Author: bigbadburch

Picking Five Songs From 1982

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year5 Comments

As a quick note – next week I’ll have my top ten albums of 2024 list, as well as my write up of Prince’s Purple Rain to cap off my celebration of 1984.

But for today, it’s off to pick five songs from 1982. This one was kind of fun as there seemed to be a bit more variety, I wasn’t necessarily slammed by 10,000 heavy metal songs I love that I had to winnow down. Still plenty of great music but a pretty simple list here.

As always on these and especially for this decade – these are simply five of my favorite songs from the year, not a definitive list of my absolute five favorite songs. I ain’t got time for all that. Let’s have at it.

Iron Maiden – Hallowed Be Thy Name

Pickings are easy when your favorite band offers up what is widely considered the greatest song they ever recorded. This is a haunting tale of a condemned man who is in his final moments. Maiden were able to couple the dread of the story with their trademark harmonizing and rhythm and Bruce Dickinson delivers a performance for the ages. Things really don’t get much better than this heavy metal standard.

Judas Priest – Electric Eye

Choosing just one song from the seminal Screaming For Vengeance album is kind of tough but it’s pretty easy to go with this one. This is a heavy metal smorgasbord with all kinds of quiet and loud, mid-paced and fast stuff. It’s both heavy as hell and quite accessible. The dark theme of overbearing surveillance is on point, even more so now than 42 years ago. I can’t do anything about the hosed state of civilization but I can headbang along to its demise with this.

Michael Jackson – Thriller

This list is shooting fish in a barrel kind of easy. The title track of what is largely held as the best-selling album of all time is an absolute winner – a melodic romp through a zombie horror show. While the song itself is actually a fairly simple premise of picking up a girl by spooking her out with scary movies, the music video was an all-out zombie invasion that wowed audiences the world over. The song remains a Halloween staple to this day and of course Michael was the defining artist of the greatest decade in music.

Prince – 1999

But Michael did have a rival, he was not as alone atop the pop and rock mountain as some would like to believe. Prince would score his first widespread recognition with this apocalyptic hit. The thing to do when facing the end of the world is to party, which The Purple One summed up with a synth-funk track to boogie ’till the end to. It wound up being very fitting when 1999 actually came around, with the ultimately unfounded fears of Y2K. That was some weird shit to live through. But Prince provided the perfect soundtrack for it.

Scorpions – No One Like You

The Scorpions did rock as well as anyone ever. They also made their mark with a series of awesome ballads, but this song did not head into ballad territory – while proclaiming love, it’s a total rocker. It has been a live staple and one of the band’s signature songs since its release on their landmark Blackout album.

The song also holds significant personal meaning for me. I started dating a gal in 2009, still in the age of setting phone ringtones. I set this as her ringtone and it became our song. We were together for nearly 15 years and boyfriend and girlfriend before this past June when we did the deed and got married. And while she is not an ’80’s metal fan of any real sort, she has always appreciated this as our song. So it’s an easy add to close out this list.

That wraps up 1982, which will likely be the easiest by far of any of the ’80’s stuff to do. The next few are absolute hell, let me tell you.

Picking Five Songs From 1981

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year6 Comments

This series, often delayed, is now up to 1981. Again, the ’80’s are a tough time to narrow things down to five songs, so take this list as “five of my favorite songs from the year” rather than being a definitive list of my five absolute favorites. Nothing much more to say, let’s get right after it.

Iron Maiden – Murders In The Rue Morgue

The final salvo from Maiden’s Paul Di’Anno era came with this pounding musical rendition of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story. It’s fast, noisy and a great cut from Di’Anno’s final bow. This song is a bit less celebrated than many other Maiden tracks but it’s always been my favorite slab from this record.

Van Halen – Unchained

This was an absolutely slamming track that became one of Van Halen’s signature songs. Eddie does all sorts of stuff with the guitar here – making noise, keeping rhythm and just going all out. And David Lee Roth is, well, DLR here in all his glory. In this case it totally enhances the song, as it usually did in the early Van Halen catalog. Easily one of my very favorite Van Halen tracks here, can’t go wrong with it.

Rush – Limelight

Funny thing here – Rush wrote a song about being uncomfortable with the increased attention they’d gotten around this time, so the song they wrote became a hit and one of their signature tracks. The song features Rush being quite accessible yet also still offering the mind-bending music they excelled at. This song in particular is the Alex Lifeson show, with one of his most memorable solos. Rush would commendably succeed and do so largely on their own terms.

