Saxon once were supposed to play Desert Rock festival in Dubai. Due the mentioned lyrics they were pulled out. This was in 2006 and Saxon often have history in their lyrics was missed by those who cancelled them.
I listened a lot to Crusader as a kid, and I remember liking pretty much all of it, but today I can't really say it was because the album was amazing. In those days a ten-year-old with a meagre allowance didn't have access to much music at all, and the five or six albums I owned had to do some pretty heavy lifting to satisfy my craving for cool heavy metal. Crusader was one of those early albums for me, and it certainly got the job done back in '84, but today I hardly listen to it at all. I love the title track (always have, always will) but it's one of those great songs I don't really need to hear ever again. I play the classic riff on guitar once in a while, and I'll always feel a certain nostalgia when the album is mentioned, but it's hardly Saxon's finest hour. Still like the album cover though... but maybe that's just the ten-year-old in me speaking. 😄
I really like this album.I don't compare albums from bands.I try and take each album as it is not comparing to what they previously did.This album just reminded me of early Heep and Purple.I didn't get a chance to see them until a few years ago backing up Priest and was very impressed by them.Very good band still trying to catch up on all their catalog
Back in the day, my only access to metal was the old Metal Shop show ... and that's where I first heard Wheels of Steel! Finally bought a Saxon record when Power and The Glory came out. About the only thing sounding "commercial" regarding that one was the story that Watching the Sky was inspired by E.T.! I'm with Marthin - it's my favorite and I'm right there with the general consensus of Wheels thru Power being the peak. I don't mind Crusader, but, it just doesn't have the same punch of those 4 previous. These days I'm on a Crusade myself ... to see bands that I just never got around to before it's too late. Heading to The Peak in May for Hell, Fire & Chaos - scratch Saxon off the list! Thanks guys - for an "old school" Contrarians DH show!
Maybe because it was my first Saxon album, but I always found it great. I played the hell out of this cassette! I always find myself liking the albums I'm not supposed to like the most: Born Again, Flick of the Switch, Crusader, Rock in a Hard Place. I guess I am a Contrarian.
Great dialogue! I was thinking Butch pretty much said everything I was thinking to say. But hearing other opinions reminded me that actually a lot of the album is disappointing and only two or three songs keep my memory of this album favourable.
Great show guys as always! Very interesting discussion. Dark horse albums is my favourite topic on the channel. But why is Martin in such a hurry? It seems like he's trying to wrap it up as quickly as possible. Let the guys speak Martin! Anyway I really enjoyed this episode. You've made a lot of good points about this album. Also I'm glad to see John The Music Nut back on the panel. Where have you been John? I think I haven't seen you since the Jugulator episode.
Thank you so much! I am still here and have been doing shows on My Music Corner, Grant's Rock Warehaus, and Rock Daydream Nation among others. Speaking of Jugulator, John Clauser and I are doing a weekly series on the Judas Priest catalog on My Music Corner as we speak. Cheers!
@@JohntheMusicNut thanks for this update! I'm glad you're doing well with all these projects. I'll definitely check out your Priest series with John Clauser. Cheers!
The first band I saw live way back in 1980 at the Glasgow Apollo.I have still got this album on vinyl but never really got into it.Will give it a spin this week and see how I feel about it now.
I loved this album back then after the (or so I felt at the time), disappointing P&tG which was significantly different in both sound and style from their previous albums, took me a while to get into it and fathom it's the way better album. But in many ways, Crusader was actually a return musically to their earlier melodic style of metal only here clearly produced with America in mind.
The title track stands out, of course. Some other songs hold up pretty well too and the artwork is great. The production is the big problem; the snare drum sounds awful and the guitars sound too thin. Bass, drums and guitars don't gel.
Great Show and Discussion! I got into Saxon after hearing Backs To The Wall on the Castle Donnington album, and I started collecting the back catalog. Power And The Glory was the first new release when I caught up! lol. then comes Crusader! I still feel the same as I did when it came out, quite disappointed. What I like is Crusader, Fancy, Sailing, Do It All For You and Set Me Free. Run For Your Lives is OK. The "Rock" titled songs are terrible. 5/10 for me.
