Saxon‘s ’84 piece Crusader was a true disaster, a vinyl turntable torture device full of cringe and posturing. Well, it was that one, and the other unspeakable piece preceding it. Both were rightly shunned by the metal crowd back then.
Whatever took Saxon to end up in glam country will forever be beyond me. Was it the allure of the forbidden fruit that the rise of the Sunset Boulevard frenzy promised? Perhaps. Or expensive hairdressers at the top of their game?1 Or, could it be that they got the itch for some easy greenbacks to earn? Being stinking rich rockstars (with seven cars and drug dealers on speed dial)2 was – at least at that time – still very possible and – thus – totally desirable. Compared to today’s day and age, where you need to jump through hoops to make a buck in that damned music biz.
The band finally saw the light, at least somewhat, and changed tack (back) into Heavy Metal. So, why are many fans displeased with this record? Because, you see, Saxon‘s ’85 piece Innocence is No Excuse comes across like some weak-tea offshoot of a growing and raucously successful metal avalanche. Said differently, put this against the backdrop of other fledgling3 Heavy Metal bands. For instance, Dio just released Sacred Heart, arguably not his best ever, but you get my drift. Or take Iron Maiden, who unleashed Powerslave the year prior. One of their greater pieces they ever made.
Furthermore, the band stood accused by many of being too commercial by far with Innocence. And while there may be some kernels of truth in this, the fact is that this record represented a significant leap forward from what atrocities had come before. And it was imbibed with the zeitgeist of the mid-’80s of the last century.4 There was a rush to get to metallic greatness, with some bands hitting it big in Heavy Metal. So, why not Saxon, right?
But let’s face it. This crew quite agrees with many voices out there that Innocence is No Excuse truly didn’t innovate much. In fact, you get a mix of this middle o’ the road Heavy Metal thing of the ’80s and a mighty load of Hard Rock. On the other hand, Saxon seemed to be experimenting with that new, more mainstream sound, away from their grimy beginnings. And in hindsight, it worked just dandy for them. Meaning, for large parts, the record sounds like a sickly blend of two parts Judas Priest, one part Krokus, with a shot of whatever the hell Scorpions were up to at that time. And all that rolls in with that fretful, high-pitched snare drum that was so popular over in LA.
So, the record is filled with a bunch of more or less okay tracks, nothing more, right? Let’s dive in. The first few songs indeed seem to confirm that sentiment. Blurbs like Rockin’ Again or Call of the Wild are good for cruisin’ along them desert highways as the cacti fly by. Back on the Streets and Rock ‘n’ Roll Gypsy already pack a slightly grittier punch. But the kicker really arrives at the end of the (official) tracklist. Everybody Up, Raise Some Hell, and the excellent Give It Everything You’ve Got really set the stage on fire. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. Waiting until the very end of the tracklist to finally hit the power switch wasn’t the greatest idea the band ever had.
But finally, let’s address the elephant in the room. The RMR crew had, as always, the pleasure of reading any and all opinion pieces that still can be found. The cover girl nibbling a green object was the source of much tongue-wagging on some of them. No relation to metal, too lascivious by far, an Adam ‘n’ Eve moment, not appropriate anymore for modern times. Oh boy, get a grip on yerselves, folks. The gal with no name, even if some called her Marilyn, kicked up quite a duststorm, that’s for sure. As to the object she arguably just bit in, let me share a secret with you. To this reviewer, this never was an apple, or it would be the weirdest such fruit anybody ever invented. The object always looked like a bar of green soap to me, with somebody having carved the Saxon logo into it. And I could never fathom how she was able to keep a straight face while biting this thing. Prove me wrong in the comments.
As to Innocence is No Excuse, Saxon created a mixed bag of goodies. It will forever be beyond me why they didn’t just hitch their wagon to the growing metal movement of the day. That would have allowed them to shine as brightly as the newfound stars of the moment. Instead, the band opted to take the safe road and get us a bunch of inoffensive tracks with only a few of them boasting real bite. And that resulted in a somewhat lukewarm record of missed opportunities that still, to this day, wants to make us scream in frustration.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: EMI/Parlophone | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 24 June 1985
- I invite you to look at a few photos of Biff Byford during that epoch. You can feel the sickly smell of old perfume and glossy hairspray oozing out of them.-↩
- Okay, I stole that one. Kind of. Sorry, Nickelback. No live animals were hurt here.-↩
- Well, not quite so fledgling anymore. Just sayin’. -Ed.-↩
- Yeah, I know, it’s fucking eons away. But it also was one of the greatest times to listen to rock and this new, shiny thing called metal.-↩