Ozzy Osbourne – Over The Mountain

I’ll set aside the valid arguments about who didn’t get properly comped for their writing work on this and other Ozzy classics and simply focus on the amazing music. This is a massive triumph that was part of an unlikely second life for Ozzy, who came out swinging as the Prince of Darkness in the early ’80’s. The song is phenomenal in every way and especially with Randy Rhodes, this is one of his finest works in a brief yet crowded field. This would sadly be his swansong, but it’s a hell of a way to go out.

Black Sabbath – The Sign Of The Southern Cross

While Sabbath’s former singer was racking up his own accolades, Sabbath themselves were trucking along just fine with Ronnie James Dio. This crushing doom track sees Dio explore the darker side of religion. It was one more triumph for Black Sabbath before things came undone, but it was again one hell of a way to wrap up the first Dio stint.

That does it for ’81. More very awesome music next week as the hits keep coming in what has to be the greatest decade of human existence.

A Salute to Nicko McBrain

On By bigbadburchIn News7 Comments

We’re now nearly two weeks removed from a massive announcement in the Iron Maiden camp. On December 7th, drummer Nicko McBrain played what stands as his final live show with the band in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Maiden were wrapping up their Future Past tour on this date and McBrain announced his intentions hours before the show.

Nicko McBrain was born in the Hackney district of London, England in 1952. He got his start drumming in the 1960’s in various pub bands. Through the ’70’s he would drum with Pat Travers, Gordon Giltrap and others before joining the group Trust. Through Trust, McBrain would meet Iron Maiden and would join that group in 1982.

For 42 years McBrain held down Iron Maiden’s drum throne, appearing on 14 studio albums and countless live shows. Nicko also owns a restaurant in Florida and a music store in England.

Recent years have been challenging for Iron Maiden’s oldest member. He had a bout with cancer in 2021, an early stage incident for which he has been treated. He also suffered a stroke in early 2023, just months before Maiden embarked on their recent Future Past tour. He was able to recover and perform the tour after rehabilitation.

The announcement was a sad yet celebratory matter – Nicko has clearly been through the ringer the past few years and his decision to step away from live performances is totally understandable. He has been a central cog to Iron Maiden’s sound, his unique sense of rhythm played well with Steve Harris’ kinetic bass playing and laid a solid foundation for the band’s music.

This also isn’t a full case of retirement. Nicko remains a member of Iron Maiden and is expected to participate in studio work. He is simply stepping away from live performances, of which Maiden are planning a two-year long tour celebrating their first 9 albums.

This news has caused even more speculation than normal about when the eventual end of Iron Maiden will be. While Nicko is a few years older than the rest of the band, it’s true that everyone is getting up there in age. Nothing has been officially announced or hinted at, only that Steve Harris has said he intends to keep going. News like this will naturally lead fans to wonder about the sad day when Iron Maiden hangs it up, but that does not appear to be on the horizon right now. The new touring drummer for Maiden is Simon Dawson, who has spent the past 12 years performing with Steve Harris in the band British Lion.

It is sad news but it’s also easy to celebrate Nicko’s decades of service to Iron Maiden. Here’s to you Nicko, and long may Iron Maiden reign.

Bon Jovi (Album of the Week)

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week4 Comments

A young Jersey kid had a dream of making it big on the stage. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

Bon Jovi – self-titled

Released January 23, 1984 via Mercury Records

To sum up a long story in a few words – young Jon Bongiovi got his musical start in the ’70’s in a variety of bands. By 1980 he was looking to take the next step and record music. As luck would have it, Jon’s cousin Tony Bongiovi owned the Power Station studio in New York. Tony had worked extensively as producer and engineer on Motown recordings and was also the night engineer on the grueling Electric Ladyland sessions with Jimi Hendrix. Jon worked at the studio and also used it in off-time to work on his own demos.

The album was eventually assembled from a series of demos recorded with a variety of musicians. Jon did put together a band before tracking the actual record – he brought in his old friend David Rashbaum (later to go by David Bryan) on keyboards, Tico Torres on drums and Alec John Such on bass. The guitar spot was initially occupied by Dave Sabo, who wasn’t looking to be a full-time member of the band. He was replaced by Richie Sambora. Sabo would form Skid Row years later, a band Jon helped get going.

This band would comprise the group Bon Jovi for the next several years and through the band’s first wave of massive popularity. But they were not the only musicians involved on this recording. The song Runaway was recorded a few years prior with a different group of players. I won’t run down the whole history of the song because that would take forever, but one person involved was Hugh McDonald, who would eventually wind up as a full-fledged member of Bon Jovi.

