Judas Priest Album Musings Last update: 25AUG01 _________________________________________________________________ _Demolition_ - Atlantic, 2001 No review, yet. _'98 Live Meltdown_ - CMC, 1998 This 2CD set is as true as a fan's (front-row) eye-view as you're likely to get: vocals mixed a bit too high, guitars mixed a bit too low, ample crowd noise and spoken song intros, and no seeming attempts to mask the occasional botched note or cracked shriek. All the expected hits are here, plus a handful of songs from _Jugulator_. Too bad the tracks are all cued at the start of the spoken song intros and _not_ when the music actually starts. (My CD player's fast-forward is getting a workout!) Tim "Ripper" Owens proves that he's no Halford clone. (His voice is more full, but doesn't quite have the range. And, though he overdoes the vocals a bit, here and there, he's excused.) The audience participation is incredible, even if it sounds like the various chants and sing-alongs have been slightly bumped up in post-production. ('Twas recorded in Europe, which helps explains the enthusiasm of the crowd.) The spoken word song intros have an appealing cheesiness to them ("what's my name?" "Ripper!" "WHAT'S MY NAME!" "RIPPER!"), though the album's only true Spinal Tap-worthy moment is an acoustic rendition of "Diamonds and Rust." Judas Priest plays folk _as_ folk! Hilarious. As you'd expect, a little of this one goes an awfully long way. Al Aikens - _Victim of Changes_ - ?, 1998 Priest's original vocalist covers tracks from _Rocka Rolla_ and _Sad Wings of Destiny_. Disc includes an early history of the band. Dave Holland plays drums. Well-produced old Priest sound. Aikens sounds great. (He's more of a growler than a wailer.) _Bullet Train EP_ - ?, 1998 Japanese import, with newly recorded versions of "Rapid Fire" and "The Green Manalishi." Neither is particularly impressive. The former adds an almost-embarrassing chorus to a song that doesn't need it. Worse, Owens' sings the second verse an octave higher than the first. It doesn't work as a song, I don't think, but it sure send chills as a vocal display. As for the Fleetwood cover, Priest play "Manalishi" at a slower tempo than the original. It plods, despite an appealing "heavy-osity." Two - _Voyeurs_ - Interscope, 1998 Rob Halford's "industrial" project. I've taken a quick listen at the record store and haven't been moved. Maybe I'll find a cheap used copy, sometime. _Living After Midnight: The Best of _Columbia, 1997 Compilation, with 16 tracks reaching back to _Unleashed in the East_. The linear notes are nothing special, but the accompanying photos are pretty cool. Too bad there's no _new_ material, either unreleased live tracks or studio leftovers. _Jugulator _- CMC International, 1997 Here's my initial impression, after a couple of spins: Priest plays death metal, but with better singing. "Ripper" Owens seems to have a strong set of pipes, but they have him growling (and wailing) an awful lot. The whopping, was-it-really-worth-wading-through-a-mid- night-sale-for-this? disappointment is the gloomy instrumentation. Second-rate packaging I was prepared for. (Could they have chosen any lousier a logo?) Cheesy lyrics I was prepared for. (Can _you_ listen to "Dead Meat" all the way through? I can't.) What really surprised me is how "narrow" the songs all sound. Nothing "soars." It's all crunch and grind and chugga chugga atmosphere, some of which works (the title track ain't half-bad) and too much of which, on initial listen at least, doesn't. (Maybe Dave Mustaine could've pulled off that silly spoken-word intro to "Death Row." Maybe.) That said, there are at least a couple of classics. ("Bullet Train," "Burn in Hell," and "Cathedral Spires"). And a suitably heavy mix (it's "heavier" than Painkiller, but not nearly as "thick." Yeah, I miss that "meaty" sound.) And a hope for the future, that the new guy can bring some sensibilities-- musical *and* lyrical-- to the band. Ironic, I suppose, that they should end up sounding more than a little bit like their former singer's former band... Glenn Tipton - _Baptizm of Fire_ - Atlantic, 1997 He plays, he writes, he sings (!) and not half-bad. There's a near-instrumental that's pretty good and an over-the-top cover of "Paint it Black." The remaining tracks are okay, as I recall. Various Artists - _Tribute to _Century Media, 1997 The American version is a single disc, with one track not on the imports: Strapping Young Lad's cover of "Exciter." I believe the other artists include Helloween, Fates Warning, Iced Earth, Mercyful Fate, and Saxon. Various Artists - _Tribute to Judas Priest, Vol. 2 _- Century Media, 1996 Import. More covers. More daring, but less appealing, after several listenings. Artists: Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Heavens Gate, Nevermore, Gamma Ray, Forbidden, Angra, Overkill, Kreator, Skyclad, Stratovarius, Virgin Steele, and Leviathan. Various Artists_ - Tribute to Judas Priest, Vol. 1 -_ Century Media, 1996 Import. Nifty covers by Helloween, Fates Warning, Gamma Ray, Devin Townsend, Mercyful Fate, Rage, Radakka, Doom Squad, Lions Share, Testament, U.D.O., and Saxon. Fight - _A Small Deadly Space _- CBS, 1995 All I recall is that I returned it. 