.

[@schifrinlopez9952]

100% correct my man .

[@bryandraughn9830]

"Tony's original versions" live? Cause his recorded stuff was way heavier. Just sayin

[@diegolopezlira3267]

@@bryandraughn9830 I meant the album versions. I agree with you.

[@georgemalley6414]

Randy and Rudy virtually hated playing copy tunes, especially Black Sabbath.

[@jamesfriend481]

Okay, after more than 40 years of first hearing Randy Rhoads and trying to learn how to play guitar,( and still learning), I still am always amazed and astounded by his playing, he may not of liked playing the Sabbath songs but that didn’t stop him from being the awesome musician that he was. What a shame it is he died so young.

[@Scottiej41]

Randys tribute stuff was what made me love Randy so much when i began playing. When i play paranoid live it's a mix of Randy's and Zakk's.

[@Thinkforwardnow]

Tribute is Ozzy’s best

[@zakkmylde1712]

I do the same thing, love that bass line run and the pinch Zakk throws in it. So much fun to play.

[@chrisb2535]

I always thought Brad Gillis' version of Children Of The Grave was pretty cool. He played a 4th fret natural harmonic rather than fretting the 4th fret (C#), some of the time.

[@whitebeardguitar]

I was going to see Ozzy with Rhodes(had tickets) Randy died....about 6 months later I saw the concert with Gillis, basically the "Speak of the Devil tour...on the sabbath songs gillis slayed the fk out of it,,,I always felt better than Iomi ever did...as far as his Rhodes songs...not so much.

[@phssthpok5075]

Incredibly underrated, criminally so. Sharon is a bitch for making SOTD unavailable.

[@matcoffidis1135]

It's a totally different style and feel. I will say it's definitely interesting. Crazy how huge of a difference it is playing riffs based on the low E string compared to ones on the A string. Same thing with de-tuning vs standard.

[@teoleoni]

Super interesting, especially now seeing the Pantera tribute and Zakk Wylde being the center of attention for not trying to mimic Dimebag 100% and still being himself. In my opinion is very cool to see Randy's style transpire in these songs

[@ThailandXpress]

The bigger issue with Zakk is he uses the pinched harmonics relentlessly. There was point in time during his first two albums with Ozzy where he used them very tastefully. Somewhere along the line obsession got the best of him.

[@MrBelmontcain]

I love what randy did. I think it's natural for any guitar player to want to add their own style to riffs. In study I always go for the most accurate note for note, I can get a riff as a learning exercise, but I always play riffs my own way when performing.

[@darrenedwards9562]

That's how it should be unless you're a note for note tribute act . Be like Randy and give your covers your own spin, I say.

[@MrBelmontcain]

@@darrenedwards9562 totally!

[@HocusPocusFocus69]

Rhoads elevated the songs IMO. Children Of The Grave in particular. His solo on that song is just unbelievable!

[@michaelzilkowsky2936]

I always thought that it sounds as though he runs out of ideas towards the end of the solo.

[@lrm215]

Agree

[@stevenhowes530]

pretty much exactly what I was going to say. that solo is probably my favourite solo.

[@stevecaststringtheory8691]

The Tribute album was my gateway to getting into Sabbath. I loved the Sabbath songs on there but once I got Paranoid and Master of Reality there was no competition, you can’t top the originals. Randy did what he had to do to get through songs he didn’t care for but still give fans what they wanted and found a great middle ground. Of note Exhorder does a great cover of Into the Void

[@markbrooks8623]

He converted Sabbath riffs to SoCal metal style. His concentration on the 5th string as the root is the key to understanding. That's classic 80s LA Metal.

[@HocusPocusFocus69]

Rhoads pretty much set the standard for the 80s metal guitar player.

[@AJEDDY97]

@@HocusPocusFocus69 him and Eddie, I'd say.

[@stenic2]

And they sound better!