But wait, there’s more – there were other people also in on the album recording beyond Runaway. Among those was Aldo Nova, noteworthy for his solo career and continued relationship with Jon Bon Jovi beyond the session work on this debut record.

With all that out of the way, the album was recorded at the Power Station with Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn producing. JBJ and various band members have the writing credits, with a few additional people here and there. One song in particular had a totally different writer, which we’ll get to.

The album clocks in with nine songs at a 38:33 runtime. Several deluxe reissues exist, including a 40th anniversary edition released earlier in the year. Bonus tracks abound on those releases and only most of them are different versions of Runaway.

Runaway

Up first is the song that had already been recorded with other musicians and made the rounds through radio stations and promo copies. It wound up as the lead single from the album and cracked the Top 40, the first of many for Bon Jovi.

It’s easy to hear why this one wound up getting some play – it’s a perfectly crafted rock song. The keyboard runs the song and all the other instruments join in to move this sleek vehicle forward. It’s all smooth, polished and on the rails and very few could hook up a song like this. Bon Jovi and this album are off to a kick ass start. Grade: S

Roulette

We get a fairly heavy track here on this one of many co-writes between JBJ and Sambora. Even with the riffing, Bon Jovi retains the very melodic frills that keep their stuff in the pop-rock realm. A pretty nice jam here. Grade: A-

She Don’t Know Me

This is, as I understand it, the only song in the Bon Jovi catalog that is totally attributed to an outside writer. As far as stuff that made an album, anyway. And it’s a bit of a story – the song was composed by Mark Avsec, who was writing for a disco group called LaFlavour. Disco was out, so the band changed their name and Avsec got to work crafting more rock-based stuff for them. Sadly, the band chose the name Fair Warning and the record label got rid of the band when Van Halen released an album of the same name. Bon Jovi was on the same label so they wound up with the song.

This one is a bit too saccharine for my tastes, but it’s not a horrible song or anything. I think it could use a bit more power behind it, but it’s not out of Bon Jovi’s wheelhouse either. Grade: C+

Shot Through The Heart

Here we have the song that gets confused with the band’s later hit You Give Love A Bad Name, as this song bears the first part of that song’s chorus. And while this song isn’t the mega-hit the later one would be, this is a quality rock track by any measure. Very nice tempo and melody here, it indicates that Bon Jovi was perhaps a bit further along in development than the early material gets credit for. Grade: B+

Love Lies

This song is absolute ’80’s here, with some higher register vocals that Bon Jovi didn’t do a ton of. It’s a pretty good song and something a hair outside the Bon Jovi lexicon. Grade: B

Breakout

The keyboard melody might pierce your eardrums in the open, but the song itself is a pretty basic mid-paced rocker. It does have a nice bit of force behind it to push it a bit over the edge. Grade: B-

Burning For Love

Here the keyboard offers up a rhythm that sounds like it came from an old racing video game, though the game would have come long after the song. A fairly heavy guitar riff through this recount of being taken by desire. Nothing leaps out here but still a quality composition. Grade: B

Come Back

This runs right on the rails with a pretty nice tempo and riff. It’s doesn’t venture out of its box but it’s a pretty nice box so the cat will keep playing in it. Grade: B

Get Ready

The closer gets aggressive in a way Bon Jovi wouldn’t do a ton of, though there is a fair bit of melody and boogie thrown in to keep things a bit lighter. The song is all about a gal getting ready for JBJ to take her on a night on the town, but it could just as easily be interpreted as “get ready, this band is on the way.” They most certainly were. Grade: B

For first albums, bands could do a whole lot worse than Bon Jovi. The album hit the Billboard charts at 43 and offered up a handful of decently performing singles, with Runaway being the signature track. This record would earn two US platinum certifications and several international gold records, though in fairness a lot of that may have piled up after the band hit superstardom a few years later.

The album offers up a nice collection of songs, very strong for a debut. While it’s very “on the rails” and perhaps pales in some form to the stuff to come from Bon Jovi, it’s overall a nice listening experience with one song to rule them all and a strong collection of stuff to back that.

Album Grade: B+

Bon Jovi is an album that even Bon Jovi themselves have left behind, but this debut is worth more than dismissal in the wake of music that would follow it. This is a quality offering that showcases more of what would make Bon Jovi than perhaps JBJ would like to admit. And while this album was not a world-conquering beast like the two that would come in the later ’80’s, this one is certainly a worthy entry on the list of 1984 music.

