Welcome back to the CD Odyssey! Let’s take a turn from pop to metal, shall we?
Disc 1651 is…Head On
Artist: Samson
Year of Release: 1980
What’s up with the Cover? I was tempted to just go with a simple headline on this one. Something along the lines of “Pulp Fiction Gimp Escapes; Axes Captors”, but a cover this awesome deserves a bit more effort.
Just who is this masked man, so clearly at odds with the album’s title? Clearly this person does not support heads being on – quite the contrary. He looks to be suggesting to you, the viewer, that heads should be off, starting with yours.
This could be intimidating, but the way his leather gimp suit has burst at the belly suggests that if you could avoid the first couple of swings, this guy won’t have the cardio to chase you down.
How I Came To Know It: My friend Ross introduced me to Samson, which I was delighted to learn featured Bruce Dickinson for three albums before he joined Iron Maiden. This is one of those albums, and when I saw a used copy at my local record store I snatched it up.
How It Stacks Up: The Bruce Dickinson iteration of Samson has three albums, which you’ll already know if you are following along closely. I only have this one and as such I cannot stack them up until I find the other two.
Rating: 3 stars
“Head On” is a straightforward, no frills heavy metal record. These tunes are solid rockers, played with gusto but don’t expect them to break any new ground. Sometimes a solid rocker is all you need, however, and that was my experience over the past few days.
Samson gets their name from guitarist and band leader Paul Samson and it is fair to say I prefer Bruce Dickinson when Steve Harris is the one inspiring his songs. Dickinson is one of heavy metal’s greatest vocalists, and even though he’s still in his formative years here, the talent is evident. However, he hasn’t yet embraced his full-throated high keening style, and these songs doesn’t lend themselves to that discovery.
Instead, Samson has the bluesy rock style of bands like Judas Priest and Molly Hatchet. No complaints about that, as I’m a big fan of both those bands, but knowing the crazy vocal gymnastics that Dickinson would accomplish with Maiden I initially found it jarring. Once I got over the shock that Samson was not Iron Maiden, I was able to settle in and enjoy.
The album opens strong with “Hard Times” which is an anthem of a hard workin’, hard fightin’ man. It lends itself to singing along, and there’s even a harmony section where the band knocks out the chorus a capella, further encouraging you to join in. Did I sing along, despite being in a convertible with the top down? Despite sitting at a traffic light? Dear reader, you know I did.
When they aren’t metallizing the blues, they move into a grimy garage band sound. The production on the record is a bit rough around the edges, but it lends itself to the band’s vibe and adds an almost punk quality to some of the songs. In these moments the gear-grinding speed playing had me comparing them favourably with the Plasmatics or Motorhead.
Another favourite is “Hammerhead” which is about the forging of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. This tune has the soaring, galloping proto-Maiden sound I was hoping for, as well as a killer guitar riff. It is also about Norse mythology which is always welcome.
Apart from “Hammerhead” the album didn’t inspire me lyrically. The lyrics sometimes felt like an afterthought to the band just wanting to jam out some riffs and solos. Ever the danger when the guitarist is in charge, I suppose. Good thing all those riffs are awesome.
One of the sillier tunes is “Too Close to Rock” which is about when your parents don’t approve of you playing rock and roll. The stanzas feature a lot of clunky rhyme and structure, such as:
“Move out of the
house, you can't use the car
You spend your lectures just drinking in the college bar
You don't wanna get a job, you won't get far
Pretty soon you're gonna come home, gonna need ma and pa”
Really? “ma and pa”? Despite this, I still enjoyed the experience.
My CD re-issue features two bonus tracks. With its clashing Motorhead sound and knowing wink at its own silly imagery, “Angel With a Machine Gun” was a welcome addition. The masturbatory 10 minute-long “Kingsway Jam” was not. If I wanted to hear the band jam I’d sit in on a practice session in the garage.
The allure of Bruce Dickinson is what first encouraged me to dig deeper into Samson. Once there I found it easy to enjoy this completely different band on its own terms. It feels at times they are still trying to find their sound, trying on different styles like different suits, but it is enjoyable to ride through the exploration with them. I’m looking forward to finding a few more of their releases in future!
Best tracks: Hard Times, Manwatcher, Hammerhead, Angel with a Machine Gun
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