Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. If you’ve been keeping up with this webzine since its inception, then you’re well aware of our love for Riot. Whether we’re wistfully looking back on their iconic albums, condensing their catalog down to its 10 finest moments, or interviewing the band members themselves, it’s a strong heavy metal bond that, as a diehard fan, I’m honored to have reciprocated. It only makes sense that we continue to salute these legends on this unfortunate day, the 20th anniversary of original singer Guy Speranza’s passing. Having already explored the band’s groundbreaking third album, Fire Down Under, today we go back two years to ’79, when they struck with Narita. Join us on this trip down metal memory lane and buckle your seatbelts ‘cuz there’s gonna be some “Road Racin'”!
By the time ’79 rolled around, the writing was on the wall for Riot. Despite high profile support slots for Molly Hatchet, AC/DC, Nazareth, and other hard and heavy acts of the era, it did little in the way of long term success. Their debut album, Rock City (1977), was a commercial flop and failed to even crossover onto album rock radio. One could point fingers at record labels, managements, etc., and I’m sure all these parties were to blame. However, there’s also the elephant in the room being that Riot were significantly heavier than their peers. Unlike headliners of the day like KISS or Boston, Riot didn’t have a poppy edge to their sound, and weren’t willing compromise their musical vision to appease the higher ups.
Lucky for Riot, they eventually did break, albeit in the least expected of territories: The UK. As Saxon famously sang, ’79 was the year “the dam began to burst”. Bands like themselves, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Tygers of Pan Tang, and Girlschool (among others) were popping up all over the country, leading to the explosion known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Riot’s rough and ready metallic sound fight right into this format, leading to airplay on groundbreaking DJ Neal Kay’s program. Young English headbangers started picking up import copies of Rock City, which led to Riot’s management pushing them for a follow up. That follow up was Narita.
Musically speaking, Narita picks up right where Rock City left off, towing the line between the rowdy hard rock of the ’70s and steely traditional metal of the early ’80s. The biggest difference between the two is the growth in writing, musicality, and production. Riot play on Narita like it could’ve been their last album, and for all they knew it was. It was an age where tomorrow was never promised, so the band collectively put their best foot forward, unleashing an assault of youthful power and unbridled energy that would eventually fuel them into the next decade.
As we drop the needle on Narita, we’re greeted by one of its more “accessible” moments, “Waiting for the Taking”. Its arrangement is rather poppy by Riot standards, with lighter guitars during the verses and Speranza placing melody over brute force in his vocal delivery. Ripping guitar solo courtesy of Mark Reale aside, “Waiting for the Taking” can be compared to Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon at their heaviest, fusing pop tendencies with a heavy metal sheen.
The boogie metal blitz of “49er” follows and truly kicks the album into overdrive (no pun intended). The muscular riff attack of Reale and Rick Ventura grab the listener by the throat, while Speranza captivates us with this larger than life tale of American settlers who headed west in search of gold. As Speranza sings, “Many men fell to a gun or a knife”, making the subject matter of this song that much more metal, especially for ’79. Similar to Rock City, it’s as if early headbangers got a taste of what metal would sound like in the ’80s, albeit a few years early.
“Kick Down the Wall” continues the metal onslaught. Although the song itself could be characterized as a textbook midtempo hard rocker, the guitars boast an ungodly heaviness to them, reminiscent of Iommi or Ronnie Montrose circa Montrose’s self titled debut. There’s also that no frills, singalong chorus, which would become a key component of metal come the mid ’80s. A revved up, proto-speed spin on Steppenwolf’s proto-metal hymn, “Born to Be Wild”, follows, before side A closes with the album’s raging title cut. There’s no hard rock to be found on this rip roaring instrumental. I can’t help but think Maiden took some cues from “Narita” before recording the likes of “Transylvania” or “Genghis Khan”.
Flipping over to side B, “Here We Go Again” takes hold with its Heep-esque riffing and wildly vivid lyrics. With a title of this nature, one can’t help but wonder if this should’ve been the album’s opener. After all, “Here We Go Again”, two years after the first album, Riot City…right? I can only chalk this sequencing decision up to Riot’s management or the album’s eventual distributor, Capitol. “Waiting for the Taking” was a poppier tune, and therefore made more sense in attracting the attention of the hit-oriented US audience.
Speaking of hit potential, “Do It Up” is another display of hook-driven heaviness that one can’t help but wonder why it was never considered for single release. The song is short and catchy, aided by a punchy lead riff, energetic delivery, and simplistic chorus. At just a little over 3 and a half minutes, it would’ve absolutely fit the rock radio format of the day. So would the aptly titled “Hot for Love” for that matter. Maybe it’s just me, but the riffs and chorus of this one always reminded me of late ’70s UFO. Perhaps Riot were unintentionally trying to score their own “Too Hot to Handle”?
The 2 and a half minute romp that is “White Rock” stands as a musical and lyrical tribute to the kids buying Riot albums in the late ’70s. They weren’t many, but their dedication meant the world to this fledging metal band, who commended the “Hot rock and rollers” that longed for “White Rock”, which also got the band themselves “so hot”. Closing it all out is Narita‘s most memorable moment, “Road Racin'”. Nearly 45 years later and this storming ode to tearing up the road remains a staple of Riot’s live sets today. This song should be regularly mentioned in the same breath as “Highway Star” and “Detroit Rock City” when it comes to ’70s metal driving anthems.
Despite Riot’s best efforts, Narita did little aside from buying the band some extra time, during which they opened for Sammy Hagar, continued to build their following in the UK, and subsequently recorded what many consider to be their magnum opus, Fire Down Under. Although the times were turbulent, they created some incredible metal music, which still gets our headbanging and fists pumping to this day. On this celebratory and commemorative note, I proudly exclaim viva Narita!