Headless Cross - Song By Song

[Zzzptm]

Challenge accepted:

First is Russia 1989 and the second is Malta 1995. Muddy sound on the first, but also has Cozy Powell.

I'll throw in another with Tony Martin performing solo in Rio in 2008:

The backing vocals definitely work better when the crowd sings them. I actually also like the additional keyboard flavor in the 2008 track, even if it's not Iommi playing guitar.

And I will agree with Jack, this is better live, I think on all versions of this track.

[Zzzptm]

Kill in the Spirit World

Why in the world this starts off like a pop-metal torch song, I do not know. It's totally at odds with the chorus and middle and end sections. I'm just left confused by the song and I think this was the beginnings of my real problems with the album as a whole, as the memories of a distant past return to my mind.

[Jack the Stripper]

Kill In The Spirit World is where the album takes a sharp turn for the worse. The verses are just flat out terrible on this track and come off sounding like a cheesy Michael Bolton song. The chorus riff is ok but it doesn’t feel like it fits the song or does the weird chorus vocals, which again Martin feels the need to repeatedly highlight the title. Iommi’s solo and Cozy’s solid drumming is the only positive I can find in this  song, the rest is horrendous.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Kill in the Spirit World is my 2nd favourite track on the album, but I think I may be alone in likeing the song though . One of Martin's better vocal melodies (in the verse anyway) but there could have been more to the chorus. I think it could be heavier, but I still like it.

[Zzzptm]

I think I may be alone in likeing the song though

Lookin' that way, KDC.

 

[Jack the Stripper]

You certainly have very different taste to put it politely Kilo 

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I REGRET NOTHING !!!!!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Call of the Wild is next. This is the one that in recent years I have come to enjoy a lot more than I used to. A nice vocal melody / performance from Martin, a good bass line, and although the guitar is somewhat lowkey the solo is rather nice.

Apparently supposed to be called Hero until they found out Ozzy had done a song by that name on No Rest....

[Tyr66]

Not having English as a native language and being close to mediocre in understanding texts without being able to read them to more or less detect their meaning remains a definite advantage. As a French (understand bad in other languages) I trust the voice, its melody, its phrasing, its rhythm, its power and its sensitivity. These are the reasons why I immediately loved the voice of Tony Martin. The meaning of the lyrics of many songs and bands came later, long after, thanks to you guys including Billy who allowed me to understand the subtleties of those foreign words.
The latest example is the touching lyrics of Phil Lynott: a true poet.

Without laughing, I made enormous progress through our discussions and your good words.

Back to the topic : I love Headless Cross ... and I love this place.

[Zzzptm]

You may be on your own with this song, KDC. It started out and my first thought was, "Dokken RULES!"

Very solid example of typical late-80s metal. Could have been the next Whitesnake with a supermodel video and some marketing from David Geffen...

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

^^^
Of course it sounds like the 80s!!! It's a product of it's time, and while it has its flaws I'll take it over most of their late 80s contempories!


@Tyr66
Your English is coming along nicely... a LOT better than my French anyway!

[Jack the Stripper]

Call of the Wild is another forgettable lame AOR style infused song which along with the previous track is the lowest point of the album. It has a kinda cool middle eastern riff on the chorus but it feels a bit out of place with the style of music in the rest of the song as do the lyrics which I have no idea are about but feature lots of references to demons, wings, lucifer, Kings etc. Again Iommi’s guitar solo is super but unfortunately everything else in this song is meh.

Thankfully the last two songs which I’m looking forward to reviewing perform somewhat of a rescue job on this album, or at least end it on a positive note.

[Jack the Stripper]

Not having English as a native language and being close to mediocre in understanding texts without being able to read them to more or less detect their meaning remains a definite advantage. As a French (understand bad in other languages) I trust the voice, its melody, its phrasing, its rhythm, its power and its sensitivity. These are the reasons why I immediately loved the voice of Tony Martin. The meaning of the lyrics of many songs and bands came later, long after, thanks to you guys including Billy who allowed me to understand the subtleties of those foreign words.
The latest example is the touching lyrics of Phil Lynott: a true poet.

Without laughing, I made enormous progress through our discussions and your good words.

Back to the topic : I love Headless Cross ... and I love this place.

Your command of the English language is fantastic consideredIng it’s not your native language. I really enjoy reading your posts, you have a good way with words.

[Zzzptm]

Side note: Mon French c'est very mal.

[Tyr66]

Thanx guys    !!
I love saturday morning like this !