Saxon (album)

Saxon is the debut studio album by the English heavy metal band Saxon, released in 1979.

Saxon
Studio album by Saxon
Released	April 1979
Recorded	January–March 1979
Studio	Livingston Recording Studios, Barnet, London, UK
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	28:54
Label	Carrere
Producer	John Verity
Saxon chronology
Saxon (1979) Wheels of Steel (1980)
Singles from Saxon
"Stallions of the Highway" / "Big Teaser" Released: March 1979 "Big Teaser" / "Stallions of the Highway" Released: June 1979 "Backs to the Wall" / "Militia guard" Released: November 1979

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	5/10[2]

Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic gave the album three stars out of five, and, in his mixed review, described it as "the quiet before the storm", in terms of the band's subsequent success, and the rising New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Rivadavia also criticized the band's then-lack of experience in the studio as well as their record label, Carrere, for not knowing "how to capture a heavy metal sound on tape", meaning that the album "only hints at Saxon's true personality, power, and songwriting potential". He also said that the progressive rock sounding "Rainbow Theme"/"Frozen Rainbow" and glam rock sounding "Big Teaser" and "Still Fit to Boogie", "suggested some lingering doubts as to musical direction", but that, overall, "the LP helped to put Saxon on the map".[1] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff judged the album "meekly recorded and timid in execution", harkening back to "too many '70s styles, ones that barely fit together" with merely hints of the "more uncompromising forms of metal" Saxon would produce in later years.[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Biff Byford, Paul Quinn, Graham Oliver, Steve Dawson and Pete Gill.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rainbow Theme"	3:07
2.	"Frozen Rainbow"	2:29
3.	"Big Teaser"	3:55
4.	"Judgement Day"	5:31

Side two

No.	Title	Length
5.	"Stallions of the Highway"	2:52
6.	"Backs to the Wall"	3:09
7.	"Still Fit to Boogie"	2:53
8.	"Militia Guard"	4:50

2009 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Big Teaser" (Son of a Bitch demo, 1978)	3:50
10.	"Stallions of the Highway" (Son of a Bitch demo, 1978)	3:03
11.	"Backs to the Wall" (Son of a Bitch demo, 1978)	3:12
12.	"Rainbow Theme" (Son of a Bitch demo, 1978)	4:38
13.	"Frozen Rainbow" (Son of a Bitch demo, 1978)	2:32
14.	"Backs to the Wall" (BBC session)	3:17
15.	"Stallions of the Highway" (BBC session)	2:47
16.	"Motorcycle Man" (BBC session)	3:48
17.	"Still Fit to Boogie" (BBC session)	2:46
18.	"747 (Strangers in the Night)" (BBC session)	5:02
19.	"Judgement Day" (live, b-side "Suzie Hold On")	5:40
20.	"Still Fit to Boogie" (live)	2:38
21.	"Backs to the Wall" (live)	3:25
22.	"Stallions of the Highway" (live)	3:41

• Bonus tracks 14-18 recorded on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show, transmitted 15 February 1980.
• Bonus tracks 20-22 recorded live at Donington, 1980.

Personnel

Saxon

• Biff Byford - vocals
• Graham Oliver - guitar
• Paul Quinn - guitar
• Steve Dawson - bass guitar
• Pete Gill - drums

Production

• John Verity - producer, engineer
• Livingstone Studios, UK - recording and mixing location

References

1. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Saxon Saxon". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
2. Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 241. ISBN 978-1894959025.