Off The Rails Reviews

"Off The Rails is Rudy Sarzo's offering about his life with Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard Of Ozz band that toured in 1981 and 1982. The guitarist in this band (Randy Rhoads) is the primary focus of the story telling, and that is a real gift for all fans of his short life. At times, this book is impossible to put down. Rudy does a good job explaining the mundane life of a traveling musician mixed with the exstrongment of playing with such a prolific musician as Rhoads. Any info regarding the short life of Randy Rhoads is interesting, and at times, the stories are very compelling. The chapters about the live album, Ozzy's abuse towards Sharon, and Randy's final days, are all right up there with The Dirt, and many other great books that humanize these icons. Good job Rudy Sarzo."
- George S.

"Great book for any fan of Randy Rhoads. It's great, after all of these years, to hear stories about my hero. Randy made me want to play guitar, and this book means so much to me. Rudy is a great story teller. By the end of the book you'll feel like you knew Randy too, which hurts because we all know how the story ends."
- D.L.C.

"Mr. Sarzo takes you behind the lines of the Blizzard of Oz / Diary Of a Madman era. He effectively gives you glimpses into the tortured soul of Ozzy Osbourne and is able to make Randy Rhoads a real human being and not just a mythical icon whose poster hangs in every Guitar Center in America. Mr. Sarzo appears to be a very spiritual and well balanced person who was able to exist in a world of excess and abuses without falling prey to them. Mr. Sarzo writes a very finely detailed history and timeline of the Randy Roads years which is joyful and sad. Mr. Sarzo is not a professional writer and I believe the underlying charm and honesty of his account are better conveyed for it. His heartfelt sentiment and ability to convey unpleasant human experiences without throwing anyone under the proverbial bus for their imperfections is truly remarkable. This is a must read for any rock fan."
- D.E.S.

"Bassist Rudy Sarzo spares no detail in taking you along for the ride with dear friend and brilliant guitarist Randy Rhoads as they try their best to keep up with the insanity of touring with Ozzy Osbourne at the height of his booze and drug addled craziness. The poignant details of Randy's untimely death, and the deeply painful reactions of his loved ones in trying to deal with this senseless tragedy will undoubtedly bring a tear to your eye. But although you know that part is coming, Sarzo does an extraordinary job of bringing Randy back to life and letting you get to know him, as an incredibly dedicated artist, and a sweet kid, who made in a brief span of time, two incredible albums that redefined heavy metal as we know it, and was taken from all of us way too soon."
- David L.

"Don't even hesitate to buy this book. You'll finish it and want more only to find that good ones like this are very far and few between. Thank you Rudy for this treasure!"
- Jay K.

"Perfect, Beautiful, Funny, Awe-Inspiring, Breathtaking and Extremely Moving.

Rudy Sarzo selflessly made a calculated decision to gracefully step aside from telling his own story in order to reveal the tale of his dear dear friend in such a loving and touching way as only he could have because he was right there next to Randy Rhoads' side.

The book also explains a lot of just why Ozzy Osbourne is where he is today.

Thank God Sarzo wrote this incredible homage to the late great Randy Rhoads ensuring the gorgeous memories of him remain in tact and never fade away. If only all fallen legends could have such a wonderful piece of literature so carefully and articulately written about them to remain a piece of rock "en roll history forever like Sarzo has done for Rhoads.

And while Sarzo expresses such admiration for Rhoads throughout the entire read, I am sure that it is now Rhoads looking down awed by Sarzo because of what he did for him in this book. Rudy and Randy both possess beautiful souls..."
- Denise A. News Anchor/Host, Los Angeles