Reissue of this Metal classic by the hard working 'n' Hard Rockin' British band, considered to be one of their best albums. Nine tracks including 'Never Surrender', 'Rough and Ready' and more. EMI.2006.
Reissue of this Metal classic by the hard working 'n' Hard Rockin' British band, considered to be one of their best albums. Nine tracks including 'Never Surrender', 'Rough and Ready' and more. EMI.2006.
CD Reviews
Classic Saxon - one of their best
fwdh@wg.sssnet.com | Massillon,Ohio | 05/02/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"On "Denim and Leather", Saxon clearly demonstrates why they are one of heavy metal's guiding lights. While lesser bands mindlessly put riffs together, Saxon has a firm grasp of the elements that go into writing good songs. On several tracks, like "Denim and Leather", "Princess of the Night", as well as "And the Bands Played On", Saxon reveals a penchant for strong hooks, anthemic choruses, and soaring thematic guitar structures. This is the album that brought Saxon to the forefront of the early 80's metal scene and established them as a emerging power. This album is a classic representation of the early stages of Saxon's career and should be a part of your collection. Play it loud!"
"Where were you in '79 when the dam began to burst?"
mwreview | Northern California, USA | 01/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well, I was 5 in '79 but, later, when I first heard this 1981 release by Saxon, I understood why they hit it big and are still going strong (yet underrated). Saxon was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that was unleashed on the world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Formed in 1977, Saxon--as is announced in the track "Denim and Leather"--burst on the scene in 1979 while on tour with Motorhead. Denim and Leather was their 4th album in just three years of putting out studio releases. It starts with "Princess of the Night," an interesting and charming track about an old, obsolete steam locomotive that brought fond memories to one young admirer: "She used to be an iron horse, 20 years ago." It sounds like early Iron Maiden (another of the Brit Metal New Wavers). Although this track and others on here resemble the style of Paul Di'Anno era-Maiden, vocalist Biff Byford sounds so much like Bruce Dickinson on this first track, it's scary! "Princess..." is my favorite song on this album followed by "Out of Control" with its catchy guitar hooks.
The rest of the album has a blue collar hard rock sound. Fans of early AC/DC and early '80s Judas Priest will like Saxon's rawness and aggression. The title track is an anthem to rock 'n roll that would fit nicely on any AC/DC album of that time. "Play It Loud" is another AC/DC-esque anthem. Saxon may have sounded blue collar, but they also paid attention to details. "Rough and Ready" has some nice vocal harmonizing. "Midnight Rider" is another favorite of mine. It reminds me of the catchy tracks off Judas Priest's Stained Class. There is nothing weak here; every track kicks! Recommended to fans of early 1980s metal during a time when metal was about to be accepted as cool by the record-buying public and well before pop metal bands began to swarm on the music world."
GREAT !!
M. D. Fonseca | Thunder | 10/22/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Energetic, creative, metal coming from the heart!!! This CD by Saxon reveals with details what was the NWOBHM in the 80's. THis CD has Saxon playing powerful, but simple and rocking, songs, with drummer Pete Gill playing amazingly, Biff singing all his chords, the guitar duo of Oliver and Quinn not so good on solos, but amazing on riffs and bass player S. Dawnson delivering a good rhythm section. "Princess of the Night" is an ultimate classic!"
