Strong Arm of the Law
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Strong Arm of The Law is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon. It was released in 1980, seven months after Wheels of Steel, and debuted on the UK chart at #11.[1]
Background, music and lyrics
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, the album is a "building block of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal," calling the track Heavy Metal Thunder "genre defining." The title track, "Strong Arm of the Law," has been described as "hard-grooving" musically.[2] According to guitarist Graham Oliver, the track was inspired by an incident where the band was driving in Whitehall and was subsequently pulled over and searched by the security detail of then British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.[3] The album's final track, "Dallas 1 PM" concerns the assassination of John F. Kennedy.[4] "We thought, 'Should we put one shot in there or should we put three?'" recalled singer Biff Byford. "In the end we went down the conspiracy theory route and had three shots."[5]
Critical reception
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Track listing
UK Track listing
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US Track listing
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Tracks 9 to 13 recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon on 15 December 1981
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Tracks 9 to 12 recorded live at Studio B15 on 25 April 1982.
Personnel
- Saxon
- Biff Byford – vocals
- Graham Oliver – guitar
- Paul Quinn – guitar
- Steve Dawson – bass guitar
- Pete Gill – drums
- Production
- Pete Hinton – producer
- Will Reid Dick – engineer
- Saxon – arrangements
- Blechner Poxon – management
Charts
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[8] | 15 |
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|
Certifications
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References
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