Apparently, Saxon’s ‘Inspirations’ album from 2021 was such a monumental success they’ve decided to repeat the formula with ‘More Inspirations’ a mere two years later.
Written by: Dangerzone
ARTIST: Saxon
ALBUM: More Inspirations
LABEL: Silver Lining Music
SERIAL: SLM113P01
YEAR: 2023
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Biff Byford – vocals * Paul Quinn- guitars * Doug Scarratt – guitars * Nibbs Carter – bass * Nigel Glockler – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place * 02 The Faith Healer * 03 From The Inside * 04 Chevrolet * 05 Substitute * 06 Gypsy * 07 Man On The Silver Mountain * 08 Detroit Rock City * 09 Razamanaz * 10 Tales Of Brave Ulysses
RATING: 30/100
Background
Apparently, Saxon’s ‘Inspirations’ album from 2021 was such a monumental success they’ve decided to repeat the formula with ‘More Inspirations’ a mere two years later. I mean who wasn’t frothing at the mouth to hear Saxon cover ‘Paint It Black’ or ‘Paperback Writer’? That said the track list for that album far outstrips the follow up in terms of interesting songs, which really isn’t saying much.
Saxon at least continue to create new music, making these albums something they’re doing for fun I assume. Still, what need there is for this is questionable to say the least, the only saving grace being this is nowhere as horrific as the Krokus ‘Big Rocks’ covers travesty from 2017.
The Songs
Any band starting an album with a cover of ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ deserves to be banned. Is there anything more uninspired? Biff sounds every bit of his age, whatever that is. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s over 80 at this point. There’s a crack at The Sensational Alex Harvey Band‘s ‘The Faith Healer’ that initially sounds like a Saxon track from 1991. I’ve never bothered with the original, so this doesn’t move me to be honest. A cover of Alice Cooper’s ‘From the Inside’ seems out of left field, naturally heavier than the slick original.
ZZ Top‘s ‘Chevrolet’ is up next and seems labored at best, Biff again sounding beyond tired. This one’s from 1972’s ‘Rio Grande Mud’ if anyone was curious, something I believe I reviewed here many years back. The cover of The Who‘s ‘Substitute’ is uneventful and boring, Biff probably old enough to have been in The Who when this came out in 1965. The best cover of this remains Great White‘s on their 1984 debut.
There’s nothing inspired about a redundant cover of Uriah Heep‘s ‘Gypsy’ unfortunately. This is as stale as it gets, a song that’s been plundered to death over the last 50 or more years. The same can be said of ‘Man On The Silver Mountain,’ another bomb of a cover. I can barely force myself to listen to Rainbow‘s original as it is.
The band manages to offer up some energy on ‘Detroit Rock City’ but again it falls on deaf ears due to the Kiss original being played to death. They should have tried something more obscure. The cover of the Nazareth track ‘Razamanaz’ leaves me cold, much like Cream‘s ‘Tales Of Brave Ulysses.’ They’re both mundane, the band sounding like a clinical example of a band going through the motions.
I’ve read a few reviews of this album praising it as Saxon at their best, or something equally tiresome. It’s hard to find a band who hasn’t done one of these albums at this point, even Deep Purple got in on the act in 2021 with their ‘Turning To Crime’ effort.
In Summary
I guess it doesn’t really matter what veteran bands like Saxon do at this point, they’re long past the stage of caring what people think. The fact is if this wasn’t on Spotify I probably wouldn’t have known it exists, and that really says it all.
Video
Entire Album (Select Tracks)
I saw the track Listing a few weeks ago, but wasn’t compelled to write anything about it. The first one was marginally better than this.
I don’t blame you mate, but when a band starts an album with ‘We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place’ then I can’t help myself.