Rock the Nations

Rock the Nations is the eighth studio album by heavy metal band Saxon released in 1986.

Rock the Nations
Cover art by Paul R. Gregory
Studio album by
Saxon
Released13 October 1986
Recorded1986
StudioWisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands
GenreHeavy metal
Length40:50
LabelEMI
ProducerGary Lyons
Saxon chronology
Innocence Is No Excuse
(1985)		 Rock the Nations
(1986)		 Destiny
(1988)
Singles from Rock the Nations
  1. "Waiting for the Night / Chase the Fade"
    Released: August 1986
  2. "Rock the Nations / 747 / And the Bands Played On"
    Released: October 1986
  3. "Northern Lady / Everybody Up (live)"
    Released: January 1987

Album notes

The album is the first not to feature original bassist Steve Dawson, who had left the band earlier in 1986. For the recording of this album, vocalist Biff Byford, who had incidentally begun his career as a singer/bassist, recorded all the bass parts in Dawson's place. However, Paul Johnson joined the band as bassist before the album was released and is therefore credited in the liner notes.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal5/10[2]
Kerrang![3]

Rock the Nations received mixed reviews from critics. Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic gave the album two stars out of five and said in his review for the band's previous album Innocence Is No Excuse that "Saxon's internal chemistry was significantly unbalanced by the subsequent departure of key songwriter [Steve] Dawson -- a loss from which they would take years to fully recover."[4] in his review for this album, he said that although the album was "graced with a somewhat rougher sound more in line with the band's New Wave of British Heavy Metal early years" it was still "arguably less heavy than its predecessor" and also criticised the songs "We Came Here to Rock", "Running Hot" and the title track for being "cliché-ridden" and "Waiting For The Night" and "Northern Lady" for being "unconvincingly sappy ballads", though he did regard "Party 'til You Puke" as being "good for a laugh" and also of interest for the guest appearance of Elton John. However, he concluded that the album is one that "the Saxon faithful would likely rather forget".[1] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff found Rock The Nations "a little more full-bodied production-wise and less overtly metallic and by-the-book construction-wise" than Innocence Is No Excuse, "while still suffering for coasting on [Saxon]'s scant laurels".[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Biff Byford, Nigel Glockler, Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rock the Nations" 4:40
2."Battle Cry" 5:26
3."Waiting for the Night"Byford, Glockler4:51
4."We Came Here to Rock" 4:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."You Ain't No Angel" 5:28
6."Running Hot"Byford, Glockler, Oliver, Quinn, Steve Dawson3:35
7."Party 'til You Puke" 3:25
8."Empty Promises" 4:09
9."Northern Lady" 4:42
2010 remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Chase the Fade" (b-side "Waiting for the Night")Quinn, Oliver2:32
11."Waiting for the Night" (7" single edit)Byford, Glockler4:12
12."Northern Lady" (7" single edit) 3:57
13."Everybody Up" (live, b-side "Northern Lady") 3:37
14."Dallas 1PM" (live, b-side "Northern Lady")Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Pete Gill6:34
15."Power and the Glory" (live)Byford, Quinn, Oliver, Dawson, Glockler6:52
16."Rock the Nations" (live) 4:49
17."Waiting for the Night" (live)Byford, Glockler4:34

Personnel
  • Biff Byford - vocals, bass guitar
  • Graham Oliver - guitar
  • Paul Quinn - guitar
  • Paul Johnson - bass guitar (credited but does not play on the album)
  • Nigel Glockler - drums
Production
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References
  1. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Saxon Rock the Nations". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  2. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 315. ISBN 978-1894959315.
  3. Dickson, Dave (2 October 1986). "Saxon 'Rock The Nations'". Kerrang!. 130. United Magazines ltd. p. 21.
  4. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Saxon Innocence is No Excuse". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
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