[@skateebee]

I grew up with this book too! All of this years later I never realized there was that much difference in what Randy was doing. This is a very insightful video and really highlights how talented and creative Randy was. He definitely made these his own! Thanks again Mike for another fantastic video and a walk down memory lane!! 👍👍👍😁🎸🎸🎸

[@KamikazeAdam]

i love Randy’s cover, he gives it that extra bite and closes it with the harmonic. Who can forget his shredtastic solo on paranoid

[@OrkSmegga]

As amazing a guitarist Randy was, less is definitely more with these riffs. The Iommi versions just sound so much darker and heavier 🤘

[@dudeman5303]

100%

[@RJS1874]

That's pretty much the point. Randy had said he wasn't a fan of the doom and gloom of Black Sabbath. He didn't want them dark and heavy, he wanted them to be more in line with Ozzy's current sound of the time. Through his interpretations of the riffs, they sounded like a better fit with songs like Mr. Crowley, Revelation Mother Earth, and so on. Both are great, depending on what mood you're in

[@supernothing77]

@@RJS1874 yeah because diary of a madman isn't doom and gloomy at all. Jk I know what you're saying

[@Kruegernator123]

@@RJS1874 I could understand where Randy was coming from, at the time anyway. Early '70s Sabbath wasn't probably all that popular in the early '80s.

[@Nissardpertugiu]

​@@RJS1874 wzll i think there s dark heavy stuff in Diary Of Madman

[@composerdave68]

Im sure Randy didn’t want to strictly play in someone else’s style so he simply adapted the riffs to his (In addition to not wanting to retune). He was a very different player than Tony so the riffs are Tony’s music filtered through Randy’s technique and aesthetic. Neither is better nor worse. One version sounds like Tony and the other sounds like Randy. Personally I love both ways. One is the source material and the other is an interpretation.

[@babylemonade2868]

I love the way he plays the iron man riff on tribute. Also the tribute version of children of the grave on tribute is amazing,the solo is amazing and he’s got so much gain in the middle section the guitar is feeding back beautifully.

[@randallrhoads3271]

the COTG solo is sheer proof of what separates Rhoads from all the others...what you are hearing is an extremely advanced player doing something that just can NOT be taught...playing with such emotion and feeling. That was in Randys DNA...you either got it or you dont. To take someone elses material, and to just wing it ...all the while its being recorded "live"...and to have it come out so beautiful....never heard anybody before or since do that. Some parts of the solo are so simple, yet he drops it right where it needs to be to "fit" what hes playing. Its not just a billion notes or crazy finger taps...its just flowing out of the guy and you end up with a beautiful COMPOSITION. Theres never been anybody like him before or since....ive been looking and waiting since the day he died and it just never happened.....and its NOT gonna happen, at least in my life time. Shame what happened to the greatest guitar player ever...oh, what could have been...

[@mikej70]

He put feeling in with technical playing this version proves it live !! I wish more performances would come out even quiet riot stuff when he was more bluesy love when guitarist make crying wailing sounds page hendrix SRV. Malmsteen Randy and others im sure have done this live! Like a voice gives you chills

[@Duke_de_Plata]

Randy's version of Children of the Grave on that tribute album is one of my all time favorite songs.

[@michaeleaster1815]

the solo is amazing!

[@dwaynestjohn5324]

I agree that solo is just mind blowing.

[@blainethemono19]

In my opinion, that and Sea of Madness by Iron Maiden (bad song) are the two best solos of all time. Just so melodic and structured.

[@ltsmash1200]

Same. The solo is the definition of scorching.

[@atteljas]

You should check other childern of the grave RR live versions on youtube. Different solo on all of them

[@scottricci5063]

I think with Iommi's riffs, it is all about the tone. Rhoads thought he was just kind of modernizing them. In the end , it's all about the deep richness of Iommi's tone that makes the riffs badass!

[@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle]

yes of course, they were Sabbath dark ominous, tone was huge, but that does not distract from songwriting, I mean Sabbath started off a blues based band. Iommi wrote many great riffs, but here Randy is showing when a more learned musician comes into the fold

[@LicksOfTheBeast]

Cool video! I think the changes Randy made to the riffs were more about making the songs fit cohesively with the rest of the set as much as possible. Those three tracks are a great lesson in covering a song in a way that is perfectly recognizable, yet fits your band's sound.

[@trentonmooneyham1231]

Both are amazing. Randy could turn any song into a guitar masterpiece.

[@rangle187]

Randy made Children of the Grave sound insane on the Tribute album.

