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Samson - Head On (1980) [2001, UK, Castle, CMRCD 189]
Heavy Metal/NWOBHM | MP3 CBR 320Kbps | 12 Tracks
Scans Included | Castle | CMRCD 189 | 173 Mb

Feat. Bruce Dickinson 'Iron Maiden'

“Despite their origins as a bluesy hard-rock outfit, the members of Samson decided to jump the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bandwagon, drafting a powerful young singer called Bruce Bruce (who later rose to fame as Bruce Dickinson with Iron Maiden) to give them much-needed visual and musical credibility. The scheme worked, and their first album, Head On, contains top-notch NWOBHM, featuring raw, energetic performances capped with often silly or naive lyrics. "Take It Like a Man," "Manwatcher," and "Hammerhead" sound especially awkward, but the hilarious "Take Me to Your Leader" makes it all seem wonderfully innocent. The first single, "Hard Times," is both catchy and aggressive, and the band shows off its chops on the drum-happy "Vice Versa" and the almost prog-rock "Walking Out On You." In a premonition of things to come, "Thunderburst" is little more than a modified version of Maiden's "Ides of March." Casual listeners are bound to find this album too raw and sonically dated, but for those keen on the NWOBHM genre, it's a worthy purchase.

~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
”
Samson was a British hard rock band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as “Bruce Bruce”, and drummer Thunderstick (real name Barry Graham), who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a metal cage. Drummer Clive Burr was also member of the band, both before and after his tenure with Iron Maiden. Drummer Mel Gaynor also had a successful music career being a member of Simple Minds for over 20 years.

After the release of their debut album Survivors in 1979, they spent the rest of the year touring on support of the album. In early 1980, Samson appeared as the opening act for Robin Trower’s concerts, including dates at Hammersmith Odeon. The tour finished at Newcastle City Hall, where days later the band opened for Rainbow, on their Down to Earth tour. Here, Samson started performing for bigger audiences, but after some touring differences, they were cancelled for the rest of the dates.

The band’s second album, Head On, was released July 1980, and peaked at #34 in the UK charts. The supporting tour was full of controversy and legal issues, due to problems with their management. They kept writing and rehearsing for a new record. Ten songs had already been composed, by October 1980, and were ready to be recorded. At the same time, the band re-issued their debut album, Survivors, now with Dickinson handling vocal duties.
”

Tracklist:

01. Hard Times
02. Take It Like A Man
03. Vice Versa
04. Manwatcher
05. Too Close To Rock
06. Thunderburst
07. Hammerhead
08. Hunted
09. Take Me To Your Leader
10. Walking Out On You
11. Angel With A Machine Gun (bonus track)
12. Kingsway Jam (bonus track)

Personnel:

"Bruce Bruce" Dickinson – vocals
Paul Samson – guitar
Chris Aylmer – bass guitar
Thunderstick – drums