Picking Five Songs From 1980

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year2 Comments

This little series that I’ve half-assed for the past while is now in to 1980. The 1980’s were the most significant decade in my musical development so this whole decade is gonna be loaded with songs I love.

And, as this series has gone, I will only pick five per year. It is more important than ever to remember that this is simply a list of five songs I like a lot from a particular year, this not a definitive list of my five favorite songs from any given year. There are so many awesome songs left off these ’80’s lists that it’s honestly impossible to mess with much – I just go with the vibe and choose five I really like. This stuff does get a hell of a lot easier once I get to the late ’90’s and especially the 2000’s.

But we are in it to win it here, so let’s kick off this look at the best decade the world has ever seen.

Judas Priest – Living After Midnight

In 1980 Priest would finally gain a foothold in the US with their landmark British Steel album, featuring this cut among others. The song is a bit more simple and fun than other things which was a point of debate, but it’s a glorious party anthem and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden

And now we’re on to the debut from my favorite band of all time. Pretty easy auto-include here with their self-named song from their self-titled album. This one is also fun, though much more murdery than the Priest track. Maiden have played this song live more than any other and by quite a margin. While they have a handful of signature songs, it’s pretty clear that this one is the real calling card.

Van Halen – And The Cradle Will Rock

Shocking stuff here, as the band who defined party rock offer up another party anthem. It’s also a rather simple offering, though Eddie makes quite a bit of noise as he often did. Rock on, indeed.

The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me

This one was huge business for Sting and company, a dark tale of a teacher wrapped up in lust for a student all set to the signature reggae-rock catchiness The Police had refined by this point. It’s moody and haunting at its core but a very infectious song on the surface, something the band would nail down again in a few years time.

Black Sabbath – Heaven And Hell

Sabbath had a bit of drug-fueled turmoil that saw the exit of singer Ozzy Osbourne. The band were able to regroup with Ronnie James Dio and offer up this massive slab of heavy metal. It features a grand battle between good and evil within a person, something that would be a calling card of Dio’s career. Although Sabbath wouldn’t enjoy the full fruits of the decade of metal, they were off to a very hot start.

And that wraps this one up, five songs of about five thousand great ones from the first year of the ’80’s. The tough sledding continues in the weeks after.

Running Wild – Gates To Purgatory

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week4 Comments

While today’s band are known as the purveyors of pirate metal, their debut was in a different vein with a lot less pirates and a lot more Satan.

Running Wild – Gates To Purgatory

Released October 1984 via Noise Records (Combat in US)

Running Wild started off in Germany in 1976 with the name Granite Heart. They changed their name to Running Wild in ’79, the name change was inspired by the Judas Priest song from Killing Machine. The band got some songs on compilations in the early ’80’s and then were set to offer their debut album on the fledgling German label Noise Records.

Running Wild were comprised of Rolf Kasparek on guitar and vocals, Gerald “Preacher” Warnecke on guitar, Stephan Boriss on bass and Wolfgang Hagermann on drums. The band would have numerous line-up changes over the years, including just after this album, with Kasparek being the one constant member. The album was recorded in Berlin and produced by the band as well as Horst Müller.

There were a few versions of the record – the original issue was 8 tracks, while the US and Canadian releases features 2 additional songs. It is the 10 song version I’ll review today. There was also a deluxe reissue in 2017 featuring a wealth of bonus tracks.

Victim Of States Power

Out of the gate we’re off with a crisp speed metal track that doesn’t take its foot off the gas. Musically it goes for the throat and lyrically it is a political themed track, fighting back against the oppressive power of the state with every metalhead’s old friend Lucifer. A very slamming way to kick off the album. Grade: A

Black Demon

Not quite as fast here but still a total metal ripper. Rolf’s vocals are somewhat cavernous here on this dark tale of a demon who is up to no good. The song is nothing out of this world but it’s simple and very effective. Grade: B

Preacher

An even slower grind here as we march through a dirge about Satanic forces conspiring against a preacher. A bit of irony here as Gerald “Preacher” Warnecke helped write this song, very soon after the album’s release he would be out of the band to become – wait for it – a preacher. The song is solid, if not unspectacular. Grade: B-

Soldiers Of Hell

The pace picks back up some on this prototypical 1980’s “Hail Satan!” song. A bit thrash and quite melodic, this one offers up a sneak peak at the power metal territory Running Wild would move into and stake their reputation on a few years later. Grade: B

Diabolic Force

Another speed metal attack here once again exploring some dark arts and hellish ends. Easy to headbang to and enjoy. Grade: B+

Adrian S.O.S.