[@Liushenfanushui]

Ah, Mike! The album Randy Rhoads Tribute is recently my most listened to. (By recently, I mean over the last 4 years.) And Children of the Grave is one of my most favorite 3 or 4 songs in it. It has longer solo part than the solo in Ozzy Live album. And it remained in such a high audio quality. It sound so nice and I love it! Thank you for making such a nice video about it for people to memorize. Some man and some thing should not be forgotten.

[@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle]

I now refer people to the bootleg on youtube of the Cleveland show, it is superior to the Tribute edited version they end up using. the spotlight solo is much better.

[@GordonHeaney]

Classic riffs in their simplicity.........and it's not unusual for someone who isn't that keen on them embellishing them to keep things interesting for themselves

[@twobarsfourstars]

Sounds like he best of both worlds it, honored the comp while being himself. Awesome way to show off their strengths, great video!!

[@topher4677]

The way Tony Iommi plays is more in line with 70s heavy metal playing. It's also heavier and doomier and has that signature Sabbath sound. Randy's playing is more indicative of 80s metal playing. He has more fancy flourishes here and there, he plays on the fifth string as opposed to the sixth which gives it a brighter sound, and is sort of how you'd imagine a shredder playing these riffs. I think his versions are cool and ooze his playing style and personality, but also I love the simple elegance and doominess of Tony's playing.

[@david_4246]

Might be cool if you took the best elements from both versions and make a hybrid cover of the two players

[@kurtk8076]

Love the original riffs and feel but also from a player perspective some of the RR variations are just more fun to play and adds a bit of his style in there

[@Mickey-l7l]

I seen him in August 14, 1981 and my jaw was dropping how he did the children the grave solo.. I still have my original tour shirt wrapped up never worn. I cherish it..

[@Paul_LaSalle]

I have that same book from the 80s and was my first tab book… to this day the Randy versions are the only ones I know…I feel like Randy elevated those songs and added his twist … he did them his way… could you imagine what those riffs would have sounded like played by EVH? sounds like we had similar beginnings!

[@Levelheadd]

I agree, he did them justice and played his versions, like most guitarist I think would. Great riffs from both. ✌🏼

[@TopCatOadby]

I love both versions.....they're Tony's riffs, but with Randy's take. Also makes more sense to root off the 5th string on a Les Paul. I loved the old tab book, I can remember when magazines like Guitar For The Practising Musician came out....the tabs really changed things for beginners.

[@mitchellwells1021]

He did what he had to do to get paid, I love his versions of a band he really wasn’t into. That being said I love Sabbath too. Randy took over played songs and made us kids in the 80s get into Sabbath. Thank you Randy

[@runabout76]

I love that book. I've had my copy for almost 30 years now. It's no secret that Randy wasn't a Sabbath fan. I think he did the songs justice and gave them a fresh, vibrant make-over that reflected and fit well with the solo Ozzy songs they were performing at that time.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Randy plays in a mid tones sound to sound better with Ozzy’s voice. Playing in the mids goes over very well live too. Randy will always be my favorite Guitarist. RIP Randy! A true Master.

[@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle]

correct Randy was mapping to Ozzy;s voice.....I thought Ozzy, who never sounded great live he was always flat, his voice sounded more raw and BETTER with Randy on guitar.

[@outlaw_adam]

Awesome video. The Paranoid riffs are played differently. The Randy one has two pairs of hammer ons whereas the Tony one has a pair of hammer ons and then a skip back to the A string.

[@ChristianCMC]

It's hard to believe Randy died at 25 years old in 1982, and we are still talking about him. RIP Randy, Vinnie Paul, Dime, SRV, EVH, Cliff, and so many others.

[@gngrblls2thwall]

Randy's version of Paranoid is the best version. That was a good one for him because it's high energy. But since Sabbath's specialty is heavy, Randy tended to have too much ADHD to let it breath the way heavy ish needs to breath.

[@HannahCope88]

🤘🏻🔥Congrats on 768k Subscribers! I still need to listen to the Tribute album, and watch the Randy Rhoads documentary that came out and get a Sabbath t shirt haha. I think Randy does them justice, he's doing them in a way where he's just putting his own spin on it I guess. You'd know what song you're hearing when he plays it. If I'm not looking at the screen when you're playing the riffs, I can hear more high stuff coming through with Randy's way, with Tony's it's more low end. Either way they sound great to me.

