I love the NWOBHM as a historical period. You know, in the same way that you may develop an interest for say, the early middle ages, or the Khmer dynasty.
I have almost all of the first 50 issues of Kerrang! at home, and they constitute the A la Recherche du Temps Perdu of the NWOBHM. They transport you back to those years of backpatches and snakebites, when Saxon made the Top 20 and they used to tell you how many people had been made unemployed that week on Friday night on the News at Ten. Those pre-Spinal Tap years of unironic spandex, when Heavy Metal fans from dull provincial towns across the UK made tentative contact via the Penpals page (“Maiden, Priest, Sabbath and early Queen”) and debated whether Ritchie Blackmore or Michael Schenker was the better guitarist.
I could talk about it all day. Never listen to the music these days, mind.
Great post that. I loved the NWOBHM too . At the time. Not so much now, in fact I don’t have any tracks on my iPod. Some Rainbow, Sammy Hagar, Rush, Grand Prix. But none of yer actual meat and potatoes rock.
Thanks, Freddy. Let’s see if we can get a NWOBHM playlist together for that iPod:
1. In league with Satan – Venom
2. 747 (strangers in the night) – Saxon
3. My number – Girl
4. Race with the devil – Girlschool
5. One of these days – Trespass
6. Lightnin’ to the nations – Diamond Head
7. Name, rank and serial number – Fist
8. Making tracks – Tygers of Pan Tang
9. Iron maiden – Iron Maiden
10. Devil’s tower – Angel Witch
Hmm, not a bad album that, not great but certainly respectable if you know what I mean.
Oh God, the Tygers of Pan Tang! In my hearts of hearts I knew they weren’t much cop but still bought their stuff. Can’t remember what their “hit” album was…the one with “Love Potion no 9” and “Paris by air”?
I’ll give that Saxon track a go again though! Girl I loved too for a short while. Seem to remember red vinyl singles…weren’t they a bit sort of edgy? And of course that Trespass song which actually still sounds good. All, and I mean all, the Sixth Form bands at my school did a cover of it.
My tastes morphed quite quickly towards the more pomp end of the genre….Magnum I absolutely loved!
@Freddy-Steady I was never a big buyer of singles but the mention of red vinyl made me go in the loft. Red was a popular colour with NWOBHM bands. I’ve got red singles by Girlschool, Maiden, Rainbow (not really NWOBHM, I know) and, ahem, Rock City by Krokus. I also found where I stored all my Magnum stuff. Not sure I want to revisit them though even though I was a big fan in the early eighties.
Not really. It was loud, dumb and exciting to the 16 year old me plus I lived ten minutes walk from The Headstone pub where Neal Kaye (DJ who was a quite a big name at the time) went after leaving The Soundhouse in Kingsbury (you’ve probably never heard of any of this). Friday and Sunday nights were spent listing to all kinds of loud guitar music and underage drinking. I’d left it behind by the time I was about 21. It was huge fun at the time though.
Red vinyl…good point! Was the Iron Maiden one “Prowler”? Despite my nom did plume I don’t think I actually had the Rock City single. Remember them playing it live though at Ipswich Gaumont…”Is this Rock City?”…small cheer….”I said…Is this Rock City?”…slightly louder cheer. Clearly us East Anglians weren’t entering into the spirit of Maltese/Swiss metal.
That news has hit me like a sledgehammer, and I’m feeling pretty helpless right now.
Guess it’s just me running free now. What’s going to getcha rocks off now?
I will get a chance to post Trespass once again – I’m just waiting for (the admittedly niche) thread: “Pink Floyd song titles co-opted by other bands)
Yes I know! But I was young and bedcked in freshly ironed denim (thanks Mum) with patches on and everything. Tour Programmes to read and eveything. Reviews in Kerrang and eveything.
minibreakfast says
Is this a Flounce Announce?
Uncle Wheaty says
God no!
I am finally growing up!
I don’t like Styx anymore either!!!!!!!
minibreakfast says
Crikey!
Martin Hairnet says
It’s a textbook false flounce. Or, if you will, a camouflounce
Uncle Wheaty says
Camouflounce?
Martin Hairnet says
Yes, something that, at first glance, appears to be a flounce, but is actually something else entirely. Maybe it needs more work.
Colin H says
I think Catalonia did something like that a couple of days ago…
Black Celebration says
I think that was more like Road Rage.*
*geddit? It nearly works…
Hawkfall says
I love the NWOBHM as a historical period. You know, in the same way that you may develop an interest for say, the early middle ages, or the Khmer dynasty.
I have almost all of the first 50 issues of Kerrang! at home, and they constitute the A la Recherche du Temps Perdu of the NWOBHM. They transport you back to those years of backpatches and snakebites, when Saxon made the Top 20 and they used to tell you how many people had been made unemployed that week on Friday night on the News at Ten. Those pre-Spinal Tap years of unironic spandex, when Heavy Metal fans from dull provincial towns across the UK made tentative contact via the Penpals page (“Maiden, Priest, Sabbath and early Queen”) and debated whether Ritchie Blackmore or Michael Schenker was the better guitarist.
