Hard 'n' Heavy

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Hard 'n' Heavy
Anvil studio album

Publication
(s)

May 25, 1981

admission

1981

Label (s) Attic Records

Format (s)

CD , LP , MC

Genre (s)

Heavy metal

Title (number)

10

running time

42:05

occupation
  • Guitar , vocals at # 4, # 8: Dave Allison

production

Paul LaChapelle

Studio (s)

Quest Recording Studios, Oshawa , Ontario (Canada)

chronology
- Hard 'n' Heavy Metal on Metal
(1982)

Hard 'n' Heavy is the first album by the Canadian metal band Anvil . It was released in May 1981 by the Attic Records label. Originally released under the band name Lips on an independent label , it was released a little later under the name Anvil at the label's request, as there was already a group of the same name. In contrast to the band's later albums, a strong hard rock influence dominates here , while the lyrics of the songs deal almost exclusively with topics such as love, sex and groupies .

Emergence

When the album was recorded, the band had existed for three years. According to the official biography of Lips and Robb Reiner, Anvil: The Story of a Friendship , the musicians had made a name for themselves in various clubs in Canada, where they played two to three sets a day. During this time the members, especially Kudlow and Reiner themselves, were able to improve their musical skills on the instruments and write almost all songs that should be used on Hard 'n' Heavy . Until then, the group was still called Lips , nickname of lead guitarist and singer Steve Kudlow, and provided with their unusual appearance and special inlays (for example a gallows loop that was attached to the ceiling or an electric dildo , which Kudlow used for longer guitar solo Used interludes and which is still part of every concert today) caused a sensation among the audience. In the course of this time the band turned more and more to a leather and elastane outfit that was inspired by the BDSM scene and, together with the suggestive lyrics and a musically new hardness at the time, was able to win over the audience. A friend of the band met Al Mair from Attic Records, which enabled them to sign a record deal for several albums. According to Kudlow and Reiner, however, the label made the condition that all income from album sales would not be paid to the band members, but to their employees. Nevertheless, the band agreed, which, according to Anvil, was one of the reasons for momentous developments in the following years.

With the decision to name the album Hard 'n' Heavy , the group also established the tradition of using album names with alliterations even before the album cover was decorated with an anvil .

style

On Hard 'n' Heavy you can still clearly hear the influences of other hard rock bands such as Cactus , MSG , AC / DC . Bands like Black Sabbath , Budgie , Iron Maiden , Motörhead and Judas Priest already existed and had publications and successes, but during the early days of Anvil they were not so established as to have an influence on the group, which was older Appointed music groups, could have represented. In addition, heavy metal as such was not yet known in Canada, so the band was a novelty. Therefore, Hard 'n' Heavy can be assigned to hard rock, whereby the production of the album and the playing technique of the members turned out to be hard even for hard rock conditions and should be groundbreaking for the next albums. With songs such as AC / DC, Paint It Black (from the repertoire of the Rolling Stones ), I Want You Both (With Me) and Hot Child are just as responsible for the Hard Rock typical mid-tempo songs like faster uptempo numbers (School Love, Bedroom Game, Bondage) and slower, melodic pieces like At the Apartment and Oh Jane. Kudlow's vocals are very high-pitched and are partly reminiscent of Rob Halford's voice , while rhythm guitarist Dave Allison's vocals are a bit more random in two songs.

Cover

The first edition of the album, published under the band name “Lips”, had a simple cover: the red imprint of a kiss on the lips through lipstick was visible on a white background. It was only when the name was renamed Anvil that the album cover - classic from today's perspective - with the anvil supported by chains and hit by a hammer spraying a spark was added. With the exception of Backwaxed , all of the band's subsequent albums should have an anvil image.

Track list

No. title Songwriter length
1. School love Steve Kudlow, Robb Reiner 03:15
2. AC / DC Kudlow 04:41
3. At the apartment Kudlow, Reiner 05:22
4th I Want You Both (With Me) Dave Allison 03:22
5. Bedroom Game Kudlow, Reiner 04:01
6th Ooh baby Kudlow, Reiner 02:56
7th Paint It Black (Original from the Rolling Stones) Mick Jagger , Keith Richards 03:54
8th. Oh jane Kudlow, Reiner, Allison 04:54
9. Hot child Kudlow, Allison 04:11
10. Bondage Kudlow 04:31
Overall length: 41:07

Information on the individual pieces

  • School Love is about school girls' sexual preferences.
  • AC / DC is named after the acdc tone sequence found in the song.
  • At the Apartment is the longest song on the album, which is also quieter and more melodic than the other pieces. The longest piece, which is more melodic than the other pieces, is also in third place on the two following albums. Thematically, the song deals with the sexual act of a friend of the band after he was released from prison.
  • I Want You Both (With Me) is about how Dave Allison, who sings the piece, has an affection for two women at once while he's in
  • Oh Jane discusses Robb Reiner's longing for his girlfriend and later wife Jane, who was absent from the tour and with whom he is still married today. Since she is the only person next to Kudlow and Reiner who has continuously witnessed the development of the band from its foundation to the present day, the drummer also referred to her as the actual "third band member".
  • Textually bondage deals with S&M practices. The special thing about this song is that Allison and Dickson stop playing on the album and at the concerts at that time in the last third of the song and Kudlow only played a longer solo when accompanied by the drums.

Reviews

The album was well received by both the Canadian press and the record company at the time of its release. As a result, Anvil became known regionally and was able to secure a loyal fan base. Even today, after more than 30 years, Hard 'n' Heavy, along with Metal on Metal and Forged in Fire, are considered classics by the band and the fans. This can also be seen in the fact that none of the following albums achieved the popularity of the first three albums despite increases in songwriting and technical demands, which Kudlow himself confirmed when he stated this as a classic in an interview with metalfactory.de: “I like this one [three plates]. These are great albums and they represent everything that defines Anvil in their pure form. ”At powermetal.de, editor Martin Loga wrote in 2007:“ At least the band's first three albums… offer absolutely brilliant, powerful metal without frills. Unfortunately, newer ANVIL albums hadn't sold as well in the last few years, although the sound of the band has never changed much. ”In the review of the 2013 album Hope in Hell from Stormbringer.de magazine, author FO stated:“ ... but ANVIL can't come close to the quality of the first three albums [with Hope in Hell] ”. Even so, only School Love of Hard 'n' Heavy was able to hold onto the band's live set to this day .

literature