[@seanmetal4138]

Randy totally did these riffs more than justice. He made them his own, and in doing so further cemented himself as legend! In the early 80s when EVH was all the rage, Randy stood out and this video proves it.💯

[@hyramjackson]

Always pleased with these kind of videos of Randy, I had that album in CD and played along with it when I came back to school, only after playing Metallica from Kill to Justice and then after some Children of Bodom, i played for around 8-10 hours a day

[@patriotpizzaman]

Randy was spicing things up to keep from been bored with those riffs. As much as I love them, I started out playing Sabbath because they were the easiest riffs to pull off. It took me some hours of practicing to get Randy's versions down. Forget about pulling off Randy's solos for those tunes too. He's the best for a reason.

[@mattlastnamehere6403]

I've been a huge Black Sabbath and Ozzy fan, I never noticed the difference when the Sabbath songs were played by Randy until you pointed them out. I can't say I prefer one over the other, but I appreciate that Randy did it different to put his own spin/flavor/signature on it. I'd really enjoy if you did a video on Sabbath songs Zakk Wylde vs Iommi, or Randy era Ozzy songs Randy vs Zakk Wylde. Either would be an interesting video.

[@rocktopuss9279]

Randy absolutely did those songs justice! I am sure you noticed that Randy comes up with all kinds of things that deviate from the studio recordings for nearly the whole album. It's part of his genius. Guys like him and Stevie Ray Vaughan have this incredible musical and creative energy flowing through them. As a huge Sabbath fan I absolutely loved hearing his version. I also love what Brad Gillis did with the Sabbath songs on Speak of the Devil.

[@davesaenz3732]

Wish Randy played War Pigs, Symptom of the Universe, and Fairies wear boots!! Into the void !!! Just imagine!!

[@thebluesrockers]

Brad killed it. That was a mind blowing approach to those old Sabbath tunes. I wish someone would go back to those old Sabbath albums and mix them in the studio with the same care & love that has went into those old Ozzy albums. Sabbath's recording were awful. I love listening to them, but the recording quality is shit.

[@axsus718]

You forgot to mention on the Tribute Album on Iron Man Randy does flutters of hammer ons on the bridge part,then back on the main riff he adds some chugs,which I call Randyized.I love that..He brought it to his style.Subtle things yet very effective..😊

[@jaseshade6512]

The original is definitely heavier but I prefer Randy’s version. I had that same book when I first started playing in the late 80’s!! And that solo Randy did on Children of the Grave was absolutely amazing

[@petebrown3715]

To see and hear the differences was awesome between the two styles. Very similar to Tony Iommi and Brad Gilis on Speak of the Devil. Brad did the riffs just by putting his spin/ style on them like Randy. Toni was Toni.

[@Musicsports]

Randy was a Master. I can't criticize anything Randy did. He was a musical genius. As far as the Sabbath songs he covered, he found them simplistic. He needed to add his own flair to keep interest. History notes that Randy didn't love covering the songs. He wanted to create his own music.

[@mcarlosnewby]

You inspired me to take another look at these songs in different lights I like playing this using your method. So now when I play paranoid I use Tony's part as the rhythm section and then Randy's on top as lead and it brings a new depth to the playing!! Many thanks

[@donkarnage6032]

One of my favorite versions is Paul Gilbert's(Racer X) cover of Children of the Grave. Paul's version is based off of Randy's interpretation.

[@Drummerjeffkazee]

Randy was Paul's major influence, watch the podcast he did for Sweetwater and its all about Paul freaking out over Randy.

[@GeeVanderplas]

When I learned Paranoid back in the day for my band I also went for the Randy version, except I did the little bassline an octave higher. It gives the song a lot of extra excitement and it perfeclty fit the more 80s style hard rock we were playing.

[@jlm4855]

I think Randy just played things the way he wants them , which is awesome. Having said that , Tony made Sabbath sound dark and ominous. Where Randy put some flare into them. I love Randy but , I myself love the way Tony did Sabbath.

[@riangarianga]

He definitely does them justice. Nowadays people mistakenly say «covers» when they refer to copycat interpretations. No, those are recreations. A cover is when you take a song, extract its essence and give it your own twist. Hence Randy Rhoads played covers, like all those guys back in the day (including Tony Iommi). And he played some damn good ones, I love them as much as I love the Sabbath originals.

