Certif1ed
NWoBHM Classic.
No, it's not the most amazing song in the world or anything like that, but when I think of the music of that time, this song is the one that conjoures up the sights, the sounds, and yes, the smells of that most amazing time in modern musical history.
Underneath the hood are standard chord progressions, but these are flavoured with twists that come directly from the soul - you could call this the "before", since later metal became sharper-edged and strident in comparison.
"One of These Days" is not the famous Pink Floyd song, but an original composition by the band, packed with strong, anthemic melody, even if the arrangement is not in istself anthemic. It has strong flavours of the early 1970s, yet is completely of its own time.
Kicking things off is that beautiful acoustic flavoured introduction, rooted in Wishbone Ash or Camel, with a shining thread of lead guitar soaring over the top. This kicks into the first big heavy riff, and the song proper hypnotises with its natural flow and off the beat stabs.
True, it's a little kludgy, but that really is part of its charm, reflecting the whole DIY aspect of the NWoBHM - it really feels like the band turned up at the studio and laid this down in a single take, as a band, not one instrumentalist after another. There is something intangibly authentic about this song that truly gives it character and charm.
The version that made the "Metal For Muthas" album is more polished, if the slightly ragged production isn't to your taste - but for my money, the 7" is still great value - it hasn't hit the silly levels of the Stormchilds, Marquis de Sades or Big Daisys of the world, despite selling the inital pressing run of 2,000 copies almost immediately. Yup, it was the obscure NWoBHM equivalent of a number one hit at the time.
It's not for fans of the technical or brutal, but for those who can really appreciate great music as not necessarily being produced by people who practise 25 hours a day, but instead by normal kids who are simply huge fans of the music.
Flip it over, and we get a song with a more brutal title - Bloody Moon. This is in a similar vein - it's not one of those non radio-friendly ultra-experimental and heavy B-sides that seem to typify NWoBHM, instead, it continues with Trespass' great feel for a strong melody.
The Wishbone Ash influence remains strong, with long, beautifully melodious guitar solos, including twin guitar harmonies, prominent bass and drum flurries, and smoooth, satisfying changes. The song itself is of secondary interest to the instrumental passages, as with much Ash - so this would please fans of that latter legendary pioneering band.
It's also a grower - if you like it on first listen, you'll like it even more on subsequent listens. Despite the fact that it clearly sounds like it was made in a long-gone era, the songs never get old. Hence my rating of Classic.