What does it sound like?:
It’s easy to forget now, but as the seventies became the eighties, the big teasers from Barnsley were one of the leading lights of NWOBHM, alongside the likes of Def Leppard and Iron Maiden. Unlike those two bands, who went on to achieve global success that continues to this day, Saxon rather faded from the picture after their initial onslaught. Although the band is very much still a going concern with a new album in the works, their fortunes are somewhat diminished these days. However, this thirty four track double cd set covering their golden years from 1979 – 1988 is a great summary of their glory days in the sun.
I remember seeing them when they were still called Son of a Bitch, and so eagerly bought their debut album, represented here by four songs, and a fine start to their career it was too, even if it was a bit rough and ready in places. This was a mere taster though for their mighty second album, Wheels Of Steel. This album still sounds good today – the title track, 747, Strong Arm Of The Law, Dallas 1pm – all great stuff. The next release, Denim and Leather, continued their run of form, with the band at their commercial peak – check out The Bands Played On, Princess Of The Night and Never Surrender. For me, their powers then started to wane with the disappointing Power and The Glory – another success but one that didn’t quite hit the spot for me. There followed a series of increasingly less successful, patchier albums – there were some good songs still, but they were rather inconsistent, not helped by a number of line up changes after the inevitable inter band fall outs over the years. Crusader is maybe the best of these albums, with the sound a bit more polished, although Innocence Is No Excuse is also good in parts – see Broken Heroes and Rockin’ Again to get an idea of their sound in this era. Rock The Nations didn’t really work, although trivia fans will note Elton John guesting on piano on Northern Lady. The set concludes with the Destiny album, notable for its cover of Ride Like The Wind – Christopher Cross never sounded like this!
What does it all *mean*?
A good summary of the band’s first ten years – although overall you’d have to conclude they didn’t consistently fulfil their early promise often enough to make it into the really big league.
Goes well with…
Remembering the golden days of NWOBHM.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
Maiden, Leppard, the usual suspects from that era.
Gatz says
The first band I ever saw live, and so still hold a small place in my heart. Point of information though, surely Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law were separate albums?
Bargepole says
Yes – my mistake – both released in 1980, somehow my memory had combined the two!
Rigid Digit says
Possibly the greatest NWOBHM Double album that never was
Uncle Wheaty says
It was however released as a double CD set back in the day in the 1990s/early 2000s.
I probably still have it in the loft somewhere!
Vincent says
Once Steve Dawson lost the ‘tache, it was was OVER.
Uncle Wheaty says
And the ability to swivel his guitar like that!
Bartleby says
I always thought the mistake was releasing an unpolished single live LP. Had they released the ‘studio enhanced’ double live that the likes of Maiden, Sabbath, UFO, Kiss,Thin Lizzy, Rush etc did, they’d have consolidated their early success and bought time to produce a better follow-up.
Eagle Has Landed is a fine document, but rough around the edges and omits some of their best tunes (Dallas 1PM, And the Band Played On, Denim and Leather, Frozen Rainbow), making it an inessential damp squib back in ’82.
Bargepole says
Yes – the 2006 reissue, which added these songs, should have been the version which issued at the time.
Bartleby says
I thought it was 1999, but you’re right. Sadly, the production was a step back from the main disc and the resulting album is still far from the equivalent to Whitesnake’s Live in the Heart of the City or Live After Death that it should have been.
Freddy Steady says
And the spandex. I know it was de rigeur amongst the NWOBHM types but …no.
Moose the Mooche says
Ugh. Everyone can see your doings. Which I suppose is the point (as it were)
davebigpicture says
I’ll just leave this here