So what's happening in January? Well, I still wanted to do a review but, at the same time, I didn't want to listen to brand new material just yet. I've been hearing quite a bit of "new" music recently and I didn't want to dismiss anything that could be pretty awesome purely because it didn't live up to the same quality as the other songs I've been checking out. So where does that leave me?
In short: An album of live/acoustic/rerecorded tunes that I already know from one of my favourite Metal bands, Saxon.
In long: ...well, this following review, I suppose.
Saxon may not be as big as other UK Metal acts such as Iron Maiden or Judas Priest but that doesn't mean they're any less influential. You can hear elements of Saxon's music from their early NWOBHM material in American Thrash Metal. In fact, you can hear chord sequences and riffs from songs in certain tracks on Metallica's "Kill Em All". Not just the obvious Princess Of The Night chorus use in Seek And Destroy but I'm almost certain the band had Heavy Metal Thunder in the back of their mind when they were writing parts of The Four Horsemen.
Despite only really being known by the average Rock/Metal fan for one song involving wheels made of a certain metal (which is probably one of their worst "good" songs, when you've heard their other material), these ageing rockers still know how to deliver top notch Metal and pack a hell of a punch at live gigs. It's for that reason I was excited when I noticed new material from Saxon on Spotify that wasn't just their 2013 album "Sacrifice".
If their 2002 album of rerecords, "Heavy Metal Thunder", taught me anything it's that these guys haven't lost it. In fact, with developments in recording technology, some songs actually sound better than the originals on that album (see Power And The Glory, for starters). What I'm basically trying to say is that if ever there were a band who could get me hyped for old rope, it's these chaps.
Unlike "Heavy Metal Thunder", this isn't simply another Greatest Hits catalogue. Most of the songs are either quite obscure or from albums that didn't receive high amounts of praise and attention but that doesn't mean the compilation is lacking in energy or catchy tunes. The first track, a rerecording/remix of Stallions Of The Highway from their debut in 1979, has exchanged some of the speed for power, enhanced by drums and bass from Nigel Glockler and Nibbs Carter respectively. As a result, fans of the original may find themselves enjoying the same song for different reasons.
Following the strong opener is an orchestrated rerecording of Crusader, one of the many tracks included on this collection that is also available on certain special editions of "Sacrifice". As well as giving the song more of an epic feel, they've also opted to remove some of the vocals to focus on the new & improved sound rather than the old lyrics. Next up is Battle Cry, a lesser known track from "Rock The Nations". One immediately noticeable difference is the song being in a lower key, presumably to accommodate Bill Byford's vocal range dropping slightly. However, I personally think it improves the song.
Songs that evoke imagery of soldiers preparing for a battle before the final charge should be fierce and masculine. They should lay it on heavily with the galloping rhythm and the riffs should have the same strength and dynamics as the sound of a thousand men clashing swords in war-driven fury. It's that reason that I personally prefer the version of Iron Maiden's The Trooper with Lemmy on vocals but that's an opinion we don't need to dwell on. More to the point, this rerecording of Battle Cry has extra power and if I had a choice of which version of the track I'd prefer to listen to whilst riding into the mouth of hell, I'd pick this in a heartbeat.
Continuing with the grand orchestrated songs, a rerecording of The Eagle Has Landed comes next. Out with the synth, in with the strings! Whilst still maintaining a solemn heart, this track perhaps isn't quite as emotive as the original if only due to Byford's vocals sounding less soulful with age and more rough with time. Next up is Red Star Falling, a song originally from the 2007 album "The Inner Sanctum". Personally, I'm not sure why this song really needed rerecording when only six years passed since it was originally released. Plus, the original already has added strings in the background.
Don't get me wrong, it's still got an awesome solo and it's not a bad song, just a bit of a wasted opportunity for a better track to get the beefed-up treatment. Of course, anyone could sit and say "This one should've been on it, not that one!" and they'd have about as strong an argument as the next person to disagree with the song choice. However, I would assume Saxon fans are more likely going to appreciate a rerecorded song from Wheels Of Steel or Denim And Leather and, at the end of the day, most of the people who'll be purchasing this album are Saxon fans.
But maybe this one wasn't for the fans. I admire a band that can say "No, we're not going to turn into mindless crowd pleasers releasing the same compilation with various versions of Don't Stop Believing on over and over when we get low on royalty money" (that's not to say I don't like Journey, I just hate that fucking song). These guys are rerecording songs that they are proud of and perhaps think more of their newer fans should be aware of, hence why tracks like Broken Heroes aren't significantly different from the original save for a fancier string intro and a more impressive sound.
Perhaps that's also why modern tracks such as Call To Arms have been included. The songs that have been rerecorded with an orchestra are all slower and touch down into power ballad territory, which is probably the best kind of song to record with an orchestra. The band picked their slower songs that they thought worked best with strings on top and gave us an alternate version of songs that perhaps lacked the power they felt they deserved. Anyway, following this track is a rerecording of Militia Guard, another song from the debut. Stripped of its original raw sound and replaced with heavier guitars from veteran Paul Quinn and newbie Doug Scarratt, this tune gets the feet tapping and the heads banging again.
Following this is Forever Free, another rerecord without orchestra. Even though I love this song, I personally feel the rerecording brings little new to the table and if you've heard one version, you won't gain much from hearing the other. The same could be said for Just Let Me Rock although the rerecording manages to take an already slow, plodding rhythm and makes it even heavier. Fans of the song may consider this an improvement.
The last batch on the collection are acoustic, starting with one off the debut again. Frozen Rainbow combines Rainbow Theme and the original Frozen Rainbow into one acoustic track. Iron Wheels is a live recording but fortunately helps back up my argument about Saxon being an incredible live band who are able to play either as good as or better than their studio efforts, rarely ever worse. Requiem starts to wind the album down, preparing the listener for the final track. However, as a song, it's an equally soulful version aided by Byford's vocal work. The final track is an acoustic cover of Big Twin Rolling (Coming Home) from "Dogs Of War", shortened to Coming Home.
Whilst the other acoustic renditions have mostly stayed faithful to the original track, this song differs wildly and changes a fast-paced Blues track into an atmospheric Bluegrass style song with sliding guitars and a slow tempo. A perfect end to the album and a damn fine re-imagining of a good song that gives fans something new to listen to. Some versions of this compilation include the aforementioned "Heavy Metal Thunder" but this review is strictly "Unplugged And Strung Up" material, although if you decide you want this album then I recommend getting the expanded edition.
Other than the last track, there isn't really anything on here for fans to consider "new". Chances are stores like HMV would charge a tenner for it but in all honesty, it's probably best you stick to listening to it on Spotify if you're not majorly struck by most of the original tracks. However, it's definitely a brilliant addition to a Saxon fan's collection and if you like the songs they've chosen to re-release, I would spend some time giving it a listen. As for a personal rating, I would say 7/10. The quality of the music is strong, the band are as tight as a nun's nipsy and whilst a few of the song choices are questionable, I wouldn't call any of their efforts "bad".
Anyway, that's my January post sorted. See you again at the end of February for either a review or something "different".
