Saxon [IMPORT] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Saxon

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 29, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Caroline
• ASIN: B00000K3ZH
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #144,557 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rainbow Theme

2. Frozen Rainbow

3. Big Teaser

4. Judgement Day

5. Stallions of the Highway

6. Backs to the Wall

7. Still Fit to Boogie

8. Militia Guard

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Mid-price reissue of the 1979 debut album by one of the leading bands of the NWOBHM era. Features the original cover art & the eight tracks that first appeared on the record, all digitally remastered. 1999 release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good beginning, February 1, 2006

By	B.A.D. (North America) - See all my reviews

"Where were you in '79 when the dam began to burst?"

In America, you were probably clutching your Aerosmith, Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple albums and playing them at full blast to ward of the aural nausea of the Village People, Bee Gees, et al.

In the UK, you were experiencing the first ripples of what would become, in my opinion, the most energetic revitalisation of rock music, never equalled before or since:

THE NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL (NWOBHM)!

There were exciting new bands taking their place alongside classic metal warriors like Judas Priest, the revitalised Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Whitesnake (pre-hair metal days) and UFO.

Among them were Iron Maiden, Def Leppard (yes, they were once a metal band!) and...SAXON.

This is an example of a new, young band at the forefront of a new, exciting musical genre. They haven't quite found their feet here and in a lot of ways still sound like the band gigging around pubs in their native northern England. Some of the tracks, like "Big Teaser" and "Still Fit To Boogie" are forgettable. However, others, like "Backs To The Wall", "Stallions Of The Highway" and "Militia Guard" give hints of the band that would soon release seminal slabs of British metal like "Wheels Of Steel" and "Strong Arm Of The Law".

The album isn't perfect, but I find it worlds better than their lame attempts to "crack America" in the '80s and '90s with dreck like "Crusader" and "Destiny" (I still cringe at their cover of Christopher Cross' "Ride Like The Wind"), though they returned to form after that.

Of course, they never went beyond a cult following in America, but if you listen to this disc you'll see the beginnings of a band who went on to stardom nearly everywhere else in the world and were on the bill at the first Castle Donington festival.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Debut from the finest purveyors of Metal, July 8, 2003

By	"fuuhq" (Confused) - See all my reviews

Saxon kept it going for 4 albums - and a killer live album (The Eagle has landed). They had a unique sound all their own, and spent much of the early years supporting "bigger" bands like Maiden and Motorhead.

But they sounded nothing like either band. Many so-called metal bands would appropriate portions of Saxon's style, and listeners could be forgiven for thinking that Saxon stole from them - when the reverse is true.

Anyway, although the music still kicks a**, the "vibe" that Saxon put out could not be matched by any other band at that time. Slade may have sang "We'll Bring The House Down", but Saxon did it.

A truly great debut album - but a better starting place to get into what Saxon were about would be any of the next 3 - Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law and Denim and Leather. Don't pass the stunning live album by either.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Saxon - self-titled (EMI), January 3, 2005

By	Mike Reed (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I'll give it 2 1/2 stars.Originally released in 1979 as this was Saxon's very first album.Should keep in mind that any new Saxon fans should get their later CD reissues FIRST,then later get a copy of this debut of theirs.Not sure if the problem is in the production or the final mix of this album.Either way their self-titled first lp clearly shows you what the band was like,before they got good.No,make that great.Their follow-up to this CD,1980's 'The Strong Arm Of The Law' indicates what the group that was active during the 'New Wave Of British Heavy Metal'(aka NWOBHM)era is totally capable of.That was only the beginning of many great Saxon recorded works to come.In my opinion,to this very day,they're STILL able to pen out good songs.As for the CD here,the only two cuts I thought were that good were "Frozen Rainbow" and "Backs To The Wall".The line up:Biff Byford-vocals,Graham Oliver&Paul Quinn-guitars,Steve Dawson-bass and Pete Gill-drums.Not really a bad lp,it just could have been better.