[@henkestenke]

I love every single player that has been with Ozzy. Iommi invented everything, Randy perfected it, Jake took it all and shuffled it up and Zakk frankensteined them all. Not to forget Gus who is an amazing technical guitarist and in my opinion made Ozzy interesting again after his cover album and sadly pretty mediocre Black Rain album. Thank you for the video!

[@Zippo765]

I love both. Here's my take on it after seeing the back to back comparisons: Just imagine how both versions would sound if both guitarists were playing their versions in the same room at the same time. That's where the beauty of Randy's versions shine. He took what was there, and made it his own. I would still have loved to have heard Tony and Randy play these songs together in a jam session where they sit down and work off each other's strengths.

[@wilrodzslayer]

does not matter, its RANDY FREAKING RHOADS!!!! 🤘

[@wonderbat9]

Great video as ever, thank you. I think it's worth remembering that the Iommi Sabbath riffs were written in a very different musical world to Randy's interpretations in '80/'81, shred wasn't really a thing back then, plus Randy was also operating with a full set of digits. I love the fact that you can hear how Iommi's 'limitations' shaped the writing of the music but I can't blame Randy for stretching his legs while playing them. P.s. your correction 'Sandman' video was the first video I watched of yours, I was really impressed with your humility and have been a subscriber since, keep up the good work, D

[@DSmith-iw7fs]

As sacrilegious as this sounds, Randy made them his own riffs. Growing up in the 80's the Tribute album was one of my favs, as well. I knew the backstory of Black Sabbath and Ozzy but had no idea how big some of these songs were in the Sabbath catalogue (eg. Children of the Grave) so I thought it was Randy's riff. lol Years later I was schooled by a huge Sabbath fan.

[@yourguitarist]

Great video ...I appreciate the work that you put into this. 👍 IMHO there is way too much "you're playing it wrong" out there. Most people that heard the Randy versions just heard Ozzy singing the songs that he made famous with his old band and they loved it. Most people in the moment wouldn't have even noticed the differences that you pointed out. Also... no one will ever know Randy's motivation behind how he approached these riffs. If he was alive today he'd probably be telling us to do our own thing and stop being obsessed with the past.

[@HighOnFire1997]

Noone does Iommi better than Iommi himself. The Rhandy version of the heavy riff on Children sounds like something Accept would play haha

[@GreatCosmicWebs]

And Wolf is a better player and would probably do more justice to the sound

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

White Zombie knew how to cover that song.

[@randyrhoads4737]

Randy coming from Quiet Riot definitely wasn't going for super heavy, doomy riffs. And I'd also say no one does Randy better than Randy.

[@JuhaniPaasikangas]

Iommi best

[@maorienteg]

I now have a whole new appreciation for how Randy played those riffs. Thank you!

[@mikemph7779]

Randy is my forever favorite !!! Even though some of his surviving band mates described him as being “not a very happy camper.” He was very driven too, he wanted to re-do some of his Diary of a Madman solos but couldn’t because Ozzy said they were out of studio time.

[@user-xe2ek1td1x]

I have an old guitar world magazine hiding somewhere. It was an anniversary issue with interviews with Randy. He respected Tommy Ioni, but he didn't have fun playing his tunes so he would make them his own. The solo from Randy's live version of paranoid is one of my favorite solos to this day. Randy injected a lot of attitude into his playing.

[@monoideal3592]

5:00 Randy made the verse riff very fun to play. Maybe the songs were not that menacing anymore but fun to play and suited Randy's style. Such a talent to turn these iconic riffs to your own unique style.

[@zakkmylde1712]

It also fit Oz more at that point in time as well as the newer directions he was going in to make a name without Sabbath.

[@allendean9807]

…..what’s crazy is that the tribute album was one of your early exposures to RR…. Makes me feel OLD! The tribute album is the mixed and mastered version of the live concert series called the King Buiscut Flower Hour that aired on terrestrial radio in the 70’s and early 80’s. I actually listened to the original broadcast and used an old school tape recorder to record the concert off my stereo speaker. It was like listening to some kind of incredible sonic alchemy. To this day, i can hear his live solo in my head as i played that tape over and over, dubbing copies for friends, and sharing it around Northern California. These were the days where you could make friends with someone at a show, get their info, and tape trade between eachother. Got the Metallica demos this way, early wasp demos, ratt’s first demos, etc… As a lefty, who plays lefty- Iommi is a huge influence on my playing. For myself, the way RR played sabbath songs were a modernizing while still respecting the work done by the metal riff master…

[@TheTerrorBeyond]

Tony Iommi's versions were far far far better.

