British Standard Approved

British Standard Approved

Track Listings

1. First Class

2. Cold in the Air

3. Touching the Ice

4. Second Stage

5. Proxima

6. Link, Pts. 1 and 2

7. New Ground

8. From the Outside

9. Wonderland

10. Hemispheres (British Standard Approved)

11. New Ground [Live][*]

12. Only Sane Man [Live][*]

13. Wonderland [Acoustic][*]

Tracks:

First Class
Cold in the Air [#]
Touching the Ice
Second Stage
Proxima
Link, Pt. I/The Link, Pt. II [#]
New Ground
From the Outside
Wonderland
Hemispheres (British Standard Approved)
New Ground [Live][*]
Only Sane Man [Live][*]
Wonderland [2002][*][Version]

Album Description

2002 remastered reissue of the NWOBHM act's 1985 album. Includes three bonus tracks, 'New Ground' (Live), 'Only Sane Man' (Live), & 'Wonderland Acoustic' (2002). Spaced Out.

Customer Reviews:

Demon's finest work........2004-03-30

Demon, British Standard Approved (Clay, 1984)

The majority of Demon fans you're likely to meet (what few of us still remember who they were) are likely to start and end any conversation regarding the band with their first two discs, after which it's generally considered they went downhill (sold out to get a contract with America's Atlantic Records, I think the argument goes). I, on the other hand, think British Standard Approved, the band's fourth disc, was their crowning achievement. Years ahead of its time, mixing progressive rock, pop, and (yes) country with the band's signature biker metal, British Standard Approved took the already-stagnating New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement and gave it a new direction; pity no one followed.

From the very first notes of "Cold in the Air," you have to wonder whether this is the same band who recorded Night of the Demon and The Unexpected Guest. It is, in fact. BSA was the last album Demon recorded before the untimely death of their resident guitar god, Malcolm Spooner. But the ominous blowing-wind-and-eerie-noises and crunchy three-chord guitar work have given way to expressive keyboards, more delicate melodies, and what could well pass for a positive outlook if you squint the right way. Obviously, something happened to Demon vocalist Dave Hill between 1982's "Strange Institution" ("they gave you a mountain to climb, but left you no will to survive") and 1984's "From the Outside" ("it's up to you to see it through...") to give him a radically different view on life as we know it.

What didn't change over the course of the band's career with Spooner, though, was their ability to write dead catchy music. Hill's lyrics are custom tailored for singing along, if a bit cheesy at times, and Spooner studied at the School of Inspiring Millions of Air Guitarists. What do you get when you cross biker metal with new-age happy pop-rock? British Standard Approved, Demon's most accessible album, and one that has been highly underrated over the years. The recent reissue of Demon's stuff is already heading out of print, so pick this one up fast and spend some time wondering why an album this great never got any radio airplay. *****

It's claimed to be Demon, but I'm not sure..........2003-03-21

I'm warning you!
If you think this album will sound even a tiny bit like "The unexpected guest" you're in for a very big and unpleasant surprise. I can't believe it's the same band. I don't like it all and I strongly suggest you pre-listen before buying it!

Weird but awesome.......2003-01-20

I think this album is exceptional cause it goes from the bombastic passages on some tracks well known from their album 'The Plague', cool weird atmospheric sounds of some tunes, to nice melodic and more commercial tracks. This an awesome eclectic (metal-prog?) album, showing some of the best Demon's, and a nice tribute/legacy from Mal Spooner. Its easy to identify a little british-industrial-foggy-Floyd style. Difficult to categorize, it's just good music. Never heard the new bonus track (the other two are live reprises).