In direct contrast to the first two albums I reviewed in this trilogy of various artists compilations (shoulda gone “Triple Box Set” on this puppy! Oh well …) the final album features almost exclusively established bands who are still working, many of whom are well known or even famous. Almost all of them come from the US or Canada, and hardly any of them have anything to do with the NWOBHM. That notwithstanding, this was for me the first time I heard of many of them. In some cases it led me to check further into their music. In others, not so much.
Killer Watts --- Various Artists --- 1980 (Epic)
Considering that this was released at the height of the NWOBHM, it shows quite clearly that, until the new bands in the UK began making themselves heard, and some of them such as Maiden Leppard and Raven extended their fanbase across the water, US metal ruled. Although really some of these artistes could scarcely be called Metal. Journey? REO? Gimme a break! Still, the fact is that many of the bands and singers featured here could pack out a stadium while even Maiden at this point could just about fill the likes of the Marquee, though that of course would change. But for now, British Metal was mostly seen as the newcomer, the little annoying brother who kept wanting to come on trips with his older, more experienced and world-weary sibling, but who could not be easily shaken off.
American Metal --- even if you prefer to call it Hard Rock, or in the case of Journey and REO, soft rock --- was well established by 1980 and though the tectonic shift taking place across the ocean would change the musical landscape globally forever and have far-reaching consequences for the older guard as bands like Metallica and Anthrax and Slayer rose up, right now they were in the ascendancy, unaware that their reign was soon to be challenged. A new breed of metalheads, hungry, raw and champing at the bit to be let loose, were about to descend upon the shores of America and do for US Metal what the Irish did for the Chicago Police Department.
But all that was in the (near) future, and complacent in their superiority, these were the bands who ruled America from coast to coast, some of the heaviest bands striding the Land of the Free and showing the youngsters who dreamed of being as huge as they were how it was done. As these bands are all well known I won’t be running the “Where are they now” section: everybody knows where REO, Aerosmith and Priest are now, and as for short bios? I doubt anyone will need them for a large percentage of the bands here. But those who are perhaps lesser known may be afforded a line or two.
Track one: “The World Anthem” by Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush
The only artiste to have two tracks on this compilation, it’s a little strange that Epic decided to put them one after the other, which kind of dulls the impact of the second one, but however. Frank is one of the Canadians of which I spoke, and in fact as I double-check the track listing I see there are two European bands here, one from England, but the rest are all from ‘cross the water. One of the most underrated guitarists of the age, Frank Marino recorded seven albums with his band, Mahogany Rush, later albums appending his name to the band, but they split in the late seventies and Frank continued on his own, solo under his own name. My only real other experience of his music is the 1981 album “Juggernaut”, which is ok but contains one of the most powerful anti-war songs I have ever heard.
This first track is from his fifth album with Mahogany Rush, released in 1977, and it is in fact the title track of that album. It’s a typically bombastic track with a big keyboard and guitar intro, which may or may not be “O Canada” (some Canadians might help me out here?) and is an instrumental that runs for over three minutes. If you were to have an introduction to this album then this is a great one, and it really highlights Frank’s Hendrix-like skills on the axe. In fact, if, as has been said, he is emulating the Great One, an accusation he wishes to distance himself from, and if this is the Canadian national anthem, then he’s not helping himself by repeating what Jimi did with “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Track two: “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame” by Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush
Like I said, for some reason the label saw fit to put two Marino tracks one after the other, so if you hate him it’s not a great start. Still, who could hate Frank? It’s a faster, rockier track which allows Marino to exercise his vocal cords as well as his guitar arm, and though he has that sort of gravelly voice you associate with the likes of Joe Cocker it’s certainly distinctive and powerful. Real rock and roll, man! Plus his guitar skills cannot be ignored.
Track three: “USA” by Ray Gomez.
Although I had never heard of him and can find no big bands he was in, it’s odd because apparently Ray rubbed shoulders with everyone from Lennon to Anderson, and Bruford to Emerson, as well as working with some jazz giants. “USA” is from his first solo album called “Volume”. It’s generally a kind of AOR/soft rock song with a kind of West Coast feel about it, reminds me of the likes of REO and maybe Foreigner. Definitely not what I’d call Metal, though to be fair the album never claims to be a Metal compilation. Very catchy in a sort of Jackson Brown/John Cougar Mellencamp way. Powerful guitar, which is only what you would expect of the man once dubbed “a guitarist’s guitarist”.
Track four: “Flesh and blood” by Ted Nugent.
