With his flowing blond mane, delicate, androgynous features, and on stage charisma, Randy Rhoads was the embodiment of the ‘70s rock star. That he was also a virtuoso guitar player and, by all accounts, a modest, decent guy and hardworking musicians makes him an even more compelling figure in the ego-driven world of rock and roll.
“Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon,” a documentary directed by Andre Relis that features interviews with Rhoads’s former bandmates, friends, family, and the many rock musicians who modeled themselves on Rhoads, does a thorough and entertaining job of showing just why Rhoads is an icon. The film is a great introduction for anyone who may not know Rhoads or his legacy. For the many fans that do, it’s a solid tribute. Rhoads was just 25 and barely hitting his stride when he was killed in 1982 in an airplane accident — the film provides important details about the tragedy without being sensational —so the film is an important historical account.
A self-described “LA kid” whose mother ran a music school, Rhoads by the mid-‘70s was a teenager jamming in a band with his best friend Kelly Garni. They’d go on to form, along with Drew Forsyth and Kevin DuBrow, what became Quiet Riot. With lots of archival footage and photos, the film charts the band’s rise through the Los Angeles club scene, where shows at the Whiskey and the Starwood drew legions of fans. But a record deal remained elusive especially after some bumps with bad deals and management changes.
The interviews paint a picture of the times, with the usual band struggles and frustrations with the business. Rhoads left Quiet Riot to join Ozzy Osbourne’s first post-Black Sabbath band and quickly made his mark as a preeminent lead guitarist. He was also, according to the hard-partying Osbourne, a level-headed professional who cautioned Osbourne about his drinking and drug use. Many in the film rhapsodize about Rhoads’ guitar solo on “Crazy Train” from the smash LP "Blizzard of Ozz” which established both Osbourne and Rhodes as superstars. Rhodes died shortly afterward, with so much more music to be made, so this film is a bittersweet, memorable tribute.