Been a Saxon fan since Day one, and they are a rare breed in the metal genre, cause they are just getting better and better. They had a little dip late 80’s but since Solid ball of Rock, every new album has topped the one before and Carpe Diem is their best ever. Even live they are still an amazing band. I have probably seen them more than 30 times and they blow my mind every time.🤘
My intro to Saxon was Denim and Leather and loved the band. Worked my way back to appreciate their earlier stuff. Strong Arm might be my favorite. I liked this album, but it was just softer and more radio friendly than I wanted it to be. They must have been really going for mass appeal with this one. Still like it though. A Little Bit of What You Fancy sounds pretty much like Van Halen's - The Full Bug (Best part of a man) from Diver Down.
Don't agree with some comments about Innocence, to many keyboards don't think so, Everbody Up, Devil Rides Out heavy as, even the trilogy of Rockin' Again, Back on the Streets & Rock 'N' Roll Gypsy are great & Broken Heroes for a slower track is still has great lyrics and solo. Rock The Nations was more commercial sounding. Every Album from Solid Ball of Rock have been amazing..
Saw them on this tour, it's far from my favourite though, Wheels of steel was first I bought and that ones still a top 3 for me, some of the mid to later period albums are way better than Crusader.
Forty year Saxon fan (in my top ten bands easily) Crusader was my 1st Saxon album at 13 and my top 5 metal albums are Operation:mindcrime, Killers, Mob Rules, Power & Glory & Fire Down Under. This album is underappreciated, and the deep tracks make it a 9 out of 10. Sailing to America is my very favorite Saxon song, and besides Martin (thank you for finally writing a book on them!) and am better versed on the band than this panel.
Absolutely love Saxon, possibly my favourite band of all time, but I really don’t like this album. The cover is great, the title track is great, but the rest does nothing for me…and the production is terrible. Only Rock the Nations would rank below this for me. All that said, the first time I saw them live was on the Crusader tour, so that is a special memory for me, but I just can’t listen to that album any more.
@@RuthlessMetalYT , your opinion , you are most entitled to it . I am sure there may be quite a few albums you think strong , and I think " untolerable" . There can be some measurement of objectivity and fact in music and art , but taste is ALWAYS subjective .
@@RuthlessMetalYT , whatever makes you feel good :) . I am right in saying all black and death metal is crap and a joke . Eagles are a terrible band . And if you wear a band shirt , now the bloody band ;) .., have a good one ..,
It's a fair record. It has some classics on it, but the wheels are definitely falling off, and unfortunately it wasn't the worst thing by Saxon unfortunately.
I agree with a previous commenter that it is their worst album. Thank goodness that my first introduction to the band was Wheels of Steel - was transformative for me - and from Unleash The Beast onwards they have been superb.
"Let's go for the American market by writing a load of below par produced filler songs and looking like builders wearing wigs"" said nobody ever, except Saxon
I most certainly do. Singing a song with that lyrical content, even if done from a historical perspective, can leave you in a vulnerable spot in this day and age. Maybe you haven’t noticed some organized religions refuse to accept any critique or parody or even mild negative description? Indeed, Saxon was banned from Dubai in 2006 over the Crusader lyrics as I learned after the video.
in this one we can easily hear tim palmer's productions especialy when he produced now and then from r.plant or the mission with carved in sand the treatment of the snare drum is one of his trademark ...but crusader when it came out i was soooo disapointed the concept of crusaders was a strong idea but except sailing to america and crusader the others are fillers so for me 4/10
Great Album! Paul Quinn + Graham Oliver are two of the best ! SAXON 🇬🇧 RULES and please stop with any hair metal tags against these legends. The guitar solo in Sailing to America ( done by Graham ) is just incredible.
My fave guitar duo back then, so melodic and it just shows how the best players were all brought up on the blues in order to come up with those really memorable licks. As for hair metal, well, Biff probably contributed somewhat there himself by going blond for Crusader obviously with David Lee Roth in mind.
