Tygers Of Pan Tang - Crazy Nights/The Cage

Crazy Nights					The Cage

Do It Good						Rendezvous
Love Don't Stay					Lonely At The Top
Never Satisfied					Letter From LA
Running Out Of Time					Paris By Air
Crazy Nights					Tides
Down And Out					Making Tracks
Lonely Man						The Cage
Make A Stand					Love Potion No.9
Raised On Rock					You Always See What You Want To See
						Danger In Paradise
						The Actor
Bonus

Slip Away						Life Of Crime
Stormlands						Love's A Lie
Paradise Drive					What You Sayin'
						Making Tracks (Extended Mix)

Producer: Dennis Mackay				Peter Collins
Time: 49:00 					51:41
Label: Edgy Records1997/MCA 1981			Edgy Records 1997/MCA 1982

My interest in Rock music dates back to around the time of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) at the start of the 80s. Along with Def Leppard, Saxson and Iron Maiden, the Tygers Of Pan Tang were at the forefront of the movement.

Back then I was a poor student and I had to make do with listening to tapes of sessions etc made from the Friday Rock Show on Radio 1. The reissue, by Edgy Records, of all 4 TOPT albums on CD seemed like an ideal opportunity of revisiting my long lost youth. I started buying the albums in reverse order, but I looks like I've stopped after Crazy Nights.

Crazy Nights

Crazy Nights features John Sykes on guitar and Jon Deverill on vocals, along with the TOPT stalwarts of Robb Weir on guitar, Rocky on bass and Brian Dick on drums.

Back in '81 I would have probably have listed the TOPT in my Top 10 bands. Well, my tastes have changed more than I thought over the years, because, other than saying that this is a prime example of the NWOBHM, I'm really struggling to say anything positive about this album. The 'best' tracks are Running Out Of Time, Crazy Nights and Lonely Man. The standout track on this reissue is Stormlands, which was included on a 12" single included with the first pressing of the LP. This is about the only track that hints at what the TOPT were capable of.

Rating: 4

The Cage

In 1982 John Sykes departed to join Thin Lizzy, to be replaced by Fred Purser who had previously been with punk/new wave band Penetration. It seemed like a strange choice at the time.

For this album, the band went for a more commercial sound and I seem to remember the metal press screaming sellout at the time. In fact, this is the TOPT's finest hour. It represents a quantum leap forward from the bog standard metal workouts of the previous albums. All my favourite TOPT tracks are on this album.

On this album there is a huge infusion of melody into the Tygers work. The first 3 tracks are all crunchy anthems that still sound good. Then it's Paris By Air and the band give us their crowning moment. Right from the acoustic guitar at the start, this hook laden number oozes class. This must surely be one of the all time great metal singles.

As far as hit singles were concerned, the closest TOPT ever got was their metalised version of the old standard Love Potion No.9. Why did metal bands always have to pull stunts like this to have any chance of getting in the charts ?

Of the 2 versions of Making Tracks, which features a drum pattern 'borrowed' from Adam & The Ants, on offer, its strangely the extended mix that I prefer. Best of the other bonus tracks is Love's A Lie which follows a similar path to Danger In Paradise.

I was surprised how well this album has aged. Still worth checking out.

Rating: 8