Audio CD review:
Saxon - Wheels of Steel/Strong Arm of the Law

Saxon - Wheels of Steel/Strong Arm of the Law

Band: Saxon Title: Wheels of Steel/Strong Arm of the Law Rating: Release Date: 1997-02-14 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Motorcycle Man - Saxon, Byford, Biff 2: Stand Up and Be Counted - Saxon, Byford, Biff 3: 747 (Strangers in the Night) - Saxon, Saxon 4: Wheels of Steel - Saxon, Byford, Biff 5: Freeway Mad - Saxon, Byford, Biff 6: See the Light Shining - Saxon, Saxon 7: Street Fighting Gang - Saxon, Byford, Biff 8: Suzie Hold On - Saxon, Saxon 9: Machine Gun - Saxon, Byford, Biff 10: Judgement Day - Saxon, Byford, Biff 11: Wheels of Steel - Saxon, Byford, Biff 12: See the Light Shining - Saxon, Saxon 13: Wheels of Steel - Saxon, Byford, Biff 14: 747 (Strangers in the Night) - Saxon, Saxon 15: Stallions of the Highway - Saxon, Byford, Biff 16: Heavy Metal Thunder - Saxon, Byford, Biff 17: To Hell and Back Again - Saxon, Saxon 18: Strong Arm of the Law - Saxon, Byford, Biff 19: Taking Your Chances - Saxon, Saxon 20: 20,000 Feet - Saxon, Byford, Biff 21: Hungry Years - Saxon, Saxon 22: Sixth Form Girls - Saxon, Saxon 23: Dallas 1pm - Saxon, Byford, Biff 24: 20,000 Feet - Saxon, Byford, Biff 25: Dallas 1pm - Saxon, Byford, Biff 26: Hungry Years - Saxon, Saxon 27: Strong Arm of the Law - Saxon, Byford, Biff 28: Heavy Metal Thunder - Saxon, Byford, Biff

Great CD With that being said, four stars is a must-have in my book. I only give 5 stars if I love every song on a CD. 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. . Good deal for a great underrated metal band 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. 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. "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. Two of their defining moments 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. I think most people will agree that this is the "classic" Saxon sound. 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. STRAIGHT FORWARD HEAVY METAL!! These are two of the best cd's put out by saxon along with the eagle has landed live. This is the band that put straight , raw metal in your face and best part is they know how to play. So if your tiered of d tuned garbage, go back to the old school of classic metal and buy this cd. Stron Arm of the Law It's a classic. Strong arm of the law is excellent album, if you like 80's metal. 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. You can see a complete list of all Saxon discography, or go back to the Saxon tabs