Ah, who doesn’t know the wildman of Metal? Whether you’re revelling in his screaming guitar solos or shaking your head at his ideas on gun control and hunting, you can’t ignore this force of nature. This track is taken from his sixth album, “Scream dream”, and while I’ve never been a fan and don’t know much of the man --- got halfway through the track then could take no more of his screaming --- it probably needs to be accepted that this is the first of the real Metal tracks on the album. After all, if Ted Nugent isn’t Heavy Metal, who is?
Track five: “Knock ‘em dead kid” by Trooper.
Apparently well known in their native land, this is the second Canadian artiste featured on the album, and comes from their third album of the same name. Oddly, though they had hits from the album --- presumably only in Canada --- this was not one of them. It’s a pretty good track, with a sort of marching, swinging boogie rhythm and some very decent vocals. One of the first on the album that really made me sit up and take notice.
Track six: “Rapid fire” by Judas Priest.
Sounding as out of place within this mixture of American rock giants and minnows as a nun at a Slayer concert, Priest are the only English band on the album. I’ve never been a fan, and what I heard at the time of this song did nothing to change that. Listening to it now, I like it a whole lot better than I did then. It comes from their seminal classic “British steel” and I guess gave American audiences a preview of what was soon to hit their shores. It’s a fast-paced track with something of the rhythm of Motorhead in it, but then, it’s off “British steel” so let’s assume you all know it backwards.
Track seven: “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult.
Even the least Metal-savvy poseur has heard “Don’t fear the Reaper”, so BOC can happily say there is unlikely to be anyone in the world who does not know of them, if not actually know their music. This is from their album “Spectres”, and was a hit for them. Again, BOC kind of straddle the line between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, though I would tend to say they fall more on the side of the former. The track is down and dirty, with grindy guitar and some hilarious lyrics, but then what would you expect from a song written about a monster Japanese lizard?
”Oh no! They say he’s gotta go/ Oh no Godzilla!/ Oh no! There goes Tokyo!/ Oh no Godzilla!” Class.
Track eight: “Need a little girl (Just like you)” by Rick Derringer.
A man who has played with everyone from Zep to the Stones, and Alice Cooper to Steely Dan, Derringer was, and remains, someone I personally know little about, though his band had a huge hit in the sixties. Derringer is not his real name of course. Cool bass intro with some wild guitar, but the vocal doesn’t do anything for me.
Track nine: “Back on the road again” by REO Speedwagon.
One of the biggest rock groups in the USA during the 80s, REO of course became famous for the ballads “Can’t fight this feeling” and “Keep on loving you”, but they could rock as well, as this song demonstrates. Taken from their “Nine lives” album, it’s interestingly the only one on the album written by their bassist, Bruce Hall. Wonder if it reflects real-life experience by him? You can read all about it in the latest “Two sides of the same coin” feature a few pages back. I must admit, one of the better tracks on the album. My favourite overall.
Track ten: “Line of fire” by Journey.
Although I’m a big Journey fan this is from one of their albums I really hate, “Departure” --- odd in a way, as my favourite of theirs is “Arrival” --- but it does showcase the harder side of a band renowned and often reviled for soft-rock ballads. “Line of fire” proves Journey have some teeth, but I never liked it. Sort of a fast boogie feel to it but it’s way too wimpy to be on this album. A broken circuit in this high-energy fretfest. Someone put the plug back in!
Track eleven: “Solid as a rock” by Shakin’ Street.
Ah, that’s better! We’re back on track. Another of my favourites, Shakin’ Street were a pretty well known band in France, and among others featured a man who was to make his mark in no uncertain terms later, one Ross the Boss, who of course went on to help form Manowar. The song has his trademark guitar sound, and a real sense of melody to it, and singer Fabienne Shine certainly has a powerful voice. The song is of course driven by a powerful, stomping guitar riff and has an almost punk sensibility about it.
Track twelve: “L’elite” by Trust.
Following on from a French band we have another, the mighty Trust who, although virtually unknown beyond their home shores, have continued to churn out excellent albums over a career spanning more than thirty years. This is from their second, “Trust I (L’elite”)” before they began singing in English. Unless you know French you have no idea what’s being sung but that doesn’t matter as it’s a rocking, speeding track that gives you everything you want in a Metal song: power, pace, passion and (I sound like Alan Hansen!) energy. Vive la France!
Track thirteen: “Too wild to tame” by The Boyzz.
Wow. They really took their time coming up with a snappy name for their band, didn’t they?
Living up to their “too wild to tame” claim though they were a biker band whose vocalist performed athletic feats on stage. However they may have been too wild to tame but they were not too good to drop, and Epic did just that when their first self-titled album failed to sell well. Good song though and kind of reminds me a little of a heavier Quireboys. Interesting use of brass in the track.
Track fourteen: “Let the music do the talking” by The Joe Perry Project.
