17 August, 2009

Breadfan

from the LP Never Turn Your Back On A Friend, MCA Records, 1973



Listening now to the blistering speed of this song’s main guitar riff, most people unfamiliar with Budgie would confidently place this track and their general sound within the milieu of early1980s metal; in fact, I love seeing an uninitiated individual’s face when they realize this came out before KISS or Priest even had a record deal! Budgie actually formed in the late ‘60s, building a strong cult following in their native England but never really catching on in the States; however, this track was actually covered by Metallica in their early days. I love the way this song shifts from thrash riffing to mellow acoustic interlude and back again with relative ease, predating a trend now overdone by so-called math rockers.