Customer Reviews

The Saxon Chronicles (2DVD)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was fortunate enough to catch Saxon's U.S. Unleash the Beast tour in March 1998. It was seven hours' round-trip in the car, but absolutely worth it.

Saxon was never nearly as big in the United States as they were in Great Britain. You'll get 30 seconds into the 2001 W:O:A concert and wonder why. No one does straight-ahead heavy metal better than these guys. Plenty beyond the concert to delve into, as well--videos, interviews, a well-done booklet, and even some home movies.

This is a true fan's package, marvelously and lovingly done. My highest recommendation!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this 2 DVD package from one of my all time favorite bands, and again Saxon has not disappointed.

Having never had an opportunity to see Saxon live (and unlikely to get one), the highlight for me is the live Wacken 2001 concert on disc 1. Here the band show why they are still champions of metal. They deliver an in your face straight out rocking show of classic metal, including tracks from their latest album at the time "Metalhead" and many Saxon classics from their past.

These guys are no spring chickens any more and so besides Nibbs Carter on bass they don't get around the stage that much. However there is plenty of headbanging, flashing lights, and other effects which result in a good visual experience, the highlight of which is undoubtedly the huge Eagle that descends from above the stage. It must have enough lights on it to light up the whole city!

Original member Paul Quinn does not miss a note on guitar, and together with Doug Scarrat (who looks right at home like he's always been a part of the band) they pump out that classic Saxon guitar driven rock-metal sound. Fritz Randow (despite his belly) is excellent on drums, and delivers one of the best drum solos during Conquistador that I have seen.

Although Paul Quinn is the guitar sound of Saxon, the man who drives the band is undoubtedly Biff Byford. His vocals are delivered with the aggressiveness of recent years and he sounds as good as ever. Although the crowd seem a bit laid back at the beginning of the show Byford works them well and it doesn't take long for them to get right into the show. He still shows us his humorous wit now and then, and pumps up the crowd so that he has them eating out of his hand.

All the songs in the live performance sound good, with the older ones still sounding fresh. (I tried to write my favorites here but found I had listed half the set list!)

The 13 minute interview with Byford on disc one is interesting, and this along with the whole of disc two is really bonus material for the Saxon fans. The tour-home video is amusing in that it shows the band stuffing about in Spinal Tap type fashion, but it also has great live performances of 747, Princess Of The Night & Wheels Of Steel.

The video clips are also quite funny, just as the early clips of Judas Priest are on their DVD Electric eye. They show the band wearing those classic metal clothes of the '80's which now seem ridiculous (but we all love to see). The behind the scenes film of the making of the video for Unleash The Beast is also quite humorous, as are the Saxon Tv appearances/interviews.

In general this is a fantastic DVD package containing a terrific live show and lots of bonus material for the fans in a wonderful book-type box which has lots of photos and reading material.

It is a must for all Saxon fans. Buy it.

Finally this dvd is available to the US market - about time. It's a great package, the only complaint I have is that there could be MORE. There are a bunch of songs that are not included but what there is, is good stuff. This 2 disc set is good for US fans who dont have many chances to see the band live. One other thing, All the live footage is of fairly recent shows - with the newer band members (who are excellent by the way) - would have been nice to include some of the stuff from back in the days of the original band - but there may be some legal problems there. Altogether I am very happy with this set - now just need to road trip to some Saxon shows this year, San Antonio, Germany, hmmmm

SAXon deserved a DVD of this quality a long time ago. The sound is perfect, the band performance is amazing. I only wonder if they left some songs of that show (Wacken 2001) behind...because it's a short set for today's standards of DVDs, only 97 minutes. Once in Brasilia (capital of Brazil), in 2002, they played 2 hours and twenty minutes to an audience of only four hundred people.... And they played with gusto, emotion and energy, the same as you see in this DVD.. So I think they played more songs than that on that night...

The band is in top form here. Doug Scarratt is a master guitarist, Nibbs Carter is a powerful, dynamic and over the top bass player, German drummer Fritz Randow is an atomic bomb.. Paul Quinn and Biff needs no introduction... They're perfect and cool as ever...

The extras are quite good also, although one of the promo videos made me cry, watching the "butchering" of the classic "SUZIE HOLD ON", changed into pop metal of the worst kind... (well, this was in their "hair metal days" of the middle eighties...). Also, the interviews are good, and only leaves you wanting more, the same going for the three songs performed live at Sweden in 1995 (still with Nigel Glockler on drums).

This is the best live footage you can get from Saxon until now.

I've been waiting for a Saxon set with some of the newer songs for years now, and I am thankful to finally have it. The set list is a couple songs short, but still impressive none the less. Bottom line is Saxon deserves to be held in the same respect as PRIEST, AC/DC, MAIDEN, OZZY, as well as the other power house hard rock/metal bands that are much more popular. It's a shame these guys haven't received the same following. I definately look forward to any new Saxon material, they rock like it should be rocked! With all that said. Biff sounds great, he's still breaking Mic's with his voice. Guitars, Quinn and Scarratt are on point, their sound is perfect, chops are huge, riffs thunderous. Nibbs on bass, he's all over the place and doesn't miss a thing. Fritz Randow on the drums, you gotta be kidding me, where did this guy come from? Very Heavy, Very impressive! Buy it now and enjoy!!!

