Album review: SAXON – Inspirations
Silver Lining [Release date 19.03.21]
Four decades into a career that has seen them conquer the globe, there seems to be no stopping the mighty Saxon, their own brand of Heavy Metal Thunder still ringing out loud and proud. Whilst not known for their love songs, ‘Inspirations’ is, in its own way, just that. A genuine work of passion, paying tribute to the artists that inspired them both as a band and as individuals, this is that most divisive of things, a covers album, done in such a way that brings their own feel to some of the classics of the past.
The band obviously had a huge amount of fun choosing and recording these eleven slices of history, dipping into some of the more obviously influential bands whilst mixing in a scattering of slightly unexpected artists.
That though is part of the great charm of the project in this age of ‘what would it sound like if a Black Sabbath song was sung by…’ videos on YouTube as here you actually get to hear that for real. It’s a bold move to take on some of the greatest tracks of all time but Saxon have never shied away from a challenge and the album is proof positive of that.
Considering the strength of the rest of the album, The Stones ‘Paint It Black’ was a bit of a leftfield choice to kick off the album as, whilst good, it doesn’t really hit the right spot, some of the sparkle you could have hoped for missing.
Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ is much safer territory, the band rising to the challenge of this epic, the drama and danger fully intact. Equally impressive, their take on The Beatles ‘Paperback Writer’ is a revelation, still retaining the urgency of the original but adding an extra weight, the juxtaposition of the Fab Four’s pop perfection with ferocious and unrelenting guitars working perfectly.
There follows a slew of tracks that capture the very essence of what has become ‘Heavy Metal’, from genre defining moments of history from Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple to the earliest morphing of psychodelia into much heavier fare as illustrated by the incredible inventiveness of Hendrix.
The full blooded ‘Speed King’, and ‘The Rocker’, along with their take on AC/DC’s raw ‘Problem Child’ show Biff and the band really tearing into things like their very lives depended on it and it’s impossible not to appreciate the craft of both the originals and the covers here. Making a standard your own is one of the trickiest of feats but Saxon manage that balance perfectly.
A highlight of the album comes in the form of ‘Bomber’, the spirit of Lemmy an ever-present feature in the band’s lifetime and one that runs through this visceral piece of rock ‘n’ roll history.
The personal connection Saxon had with the Motorhead main man bringing an added poignancy and determination to make this something special, it blazes with uncontrolled power, the playing of Nibbs Carter and Nigel Glockler pushing it ever onwards with the force of the titular aircraft.
The twin guitars of Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt make their presence felt too, recapturing the Campbell / Wurzel era of the band as they add their own sense of harmony to the titanic riffs as Biff pours his all into this tribute to his fallen friend.
The band aren’t afraid to push the envelope a little too, their version of Toto’s ‘Hold The Line’ adding the grit that we all hoped to hear and closing with The Kinks ‘See My Friends’ was a bold moving, the album ending on a slightly more thoughtful note than the heavy-duty mayhem that came before.
Overall, it’s a fine and interesting diversion from their main catalogue, hitting all the right notes whilst occasionally slipping into missteps that don’t detract from the whole too much.
It may well split opinion but it’s best to take it on face value, putting it on as something that’s a party from start to finish. Nothing earth shattering here but after more than forty years together, it’s great to see Saxon still loving music that is part of our shared DNA. Tributes don’t get much more honest, heartfelt and joyous than this. ****
Review by Paul Monkhouse
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