SAXON frontman Biff Byford is spoke with Planet Rock this weekend at the Download Festival in Leicestershire, England, taking place at Donington Park. Check it out below:

As previously reported, Saxon's first seven albums on the French Carrere label have now been amassed into The Carrere Years (1979-1984), a four disc collection of the remastered albums, now expanded with bonus material and including an exclusive interview with the band within the liner notes.

The set kicks off with Saxon's self-titled debut (which now includes the bonus live b-side ‘Judgement Day’), before moving on to their UK No 5 follow up album, Wheels Of Steel, crammed with Saxon classics, from set opener 'Motorcycle Man', through the singles 'Suzi Hold On', '747 (Strangers In The Night)' and the title track.

CD2 in this set starts with Saxon's third album, Strong Arm Of The Law (released in October 1980), opening with the self-explanatory 'Heavy Metal Thunder', like its predecessor ‘Wheels Of Steel’, ‘Strong Arm Of The Law’ features many tracks that have remained staples of Saxon's live set to the present day, including ’20,000 Feet’, ‘Hungry Years’ and ‘Dallas 1pm’, a song about John F Kennedy’s assassination.

Forming the second-half of CD2 is Saxon’s fourth studio album, Denim & Leather. Originally released in 1981, the album caught the band at an early commercial and creative peak, and features the classic singles ‘Princess Of The Night’, ‘Never Surrender’ and a tribute to their appearance at the first Castle Donington Festival (now Download), ‘And The Bands Played On’.

Saxon’s legendary first live album The Eagle Has Landed begins CD3 of this set. Packing in ten solid Heavy Metal anthems, the album buzzes with the band’s trademark live energy.

The Carrere Years continues with Saxon’s fifth studio album Power & The Glory, expanded here with three live b-sides from the album’s title single and ‘Nightmare’. Finally, the set closes with the remastered version of Crusader originally released in 1984 and produced by Kevin Beamish at Sound City in Los Angeles.

The Carrere Years tracklisting:

CD 1

'Rainbow Theme'

'Frozen Rainbow'

'Big Teaser'

'Judgement Day'

'Stallions of the Highway'

'Backs to the Wall'

'Still Fit to Boogie'

'Militia Guard'

'Judgement Day' (Live B-Side) (Bonus Track)

'Motorcycle Man'

'Stand Up and Be Counted'

'747 (Strangers In The Night)'

'Wheels of Steel'

'Freeway Mad'

'See the Light Shining'

'Street Fighting Gang'

'Suzie Hold On'

'Machine Gun'

'Stallions of the Highway' (Live B-Side) (Bonus Track)

CD 2

'Heavy Metal Thunder'

'To Hell and Back Again'

'Strong Arm of the Law'

'Taking Your Chances'

'20,000 Feet'

'Hungry Years'

'Sixth Form Girls'

'Dallas 1 PM'

'Princess of the Night'

'Never Surrender'

'Out of Control'

'Rough and Ready'

'Play It Loud'

'And the Bands Played On'

'Midnight Rider'

'Fire in the Sky'

'Denim and Leather'

'20,000 Ft (Remix) (Bonus Track)

CD 3

'Bap Shoo Ap' (Live At Castle Donington)

'Motorcycle Man' (Live)

'747 (Strangers in the Night)' (Live)

'Princess of the Night' (Live)

'Strong Arm of the Law' (Live)

'Heavy Metal Thunder' (Live)

'20,000 Ft' (Live)

'Wheels of Steel' (Live)

'Never Surrender' (Live)

'Fire in the Sky' (Live)

'Machine Gun' (Live)

'Power and the Glory'

'Redline'

'Warrior'

'Nightmare'

CD 4

'This Town Rocks'

'Watching the Sky'

'Midas Touch'

'The Eagle Has Landed'

'Suzie Hold On (US Version) (Bonus Track)

'Denim and Leather (Live b-side of P&TG;) (Bonus Track)

'The Crusader Prelude (Bonus Track)

'Crusader'

'A Little Bit of What You Fancy'

'Sailing to America'

'Set Me Free'

'Just Let Me Rock'

'Bad Boys (Like to Rock 'N' Roll)'

'Do It All for You'

'Rock City'

'Run for Your Lives'