Korean Rock Recall: Metal Band Baekdoosan Do The Road Song Right With Their 1987 Cut 'Women Driving Highway' [AUDIO]

If you're going to pull out the automotive metaphors in your music, you'd better deliver.

See Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" for a ride that satisfies. Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55?" I'm not so sure.

On their rip-raging cut "Women Driving Highway," Korean metal legends Baekdoosan own the road. This is music that offers to capture the visceral thrill of speed, and keeps its word.

Beginning with 1985's "Too Fast! Too Loud! Too Heavy!," Baekdsoosan became one of Korea's premiere merchants of pure metal. In 1992, the band went on a 14-year hiatus. But since revving things back up again in 2006, they've been setting stages on fire once again, just like the glory days of thrash never faded.

"Women Driving Highway" comes from Baekdoosan's sophomore album, 1987's "The King of Rock n' Roll," a kickass, if vague, record title. (Who here exactly is "The King of Rock n' Roll?" One of the band members? I'd wager it's the guitar player, but it's hard to say for certain.)

The first sound we hear on "Women Driving Highway," is a motor revving up. This is a time-honored sound effect in metal and it's also throwing down a very serious gauntlet.

Baekdoosan open at a tempo that amply does the trick, as far as irresponsible freeway driving as concerned.

In other words, it would probably be difficult for the aforementioned Red Rocker to maintain the speed limit if he had a Baekdoosan tape in the dash. By 1987, bands like Judas Priest and others had already investigated rhythmic extremes beyond what Baekdoosan are demonstrating on "Women Driving Highway." But, limit-pushing is beyond the point here.

Baekdoosan's speed on "Women Driving Highway" is set to a sort of dangerous cruise control, summoning the feeling of acceleration rather than the weight of heaviness.

This is lithe as metal can get.

Keeping the riffs lean and their motor clean, Baekdoosan emphasize horsepower, not crushing tonnage. Besides, Baekdoosan also seem unconcerned with metal's potential for darkness. They seem solidly on the party bus, keeping heads banging without all the messiness of Satan or other likewise evil elements.

Vocalist Yoo Hyun Sang's careening screeches often bring to mind the other side of the Van Halen coin, none other than "Diamond" David Lee Roth.

For the requisite guitar solo, Kim "Steve" Do Kyun goes the distance.

Reeling off neoclassical runs that would find approval with the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen, Kim crams an ungodly number of notes into his 20-second solo. In and out, quick-like.

Clocking in at just under three minutes, "Women Driving Highway" delivers on its pedal-to-the-metal promise with time to spare. Highly recommended, although if you happen to run into trouble with the highway patrol while under the influence of Baekdoosan, don't say we didn't warn you.

Check out Baekdoosan's "Women Driving Highway" RIGHT HERE

Jeff Tobias is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and writer currently living in Brooklyn, New York. As of late, he has been studying the music of Morton Feldman and trying to build a better breakfast burrito.

Tags
Baekdoosan
Women Driving Highway
The King of Rock n' Roll
Join the Discussion

Latest Photo Gallery

Real Time Analytics