RATINGS: A = must own B = buy it C= average D = yawn F = puke

Saxon - St. George’s Day Sacrifice – Live in Manchester
UDR Music

www.udr-music.com

Rating: B

Saxon has been experiencing a resurgence of creativity and popularity.  Studio albums Unplugged and Strung Up and Sacrifice are among the best the band has ever created, and their live set shows this band of aging metal stars is still as passionate as ever. 

Saxon has a tradition of paying homage to Saint George by playing concerts on his day, which is April 23rd.  This time out they decided to record it and release St. George’s Day Sacrifice – Live in Manchester on UDR Music.  It proved to be a good decision for Saxon maniacs, as this two-disc set spans the best the band has recorded from 1979 up to the present day. 

Aside from classic Saxon anthems like “Crusader,” “747 (Strangers in the Night)” and “Denim and Leather,” the album rocks with the best newer tunes written by the band, such as “Sacrifice.”  Newer songs like “Made in Belfast” are received just as strongly as the biggest fan favorites. 

Saxon gets major kudos for one of the best remakes known to man as well, as they take FM radio hit “Ride Like the Wind” by Christopher Cross and Saxon-ized it into a heavy metal classic! 

Bottom Line: This is a fun album and a great concert!

Tracks:

CD 1 – running time 61:05 minutes

01 Sacrifice
02 Wheels Of Terror
03 Power And The Glory
04 Made In Belfast  
05 Rock’n Roll Gypsy
06 And The Bands Played On
07 I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)
08 Night Of The Wolf
09 Conquistador
10 Broken Heroes
11 Guardians of The Tomb

CD 2 – running time 59:08 minutes
 
01 Never Surrender
02 Ride Like The Wind
03 Crusade
04 Stand Up And Fight
05 Dallas I PM
06 747 (Strangers In The Night)
07 Wheels Of Steel
08 Strong Arm Of The Law
09 Denim And Leather
10 Princess of The Night

For more information on both releases, please visit www.saxon747.comand www.udr-music.com.

By Jeb Wright