Not one of this channels better shows. Not my favourite Saxon album but 4-10 is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show where Joe B actually likes the album. From memory he didn’t even like Destroyer by Kiss either Lol
I never understood why British bands went soft to get big in the USA .when Americans loved the gritty heavy metal of the British Bands .That's why I loved American bands Because they had a different sound to my lot over hear . Priest did it & the scorpions shame
It's a shame that in 1984, we're speaking to the fact that a Saxon album could be this mediocre to bad, but it's the case here. This was a band trying to reinvent itself. There are a couple good songs here, but by and large it's a big disappointment. Great cover art though. I would probably go with Martin's rating and give it a 4 out of 10.
Great cover art, great title track but the rest is just meh. Typical awful 80s production, boom drums and sounds like it was recorded in a cavernous warehouse.
Love that album. Nigel Glockler is just great 👍 Best song Sailing to America 8/10
Saw them on that tour at Lamour East with Steve Harris in the audience. I always thought this album was going to be their breakthrough.
Saxon once were supposed to play Desert Rock festival in Dubai. Due the mentioned lyrics they were pulled out. This was in 2006 and Saxon often have history in their lyrics was missed by those who cancelled them.
I listened a lot to Crusader as a kid, and I remember liking pretty much all of it, but today I can't really say it was because the album was amazing. In those days a ten-year-old with a meagre allowance didn't have access to much music at all, and the five or six albums I owned had to do some pretty heavy lifting to satisfy my craving for cool heavy metal. Crusader was one of those early albums for me, and it certainly got the job done back in '84, but today I hardly listen to it at all. I love the title track (always have, always will) but it's one of those great songs I don't really need to hear ever again. I play the classic riff on guitar once in a while, and I'll always feel a certain nostalgia when the album is mentioned, but it's hardly Saxon's finest hour. Still like the album cover though... but maybe that's just the ten-year-old in me speaking. 😄
Jut bought my Uriah Heep & Saxon concert ticket this morning! Looking even more forward to the show after this watching this conversation. 🤘
I really like this album.I don't compare albums from bands.I try and take each album as it is not comparing to what they previously did.This album just reminded me of early Heep and Purple.I didn't get a chance to see them until a few years ago backing up Priest and was very impressed by them.Very good band still trying to catch up on all their catalog
Back in the day, my only access to metal was the old Metal Shop show ... and that's where I first heard Wheels of Steel! Finally bought a Saxon record when Power and The Glory came out. About the only thing sounding "commercial" regarding that one was the story that Watching the Sky was inspired by E.T.! I'm with Marthin - it's my favorite and I'm right there with the general consensus of Wheels thru Power being the peak. I don't mind Crusader, but, it just doesn't have the same punch of those 4 previous. These days I'm on a Crusade myself ... to see bands that I just never got around to before it's too late. Heading to The Peak in May for Hell, Fire & Chaos - scratch Saxon off the list! Thanks guys - for an "old school" Contrarians DH show!
Thanks Keith!
Maybe because it was my first Saxon album, but I always found it great. I played the hell out of this cassette! I always find myself liking the albums I'm not supposed to like the most: Born Again, Flick of the Switch, Crusader, Rock in a Hard Place.
I guess I am a Contrarian.
Great dialogue! I was thinking Butch pretty much said everything I was thinking to say. But hearing other opinions reminded me that actually a lot of the album is disappointing and only two or three songs keep my memory of this album favourable.
glad to see Martin hosting a show on here again! Phew...
We force him into it... haha
Great show guys as always! Very interesting discussion. Dark horse albums is my favourite topic on the channel. But why is Martin in such a hurry? It seems like he's trying to wrap it up as quickly as possible. Let the guys speak Martin! Anyway I really enjoyed this episode. You've made a lot of good points about this album. Also I'm glad to see John The Music Nut back on the panel. Where have you been John? I think I haven't seen you since the Jugulator episode.
Thank you so much! I am still here and have been doing shows on My Music Corner, Grant's Rock Warehaus, and Rock Daydream Nation among others. Speaking of Jugulator, John Clauser and I are doing a weekly series on the Judas Priest catalog on My Music Corner as we speak. Cheers!
@@JohntheMusicNut thanks for this update! I'm glad you're doing well with all these projects. I'll definitely check out your Priest series with John Clauser. Cheers!