'Nuff said. Various Artists - _Nativity in Black_ - ?, 1994 Halford sings "The Wizard" and it ain't bad. Kinda boring, but definitely not bad. Halford also fronted for Sab, for a couple shows, when Ronnie James Dio split. Fight - _Munitions _- CBS, 1993 E.P. of remixes (from War of Words) and live tracks, including a cover of Freewheel Burning. Surprisingly, the remixes are more effective than the originals. Fight - _War of Words_ - CBS, 1993 Rob Halford's solo effort is okay. Good riffs, good production, but way too predictable songwriting. Listen through the end of the CD for a bonus song! Original Soundtrack - _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ - CBS, 1992 (?) Rob Halford sings with Pantera backing on "Light Comes Out of Black." Great song and better than most of his solo career (so far). _Painkiller_ - CBS, 1990 At last, Priest as they should sound in the late-eighties: scorching, screaming, and double-bass pounding. The title track may well be their single best song, ever. Once again, however, the lyrics are the weak link. Sigh. _Ram it Down_ - CBS, 1988 Better, but not a solid improvement. Songwriting still could be better. (Note the dud "I'm a Rocker" and the ineffective lyrics of "If You Want It" and "Blood Red Skies.") The band covers "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry. The title track is a killer as is the very heavy "Hard as Iron." _Priest... Live _- CBS, 1987 Okay live album. Nowhere near the intimacy (or sterling production) of Unleashed in the East, but it effectively captures the band's "arena days." _Turbo_ - CBS, 1986 They turn to guitar synthesizers and the results are mixed. Inane lyrics begin to detract, as does boring songwriting. The players are in peak form, but their direction is only half-right. Note: This album was intended as a double. Remaining tracks were reworked and released on Ram it Down. _Defenders of the Faith_ - CBS, 1983 The quintessential Priest album, pre-Painkiller. Every track is a killer, except for the final non-track. Fabulous production, again by Tom Allom. (Though it's hard to hear in the atrocious CD transfer. How muffled and muddied can you get, anyway?) And, lest we forget, ol' Tipper Gore didn't care for "Eat Me Alive." _Screaming for Vengeance _- CBS, 1982 Back on track, with a faster, fatter sound. Tom Allom's production is a keeper. Halford wails and roars and soars. Classic tracks: "The Hellion/Electric Eye," the title track, and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," which would be covered, years later, by Mr. Pat Boone. _Point of Entry_ - CBS, 1981 The band takes a step backward, with a more commercialized turn that barely works. "Desert Plains" and "Heading Out to the Highway" are classic tracks, but the rest of the songs are half-hit or miss. Terrible cover, too. Oddly, the CD transfer is about the best-sounding of their back catalog. _British Steel _- CBS, 1980 A faster, leaner, meaner sound for the band. Numerous strong tracks, including "Breaking the Law," "Metal Gods," and "The Rage." The fluffier "Livin' After Midnight" is also on this album. Classic cover, too. _Unleashed in the East _- CBS, 1979 One of the best live albums that I know of. Best of the blistering renditions, for me, is the final track, a sped-up "Tyrant" (from _Sad Wings of Destiny_). Grab the Japanese CD, if you can, for four more tracks. _Hell Bent for Leather_ - CBS, 1979 Fabulous album, though the production sounds a bit muddy on compact disc. The songwriting and performances have a healthy range-- they play slow, fast, high, low, you name it. They cover "The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Horn)" by Fleetwood Mac. _Stained Class_ - CBS, 1978 The band is getting into their groove, with punchier production, some grand double-bass playing (on "Exciter"), and some reasonably memorably riffing. They cover "Better by You, Better Than Me," by Canned Heat, I believe. "Beyond the Realms of Death" becomes a classic. _Sin After Sin_ - CBS, 1977 Production improves ten-fold. Songwriting continues to get better. The band covers Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust" to good effect. "The Sinner" is on this album, as is "Dissident Aggressor," which would be covered by Slayer some years later. _Sad Wings of Destiny_ - Gull, 1976 Stronger songwriting, better (but not the best) production, and a crystal-clear sounding Halford. _Rocka Rolla _- Gull, 1974 I haven't played this one in years. The title tracks rocks, as I recall. Not much in the way of production, tho. Copyright 1998 by Michael J. Legeros _________________________________________________________________