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Rating: The Accept, Hard'N'Heavy musicians from Solingen, Germany, caught the (more or less) global spotlight in the wake of the Scorpions and were immediately credited as the perfect hybrid between AC/DC and Judas Priest starting with the classic LP "Breaker," both in sonic and vocal intensity terms. It took them three albums to forge their classic "Fistful Of Steel," with a touch of moderate Speed; this second "I'm A Rebel" from 1980, with the cover printed in various versions, in some cases with a sword and lion changing shape and color. However, the bombshell is just around the corner: on the back cover, the five Accept members are dressed like ambiguous nightclub and dancing frequenters, sufficiently made up, with pink scarves, dangling chains, and colorful shirts, even captured in descending order of height. Udo Dirkschneider, Wolf Hoffman, Jorg Fischer, Peter Baltes, and Stefan Kauffman seem as if they've emerged from a Munich nightclub investigated by Inspector Derrick (episode "La preghiera della sera," I'd say) rather than from an old shabby garage, with vintage guitars (Flying V) but steeped in experience and metallic sweat, with the demo tape in their pocket and beer pouring out of every pore of their skin.
Recently interviewed, singer Udo still considers the band's first two albums as the least successful (www.metalitalia.com), essential for the march towards a more powerful sound. Compared to their debut, this album is a step back in terms of Accept-music: eight tracks instead of ten as in the previous one. Among these eight is an unusual cover, the title track, composed by one George "Alexander" Young, who is none other than the brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, and their producer along with Henry Vanda until the live "If You Want Blood..." from 1978. George had written the piece in the Scott era, around 1977, but even after recording it, the Australian band didn't include it in any album; Accept dusted it off, and it's fair to say that the piece is sparse but catchy, with an easily graspable riff (perhaps camouflaged in "You've Got Another Thing Coming" by Judas Priest?) and the stadium chorus that rides throughout the song with a more edgy sound than the debut. A bold choice since it would have been easier to perhaps propose "Riff Raff" or "Rock'N'Roll Damnation," just to name two killer tracks from the Scottish origin kangaroos.
In "Save Us", a bass appears in the style of "Discogatto" in tune with the dance chaos of the era, but the song is not despicable, with Udo's raw voice standing out and a lively guitar solo, distorted at the end. A small glimpse of "Dance Hall Days" yet cloudy, as if to reveal that the wall dividing the dance hall from the stage is very thin. Two slow ballads: "No Time To Lose" and "The King" are sung by bassist Peter Baltes; certainly decent and canonical but they steal space from more fierce tracks, reiterating the Scorpions model with sharp tracks mixed with others simmered and pondered. Strangely, the inclusion of drummer Stefan Kauffman in place of Frank Friedrich results in a decrease in execution speed, there's no "Free Me Now," for example, as in the debut, although the drummer will redeem himself with "Breaker." "Thunder & Lightning" is the strongest track on the album along with "China Lady", invigorated by good '70s riffs and Udo's voice oscillating between Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. In the case of "China Lady", it seems impossible that such an effective riff hasn't already been invented. Also in "I Want Be No Hero", there is a déjà-vu whistling guitar, a filler equipped with another disco bass that grants the piece a pass to discos. It's 1980, and Judas Priest is producing "British Steel" while AC/DC are "Back In Black": Accept is like Don Abbondio in the castle of the Unnamed. "Do It" is again admiration for AC/DC, self-indulgent rhythm, and a good solo.
For those who appreciate later Accept, this album is little more than an appetizer, not fully capturing the guitar talent of Wolf Hoffman but revealing the potential of Udo Dirkschneider. An immature and still transitional album, certainly not as essential as the subsequent "Breaker" and "Restless And Wild" for a great honest, energetic, and often forgotten band.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 I'm a Rebel (03:58)
They say I won't make it to the top of the hill
Won't take the fruit off the tree
And ev'rybody says I'm out for the kill
They're all laughing at me
They're all laughing at me
I'm a rebel - rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel - rebel
And they're all laughing at me
They say I'm a danger to the public and all
I only wish they would see
I'm just the product of a screwed up world - but they're all
They're all laughing at me
But they're all laughing at me
I'm a rebel - rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel - rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel - rebel
But' they're all laughing at me
Never ever was my old blue jeans
And brush the smile off my face
But still I'm a member of the
Human race - Human race - Human race - Human race
02 Save Us (04:35)
Beyond the hill, of fantasy
Ha, tell ya
Take care of you, beware of his magical plan
It hurts, breaks your soul, burns your mind
Never believe, never never
Believe the tales of mystical force
Please, save us
Bring us his trembling heart
Please, save us
Bring us his trembling heart
Black hill castle, (there in the dark)
Hear the thunder, watch the spark
Ha ha ha
Can't you see?
Way of life, It's (...)
I saw his sinister face
Speaks your name, don't listen
Otherwise, your part of the scene
He tears you from the ground and takes you higher and higher.
His magic's all around, his eyes are burning like fire
Repeat
He tears you............
04 Thunder and Lightning (04:03)
The hot music's growing burns, my head's playing tricks
I know it's going, going to my brain
Get burnt up before the feeling
(...) running through my veins
Flying, dying, crying all night long
Roll on
Never stop your moving, feel the night no don't lose it
Try (...)
Ready for the spark
(...)
It's too much, much too much
He's the winner, he's the sinner, (...)
Thunder and lightning, (...)
Thunder and lightning, stand it if you can
Squeezing and teasing, touch you deep inside
Thunder and lightning, feel it in your mind
He shows he's plain, (...) back to me
(...), all he couldn't be
By the way, before (...)
(...)
06 I Wanna Be No Hero (04:02)
You wake me up, you make me glad
Even if I'm really out of control
You stand by me when I stumble and fall
I'm confused tonight - I'm feeling blue
You'll find a way to help me through
Wan't you tonight 'cause I feel time is right
Need your sleazy love deep down inside
I can't give you nothing but love babe
Tried to change, but it's pretty hard
I wanna be no hero, but I know I would die for you
I wanna be no hero, but I'm ready to fight for you
I wanna be no hero, oh, but I can give you love
Life is a mess - oh yeah
I know that living's not easy with me
Watching my love (...)
You drived away all my sorrows and pains
My love is strong, more than a game
I wanna be no hero - need you tonight
I wanna be no hero - stay by my side
I wanna be no hero - need you tonight
I wanna be no hero - oh but I can give you love
07 The King (04:11)
he was the leader of a small gang
Commiting crimes each day
But time has changed where he was proud
It's a far away
He took living easy, his bad reputation
Oh it was known all around
But he didn't care no, he made dirty money
Now he is down and out
Thought he knew the tricks of life
Prowling in the dark
Now he's left by all his friends
'Cause he lived apart, of them
He was a leader, malicious and violent
His fame is covered with blood
Now he's just a number, he lost all his power
The king has lost his face
Down down down, though the king lost his crown
Caught and sentenced, he was guilty
Down down down, though the king lost his crown
It's too late - far too high
Late far too high
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