Contains some classics, but not their best work
Burton Caruthers | CT, USA | 11/28/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I've been a Saxon fan for well over 20 years, and I've seen all the debate over their lack of major, worldwide success that bands such as Maiden or Priest enjoyed. 'Denim & Leather' holds some of the answers to that burning question of why Saxon never garnered the attention of the bigger bands of the time.When I speak of Saxon's lineup, I'm talking about the band from 1979-1985. I don't consider anything after 1985's 'Innoncence is No Excuse' to be true Saxon ('Innocence' doesn't have much to do with true Saxon music, though it had a few bright spots). Musicianship was never a question. Graham Oliver & Paul Quinn were the most underrated guitar duo of the New Wave metal bands, Steve Dawson always gave a workman-like (if unspectacular) bass performance, and Pete Gill/Nigel Glockler could thunder with the best. When we get to Biff Byford, however, the problems begin. Byford's voice is best described as a third-rate Ian Gillian knockoff, and he showed weak range & power in his vocals. Trying to carry subject matter & lyrics that were often trite with a weak voice was a drag on the band. You'd never mistake Biff for Rob Halford, Graham Bonnet, or Bruce Dickinson. Biff's best vocal work showed up on 'Power & the Glory'. On to 'Denim & Leather' now.First, the good stuff. 'D & L' opens with an absolute classic Saxon killer, 'Princess of the Night'. The main riff hits you right in the gut, and after Graham Oliver's ripping solo slaps you upside the head, you're ready to replay the song about 15 times. A Saxon Top 5, hands down. 'Never Surrender' is an angst-ridden trip back to the band's youth that was a hit in the U.K., and a cool song to boot. 'And the Bands Played On' is Saxon's very own 'Smoke on the Water', a tune about their gig at Donnington's Monster's of Rock the previous year. It's a short, rocking song with a catchy main hook riff. 'Fire in the Sky' is a fast-paced, hard-hitting nuclear holocaust tune, comparable to 'Motorcycle Man' in terms of structure. Finally, the title track is a classic Saxon anthem about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal ("where were you in '79/when the dam began to burst/") featuring more piercing solo work by Oliver.Sadly, this album also began a bad trend for the band. 'Denim & Leather' seemed to start the band's penchant for radio-friendly filler junk songs. 'Rough & Ready' is utter filler garbage that should've stayed on the cutting floor. 'Play it Loud' is a silly attempt at an airplay-friendly anthem, with a laughable main riff. To a lesser extent, 'Out of Control' seems to be the most polished & commercialized track on the album. It's a decent song, but a little weak in the knees (much better than the two mentioned before). Funny how 'Never Surrender' was a hit, when it's glaringly clear that 'Out of Control' was aimed at radio. 'Midnight Rider' isn't bad, but once again comes up a little weak. Think of it as a tamer version of Motley Crue's drivel-anthem 'Girls Girls Girls'. Biff croons about riding a tour bus across the U.S.A., without the raunch of Crue's stupid song. Okay, but nothing that sticks like 'Princess'. 'D & L' is a good album, but it isn't the watershed point that many claim it to be. 'Wheels of Steel' & 'Strong Arm of the Law' were much stronger efforts.This penchant for including too much filler material became a staple in the band's future releases (with the exception of 'Power & the Glory', which I believe to be the band's finest hour). Too many forgettable songs delivered by a lead vocalist with a forgettable voice were vital components to Saxon's downfall. In the end, the key to their failure was the unwise decision to abandon their strong cult following by shifting gears and penning the radio-friendly, commercial tripe that showed up on 'Crusader' and the next few albums. The title track to 'Crusader' was Saxon's last great anthem. Such a shame for so promising a band. There was a reason Steve Dawson quit after 'Innocence' flopped and created backlash by fans. I guess Byford's proclamations that 'Crusader' & 'Innocence' were indeed sellout attempts at commercial success didn't sit well with Dawson, much like it didn't sit well with fans who stuck by this band. A stronger follow-up to 'Power & the Glory' could've vaulted Saxon to elite status. Well, we'll never know."
One of their most solid efforts
Mexican Wrestler | Cage Match | 09/17/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After two phenomenal albums in 1980, Saxon put out -Denim & Leather- in 1981 and countiued their streak of exellent albums.
A reviewer could be easily fooled here, there are a mixed bag of postive and negative postings on this NWOBHM classic but don't be decived by those. True, this isn't as good as say -Wheels of Steel-,-Stong Arm of the Law- or even -Power and Glory-, you have to consider the fact that this album was predominantly written on the road. This is still a very good Saxon CD though, i find it to be my personal favorite mainly because of the "heavy metal rules, screw everything else" atmosphere that exudes from it.
The production is pretty clear for a early 80's rock album, so it's got pretty good sound qaulity wise for a metal record. I find that even thought there are a couple fillers on this one, it's still pretty solid in material. "Princess of the Night", "Play It Loud", "And The Bands Played On", "Midnight Rider" and "Denim & Leather" are the best songs.
I really love the song "Denim & Leather", it is one of the greatest heavy metal songs ever written. It is a tribute to the fans basically, which i like because shows how these guys loved and appreciated their fans."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1