[@Liushenfanushui]

About the differences that Randy made, I come up with mainly two reasons. First, of cause, the 1-1/2 step down tuning because of Tony's finger tragedy. So creative as Randy, he can surely change the playing positions and make the melodies sound just that good than do the extra tuning which would occupy one of his only 3 stage guitars. Second, on what I really want to emphasize from my heart, innovation! Everyone of us has mimicked our own guitar heroes and guitar gods. But for a musician, innovation is one thing that can never be lost. Not only Randy on Sabbath, but also Jake.E.Lee on Randy. Jake did such a fantastic job on Mr.Crowley cover. He showed us an entire new posibility that one can play such a legendary song so amazing on his individual style. If there is no innovation and everyone follows the senior strictly with respect, there would never be pianoforte, but only harpsicord. There would never be Father of Loud, but only British made Fender Amps. There would never be so many beautiful things.

[@JimmyJamZ12321]

Randy was a musical genius. A master of his craft and yet still a student. I'm always amazed at how good he really was. Randy was.. and is.. the best IMO. RIP Randy. Your legend lives on.

[@dwaynestjohn5324]

Love both versions. I think Randy just wanted to add to those songs since he wasn't a big sabbath fan and that solo he does on children of the grave is amazing.

[@ravensmead1558]

I was lucky to see Ozzy and Randy play their First Gig together at the Glasgow Apollo Scotland in 1980 and he played all the Sabbath songs on his LP

[@maxxgraphix]

I've played rifs from Toni and Randy for over 40 years. Honestly for that Black Sabbath sound, Toni does it right. The simple deep tones set the mood. It doesn't need those funky harmonics or more complex cords. Randy was like a savant and you can see this if you have ever seen the ONE interview he did. He studied classical music where Toni was a blues player. So Randy likes more complex tones and could not resist adding his own flare. Basically, he was bored, but had to play the songs, so why not add some flare. It still worked, but I never liked the Tribute album.

[@anabidingdude8079]

Actually, there are a lot of classical influences on Sabbath's stuff. Think the interlude pieces on "Master of Reality" such as "Orchid" or "Embryo" or even the song "Solitude," the outro to "Symptom of the Universe," etc. When Tony had his accident and chopped off the tips of two of his fretting fingers he was despondent and his former boss gave him a Django Reinhardt album and it gave Tony hope because Reinhardt only had two usable fretting fingers to work with yet he was playing this complex gypsy flavored jazz stuff.

[@BrianClem]

Tribute is my gold standard. That is my first favorite metal album that I have embedded into my DNA since elementary school. Now 47, I still love that album. Black Sabbath was just a bit before my time.

[@snowkhan99]

Randy is my favorite guitar player of all time. There's so many things to love about his playing, but one of the coolest things about him is he never played a song the same way twice! He always threw in different fills and licks in random spots and it always changed from show to show. Such a unique thing to hear if you listen to the bootlegs of the Blizzard and Diary tours that are all over KZbin.

[@davidpaul6656]

I love Randy, but I also love Black Sabbath and it seems like Randy couldn't be bothered with playing them correctly. His version of Iron Man sounds like he wasn't taking it very seriously

[@teresathomley3703]

Randy Rhoads did justice to Tony Iommi's riffs. And you don't have to play an absolute note-for-note copy to do a riff justice!! Rhoads was never going to play those riffs just like Iommi. His technical facility and creativity would have never allowed for that sort of thing. If Randy Rhoads played "London Bridges" it would be full of pick scrapes and artificial harmonics and pick tapping and harmonic minor runs. Interesting video for sure, Mike. 👏👍

[@alexanderholden82]

I love that you touched on this topic comparing the two different versions from two different players. I personally see nothing wrong with playing a composition in a way that feels natural to you instead of trying to mimic someone else's style and tone. Honestly I have about forgotten how to play Children of the Grave in c# tuning and only play Randy's way.... I also Play Paranoid with the double time feel the way that Randy does as it's a bit more lively in that sense. Like many... the tribute album changed the way that I learned and approached guitar and it what is Randy's version of Children of the Grave and paranoid that gave me the epiphany of how legendary and gifted Randy's playing was. I was studying the Rifts from these versions In This Very table book all the way back in the mid-90s and listening to his solo on Children of the Grave still gives me goosebumps every time I listen.

