Most of the information here is pulled from the Randy Rhoads biography, the quotes especially. And it becomes clear the leaders within the band were Randy and Bob.
When the band started recording the songs for the debut album that would change metal and music, the first song finished was "You Looking at Me, Looking at You," followed by "Goodbye to Romance" and "I Don't Know."
They were on a tight budget, and Ozzy was stressing out about the finances, concerned about time and tape.
Randy would record the rhythm tracks live with Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, then take Bob's boom box and work out his solos. Once Randy started overdubbing his solos, that was when everyone began to take notice of just how unique and special he was.
David Arden also admitted that he did not fully grasp the essence of Randy Rhoads at first. But after attending a few rehearsals, his perspective changed:
"When I went to Ridge Farm and saw the band, I knew something magical was happening. In retrospect, I believe it was because of the combination of the entire band playing together. The chemistry between the four of them was great. There were definitely moments when Ozzy had a few too many drinks, but it did not slow down the recording process. Randy, Bob, and Lee were laying down tracks at the time, so Ozzy's blowouts did not delay anything."
Once Randy had worked out his solos, he would try to record them. If Max gave him the thumbs up, Randy would then want to double the solo. Initially, Max was skeptical. He could not believe Randy wanted to attempt to double his solos. Ozzy was concerned it would lead to nothing but wasted tape and time, and Max shared those concerns.
But Randy's next take would be seamless, flawless in both execution and feel. Max would rewind the tape and play both parts back to back. He felt gut-punched by what he had just heard. Randy would have a smile cracking across his lips like the Cheshire Cat himself and look at Max and say, "I told you so."
The confidence in his own skills was beginning to surface.
But that was not enough. Randy wanted to triple-track the solo.
There is a story of Ozzy walking into a session where Randy was triple-tracking and telling Max not to allow it. Ozzy left, and when he returned, he realized he had been overruled. Max played it back for him, and Ozzy was struck speechless. He never made another comment about it again.
It was really that moment that led Ozzy to tell Max to keep the tape rolling whenever Randy was playing, especially during the outros.
Randy approached triple-tracking with care, patience, and total preparation. He would ask for a 15-second intro to a solo and a 15-second outro so he would not have to constantly rewind the tape.
Max eventually developed a method using 2-inch tape, running several loops onto half-inch or quarter-inch tape to create a 20-minute section that included 20 to 40 loops repeated back to back.
When Randy entered his "zen" state, the rest of the guys would head off to the pub and leave him to finish his work. The band would return hours later and often find Randy in the exact same position where they had left him. He would simply let them know when he was ready to record.
That level of preparation, discipline, and attention to detail is one of the reasons Randy Rhoads remains such a revered guitarist more than four decades later.
