Search - Jaguar :: Power Games

VERY GOOD EXAMPLE

Poverty | Puta Que O Pariu | 01/11/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The already legendary " New Wave of British Heavy Metal" was a spontaneous movement that ocurred between 1979 and 1983/4 in Britain. More than 300 bands tried to make their names in that prolific scenario, from whom only three ( Iron Maiden, Def Leppard - totally transfigured muscically - and Saxon ) survived until our days - without any interruptions, I mean. Mosf of them had already disappeared by 1985. Jaguar was one of them. This album is a landmark of that era. Hard, fast and simple metal songs played with energy, fury and good taste. Amazing album. The singer, Paul Merrell, has an outstanding voice."

Great,but where's the other one?

Doel Cruz Garcia | JUANA DIAZ, P.R. Puerto Rico | 12/05/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was the finest moment from a band that really had a chance to write great riffs and the songwriting shone through, only on this release however. Including the great onrelease tracks (some of which I spent years wishing to find as the re-issue was out-of-print)In another notes a really great release from JAGUAR,missing in action title is JAGUAR-THIS TIME,I really wanna find it someday like others fans of this great band on CDs too,good luck for everybody."

Still a bit boring

A. Antero | 03/17/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I got Jaguar's "Back Street Woman" 7" single back in 1981 when it was released. I liked power and dirty back alley feeling it got. So when "Power Games" LP was released in 1983 I got it immediately. It rocked, very hard, but there was just something missing, something that the 7" had. I didn't give the LP many spins then.



I recently purchased band's 2003 release "Run Ragged" and was positively surpised. That encouraged me to try "Power Games" again.



But even today the album just don't hit me so hard it should. The problem with "Power Games" is not lack of speed or musicianship or sound quality. They are all excellent. But what this album - and bonus tracks - don't quite have is excellent songs and a bit more relentless approach in performance. So in a way it's productional problem. Sound is controlled, heavy, molten metal sound, but it's not enough.



Lyric leaflet contains pretty interesting press leaflet from 1983 where guitarist Garry Pepperd says "nothing in Heavy Metal is new, but I strive for freshness and originality".



Somebody might say Pepperd's attitude was cynical, but I say he got a point there, concerning "Power Games": nothing really new, except speed. And a band is in trouble if the songs don't stand up alone, without speed, or if performance isn't so relentless it smashes everything out of the way - like Exciter did in "Heavy Metal Maniac" (1983). Average songs, but man, what relentless attitude in playing!



All in all, "Power Games" is a bit over-rated release, although it has it's place in Heavy Metal history as one of the first Speed/Thrash Metal albums.



If you want to get to the core of Jaguar, get their 15-track live CD Holland 82 (2006) instead. Sound quality is only from fair to good (or if you're used to today's over-produced pro-tools live albums, it kinda sucks) even it's remastered, but they are in full action slaughtering their Dutch audience with merciless metal assault. Their performance surpasses the problem with average material. And that's great."