Rebel Rouser

Spear Of Destiny - One Eyed Jacks [EPC 25836 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC]

One Eyed Jacks was an album of rousing protest songs, led by the classic singles Prisoner Of Love and Liberator. It is a polished set by former Thin Lizzy producer Nick Tauber, aided and abetted by Gary Langan and Pete Wilson in the final mix. The album as a whole is much more radio friendly, backing up the theory that CBS saw Spear Of Destiny as potentially filling the shoes of The Clash (something which they never even came close). I recall it was critically panned in some quarters, however it has remained a personal favourite of mine since release. Even if you do find Brandon objectionable, there can be no denying his immense vocal range and One Eyed Jacks is a fine vehicle for his talents. 

CBS never saw fit to release the album as a compact disc, even considering the chart successes during the band's Virgin years and subsequent CD reissues (especially the awful Anagram release) have been brick-walled to death. Brandon has self-released the album again in 2019 as a CD box set and I haven't had the chance to contrast and compare. You can find out for yourselves here.

For now, here is One Eyed Jacks as it should be heard.

A1 Rainmaker
A2 Young Men
A3 Everything You Ever Wanted
A4 Don't Turn Away
A5 Liberator
B1 Prisoner Of Love
B2 Playground Of The Rich
B3 Forbidden Planet
B4 Attica
B5 These Days Are Gone