Another first-rate Motörhead album – the fifth in a row, to be precise – Iron Fist is the final one to feature the band's classic lineup, as guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke would depart following the album's completion. Released in 1982, Iron Fist is mostly distinguished from its predecessors in terms of production, and not favorably…
The directing debut of Braveheart scribe Randall Wallace adapts the Alexandre Dumas classic for Leonardo di Caprio and–well, at least it doesn't hit an iceberg. The first full score by sometime Hans Zimmer collaborator Glennie-Smith is one of those instances of a composer outwitting his film material. Utilizing the fusion of the electronic, symphonic and choral music familiar from Zimmer's best work, Glennie-Smith manages the impressive feat of sounding classical and contemporary in the same moment.
Michael Burks' third release on Alligator Records, Iron Man, is as close to being a live album as you can get from a studio performance. This could be attributed to Burks using his seasoned road band on this date instead of the Memphis studio musicians used previously on Make It Rain and I Smell Smoke. Alongside Burks' searing Flying V strut, Wayne Sharp's greasy Hammond B-3 dominates this set, reveling in soul and rock influences, including a cover version of Free's "Fire and Water," a definite nod to the blues-rock audience Burks has gained over his 30-plus years on the road. While Iron Man is an overall inspired modern electric blues disc, a few missteps hamper the session. "Ashes in My Ashtray," penned by Chicago bluesman Jimmy Johnson, would have made a better instrumental in this particular case, as the lyrics get in the way of an intense Burks guitar performance.