Editing Diary of a Madman (album) (section)

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Allmusic" >{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/diary-of-a-madman-mw0000191217 |title=Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman review |last=Huey |first=Steve |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[All Media Network]] |access-date=29 October 2015 }}</ref>
| rev4 =[[Martin Popoff]]
| rev4Score = {{Rating|10|10}}<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = [[Collector's Guide Publishing]] | date = 1 November 2005 | location = [[Burlington, Ontario]], Canada | isbn = 978-1-894959-31-5}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ozzyosbourne/albums/album/192271/review/6211330/diary_of_a_madman|title=Album review ''Diary of a Madman''|last=Considine|first=J.D.|author-link=J.D. Considine|date=4 February 1982|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|publisher=[[Jann Wenner|Wenner Media]]|access-date=29 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205085458/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ozzyosbourne/albums/album/192271/review/6211330/diary_of_a_madman|archive-date=5 February 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| noprose = yes
|rev2 = ''[[Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
|rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last= C. Strong |first= Martin|title= The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year= 2004|publisher= Canongate|isbn= 1841955515}}</ref>
|rev3   = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
|rev3Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|editor1-first= Gary |editor1-last= Graff |editor2-first= Daniel |editor2-last= Durchholz |year= 1999 |title= MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |chapter= Ozzy Osbourne|publisher= Visible Ink Press |location= Farmington Hills, MI |isbn= 1-57859-061-2 |url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612}}</ref>
}}
Reception of the album has been generally positive. In particular, the [[Neo-classical metal|neo-classical]] guitar work of Randy Rhoads has received much praise.<ref name="martin" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/guns-n-roses-bumblefoot-reviews-ozzy-osbourne-blizzard-of-ozz-diary-of-a-madman-reissues-449536 |title=Guns N' Roses' Bumblefoot reviews Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard Of Ozz/Diary Of A Madman reissues |last=Thal |first=Ron |author-link=Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal |publisher=[[MusicRadar]] |date=20 May 2011 |access-date=25 October 2015 }}</ref> Steve Huey of [[AllMusic]] stated that "it's not uncommon to find fans who prefer ''Diary'' to ''[[Blizzard of Ozz|Blizzard]]'', since it sets an even more mystical, eerie mood, and since [[Randy Rhoads|Rhoads]]' playing is progressing to an even higher level".<ref name="Allmusic" /> [[BBC Music]] referred to the album as "a classic rock record in every way", "lifted out of the ordinary by the legendary rock axe god, Randy Rhoads".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/h3gb |title=Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman review |last=Groom |first=Helen |work=[[BBC Music]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2007 |access-date=29 October 2015 }}</ref> Canadian journalist [[Martin Popoff]] called ''Diary of a Madman'' "a lasting classic that stands as the definitive showcase for Randy Rhoads."<ref name="martin" />

Though the album is regarded quite favorably today, reviews upon its 1981 release were often less than enthusiastic. [[J. D. Considine]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', for example, opined upon the album's original release that "the songs here are little more than riffs with a vocal line pasted on top" and referred to Rhoads as "a junior-league [[Eddie Van Halen]] – bustling with chops but somewhat short on imagination".<ref name="RS" /> The magazine, however, would change its tune and later rank the album 15th on its 2017 list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|title=100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-all-time-w486923/anthrax-among-the-living-1987-w486946?|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] LLC|access-date=22 June 2017|date=21 June 2017}}</ref>