1. "Motorcycle Man" (4:00)
2. "Stand Up and Be Counted" (3:09)
3. "747 (Strangers in the Night)" (4:57)
4. "Wheels of Steel" (5:57)
5. "Freeway Mad" (2:40)
6. "See the Light Shining" (4:53)
7. "Street Fighting Gang" (3:10)
8. "Suzie Hold On" (4:32)
9. "Machine Gun" (5:21)
Wheels of Steel by Saxon was one of the albums that got the NWOBHM rolling. Saxon came charging out of England with a souped up, straight forward sound. Although it did not chart in the United States, it opened up a lot of American ears to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
Lead singer Biff Byford had a distinct bark that turned on fans to a legion of music that has kept coming for thirty years. Although Saxon is not the best known of NWOBHM bands, they may just well be the most consistent, as they have regularly put out solid albums for the last three decades.
"Wheels of Steel" is an absolute masterpiece. They picked up immediate fans in bikers with outlaw biker classics "Motorcycle Man" and "Freeway Mad." These two songs are definite fist pumpers. Fast and reckless, they are mainstays of the Saxon catalogue after thirty years. "Motorcycle Man" stunned American metal fans and opened the door other NWOBHM bands.
"Wheels of Steel" and "747 (Strangers In The Night)" are fan favorites at Saxon shows and are Saxon classics. "Stand Up and Be Counted," although buried by all of Saxon's great tunes over the years. The opening riffs recall Ted Nugent's "Yank Me, Cranked Me," although really cranked up.
Saxon is car stereo music. The kind you put the top down, crank up the music, and pump your fist going down the street. Many import reissues have teamed this album up with "Strong Arm Of The Law" to create a classic 2 CD set. Those two CDs are the best of an impressive catalogue. "Denim and Leather" saw the band expand their US following, but "Wheels Of Steel" remains their loudest and most solid offering. A true metal classic for anyone who likes their metal fast and reckless.