Part 17 in the NWOBHM singles replica series. Limited 500copies

An early and influential band in the New Wave of British HeavyMetal movement, Raven were a group whose lean, tough sound helpedanticipate the rise of thrash metal, though they preferred todescribe their energetic and physical sound as "athletic rock,"inspired in part by their habit of wearing sports gear on-stage.When they were given the opportunity to release their first singlethrough the generosity and prudence of the Tygers of Pan Tangmanager, who saw the band perform and was naturally impressed, themembers of Raven had to make the difficult choice of selecting asong to turn into a single. Perhaps wisely, they chose a relativelytame song for their standards, which still included everyidiosyncrasy the band would become known for. The hyperactivevocals, fast riffing and mean drumming are present; but the mold isa simple hard rock song. Why this didn't become a classic track Ido not know, as it easily beats many of the conventional hard rock"classics" - Born To Be Wild has nothing on this. The band had beenplaying for years, both in the line-up on this single (which theyretained for six studio albums) and earlier line-ups, featuring anextra guitarist and several different drummers. The first seeds ofthe material featured here and on the coming two albums wereplanted back when vocalist and bassist John Gallagher and guitaristMark Gallagher were merely young teenagers. Their absolutelysmashing drummer Rob "Wacko" Hunter joined them far later, butfinding him must be one of the greatest things to ever happen tothe two brothers. The man was a mean machine, giving us thegreatest drumming ever heard on NWOBHM tracks. Don't Need YourMoney is the perfect single for a NWOBHM band. It starts with asimple A-flat riff, repeated an octave higher before returning tothe root. It's a perfect fast, driving riff, which is build up bybass and drum accompaniment before the vocals kick in. They featureJohn Gallagher´s completely crazy vocal style, which was crafted toperfectly accentuate the band´s restless and wild style.Classically trained, he bellows and screams and sneers with histhick Newcastle accent in a very charismatic manner. The song is apunkish anthem about refusing money from some sort of authorityfigure, mockingly called "honey". "I don't want no rich fat daddytrying to change my life when I just want to relax", as John shoutsin the penultimate moment of the chorus, which is left to theaudience in live performances. To take this sort of stand in thesoul-crushing Newcastle, in which few escaped from the daily grindwhich slowly pulverized their souls, was almost necessary. It wastheir way to cope with the dire conditions. It remains an appealingplea for sympathy. Don't Need Your Money is unbelievably fun tohear and to sing along to, which is its chief virtue. I sing thiswhile I work, while I am dressing, while I shower, while I amdriving or cycling, even while I am merely walking around the houseor a building.. It never leaves me. Out of Raven's entirecatalogue, this one song has probably received the most air play,and that is just. It is energetic and frenetic without being too"out there"; a perfect introduction to the band's material. WipedOut, featured on the B side of the single, has possibly the mostcatchy riff I have ever heard in my life. This is the sort of thingthat makes people want to run and grab a guitar so they can playaround with it themselves. It is so instantaneously memorable thatit is suitable for heavy radio play. Normally I am not too fond of"catchiness" as a standard of good music: every silly note sequencecan be catchy, but that says little about its actual quality. Itsticks to the mind, sure, but what sticks remains far moreimportant. In rare instances like this, however, the riff is soamiably unforgettable that it is sufficient on its own. Of the twosongs on the single, Wiped Out is the more daring. It's a littlelonger, a little crazier. John's scream are a little lesscontrolled too. Unlike Don't Need Your Money, it isn't asflawlessly functional; but it certainly still rocks. "You're gonnabe wiped out" they shout - and they stuck to their promise. Theband has wiped me out numerous times. Even the solo is very good:not only does Mark Gallagher give us amazing playing, it is alsobacked up by unbelievably good drumming. For a first 1980 single,the audio quality is great. The raw quality fits the band, andeverything comes out relatively clean. The drum sound may be alittle annoying to a few people, but the astounding quality of itsaves it from becoming a very big nuisance. This is how Raven firstpresented themselves to the world, and it is no surprise they wouldbriefly achieve a legendary status among followers of theNWOBHM.

Track list:
1. Dont Need Your Money
2. Wiped Out

Condition cover: nm

Condition cd:nm

Tänk på attfrakten blir billigare per vara ju fler du köper (se vårafraktvillkor för en portotabell). Så se mina övriga annonser,kanske hittar du något mer

Skickgradering:

M (mint)/NM(near mint) = Nyskick/Mycket bra exemplar
EX (excellent) = Mycket fin och välvårdad
VG+ (very good +) = Bra skick, normalanvänd skiva
VG (very good) = Sliten men spelar ändå bra
G (good) = Väldigt sliten skiva som kan hacka
+/- = mindre skillnader inomgraderingsområdet