Be interesting to see what you guys think about saxons new album landing on the 19th jan 24
I love the new album, Hell Fire and Damnation. I would give it a 9 easy.
The first band I saw live way back in 1980 at the Glasgow Apollo.I have still got this album on vinyl but never really got into it.Will give it a spin this week and see how I feel about it now.
I loved this album back then after the (or so I felt at the time), disappointing P&tG which was significantly different in both sound and style from their previous albums, took me a while to get into it and fathom it's the way better album. But in many ways, Crusader was actually a return musically to their earlier melodic style of metal only here clearly produced with America in mind.
Great album. Amazing cover. Not sure why they never took off in the states.
Crusader the song is a masterpiece!
The title track stands out, of course. Some other songs hold up pretty well too and the artwork is great. The production is the big problem; the snare drum sounds awful and the guitars sound too thin. Bass, drums and guitars don't gel.
Great Show and Discussion! I got into Saxon after hearing Backs To The Wall on the Castle Donnington album, and I started collecting the back catalog.
Power And The Glory was the first new release when I caught up! lol. then comes Crusader! I still feel the same as I did when it came out, quite disappointed.
What I like is Crusader, Fancy, Sailing, Do It All For You and Set Me Free. Run For Your Lives is OK. The "Rock" titled songs are terrible. 5/10 for me.
Been a Saxon fan since Day one, and they are a rare breed in the metal genre, cause they are just getting better and better. They had a little dip late 80’s but since Solid ball of Rock, every new album has topped the one before and Carpe Diem is their best ever. Even live they are still an amazing band. I have probably seen them more than 30 times and they blow my mind every time.🤘
My intro to Saxon was Denim and Leather and loved the band. Worked my way back to appreciate their earlier stuff. Strong Arm might be my favorite. I liked this album, but it was just softer and more radio friendly than I wanted it to be. They must have been really going for mass appeal with this one. Still like it though. A Little Bit of What You Fancy sounds pretty much like Van Halen's - The Full Bug (Best part of a man) from Diver Down.
Crusader and Denim and Leather were the only cassettes I had for the longest time. I thought D and L was weaker.
Fav song of that album
Sailing to America gets played tons of times in the car
Don't agree with some comments about Innocence, to many keyboards don't think so, Everbody Up, Devil Rides Out heavy as, even the trilogy of Rockin' Again, Back on the Streets & Rock 'N' Roll Gypsy are great & Broken Heroes for a slower track is still has great lyrics and solo. Rock The Nations was more commercial sounding. Every Album from Solid Ball of Rock have been amazing..
Saw them on this tour, it's far from my favourite though, Wheels of steel was first I bought and that ones still a top 3 for me, some of the mid to later period albums are way better than Crusader.
Excellent channel. Martin is the master.
Absolutely
Saxon................................. Rules
Great album
Forty year Saxon fan (in my top ten bands easily) Crusader was my 1st Saxon album at 13 and my top 5 metal albums are Operation:mindcrime, Killers, Mob Rules, Power & Glory & Fire Down Under. This album is underappreciated, and the deep tracks make it a 9 out of 10. Sailing to America is my very favorite Saxon song, and besides Martin (thank you for finally writing a book on them!) and am better versed on the band than this panel.
Absolutely love Saxon, possibly my favourite band of all time, but I really don’t like this album. The cover is great, the title track is great, but the rest does nothing for me…and the production is terrible. Only Rock the Nations would rank below this for me.
All that said, the first time I saw them live was on the Crusader tour, so that is a special memory for me, but I just can’t listen to that album any more.
Crusader only has one good song on it and it's the title track. The rest of the album is just bad.
beg to differ , it is just different , great production .., good performances , maybe not heir best , but in the top 6
@@Matias-music-71 no, bottom 6 for sure. only one great track the rest are just untolerable,
@@RuthlessMetalYT , your opinion , you are most entitled to it . I am sure there may be quite a few albums you think strong , and I think " untolerable" . There can be some measurement of objectivity and fact in music and art , but taste is ALWAYS subjective .
