When you discuss the true giants of the NWOBHM era, there are about four: Iron Maiden of course stand head and shoulders above every other band, not just because of their success, but due to the influence they had, not only on other upcoming bands (and still do today), but in forcing serious heavy metal into the mainstream charts, with songs like “Run to the hills”, “Flight of Icarus” and “The Trooper” often hitting even the top ten. In this “Holy quadrology” you'll also find Motorhead, who did more to advance the cause and spread of thrash, speed and extreme metal than any other band in England, except perhaps Venom (though Motorhead were taken more seriously by their peers), Def Leppard (who really wimped out pretty early and “Americanised” their sound, but did contibute to the rise of the NWOBHM) and of course the mighty, indefatigable, unapologetic Saxon.
One of the bands to burst right out of the new resurgence in interest in heavy metal, Saxon hit the scene at just the right time, releasing their debut self-titled album in 1979 after several years of tours supporting Motorhead had prepared them to make their own assault on the world of heavy metal music. The album did not do very well commercially though, despite being a hit in the metal community, and it would not be until the next year that Saxon would make it big, with the release of what is still for many fans their best album.
(Note: as those who have read previous sections of this dissertation --- to make it sound all intelligent and artsy --- know, I usually like to cherry-pick from an artiste's recordings: debut, second/third, something in the middle, most recent, maybe including some album that changed their style or is very important in their catalogue. But Saxon have had almost 20 albums over the years, and whereas I would normally not do this, apart from their unremarkable debut, the first four albums after that really encapsulate how they took the lead in the NWOBHM and became one of the most loved and respected metal bands, so I need to feature each of them. After that, as four or five is usually my limit, I'll take one other, possibly at random. I know this may not give a true overall picture of this most important of bands, but I'll try to write them up as best I can. If I were a vampire, with all eternity to write, I'd feature all twenty in detail, but as I'm not (so far as you know --- yeah, brackets within brackets: what ya gonna do about it? Here are some more (these are just for show) I have to draw the line, and this is where I've decided it will be.)
Wheels of steel --- Saxon --- 1980 (Carrere)
Strangely enough, for a British band who prided themselves as such and used the ancient name for the English, the cover of this iconic album featured a symbol which was more akin to the German eagle, particularly as used by the Nazis during World War II, though where the “SS” logo would be at that time Saxon replaced it with the wheel, presumably meant to be off a motorcycle, with their own logo on the hubcap. This theme of metal married to motorbikes was nothing new (Steppenwolf had penned “Born to be wild” twelve years prior), but became something of a sigil for the band, cropping up in their image, their lyrics and their fanbase.
The album opens on one of the songs which gave them their first hit single, “Motorcycle man”, which uses the old but still valid trick of revving a “sickel” engine to introduce the track. Then the guitar cuts in as motorbikes race by, the drums hit and the soon-to-be-instantly-recognisable voice of Peter “Biff” Byford yells out the opening lyric. Saxon captured the very
zeitgeist of the NWOBHM, and came to ultimately help define both it and heavy metal, influencing hugely the slew of metal bands, both British and other, who would come in later years. Down and dirty, uncomplicated, heavy with a capital H and always in your face, Saxon were unapologetically heavy metal, and no-one would think to call them anything else.
One of the many “metal pride” songs that would emerge over the next ten or so years, “Stand up and be counted” is another hard rocker, with great sharp guitars and a rolling drumbeat, elements of Thin Lizzy and Steppenwolf in the melody, slower than the opener but not by much, then another future classic is “747 (Strangers in the night)”, which rocks again with great enthusiasm and again has some spectacular guitar work from Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver, becoming a real favourite with fans. The title track then is a pure joy for metal fans, fist-pumping, headshaking, air-punching exuberance. Saxon were never accused of overindulgence or pomposity, and their lyrics concern largely the staples of the metal community and lifestyle, like bikes, cars, women, beer and fighting, though as seen from the previous track they could write some quite insightful songs too.
Thing speed up a lot then for “Freeway mad”, with a great twin guitar attack, some fine solos, and the tempo is maintained for the headbanging “See the light shining”, and indeed for “Streetfighting gang”, then although it's not in any way a ballad, “Suzie hold on” is the slowest track on the album and the closest Saxon come to a lovesong on this album, and it ends on “Machine gun”, with a great almost stride/boogie guitar intro that then segues into a fast, headbanging closer. This is without question Heavy Metal!
