Customer Reviews

Wheels of Steel / Strong

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent package of what I consider the best 2 releases by Saxon. The only thing missing here would be Denim & Leather. The biggest weakness is the price, but it's a 2 disc import.

Wheels of Steel is my all-time favorite album by Saxon, there's something about first releases I can't explain (See my review on it for song info). "747 (Strangers In The Night)" is incredible, but my favorite song by the group is "Dallas 1PM" and it's here, too! Strong Arm is packed with great tunes just like Wheels of Steel. There's "20,000 Feet", "To Hell & Back Again", "Heavy Metal Thunder" and the title track.

The material on these 2 discs is incredible and you even get 9 live bonus cuts. That's almost an extra disc! Fortunately 7 of those live tracks are versions of some of their best cuts from these discs. The only thing that makes this hard to give 5 stars to is the price, but the recording is exceptional and they couldn't have done better on song selection, unless they did a greatest hits package and let me pick the songs.

If you've heard Saxon and like them, this set is for you!

This is the band that put straight , raw metal in your face and best part is they know how to play. These are two of the best cd's put out by saxon along with the eagle has landed live.So if your tiered of d tuned garbage, go back to the old school of classic metal and buy this cd.

This album will remind you what good true metal in its classic form should sound like;A definite good time to be had by all.

These are two of the hardest rock albums ever. "Wheels of Steel" is more raw (which might be a compliment). "Strong Arm of the Law" is a bit more polished, but still has some bonecrusher songs to keep you moving down the highway.

Like their counterparts UFO, Britain's Saxon gained a healthy cult audience in the US but never quite broke big, ala Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, although they should have, as this double disc testifies.
Like other bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Saxon featured a duel guitar lineup, with ripping leads courtesy of Paul Quinn and Biff Byford's classic voice, not to mention lyrical variety uncommon to most metal bands.
"Wheels Of Steel" is classic metal, harder than early '70's metal with the exception of Sabbath, and a harbinger of the Bay area thrash that was soon to come.
"Strong Arm of The Law" shows off some blues roots (Hungry Years, title track, a nifty chord progression in "Taking Your Chances" and prototypical thrash metal in "Hell And Back Again" and "20,000 Feet."
That this outfit is still around is a credit to their craft and makes one wonder why they didn't bust the US wide open. It's our loss.

I think most people will agree that this is the "classic" Saxon sound. They were finding their feet on their debut "Saxon" but with their second album Wheels Of Steel they really managed to hone their sound into something timeless. The following album Denim And Leather was excellent as well, and they capped off their winning streak with the high energy The Eagle Has Landed Live Album.

However in response to a reviewer below who said that everything after 1984s Crusader album was garbage, I don't really agree. From 1985s Innocence Is No Excuse up to and including 1992s Forever Free they have a bit more polished sound, generally less exciting songs but overall the albums from that period have about a 50/50 split between good songs and weaker songs. To me though they've staged a real comeback satarting with 1995s Dogs Of War. The songs are harder although they still have hooks and melodies without encroaching into their late 1980s pop metal phase.

Personally I like most phases Saxon, including their more "pop metal" phase, but I understand that not everyone may feel that way. If you prefer rawer, more headbanging rock then this Wheels Of Steel/ Strong Arm Of The Law double pack is probably your best introduction to Saxon. I could also recommend anything from 1995 onwards too if you like the basic Saxon sound;

Dogs Of War -1995 (although still a bit of the pop-metal evident)
Unleash The Beast-1997 (with darker themes)
Metalhead-1999
Killing Ground-2001
Lionheart-2004

PLease pay attention to me. SAXON has three really worthwhile metal albuns, already considered classics. They are: "STRONG ARM OF THE LAW", "WHEELS OF STEEL" and "DENIM AND LEATHER". COming in minor league, "POWER AND THE GLORY" and "CRUSADER". AFter this, it's all garbage. This album has two of their best in just one package, it's a great thing to have it if you like traditional metal.

I Love Saxon!!!! Fortunate enough to see these guys during this time period. Great document of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Extra tracks just add to the enjoyment!

I only give 5 stars if I love every song on a CD. With that being said, four stars is a must-have in my book. This CD rocks. Saxon was and is one of those bands that is very underated. A Heavy Metal fan will appreciate this band. If you like Sabbath, if you like old Rainbow (Dio Years), if you like Motorhead, you will like Saxon. My favorite song is Dallas 1PM especially when they break into the radio recording of JFK's assassination. I also like 20000 feet, Heavy Metal Thunder, Strong Arm of the Law, Hungry Years, Wheels of Steel, and To Hell And Back Again

If you are looking for a commercial band, don't look here because Biff Byford and the boys get down in the dirt and rock.

Strong arm of the law is excellent album, if you like 80's metal. It's a classic. Very listenable and solid. Wheels of Steel is OK.

I give Strong Arm a 4. Wheels of steel is more like a 2.5 as far as I'm concerned.

But Strong Arm the Law is very hard to find, so basically Wheels is like the "free bonus CD" included in the package.