Innocence Is No Excuse

Last updated

Innocence Is No Excuse
Excusesaxon.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 1985 [1]
Recorded1985
StudioUnion (Munich)
Genre Heavy metal
Length42:04
Label Parlophone/EMI
Producer Simon Hanhart
Saxon chronology
Crusader
(1984)
Innocence Is No Excuse
(1985)
Rock the Nations
(1986)
Singles from Innocence Is No Excuse
  1. "Back on the Streets" / "Live Fast Die Young"
    Released: August 1985
  2. "Rockin' Again" / "Krakatoa"
    Released: October 1985
  3. "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy" / "Krakatoa"
    Released: March 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 4/10 [4]

Innocence Is No Excuse is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in September 1985. It was the band's first album for EMI after a falling-out with their previous label, Carrere Records, and their last with original bassist Steve Dawson.

Contents

Release and reception

The song "Everybody Up" was used in the 1985 Italian horror film, Demoni .

The album was given a generally positive review by Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic, who awarded it four out of five stars. Although he commented in his review for the band's previous album Crusader that this album "would only lead to greater extremes of personality disorder and leave the group's fan base confused and utterly divided", [5] he praised it for being "their strongest collective set of songs since 1981's Denim and Leather " although acknowledged that some of the songs "rubbed many fans the wrong way". He singled out the songs "Back on the Streets", "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy" and "Broken Heroes" for praise, the latter of which he described as an "excellent ballad". He also pondered the question of what price the album had to the band's "street-level credibility" and said that "the answer will never be agreed upon". [2] Jon Hotten in Classic Rock magazine wrote that the album was "not a huge misstep" and a "response to a glimmer of interest from the US", although "the glossy production lay at odds with Saxons's belt-and-braces take on heavy metal." [3] Martin Popoff, author of The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal, reviewed the album negatively which represents for Saxon the return "full-steam to the bastions of metal, without an idea in their dust-clouded heads", as shown in the clichéd titles and in the "old age ineptness on this rule-book headbanging fare." [4]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rockin' Again" Biff Byford, Graham Oliver, Steve Dawson 5:12
2."Call of the Wild"Byford, Paul Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Nigel Glockler4:03
3."Back on the Streets"Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler3:59
4."Devil Rides Out"Byford, Dawson4:23
5."Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy"Byford, Dawson4:13
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Broken Heroes"Byford, Dawson5:27
7."Gonna Shout"Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler3:58
8."Everybody Up"Byford, Dawson3:28
9."Raise Some Hell"Byford, Dawson3:40
10."Give It Everything You've Got"Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler3:27
2010 remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Back on the Streets" (12" Club Mix)Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler5:10
12."Live Fast Die Young" (b-side "Back on the Streets")Glockler, Dawson, Byford3:48
13."Krakatoa" (b-side "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy")Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler3:46
14."The Medley *" (live, b-side "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy")Various9:05
15."Gonna Shout" (live)Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler4:30
16."Devil Rides Out" (live)Byford, Dawson4:59
17."Back on the Streets" (BBC in Concert, Hammersmith 1985)Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler4:38
Notes
2022 Reissue, Remastered, Digipak Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Live Fast Die Young"Byford, Glocker, Dawson3:48
12."Krakatoa"Saxon3:46
13."Broken Heroes"Byford, Glocker, Dawson5:16
14."Devil Rides Out"Byford, Dawson4:47
15."Rock 'n' Roll Gipsy"Byford, Dawson4:48
16."Rockin' Again"Byford, Glocker, Dawson5:36
17."Shout It Out"Byford, Oliver, Glockler, Dawson5:38
Notes

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [6] 15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [7] 33
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [8] 18
UK Albums (OCC) [9] 36
US Billboard 200 [10] 133

Related Research Articles

<i>Out of the Silent Planet</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Kings X

Out of the Silent Planet is the debut studio album by the American rock band King's X, released in 1988. The title of the album comes from that of a book by C. S. Lewis, an author favored by band members Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill. "Out of the Silent Planet" is also the title of the first track from the follow-up album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. The cover art features the skyline of Houston with the southern outline of the state of Texas. The album received widespread acclaim from music contemporaries. Pantera bassist Rex Brown commented of his and Dimebag Darrell's impressions, noting "Dime called me and said, 'Dude, have you heard this? Have you checked out King's X?'" He says. "We went on a long road trip, and we must have listened to that first record I don't know how many times, and we couldn't stop! This was the sound that Dime and I were always looking for."

<i>Metalhead</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Saxon

Metalhead is the fourteenth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1999. It is the first album with Fritz Randow, who replaced Nigel Glockler in 1999.