This one ramps up the speed and threatens to fly off the tracks. The S.O.S. Refers to “Son of Satan” in this case, not a plea for help. Running Wild weren’t quite to the nautical themes just yet. This one is a short and brutal track, in line with something like early Slayer. Here, Adrian is an undead werewolf who comes to the world to liberate it from the oppressive binds of corporate overlords. Grade: A-

Genghis Khan

Running Wild set the evil shtick aside for a moment and offer up the first of what would become many historical explorations here as they look back on one of the world’s most famous conquerors. The song still fits the darker tone of the album but also showcases what Running Wild were soon set to become. Grade: A

Prisoner Of Our Time

We wrap up the original version of the album with a banging track that offers up the whole “metal is liberation from society” thing. This one is a bit of a darker take on it, mentioning Satanic imagery and even an early shout to “black metal.” The band also thrown their own name in for an extra push. Grade: B+

Walpurgis Night (The Sign Of Women’s Fight)

A bit of a Wicker Man vibe on this first US bonus track, as men are hiding from an all-out assault by witches in the night. The male narrator is taken by the witches and is then “taken” by the queen witch, because that’s what always happens in these dark witch stories. Overall a very nice track with some really cool guitar work on it. Grade: A-

Satan

The final track offers up another “Satan as liberator from the true evil of society” theme that this early incarnation of the band were very into. It’s a fine way to wrap up the album. Grade: B+

Gates To Purgatory was a successful debut for Running Wild. It became one of Noise Record’s most notable early releases and has gone on to sell close to 250,000 copies. Word spread through the metal world about Running Wild and the band would enjoy steadily growing momentum through the 1980’s. The band did one more album of dark themes before shifting gears in 1987 on Under Jolly Roger, kicking off a career-long exploration of pirate themes and becoming the flag-bearers of pirate metal.

But while Running Wild would become known for their power metal and pirate themes, Gates To Purgatory was still a very solid release into the heavy metal scene in ’84. It’s an occult themed speed metal record that still showcases a flair for melody and was also well-produced, especially in comparison to the other “occult metal” albums of the early ’80’s. The band made their mark later on in a somewhat different guise, but this album is essential early ’80’s listening.

Album Grade: B+

While Running Wild’s story will always revolve around pirates, their story can’t be told without recounting their dank and excellent 1984 debut. And the story of heavy metal in 1984 can’t be told without visiting this slab of speed metal excellence.

Picking Five Songs From 1979

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year4 Comments

It’s time for 1979, though we’ll find no Billy Corgan here, only songs actually from the year. I turned two in ’79 so I obviously have deep and specific memories of all these songs. Next week the 1980’s will kick off and these lists will be batshit for awhile, no two ways about it. But this one was pretty simple to put together so let’s enjoy this pretty easy week.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Refugee

1979 saw Petty and his band break through to true mainstream success, and it’s no wonder with songs like this. This a powerful groove with the organ and guitar working together to blast this freedom anthem into your head. I’ve heard the song all my life and it still gets me going any time it’s on.

The Police – Walking On The Moon

The Police obviously incorporated reggae into their sound, but on this one they just totally went reggae. Very atmospheric stuff here with the guitars accenting things at certain points, but the song as a whole moving on its gravity free march in trippy rhythm.

AC/DC – Highway To Hell

AC/DC have a trove of awesome songs and many were from the Bon Scott era, but I feel like this one really puts it all over the top. This is a seamless blend of great riffing and on-theme delivery that stands as one of rock’s truly great songs. It would also sadly be the bookend of Bon Scott’s time with the band, though the group dusted themselves off and kept on in world-conquering fashion after his death. No matter how much rock radio plays AC/DC, this is one song I never get tired of hearing.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Powderfinger

Rust Never Sleeps is my favorite Neil Young album and this is my favorite song from that album so here we are, pretty simple pick. Tough tale of a young man who shot at a gunboat to defend his family’s property. The gunboat won the battle, if you are keeping score. It’s an anti-war song for sure but one that offers its message in a poignant story rather than being super obvious about it. Grand work from Neil and company.

Judas Priest – Exciter

Heavy metal was about to blow up big in its golden age during the 1980’s. It was Judas Priest who flew the flag for the genre during its relative down period of the late ’70’s, and here they continued to round into form as their own fortunes would explode in just a year’s time. Here Priest laid the groundwork for the entity known as speed metal, lending not only a musical blueprint but also a band name to one of the subgenre’s pioneering acts.