Great stocking stuffer for true metal connoseurs.

Once again this band of survivors delivers the goods. And this time the package is just as good as the contents.

br> The memoir book design is fantastic, and the Wacken Open Air concert is out of this world.

Motorcycle Man, Wheels of Steel, The Power and the Glory, and The Eagle Has Landed have always been the stuff of metal legend. But the band cranks it up a notch.

Biff Byford is even more down to earth now than when the band was younger. No B.S. here, just excellent tight and extremely faithful renditions of pure Saxon.

Disc 2, aside from the promotional video compilation, has some cool views of what it's like to be a traveling rocker in the 21st Century with some home videos by the band and road crew of more intimate venue performances, even those where the crowd was very sparse. Very nice honest touch, including some road crew footage of the Saxon performance before the Judas Priest Brixton Academy concert that was filmed for "Judas Priest Live in London."

God, how I wish all metal concert DVD's were filmed like this. Bravo to the cameramen and soundmen. I'm envious of the people who attended this concert - and that's how a concert DVD should leave you - wishing you'd been there. This was a lot of fun to watch. I was physically shaking my fist in the air and chanting along with the crowd. The interaction with the crowd was great and shows one of the reasons why Saxon has such a loyal fan base. They love and respect their fans. Thanks, Saxon, for this DVD! America was infinitely stupid for not embracing you way back when. We lost out on some awesome concerts. This DVD proves that.

Saxon is one the few British metal bands from the 80's that has remained intact, and continued strong into the 21st century. The band has gone through changes, however founding members Biff Byford and Paul Quinn have been there all the way keeping the pedal to the metal. The addition of guitarist Doug Scarett in the early 90's breathed new life into the band. The band's music with Scarett, is certainly some of the best and most powerful they have ever done.

The highlight of this two disc set is a 96 minute live performance at the 2001 Wacken festival, and includes music up to 1999's Metalhead. The video and sound quality are excellent, and the venue is first class. Saxon blasts through some of their classics, mixed in with a healthy dose of newer material. Byford's face shows his age, but his voice is strong and he still has the fire. The complementary twin lead guitars works well onstage. Quinn's playing is solid, delivering many of the band's classic guitar parts. While Scarrett's edgier style gives the band a more modern sound, and energizes some of the older tunes. Fritz Randow is rock steady on the drums and Nibbs Carter on bass brings youthful energy to the performance.

Highlights include `Metalhead', `Cut of the Disease', 'Conquistador', and 80's classics `Crusader', `The Power and the Glory' and `The Eagle Has Landed' which features Saxon's emblem, a gigantic eagle suspended above the stage. The second disc contains older previously released material, including vintage music videos, concert footage and candid video. This is a well conceived, and great looking package, designed to look like a leather-bound book. The retrospective contains over 50 pages of printed material that chronicle the band's rich history, and includes photos, a discography, copies of press clippings and concert flyers and many other mementos. A true vanguard of old school British metal, Saxon's music has evolved and improved over the years. The Saxon Chronicles is a must have for fans of Biff and the lads, who fortunately show no signs of stopping their heavy metal crusade anytime soon.

As with most all reviews..SAXON!, TOUR THE STATES..PLEASE! Not enough thru the yrs. In 1982, at the height of "stadium rock", triple bill tours. My 1st experience w/Saxon, was the CRUSADER Tour in 1982... The triple bill was..CHEAP TRICK, ALDO NOVA & SAXON. AWESOME! After that year, they managed to make it here in Oklahoma on a regular basis for several yrs. Also-a nation-wide concert broadcast from Norman, OK on the King Biscuit Flour Hour.. AWESOME! Bring back the big rock, stadium-triple bill shows of the past and dump this garbage happening in music today. 'Nuf said.

like the hard and heavy metal band Accept, Saxon has been relatively ignored in the US. 2001's Killing Ground was the best recording by Saxon in many years, and one would think that the DVD release would showcase the band on that tour. unfortunately it does not, even though it was recorded in that same year.

the set list is a bit on the short side for disc one. 97 minutes total, around 14 or 15 songs. this band has a playlist that could easily fill a 3 hour single DVD and then some. 97 minutes was a bit disappointing to this long time fan and many great songs were not included.

not that the band doesn't kick major a-- during that short set. Saxon arguably sounds better now that they did 20+ years ago. the true test of any band is how they perform live, and Saxon definitely delivers on Disc 1(i haven't checked out the music video footage on the bonus Disc 2 yet).

this DVD 2 disc set is a must have for Saxon completists like myself. new fans may opt to check out Killing Ground and Heavy Metal Thunder (their last two outstanding studio releases). i'm not disappointed with this set or the performance, it just seems an hour too short and for $30+ Saxon enthusiasts would expect to see and hear more concert footage which includes songs from Killing Ground.