Artist: Saxon
Label: SPV Records
Released: 1991
Rating: 4.5/5
Its predecessor “Destiny” was pretty syrupy. Of course, in 1986 Saxon caught the glam metal bug, the music trend of the day. After the more or less clichéd “Destiny” album, when critics, especially in their native Britain, literally ostracized them, the guys took a full six years off, moved to Germany and recorded “Solid Ball Of Rock” there. The opening title-track killer is already classic Saxon-style: heavy metal built on open, punchy riffs, subtly spiced with rock’n’roll. So the record is a return to the thing that lifted Saxon onto the wings of eternity in the eighties. Before “Solid Ball Of Rock,” Saxon had surely never made anything this strong and heavy. But then, time ran them over during those six years. The name stayed. Saxon thus went from the eighties trend straight into history. But so what?
What matters is that they went back to what they do best. To the thing that, as the original band, only they can still do today. Just because of the long stretch of time it took to come together, “Solid Ball Of Rock” shows remarkable polish and perfection, both in the production itself and in the songwriting. “Requiem (We Will Remember),” had it been written in the golden eighties (read: the “golden” era for the kind of music Saxon play), would surely have earned evergreen status with that one-of-a-kind, instantly recognizable main riff. I’m holding the 2002 remaster in my hands. Even though I’m disappointed by the look of the CD booklet, which is pretty “meh” and designed without any real aesthetic effort, the remaster adds a shortened version of the song Requiem, which came out back in those distant days as a single. The second bonus is called “Reeperbahn Stomp” and proves the guys really had a blast in the studio during the “Solid Ball Of Rock” sessions.
Of course, “Solid Ball Of Rock” is the debut for Nibbs Carter, who, after ten years of countless lineup shuffles in the band, has stuck around to this day. The guy, who was a real breath of fresh air for the group, immediately showed incredible skill on bass guitar, which is graced with a thick, melodic line. In his right hand Nibbs doesn’t use a pick. He also proved himself as a songwriter on this record.
The return of classic Saxon with “Solid Ball Of Rock” meant firm ground under their feet again, with iron anthems in the choruses of songs like: “Altar Of Gods,” “Lights In The Sky,” “Baptism Of Fire,” “Ain’t Gonna Take It” (the gorgeous bass line in the transition to the chorus and in the chorus itself, with its slides, creates incredible atmosphere in this song), “I’m On Fire”… “Overture In B-Minor-Refugee” is a damn good half-ballad. What was going on in Nigel Glockler’s head back then? Because he couldn’t have squeezed out more tailor-made fills on the drums for this song (pay special attention to those chorus fills the guy plays on the way out of the song). It proves just one thing. The guys made this record with real soul and heart, and everyone gave their absolute maximum. So, no overcomplicating things. Music of open, punchy and brilliantly polished riffs. Every song is one killer after another.
“Solid Ball Of Rock” is a steel classic. For anyone just getting acquainted with Saxon, it’s a must-have fix, while the band’s loyal followers probably already own the 2002 re-master.
Lineup
Biff Byford – vocals
Paul Quinn – guitar
Graham Oliver – guitar
Nibbs Carter – bass guitar
Nigel Glockner – drums
Production
Kalle Trapp & Saxon
Tracklist
1.Solid Ball Of Rock (4:40)
2.Altar Of The Gods (3:42)
3.Requiem (We Will Remember) (5:18)
4.Lights In The Sky (4:07)
5.I Just Can’t Get Enough (4:38)
6.Baptism Of Fire (3:13)
7.Ain’t Gonna Take It (4:52)
8.I’m On Fire (4:24)
9.Overture In B-minor/Refugee (5:37)
10.Bavarian Rhapsody (1:15)
11.Crash Dive (3:08)
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 2002 REMASTERED EDITION:
12.Requiem (We Will Remember) (single version) (4:41)
13.Reeperbahn Stomp (3:25)
Album length: 52:58
