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Raven - Raw Tracks
1999 Metal Blade Records
Raven - Raw Tracks

Track Listing:
1.  Firepower
2.  Don't Need Your Money
3.  Savage And The Hungry
4.  Nightmare Ride
5.  Get It Right 
6.  On & On 
7.  Extract The Action 
8.  Barbarian 
9.  Hot Moves 
10. Rock Until You Drop 
11. Juggernaut 
12. Thunderlord 
13. Gimme A Break 
14. Move Over 
15. White Hot Anger 
16. Altar 
17. Tie Your Mother Down 
18. Architect Of Fear 
19. Enemy

Line-Up:
Vocals:  John Gallagher
Guitars:  Mark Gallagher
Bass:  John Gallagher
Drums:  Joe Hasselvander

Website:  www.ravenlunatics.com

Horatio's Rating:  B+
Average Album Rating:  B+

Horatio's Review:
While reading my review of Raven's 'One For All' I felt I had been slightly unfair in my criticism of the amiable nutters, the lads hardly deserving of such harsh words.  I recall being rather tired of the band in that period which explains the barrage of humiliation.  Upon listening to the band's back catalogue lately I once again realize what innovators they were in creating metal as we know it, the likes of 'Rock Until You Drop' and 'Wiped Out' far exceeding Maiden, Saxon and Venom in the power stakes.  'Raw Tracks' is a compilation of unreleased demos and live tracks which cover the band's career, making for some essential listening.

Perhaps the heaviest power trio in metal history, some of the quality here is lacking, given that many tracks are bootlegs, which fail to capture Raven's wall of noise.  That doesn't ruin the album, as energetic live cuts of favourites like 'Firepower', 'All For One' and 'Extract The Action' capture the band's unique sound, one which is as identifiable as a Maiden or Slayer.  Comprising nineteen tracks, this is a comprehensive overview of the band's long career and throws in some unheard songs, namely a different version of 'Savage And The Hungry', 'Barbarian' and 'Hot Moves'.  It displays Raven at their finest, and leads me to wonder why they aren't considered all time greats in metal's long history.  To those who know they already are.  One for the true fan, most wouldn't give this a second glance, which is okay with me.  Stick to your Maiden you boring sods.

Song summaries include...

  1. Firepower - Originally from 1982's 'Wiped Out', a fierce live rendition of a Raven classic which sounds as if it were recorded in front of twenty people in a barn.  B+

  2. Don't Need Your Money - The track which made Raven a leader of the NWOBHM, a classic which sounds fresher now than it did twenty five years ago.  Live version.  A

  3. Savage And The Hungry - This appeared on 1987's 'Life's A Bitch' in totally different form.  This original version is slower and more ominous, an obvious demo with a crude chorus which may exceed the song which made the final album.  B+

  4. Nightmare Ride - A demo of the track which was one of the better moments from 1986's 'The Pack Is Back'.  This demo is rawer and more riff orientated with less of the commercial feel which compromised the studio version.  Absolutely pulverizing metal.  A

  5. Get It Right, On And On, Extract The Action - A live trio from 1984's 'Stay Hard', which of course saw Raven tone their act down to suit Atlantic with whom they signed a major label deal.  'Extract The Action' is the key selection, as the fastest and most traditional Raven sounding of the three.  Live they destroy the rather safe studio tracks.  B

  6. Barbarian - A previously unreleased track from which year I am uncertain.  As primal as metal gets, stripped down and tougher than five hundred Kerry Kings.  A

  7. Hot Moves - Also unreleased and far more commercial, with a chorus which would have satisfied radio, leading me to conclude this comes from the 'Pack Is Back' sessions.  B+

  8. Rock Until You Drop - Thin sounding live version of Raven's trademark song, with no bass present, presumably recorded in the twentieth row of a club with a Walkman.  Maybe the least essential moment of the collection, but only due to quality.  D

  9. Juggernaut - Live version of an obscure cut from 'Life's A Bitch', an album which saw Raven return to the raucousness of their early years.  C

  10. Thunderlord - Live again, taken from the 'Nothing Exceeds Like Excess' tour, the album of which this track is from.  Demonstrates the beastly nature of that crazed album, with a thrash passage two minutes in which annihilates Slayer's guitar tandem, amazing as Raven have only one guitarist in Mark Gallagher.  B+

  11. Gimme A Break - Also taken from 'Nothing Exceeds Like Excess' and even more furious than it's studio counterpart.  These guys come alive on stage with all the dynamics of a Who or MK 4 Deep Purple.  Impossible to keep up with and inconceivable that three geezers can make such a racket.  This is what separates the men from the little boys.  I'd like to see Zakk Wylde try to keep up with Raven.  Hopefully they would pummel the bearded poser and leave him nude and bloodied in only his precious leather vest.  A+

  12. Move Over - Cover of the Janis Joplin classic, which fails to move me coincidentally.  C

  13. White Hot Anger - From 1990's 'Architect Of Fear', an album I've never heard.  Live, with no crowd reaction evident which suggests either no one was there or they were unimpressed by this particular song, which is a nifty piece of Raven heaviness.  B

  14. Altar - I believe this is culled from 1994's 'Glow', an album which saw Raven toy with a more 90's sound, far more downtuned than their usual high pitched shrieking.  Not recommended.  C

  15. Tie Your Mother Down - No guesses as whom Raven are covering here.  Energetic run through, but I've been so worn out of Queen's original for so long that I can't listen to the whole thing.  C

  16. All For One - Live.  The drum sound overpowers all around it in the mix.  Sounds like a latter day live attempt, the riffing style not in keeping with 1983, more like 1993.  B

  17. Young Blood - A forgotten gem from 'The Pack Is Back', concerning gang warfare 'under the streetlights'.  Live, this one actually fails to surpass the polished studio opposite, only because of inferior recording quality once again.  Fine end to an all encompassing disc highlighting Raven's progression.  The sound can be excused therefore, it's supposed to be that way.  B

Horatio's Rating:  B+

Also be sure to read:
 Raven - One For All by Horatio
 Raven interview by Horatio