Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
After fulfilling their contractual obligations to French independent label Carrere, Saxon signed to mighty EMI, praying for a major-label overhaul with which to reignite its ailing career. The resulting album -- 1985's Innocence Is No Excuse -- is one of their most controversial: it's viewed by some fans and critics as another misfire, while others consider it the last gasp of these once seemingly unbeatable New Wave of British Heavy Metal champions. Realizing that their future was at stake, vocalist Biff Byford and bassist Steve Dawson (and, to a lesser degree, guitarists Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver, plus drummer Nigel Glockler) hunkered down to the business of composing what was certainly their strongest collective set of songs since 1981's Denim and Leather. But the final layer of commercial sheen (clearly aimed at finally cracking the American market) applied to heavy metal warhorses like "Call of the Wild," "Devil Rides Out," "Everybody Up," and others rubbed many fans the wrong way. Likewise, these were also divided over the merits of strong singles like "Back on the Streets," "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy," and the excellent ballad "Broken Heroes," which charted respectably and even earned some much needed MTV rotation for their videos, but at what price to the band's street-level credibility? The answer will never be agreed upon, but as subsequent fiascos soon proved, there was no doubt that Saxon's internal chemistry was significantly unbalanced by the subsequent departure of key songwriter Dawson -- a loss from which they would take years to fully recover.
© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $17.49/month
Saxon, Performed by, MainArtist - Graham Oliver, Composer - Peter Byford, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, MainArtist - Paul Quinn, Composer - Graham Oliver, Composer - Peter Byford, Composer - Nigel Glocker, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer - Simon Hanhart, Producer - Nigel Glockler, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist - Dawson, Composer - Byford, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist - Peter Byford, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer - Simon Hanhart, Producer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, MainArtist - Peter Byford, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer - Simon Hanhart, Producer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist - Peter Byford, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, MainArtist - Peter Byford, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, MainArtist - Paul Quinn, Composer - Graham Oliver, Composer - Peter Byford, Composer - Nigel Glocker, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer - Nigel Glockler, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, MainArtist - Peter Byford, Composer - Nigel Glocker, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, MainArtist
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, Arranger, MainArtist - Peter Gill, Composer - Gill, Composer - Paul Quinn, Composer - Graham Oliver, Composer - Peter Byford, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1980 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, Performed by, MainArtist
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, Composer, Performed by, MainArtist - Dawson, Composer - Byford, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Saxon, MainArtist - Paul Quinn, Composer - Graham Oliver, Composer - Peter Byford, Composer - Nigel Glocker, Composer - Stephen Dawson, Composer - Simon Hanhart, Producer - Nigel Glockler, Composer
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 2009 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Album review
After fulfilling their contractual obligations to French independent label Carrere, Saxon signed to mighty EMI, praying for a major-label overhaul with which to reignite its ailing career. The resulting album -- 1985's Innocence Is No Excuse -- is one of their most controversial: it's viewed by some fans and critics as another misfire, while others consider it the last gasp of these once seemingly unbeatable New Wave of British Heavy Metal champions. Realizing that their future was at stake, vocalist Biff Byford and bassist Steve Dawson (and, to a lesser degree, guitarists Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver, plus drummer Nigel Glockler) hunkered down to the business of composing what was certainly their strongest collective set of songs since 1981's Denim and Leather. But the final layer of commercial sheen (clearly aimed at finally cracking the American market) applied to heavy metal warhorses like "Call of the Wild," "Devil Rides Out," "Everybody Up," and others rubbed many fans the wrong way. Likewise, these were also divided over the merits of strong singles like "Back on the Streets," "Rock 'n' Roll Gypsy," and the excellent ballad "Broken Heroes," which charted respectably and even earned some much needed MTV rotation for their videos, but at what price to the band's street-level credibility? The answer will never be agreed upon, but as subsequent fiascos soon proved, there was no doubt that Saxon's internal chemistry was significantly unbalanced by the subsequent departure of key songwriter Dawson -- a loss from which they would take years to fully recover.
© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:52
- Main artists: Saxon
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Union Square
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2010 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company ℗ 1985 Union Square Music Limited, a BMG Company
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.