Disky Records
1981
Denim And Leather
About This Album
Saxon's third straight (and ultimately last) classic album, 1981's Denim & Leather capped off a stunningly prolific 18-month stretch for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal stars. If only Saxon had managed to stagger the amazing triumvirate of Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, and Denim & Leather over a longer stretch of years, listeners might still be talking about the group in the same hallowed tones reserved for fellow upstarts like Def Leppard and Iron Maiden. But perhaps the band's run at the top was simply fated to be short and sweet, given that taking their first extended break shortly thereafter would result in a string of disappointing follow-ups, starting with the lackluster Power & the Glory two years later. Listening to Denim & Leather's many lasting heavy metal anthems, it's sadly apparent that they represented the end of an era for the hard-working quintet from Barnsley, England -- a uniquely inspired and prolific era which they'd never replicate again. Bookended by possibly their best-ever single, the storming "Princess of the Night" (one of their biggest American hits and probably the only love song ever written for a train!), and the timeless title track, the album didn't always match the consistency of its direct predecessor, Strong Arm of the Law, but arguably outdid the even better-known Wheels of Steel opus before that.
Track List (try tracks 2,6,7 and 8)

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