TRACKLISTING
1. Motorcycle man
2. Stand up and be counted
3. 747 (Strangers in the night)
4. Wheels of steel
5. Freeway mad
6. See the light shining
7. Streetfighting gang
8. Suzie hold on
9. Machine gun
After the release and success of this album, Saxon enhanced their image and pulling power with their appearance at the first ever “Monsters of Rock” festival in Castle Donington, where they went down a storm. The hit singles from “Wheels of steel” also landed them in unfamiliar territory, with slots of “Top of the pops” opening their music up to even more fans, and spreading their fame. Trumping even the prolific Tank (as related in the previous article), no more than four months later they were back in the studio, and in September released their third, and widely acclaimed to be their best, album.
Strong arm of the law --- Saxon --- 1980 (Carrere)
Taking another cue from one of the first proponents of heavy metal, Steppenwolf, this album opens on “Heavy metal thunder”, a hard rockin' anthem which hops along at a fine lick and really punches the third Saxon album open with a vengeance. Despite having recorded their second album only a matter of sixteen weeks or so ago, Saxon show no signs of slowing down and this would be the third in a sequence of four albums released over a period of four years. “To Hell and back again” ramps everything up with some smoking fretwork, the groundwork of thrash metal being laid down before your eyes (well, ears), but yet with a lot of melody that many of the later bands forgot to include, and which is so important.
The title track then is a real boogie rocker, almost in the vein of a (much) heavier Status Quo, something that just conjures up images of those two/three man guitar performances where they all rock onstage together. The song details their less-than-cordial dealings with Her Majesty's Constabulary, and the hassle they get for looking as they did. No fans of the police then, Saxon! “Taking your chances” and “20,000 ft” keep the pressure up, then an incongruously gentle guitar intro takes us into a bluesy, almost southern-rocker Saxon call “Hungry years”, with a great swinging beat and some fine breakout guitarwork. “Sixth form girls” is fun and then the album ends on a serious note, as “Dallas 1 pm” recalls the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, closing the album strongly and again showing that when they want to, Saxon can write thoughtful, inspiring songs, and that they don't always have to be about bikes, beer and babes.
TRACKLISTING
1. Heavy metal thunder
2. To Hell and back again
3. Strong arm of the law
4. Taking your chances
5. 20,000 ft.
6. Hungry years
7. Sixth form girls
8. Dallas 1 pm
The last album to be released by Saxon in this rather heady period of album-after-album was 1981's “Denim and leather”, which was seen as a tribute to their fans, and also described the general “uniform” of headbangers, who would wear denim jeans and leather jackets (or denim jackets and leather pants or skirts in some instances). After the recording of the album drummer Pete Gill would leave, having injured his hand just prior to the band going on tour, and would be replaced by Nigel Glockner.
Denim and leather --- Saxon --- 1981 (Carrere)
The album kicks off with one of their most famous and loved songs, “Princess of the night”, written about the decline of the steam railroad, and rocks along like just that very locomotive, while “Never surrender” is another of those stand-up-and-shout songs, with again quite a lot of Lizzy in the guitar melody. It's a fast start right out of the gates, and continues Saxon's presence as very near the top of the metal tree in the 80s, only beaten by the likes of Maiden, Leppard and maybe Motorhead. “Rough and ready” is another tough streetrocker, while “Play it loud” became another anthem of the heavy metal era, a real rebel song for the teenage metal generation. Great powerful guitars as Biff snarls
”Play it loud! Give your neighbours hell!” You have to laugh at the audacity and the ****-you attitude.
Often mistaken for a song about the “Titanic”, “And the bands played on” is in fact written about the Donington festival, and has a lot of Iron Maiden in it, another favourite. “Midnight rider” returns to Saxon's favourite subject, hogs, and rocks along with something of Creedence in it, with a guitar riff that hints at that old BOC classic, while everything flies off the rails as “Fire in the sky” blasts in, this being probably Saxon's second politically-themed song, dealing with the threat of nuclear war. The closer, then, is also the title track, and traces the evolution of heavy metal from the late seventies through into the explosion of new bands of the NWOBHM. A “thank you” to their fans in somewhat similar vein to Manowar's laughable “Army of the immortals”, it's a slow, crunching, punching anthem that told the fans they were appreciated. And everyone likes to know that.
TRACKLISTING
1. Princess of the night
2. Never surrender
3. Out of control
4. Rough and ready
5. Play it loud
6. And the bands played on
7. Midnight rider
8. Fire in the sky
9. Denim and leather
(Thanks a bunch, maximum character count! You are the bane of my life! Part two of this entry on Saxon follows tomorrow...)