<i>Unleash the Beast</i> 1997 studio album by Saxon

Unleash the Beast is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in 1997. It is their first studio album with Doug Scarratt on guitar.

<i>Dogs of War</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Saxon

Dogs of War is the twelfth studio album by the heavy metal band Saxon, released in 1995. It's the last album with Graham Oliver, before he's fired.

<i>Forever Free</i> (Saxon album) 1992 studio album by Saxon

Forever Free is the eleventh studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1992.

<i>Wheels of Steel</i> 1980 studio album by Saxon

Wheels of Steel is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon. Released in 1980 by Carrere Records, it was their first album to enter the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 5, and is their highest-charting album in the UK Albums Chart to date. The album eventually went on to achieve gold status in the UK.

<i>Strong Arm of the Law</i> 1980 studio album by Saxon

Strong Arm of The Law is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon. It was released in 1980, seven months after Wheels of Steel, and debuted on the UK chart at #11.

<i>Denim and Leather</i> 1981 studio album by Saxon

Denim and Leather is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 1981. The album was certified Gold status in the U.K. This was the last album with the classic line up of Saxon, as drummer Pete Gill would leave the band due to a hand injury, later joining Motörhead; this was also seen as the last of their trilogy of classic albums.

<i>Saxon</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Saxon

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

<i>Greatest Hits Live!</i> (Saxon album)

Greatest Hits Live is the third live album by the band Saxon and the first Album with new Bass-Player Timothy "Nibbs" Carter. It was released in 1990 just one year after their previous live album Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies to celebrate the tenth anniversary years of the band's successful activity career since their second Album Wheels of Steel (1980), together with a VHS of the concert. This '10 Years Of Denim And Leather' concert was later released on DVD as Saxon 'Live Legends' with the extra track Strong Arm of the Law.

<i>Crusader</i> (Saxon album) 1984 studio album by Saxon

Crusader is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released on 30 January 1984 by Carrere Records.

<i>Power & the Glory</i> 1983 studio album by Saxon

Power & the Glory is the fifth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in March 1983 by Carrere Records. This is the first Saxon studio album with new drummer Nigel Glockler and was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia in the fall of 1982.

<i>Solid Ball of Rock</i> 1991 studio album by Saxon

Solid Ball of Rock is the tenth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1991 on Virgin Records. Five of its 11 tracks were written by new bassist Nibbs Carter, who co-wrote another three songs.

<i>Rock the Nations</i> 1986 studio album by Saxon

Rock the Nations is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in August 1986.

<i>Destiny</i> (Saxon album) 1988 studio album by Saxon

Destiny is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon, released in March 1988. It is also the only studio album to feature the rhythm section of drummer Nigel Durham and bassist Paul Johnson on it.

<i>The Eagle Has Landed</i> (album) 1982 live album by Saxon

The Eagle Has Landed is the first live album by heavy metal band Saxon and the first album featuring their long time drummer Nigel Glockler. It was recorded during the European leg of the world tour supporting the album Denim and Leather and released in 1982. The album reached #5 in the UK charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Oliver</span> English guitarist

Graham Oliver is an English guitarist who was born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire. He was a founding member in the heavy metal band Saxon from 1976 to 1995.

<i>Restless and Wild</i> 1982 studio album by Accept

Restless and Wild is the fourth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released in 1982 in Continental Europe and in 1983 in the US and UK. It was the first Accept album not to be recorded at Delta-Studio, since the band had moved to Dieter Dierks' studio in Stommeln. It is also the first Accept album in which Udo Dirkschneider sings every track, as well as the first in which manager Gaby Hauke ("Deaffy") gains credits for songwriting. Michael Wagener, once again, handled recording and mixing duties here.

<i>Dawn Patrol</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Night Ranger

Dawn Patrol is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Night Ranger, released in November 1982 by Neil Bogart's The Boardwalk Entertainment Co. The cover art of the album features dishes of the Very Large Array in central New Mexico.

<i>Demolition</i> (Girlschool album) 1980 studio album by Girlschool

Demolition is the first studio album by the British heavy metal band Girlschool. It was released in Europe on Bronze Records in 1980.

References

  1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 719. ISBN   9780862415419.
  2. 1 2 Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Saxon Innocence Is No Excuse". AllMusic . Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  3. 1 2 Hotten, Jon (March 2010). "Saxon – Reissues". Classic Rock . No. 142. p. 92.
  4. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 315. ISBN   978-1894959315.
  5. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Saxon Crusader". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  6. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Saxon – Innocence Is No Excuse" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  8. "Swedishcharts.com – Saxon – Innocence Is No Excuse". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  9. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  10. "Saxon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.