That wraps it up for 1979 and also for the decade of the ’70’s. Great music to be sure, some of the best, but things really get going in the next decade. The absolute explosion of music and the toughest series of picks I’ve had to make kick off next week.

Saxon – Crusader

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week5 Comments

Saxon had been one of the leading acts of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal coming into 1984. By then it was time to shift gears into other sounds, and Saxon would set out to update themselves for the rest of the decade.

Saxon – Crusader

Released January 30, 1984 via Carrere Records

In the mid-80’s Saxon were riding a streak of albums that would go on to sell a million copies each and largely define the career of the pioneering British outfit. But the times were changing and Saxon were poised to explore new territory to adapt. Saxon had not failed in their career by any means, but by this time the NWOBHM was largely fading out as Iron Maiden had taken the crown and run with it while many other outfits were facing obscurity. Saxon were somewhere inbetween – successful but not world-conquering.

Saxon’s line-up through their history needs at least a short book to recount, but in this time period they had a stable group together. Biff Byford was and still is the band’s singer. Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn were the guitar tandem. Steve Dawson was on bass, and Nigel Glockler on drums. Glockler is with the band today along with Byford, and Quinn retains some degree of involvement though has retired from performing.

Crusader features 10 tracks at a decent 39:10 runtime. There was a deluxe reissue in 2009 that features a second disc full of bonus tracks. This is the version of the album I own but I’ll confine today’s conversation to the original album as my posts are too long as it is, no need to write 5,000 words about some bonus tracks. But in general terms, the 2009 CD reissues of these Saxon albums are worth the price of admission.

The Crusader Prelude

This is a small intro bit, with a bit of war and horse sounds. Nothing much too it and no reason for me to grade it, but a neat little piece that adds a bit of atmosphere to the impending title track.

Crusader

Now on to the title track and we get more build-up first, with the song establishing its main rhythm with a brief, ominous spoken intro before Biff comes in. The song operates at a bit of a slower pace, and is a bit militant in its presentation, just as a crusader marching into battle. There’s a kind of long breakdown section before another bellowing spoken part that then goes into a guitar solo.

There is nothing wrong with this song – it is the highlight of the album and will garner a high score here. I will say that this song does get an extra kick in the ass when done live. But this original recorded version is one of Saxon’s most-streamed songs, out of a catalog of 24 albums, so it clearly resonates with the fanbase. Grade: A

A Little Bit Of What You Fancy

This one is a fairly high-octane boogie with a very melodic gang chorus that sounds very, very ’80’s. It’s an odd proposition as it causes the fan of classic Saxon to raise an eyebrow, yet it’s a very enjoyable jam. Saxon are expanding their base through the rock realm here and it’s a bit mixed but a worthwhile listen overall. Grade: B

Sailing To America

This song’s premise is totally Saxon – it’s a historic account of the Pilgrims who sailed over on the Mayflower or however the story goes. The music is very airy and melodic here, it’s another push into other areas for Saxon and it’s honestly a bit weird. Like, this isn’t that far removed from a Journey track. But we didn’t get a Steve Perry Thanksgiving song, we got a Saxon one instead. It’s kind of befuddling though listenable by any measure. Grade: C+

Set Me Free

Now we get a cover song, this being from The Sweet. This version is a nice ’80’s update to the original, which actually has a fair bit more edge to it than this more smoothed over cover. This song does leap out a bit in comparison to most of the album. It is a good choice for a cover song as it does seem to fit what Saxon are largely up to here. Grade: A-

Just Let Me Rock

A very simple track here with an easy to grasp premise – Saxon would like to rock. They do so in the powerful chorus for sure. For the verses they go very light and melodically atmospheric (whatever that means). I find the contrast between verse and chorus a bit jarring but I can live with it. Grade: B-

Bad Boys (Like To Rock N’ Roll)

There were a whole lot of bad boys in ’80’s rock and Saxon were not going to be left out of the mix. What did get left out of the mix is a bit of beef to make this song more powerful. It’s not bad but man this is very light and kind of thin. I get that the band were pushing this sort of sound but I think they could have amped this one up a bit more. Grade: C

Do It All For You

This was one of the album’s two singles (the other being the Pilgrim song). It is a ballad that has some extra push behind it, but overall it’s still a ballad and one that I personally find a bit ill-advised. Not a bad song but not really what I’m looking for from Saxon. It’s tougher to grade this forty years out since the band have been balls to the wall since the mid-90’s, but this is a somewhat odd inclusion. Grade: C-