@@Matias-music-71 yeah, but I'm still right here. hehe
@@RuthlessMetalYT , whatever makes you feel good :) . I am right in saying all black and death metal is crap and a joke . Eagles are a terrible band . And if you wear a band shirt , now the bloody band ;) .., have a good one ..,
It's a fair record. It has some classics on it, but the wheels are definitely falling off, and unfortunately it wasn't the worst thing by Saxon unfortunately.
Crusader is class album
Good tender album 8/10
It's very tender! 😃
I agree with a previous commenter that it is their worst album. Thank goodness that my first introduction to the band was Wheels of Steel - was transformative for me - and from Unleash The Beast onwards they have been superb.
No the worst is the dire Destiny album had the Christopher Cross cover which was probibly the best track.
No that honour should go to Destiny.
"Let's go for the American market by writing a load of below par produced filler songs and looking like builders wearing wigs"" said nobody ever, except Saxon
The biggest problem for Crusader is the music doesn’t quite live up to the magnificent album cover.
Does Nick understand what the Crusades were about?
I most certainly do. Singing a song with that lyrical content, even if done from a historical perspective, can leave you in a vulnerable spot in this day and age. Maybe you haven’t noticed some organized religions refuse to accept any critique or parody or even mild negative description? Indeed, Saxon was banned from Dubai in 2006 over the Crusader lyrics as I learned after the video.
@@czarevich , even the more reason to keep singing it and with pride
Saxon really good guys
in this one we can easily hear tim palmer's productions especialy when he produced now and then from r.plant or the mission with carved in sand the treatment of the snare drum is one of his trademark ...but crusader when it came out i was soooo disapointed the concept of crusaders was a strong idea but except sailing to america and crusader the others are fillers so for me 4/10
Great Album! Paul Quinn + Graham Oliver are two of the best !
SAXON 🇬🇧 RULES
and please stop with any hair metal tags against these legends.
The guitar solo in Sailing to America ( done by Graham ) is just incredible.
My fave guitar duo back then, so melodic and it just shows how the best players were all brought up on the blues in order to come up with those really memorable licks. As for hair metal, well, Biff probably contributed somewhat there himself by going blond for Crusader obviously with David Lee Roth in mind.
Crusader is a classic ! Why bother with a discussion about it being a maybe a problem. Every SAXON fan knows DESTINY was there worse moment.
Not one of this channels better shows. Not my favourite Saxon album but 4-10 is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show where Joe B actually likes the album. From memory he didn’t even like Destroyer by Kiss either Lol
Yes it is by far their worst, and had the Christopher Cross Ride Like the Wind, which o reckon is probibly the only good rocky track.
@@markkaminski4496 You obviously have not heard their entire discography if you think Crusaders their worst album
Have every one except Destiny
Saying Crusader is not there worst not great but Destiny wins hands down
I never understood why British bands went soft to get big in the USA .when Americans loved the gritty heavy metal of the British Bands .That's why I loved American bands Because they had a different sound to my lot over hear .
Priest did it & the scorpions shame
Like all Saxon albums, it's half a good album.
I like tender Biff , oh wait that is beef ;)
It's a shame that in 1984, we're speaking to the fact that a Saxon album could be this mediocre to bad, but it's the case here. This was a band trying to reinvent itself. There are a couple good songs here, but by and large it's a big disappointment. Great cover art though. I would probably go with Martin's rating and give it a 4 out of 10.
Great cover art, great title track but the rest is just meh. Typical awful 80s production, boom drums and sounds like it was recorded in a cavernous warehouse.
Good album ruined by Kevin Beamish. Jeff Glixman should have been there. Rock City is the only weak track. 8/10
Great album cover. Lousy music for the most part. 'Sailing To America' is cringe worthy embarassingly bad.
Only Crusader song is good ,the rest is lame attempt to play American commercial rock.
The worst Saxon album for me.👎
The very worst? Really? That’s surprising
@@JCStorm76 Only Bad songs on this album except Crusader
I’d put Rock the Nations below it but that’s it
@@ianmacdonald7987 Glad you didn’t say Forever Free. I think it’s underrated
@@JCStorm76 I agree, but then I would say every album after Rock the Nations is underrated, including the much maligned ‘Destiny’!!