I could talk about it all day. Never listen to the music these days, mind.
Freddy Steady says
@hawkfall
Great post that. I loved the NWOBHM too . At the time. Not so much now, in fact I don’t have any tracks on my iPod. Some Rainbow, Sammy Hagar, Rush, Grand Prix. But none of yer actual meat and potatoes rock.
Hawkfall says
Thanks, Freddy. Let’s see if we can get a NWOBHM playlist together for that iPod:
1. In league with Satan – Venom
2. 747 (strangers in the night) – Saxon
3. My number – Girl
4. Race with the devil – Girlschool
5. One of these days – Trespass
6. Lightnin’ to the nations – Diamond Head
7. Name, rank and serial number – Fist
8. Making tracks – Tygers of Pan Tang
9. Iron maiden – Iron Maiden
10. Devil’s tower – Angel Witch
Hmm, not a bad album that, not great but certainly respectable if you know what I mean.
Freddy Steady says
@hawkfall
Oh God, the Tygers of Pan Tang! In my hearts of hearts I knew they weren’t much cop but still bought their stuff. Can’t remember what their “hit” album was…the one with “Love Potion no 9” and “Paris by air”?
I’ll give that Saxon track a go again though! Girl I loved too for a short while. Seem to remember red vinyl singles…weren’t they a bit sort of edgy? And of course that Trespass song which actually still sounds good. All, and I mean all, the Sixth Form bands at my school did a cover of it.
My tastes morphed quite quickly towards the more pomp end of the genre….Magnum I absolutely loved!
“Soldier of the Line, how do you feel….?”
Honestly, happy times!
Rigid Digit says
The Cage.
Their third album released in 1982 when NWOBHM was in its death throes
Freddy Steady says
The Cage! Thank you. I was even late to the NWOBHM party then.
Colin H says
Didn’t Magnum knock the music on the head and go into the ice creams game?
Moose the Mooche says
That and those big fuckoff champagne bottles.
Colin H says
I think one or two of the members may have also grown huge moustaches and given preposterous crime drama a go in the early 80s.
davebigpicture says
@Freddy-Steady I was never a big buyer of singles but the mention of red vinyl made me go in the loft. Red was a popular colour with NWOBHM bands. I’ve got red singles by Girlschool, Maiden, Rainbow (not really NWOBHM, I know) and, ahem, Rock City by Krokus. I also found where I stored all my Magnum stuff. Not sure I want to revisit them though even though I was a big fan in the early eighties.
Colin H says
Is there a bigger picture with NWOBHM, Dave?
davebigpicture says
Not really. It was loud, dumb and exciting to the 16 year old me plus I lived ten minutes walk from The Headstone pub where Neal Kaye (DJ who was a quite a big name at the time) went after leaving The Soundhouse in Kingsbury (you’ve probably never heard of any of this). Friday and Sunday nights were spent listing to all kinds of loud guitar music and underage drinking. I’d left it behind by the time I was about 21. It was huge fun at the time though.
Colin H says
Lots of drinking? So, more a bigger pitcher than a bigger picture required?
davebigpicture says
Yesh, hic
Freddy Steady says
@davebigpicture
Red vinyl…good point! Was the Iron Maiden one “Prowler”? Despite my nom did plume I don’t think I actually had the Rock City single. Remember them playing it live though at Ipswich Gaumont…”Is this Rock City?”…small cheer….”I said…Is this Rock City?”…slightly louder cheer. Clearly us East Anglians weren’t entering into the spirit of Maltese/Swiss metal.
As you say, it was loud, dumb and exciting!!
davebigpicture says
The Maiden one was Number of the Beast.
Freddy Steady says
Of course! That was my fave Iron Maiden album.
yorkio says
You could add…
Wasted – Def Leppard
Captured City – Praying Mantis
Witchfynde – Give ‘Em Hell
Was there a decent Samson track that I’m forgetting?
ruff-diamond says
Riding with the Angels – the last single with Bruce Dickinson before he joined the Maiden.
yorkio says
Bruce Bruce, you mean.
Actually, that wasn’t bad at all, was it?
Rigid Digit says
My Samson default would be the double a side single Hammerhead or Vice Versa
(probably the former, but it’s close)
Mike_H says
“My old fried”.
Lovely drop o’ meths, that..
Rigid Digit says
NWOBHM?
Dead?
On here?
That news has hit me like a sledgehammer, and I’m feeling pretty helpless right now.
Guess it’s just me running free now. What’s going to getcha rocks off now?
I will get a chance to post Trespass once again – I’m just waiting for (the admittedly niche) thread: “Pink Floyd song titles co-opted by other bands)
Uncle Wheaty says
This is not a flounce.
Just a statement of reality.
Junior Wells says
Knew they were not much cop but still bought their records anyway…
Text book tragic
Freddy Steady says
Yes I know! But I was young and bedcked in freshly ironed denim (thanks Mum) with patches on and everything. Tour Programmes to read and eveything. Reviews in Kerrang and eveything.
Uncle Wheaty says
Maybe it is not dead after all.
Can we form a subgroup I wonder?