[@pedrogutierrez3407]

Randy was an awesome player, but Iommi's sound and riffs are what got me into metal.

[@jeremygunther9403]

Interestingly enough, anyone who was on iTunes around 2008 remembers that Black Sabbath's Ozzy-era studio albums were not available to stream. So my first introduction to Iron Man and Paranoid was that 1987 Tribute album as well.

[@donakahorse]

I love Randy, but Tony Iommi is Black Sabbath. I chose to see the songs as unique to each player so I can enjoy both without messing with my head. lol

[@wadew3623]

Not trying to diss Randy too much here, but I really think he represents the emergence of 1980s flash, where so many riffs had to have needless ornamentation to them. To be fair, guitarists often will be flashier live, just to do something different and maybe not get bored playing the songs if they've played them a billion times. I'm sure even Tony does this, and sometimes it can get in the way of the power of the riffs in question.

[@chrisharper2535]

I personally believe Randy did do justice , however , he has a completely different style than Tony. However , as Robert Johnson said " take the music beyond where you found it !" I am also a massive Randy fan , Tony showed us the path , however, Randy turned it into a road ( pun intended ) They are both legendary guitarist . I love the interpretation that Randy shared with us 😎🤘

[@HannahCope88]

Love that Robert Johnson quote, haven't heard it before.

[@chrisharper2535]

@@HannahCope88 its from the movie "Crossroads"

[@chrisp5736]

in Children of the Grave, I do like the accent on the minor 3rd in the C#m, as opposed to just playing the C#5. That sounds good and I'll be adding it next time i play this song. :)

[@JD-vj4go]

I love both versions but prefer the heavier Sabbath style.

[@tjchad1]

That was a fun video- Thanks! I got to see Ozzy on the Speak of the Devil tour- sadly Randy was gone by then but I saw Jake E. Lee and he did the songs justice. Had backstage passes, met the band and all were super nice.

[@patstuker]

I feel like Randy Rhoads did do justice to Tony Iommi but he clearly just changed the riffs around to try and avoid copyright (PS: also Mike you should do a video on if Vivian Campbell from Dio did justice to Sabbath riffs when Dio was in the band)

[@jonnydavies6968]

The first time I ever heard Children of the Grave was on the Tribute album and I loved it. Took me a while to get into the sludge-iness of the Sabbath version but now I love both versions. But i will always kinda prefer the Tribute version cos Randy's solo is fantastic and I don't have to tune down.

[@XxLinguinexXPwnzXx]

I like that he added his own touch to the riffs shows how creative he was

[@andymarshall3326]

This video just reminded me of why I loved Randy and his music so much. I grew up on the originals from Sabbath and pretty much stopped listening to them after I got the Randy Rhoads Tribute.

[@roymauler]

Tony wrote those songs. The original is better usually, and certainly in this case. Randy's sounds like a guy doing another guy's song.

[@mariomendoza3785]

I learned the riffs same way with same book. You rock! This is a conversation I had alone 25 years ago when I got the book!

[@philipbeasley72]

Randy is more of a technical player too. He blows it out the water with style and incorporates his flare. Toni iomi was a breakthrough sound of heavy British metal. His sound was straightforward in your face. But Randy's sound takes the cake!

[@illiniheel67]

Tony DOES add that harmonic to Children of the Grave when he plays live. He has since before the Live Evil (82) album. I first heard it on a bootleg Black Sabbath (Live at Last) when Ozzy was still with them....around 78 or 79....an odd...evil tone...listen to the Live Evil version....spooky cool.

[@DeviantmindOG]

Zak Wylde doesn’t do crazy train justice with all his stupid squeals

[@dudeman5303]

Straight up

[@2760ade]

Zakk does like a squeal doesn't he! He ruins a lot of Ozzy's songs with his overuse of pinch harmonics in my opinion!