Rock City

This one is a more upbeat and pounding rocker, though again it is a very rock track and not particularly in line with Saxon as we generally know them. This one isn’t really ill-fitting though, it gets the job done and makes for a good listen. Grade: B-

Run For Your Lives

The record closes with another track along similar lines to the one before – very ’80’s and melodic, perhaps a hair light, but still pretty worthy and nice to hear. Grade: B-

Crusader comes off as something of a mixed bag. The album is very melodically pushed and in several places feels like it lacks a bit of bite that would put some of these songs over the edge. It’s also kind of a paint by numbers thing in many respects, this is a standard plate of rock music without a ton of dynamic ideas to set it apart. The grand exception is the title track, which is a total monster and could be considered an early power metal masterpiece. It’s also Saxon’s 5th most played song live, so it hit pretty hard and wasn’t even a single.

This one did confuse the fanbase a bit on release and still does confound many years later. But at the end, I find a decent and sometimes really good album, and overall I can play this without too many hang-ups over the change in direction that would only become more drastic on the next few albums.

Album Grade: B-

In terms of success, Saxon kept themselves in the game here. The album charted at 18 in the UK and in similar positions across many other European countries. It did very modestly chart at 174 in the US. While sources aren’t entirely official, the estimated sales total worldwide is 1.5 million copies, not a bad haul for a band that didn’t break the same way a few of their peers did.

I don’t know if Saxon wanted a piece of the ’80’s rock pie, something they never really got, or if they simply wanted to go in a new direction after five albums of heavy metal. While the ship did get a bit off course in this time period for the band, Crusader is still a pretty enjoyable listen.

Picking Five Songs From 1978

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year7 Comments

Now I’m up to 1978 on my songs by year lists. I turned one that year so I don’t exactly have memories associated with the time, but these songs were pretty easy for me to pick and are timeless ones I’ll always enjoy.

Times were really changing this year I think – three very significant new acts showed up in ’78 that are on this list and would be central to the sounds to come, which was what shaped my musical fandom in my early years. Let’s head in and see what’s up.

Van Halen – Runnin’ With The Devil

Up first is a great cut from the debut album of one of rock music’s most important bands. Van Halen were central in what would happen in the 1980’s and their ’78 debut was red hot. The way Eddie Van Halen played his guitar here, it was almost talking alongside David Lee Roth’s vocals and insane ranting. It’s an ode to living hard and running free, and a massive song.

Heart – Straight On

Another hard rocker from Heart here, as they’d wrap up their first era before transitioning into the next decade. This one has some dance/disco elements to it but still shines through as a Heart classic. It’s an auto-include on any Heart greatest hits or setlist for sure.

Judas Priest – Delivering The Goods

Priest would get in two albums in ’78, and by this time they were truly rounding the corner as heavy metal’s premier act. They would be in prime shape for the total explosion of metal soon to come. Here Priest show their muscle with a song that was composed about how they feel on stage. This was a great way to truly launch the new era of metal.

The Police – Can’t Stand Losing You

Up next is band new to the scene and one that would light the world on fire for the next several years. This chippy, upbeat music stands in contrast to the dismal lyrics about someone ready to off himself over losing his gal pal. The Police were a rock/reggae/punk/new wave machine that would dance across the ears of millions in their time, and all of us who heard them were lucky to have done so.

The Cars – You’re All I’ve Got Tonight

Speaking of new wave, it turns out it blended nicely with hard rock, and The Cars put that into full effect on their debut album. Pretty heavy, very melodic and insanely catchy, this song wasn’t released as a single but wound up all over radio as The Cars became a popular act. Super fun song to bop to.

1978 is now done and dusted. Just one more post to go from the decade before this turns to the 1980’s and things just go totally insane.

Great White (Album of the Week)

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week7 Comments

Note – I am back at it now after my “new job” break. As of now I’m good as far as time to post goes, that might change as things go along but I should have enough time to keep up with the site. My post schedule might be irregular but at least for this week it is set.

1984 saw the debut of an act that would go on to reap success through the rest of the decade, remain a constant through the turbulent rock era of the 1990’s, then suffer great tragedy in the early 2000’s. But their start would be plagued by roadblocks.