Guitarist with American icons Aerosmith, Joe Perry formed this solo outfit after a nasty argument with Steven Tyler which resulted in his quitting the band. Possibly much of the material that formed the debut album “Let the music do the talking” could be said to be technically Aerosmith property as it was recorded while Perry was with them, and he took it with him when he left. However there seems to have been no fight over ownership, and Perry released three solo albums before returning to the fold in 1984. It’s a good fast rocker, as you would expect from Aerosmith’s lead axeman.
Track fifteen: “No surprise” by Aerosmith.
And to follow the wayward guitarist we have his parent band. This is actually taken from the album on which Perry walked out halfway through, and so between the two tracks we capture a moment in the history of the band, a moment when Aerosmith had to go on without Perry as he sulked and created his own music. I’m not a huge fan of Aerosmith, which is to say I know little of their music beyond the hits. But even this sounds a little weak compared to what I have heard. Were they missing Perry that much?
Track sixteen: “Checkin’ it out (Baby don’t you cry)” by Ozz.
Hard to find any information about these guys without running into Ozzy, so I can’t tell you anything other than that they were a mixed-race duo. And as far as I know, from America not Australia, as you might have thought. Not a bad track but a little lacking in power and energy. Was never one of my favourite tracks on the album, but it leads into one.
Track seventeen: “Boogie no more” by Molly Hatchet.
Oh yeah! I love some Southern Boogie, and the Hatchet do it better than most. This is a great track that starts with a slow, grindy guitar accompanied by a growling, raw vocal from Danny Joe Brown that soon ramps up into a real Southern Boogie guitarfest that almost --- almost --- rivals that on “Freebird”. What a closer!
TRACKLISTING
1. The World Anthem (Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush)
2. Rock and roll hall of fame (Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush)
3. USA (Ray Gomez)
4. Flesh and blood (Ted Nugent)
5. Knock 'em dead kid (Trooper)
6. Rapid fire (Judas Priest)
7. Godzilla (Blue Oyster Cult)
8. Need a little girl (just like you) (Rick Derringer)
9. Back on the road again (REO Speedwagon)
10. Line of fire (Journey)
11. Solid as a rock (Shakin' Street)
12. L'elite (Trust)
13. Too wild to tame (The Boyzz)
14. Let the music do the talking (The Joe Perry Project)
15. No surprise (Aerosmith)
16. Checkin' it out (Baby don't you cry) (Ozz)
17. Boogie no more (Molly Hatchet)
Although this can be seen as a flawed collection --- I mean, really! Come on! Journey? REO? Did anyone ever, in the history of everything, ever once link those two bands with the term “killer watts”? Credit us with some intelligence and taste, Epic! --- its release was either timely or a great coincidence, as being on the market the same year as the other two albums --- albeit three thousand miles away --- gives us both sides of the spectrum of rock music at the beginning of the 1980s. On the US side of things you have established acts like Aerosmith, BOC and Molly Hatchet, plying their trade as they have always done, secure in the knowledge that they are big bands and are always assured of sell out concerts.
On the other side of the Atlantic, quietly plotting the overthrow of the old order (okay not quietly but without too much initial fanfare), bands nobody had heard of were staking their claim, gearing up for the revolution to come and more than ready to show the old guard how it was done in the new decade. Some of these bands would of course come to nothing, and fade away with barely a whisper, but others would not only conquer America but influence a whole new movement there that would bring Heavy Metal out from behind the skirts of Hard Rock, and make it faster, harder and more aggressive, even progressive, than its older cousin could ever have hoped to be.
It’s interesting, though hardly surprising, too, to note how different the two compilations are from each other, if you take “Brute force” and “Metal for Muthas” as one product. In the UK, with the NWOBHM in full swing, record labels were showcasing the new talent, unknown bands who (they hoped) would rise to become stars and lead a new revolution in music. Apart from Iron Maiden --- who were even at the point of the release of these two albums a long way short of proper commercial success --- there isn’t one band on either of the two UK albums that was known in any real sense at the time. The US album is stuffed full of bands everyone knew, who had been the mainstay of American rock for at least a decade and who, honestly, probably never foresaw any challenge to their dominance. Yes, there were other, lesser known artistes there, and even a few European ones, but in general “Killer watts” is a US release and proudly shows off the superior firepower of American rock music, somewhat smug and complacent.
But there was a storm brewing, a change coming. It hadn't broken over America yet, but over on the shores of old Blighty, thunder was rolling and lighting was crackling, and heavy clouds were moving across the sky. In the approaching tsunami which was making its way from Britain to the USA, those who held musical power in the States would soon find themselves being carried along, learning to swim with it or risk drowning and being cast aside as the new order established itself.