In a new interview with QMI Agency's Darryl Sterdan, OZZY OSBOURNE talks up the 30th Anniversary reissues of his classic Blizzard Of Ozz / Diary Of A Madman albums. The following is an excerpt:

Q: What do you think of the fact that it's been 30 years since these albums came out?

A: "You know what comes to mind? How quickly it's gone by. It does not feel like 30 years. The time I had with Randy Rhoads seemed a lot longer than it really was, you know."

Q: Of all the milestones and awards in your career, which ones mean the most and are more memorable?

A: "The early ones. My first platinum disc from BLACK SABBATH means something to me. The early parts of any band are always the best. In the early days of Black Sabbath, we had a lot of fun, we weren't serious about it. Then we stopped having fun. It was the same with this band. We were having fun, and then there was the tragedy. It all went awry and Randy got killed. But the one thing I'm blessed with is that I'm not lying next to Randy dead. I could have been."

Q: What do you think Randy would be doing today if he were still around?

A: "Do you know what? It doesn't matter. Just the fact that he would be alive would be enough for me. But I can tell you one thing: he wasn't a guy who wanted to play rock 'n' roll only. On that last bus trip, just before he died, he sat up with me and told me wanted to go to university in California and get a degree in classical guitar. I said, 'Are you serious? Stick around. You can go to university later.' And then he died. But he was a true musician. He was writing classical pieces. He was into the art of music, not just the rock 'n' roll. He was a brilliant player. I don't know what he'd be doing now. But I still wish he was here."

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OzzfestVideo recently uploaded interview footage of Ozzy's opinion on Diary Of A Madman and Blizzard Of Ozz in this outtake from the Thirty Years After The Blizzard DVD included in the upcoming Blizzard Of Ozz / Diary Of A Madman 30th Anniversary Collectors Box Set. Check out clip below:

Watch Ozzy open the Blizzard Of Ozz / Diary Of A Madman 30th Anniversary box set below:

Long revered by rock fans around the world, these two albums created a template for hard rock in the 1980's and beyond as they were marked by the ground-breaking and historic union of Ozzy and the late guitar hero Randy Rhoads. Due out on May 31st, these definitive versions of 1980's Blizzard Of Ozz (with previously unreleased bonus tracks) and 1981's Diary Of A Madman are available individually on vinyl or CD, or together in a deluxe collector's box. All versions were restored and remastered from the original analog sources by George Marino.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of Blizzard Of Ozz CD includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with bonus tracks, while the new Legacy Edition of Diary Of A Madman includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with a bonus second CD of previously unreleased live performances featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads with rhythm section Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). A single disc version of the remastered Diary Of A Madman will also be available.

For serious fans and collectors, the limited edition 30th Anniversary deluxe boxed set houses the restored and remastered vinyl and CD editions of Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman, the Ozzy Live compact disc. Beyond the music, the box set is highlighted by a variety of exclusives including an expansive 100-page coffee table book, a two-sided wall-size poster, a precise and detailed full-size replica of Ozzy's iconic gold cross that he has worn for 30 years, and Thirty Years After The Blizzard DVD.

This new Thirty Years After The Blizzard DVD chronicles Ozzy's years with Randy Rhoads features previously unseen footage of Ozzy and Randy filmed in 1981 & 1982; it incorporates rare archival photos and films; along with new and revelatory interviews with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD), STEVE VAI, NIKKI SIXX, ROB HALFORD, ZAKK WYLDE, BLACK SABBATH's Bill Ward and more. The DVD also contains over 70 minutes of additional rare live performances and interviews; included is the premiere of more than 30 minutes of newly-discovered never-bootlegged footage of Ozzy and Randy from the Blizzard Of Ozz tour shot from the front of the stage at New York's fabled Palladium on May 2nd, 1981. This new feature is a must-see for aficionados of Ozzy's epic release, Blizzard of Ozz and its pivotal effect on rock & roll history.

Check out an extended trailer for the releases below:

Tracklistings:

Blizzard Of Ozz (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)

'I Don’t Know'

'Crazy Train'

'Goodbye To Romance'

'Dee'

'Suicide Solution'

'Mr. Crowley'

'No Bone Movies'

'Revelation (Mother Earth)'

'Steal Away (The Night)'

Bonus Tracks:

'You Looking At Me, Looking At You (Non-LP B-Side, Previously Unreleased in the U.S.) (4:15)

'Goodbye To Romance (2010 Guitar & Vocal Mix, Previously Unreleased) (5:42)

'RR (Previously Unreleased – Randy Rhoads guitar solo) (1:13)

Diary Of A Madman (Legacy Edition)

Disc 1

'Over The Mountain'

'Flying High Again'

'You Can’t Kill Rock And Roll'

'Believer'

'Little Dolls'

'Tonight')

'S.A.T.O.'

'Diary Of A Madman'

Disc 2 - Ozzy Live (recorded on the Blizzard of Ozz tour)

'I Don’t Know'

'Crazy Train'

'Believer'

'Mr. Crowley'

'Flying High Again'

'Revelation (Mother Earth)'

'Steal Away (The Night)'

'Suicide Solution'

'Iron Man'

'Children Of The Grave'

'Paranoid'

Diary of a Madman/Blizzard of Ozz 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set

Box Set Includes:

Blizzard Of Ozz (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)

Diary Of A Madman (Legacy Edition)

Blizzard Of Ozz (180-gram LP – original album only)

Diary Of A Madman (180-gram LP – original album only)

DVD contains Thirty Years After The Blizzard documentary and additional rare and unreleased performances and interviews.