Great White – self-titled

Released in 1984 via EMI America

Great White had been around for several years, having formed in 1977, just ahead of the newly-emerging rock scene in Los Angeles. Even their early years were rife with turbulence, but by 1983 the band had released a debut EP and secured a recording contract with EMI. The band worked with producer Michael Wagener, who already had his hands all over 1984 with works by Dokken and Accept.

Great White had already undergone a score of line-up and name changes by their debut full-length. Mark Kendall was, and is, the band’s lone constant member at guitar. He was joined by Jack Russell on vocals, Lorne Black on bass and Gary Holland on drums. Only Kendall remains with the band today, and only he and Holland remain alive as of late 2024.

The album features 10 songs at 38:22. Three of the songs are re-recorded versions from the Out Of The Night EP a year prior. Along with the band members having writing credits, manager Alan Niven, producer Wagener and Wagener’s great pal Don Dokken all have various writing credits as well.

This album was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks and under the name Stick It. The bonus songs are a series of covers.

Out Of The Night

Up first is the title track of the previously released EP. This song jumps out and goes for the throat, it’s a steady and very hard rock track. This metal attack is well worth the listen, Great White came out of the gate sharp here. Grade: A

Stick It

This one comes in at a bit of a slower pace than the opener but remains quite heavy and pounding. It is a relatively basic song, though Kendall gets up to some nice guitar work as the song heads into the close. This song sounds exactly like a 1984 metal song and it’s a wonder that it never got any traction, this fit the scene like a glove. Despite that, this is the song with far and away the most traction on this largely forgotten album. Grade: A-

Substitute

And now we have a cover of the classic track from The Who. Great White perform the song well and make the sound fit to what they’re doing on the album. It’s one of a million covers of the song but it fits with what’s going on here so it comes out as worthwhile. Grade: B

Bad Boys

Time now for the standard ’80’s metal “badass” song. Great White do a good job of it here, this one is again pounding and intense. I don’t have any real criticism of the song or anything that came before it, but in terms of an album experience things are a bit samey. It’s similar, pounding rhythms throughout and it is noticeable. But on their own the songs do hold up. Grade: B+

On Your Knees

This is another song re-recorded from the EP and also the track that Don Dokken contributed to. This one is much alike the prior songs, though there are some more guitar flourishes and Jack Russell goes pretty sinister with his vocals. It’s again simple yet very effective. Grade: B+

Streetkiller

Here things switch up a hair, this one distinguishes itself from other songs with an extra bit of flair. This dark tale of a killer on the prowl has a nice snarl to it and is easy to headbang to. Grade: A

No Better Than Hell

One could wonder here if Great White picked up a bit of Judas Priest through osmosis or something. This song pounds pretty deep, even with a small section of drums that doesn’t entirely come off but overall does add some grim atmosphere to the proceedings. This song might give a moment’s pause to people more familiar with Great White through their signature works. Grade: B

Hold On

This one has the makings of a ballad but isn’t quite there, it’s still pretty heavy and retains the more gritty themes of the album as a whole. It isn’t the album’s most interesting song but it’s a step above filler material. Grade: B-

Nightmares

This one is another standard headbanger on par with the first half of the record. The album is keeping up its momentum throughout, again perhaps too similar in song style but delivering enough to overlook that. Grade: B

Dead End

The album closer injects some speed into this affair. It’s the third song brought over from the EP. It’s a pretty shit hot way to close things out – this one runs full steam ahead and gets the blood flowing. Grade: A

Great White was a nicely constructed debut for a band who’d been grinding away in some form or another for several years already. While the album fit the sound and feel of what was going on in 1984, sadly very few people took notice. The album charted at 144 on the Billboard 200 and quickly faded away. This led EMI to drop Great White, who would retool and come back with a more melodic, blues-based sound that got the band their traction through the 1980’s.

While the story of Great White comes with many twists and turns as well as tragedy, it is a shame this album did not catch on. It might perhaps lack the fully dynamics of the W.A.S.P. debut or the absolute red hot delivery of Out Of The Cellar or Tooth And Nail, but this record absolutely belongs in the pantheon of 1984 rock albums. The band rebounded nicely out of this commercial failure, but it’s a true shame that this one got overlooked.

This one is pretty easy to grade. The album maintains a nice flow and offers up many quality tracks. It’s a step below those albums we consider the greatest of the year, but it’s still a very quality offering that is well worth checking out.

Album Grade: B+

Not everything works like it should in the music industry, and it’s unfortunate that Great White were not able to gain a foothold with their debut. This one shines far above its status as an idle curiosity and should absolutely be in the discussion of the great albums of 1984.