Judas Priest Discography Discussion (part 2 starting page 20)
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Saapanael
Ancient Mariner
Freewheel Burning is a nice fast opener but its quality has gone down since I first heard it. The best riffs are the ones after the solo.
Jawbreaker is another powerful one. It's just pure Heavy Metal enriched with KKs tremolo scream solo.
Rock Hard Ride Free is an amazing song, starting off with a solo and giving great melodies and riffs one after another. Of course the song wouldn't be the same without the "Rock hard, ride free!" chorus.
The Sentinel is probably the best song of the album and one of my favourite Priest songs overall. It opens with such a strong riff and takes the turn to a blasting riff with amazing Halford vocals and dramatic atmosphere. It's a song with great structure and the solo is also pretty awesome.
I like that "...in the dead of night" part in Love Bites. Even though the song is not instrumentally the most outstanding, the guitar really compliments the vocals.
I used to dislike Eat Me Alive but I've started to like it more. Although, I don't know how it's possible, it's a short song but still feels too long, it has some beautiful solo licks and a tight rhythm.
Some Heads are Gonna Roll takes it back to this album's a-side glory. The tempo is smooth and slower than usual, the vocals are beautiful and once again, the guitars are a big part of the song. One of my most preferred songs on the album.
Night Comes Down gets over-listened quickly but when you hear it after a while, it's bloody great. Priest definitely have good taste for ballads.
I have never really understood Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith. It's what I see as a "filler".
In total, Defenders is probably my second favourite Priest album with very many top quality songs and some not that good but still worth a listen. The production, although not very clear, is powerful and I like it, the instruments sound nice. It's the album on which I notice improvement in Tipton/KK solos, slowly taking them to new levels and some years later, to their absolute peak. I also like the cover art more than most of Priest's covers.
Jawbreaker is another powerful one. It's just pure Heavy Metal enriched with KKs tremolo scream solo.
Rock Hard Ride Free is an amazing song, starting off with a solo and giving great melodies and riffs one after another. Of course the song wouldn't be the same without the "Rock hard, ride free!" chorus.
The Sentinel is probably the best song of the album and one of my favourite Priest songs overall. It opens with such a strong riff and takes the turn to a blasting riff with amazing Halford vocals and dramatic atmosphere. It's a song with great structure and the solo is also pretty awesome.
I like that "...in the dead of night" part in Love Bites. Even though the song is not instrumentally the most outstanding, the guitar really compliments the vocals.
I used to dislike Eat Me Alive but I've started to like it more. Although, I don't know how it's possible, it's a short song but still feels too long, it has some beautiful solo licks and a tight rhythm.
Some Heads are Gonna Roll takes it back to this album's a-side glory. The tempo is smooth and slower than usual, the vocals are beautiful and once again, the guitars are a big part of the song. One of my most preferred songs on the album.
Night Comes Down gets over-listened quickly but when you hear it after a while, it's bloody great. Priest definitely have good taste for ballads.
I have never really understood Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith. It's what I see as a "filler".
In total, Defenders is probably my second favourite Priest album with very many top quality songs and some not that good but still worth a listen. The production, although not very clear, is powerful and I like it, the instruments sound nice. It's the album on which I notice improvement in Tipton/KK solos, slowly taking them to new levels and some years later, to their absolute peak. I also like the cover art more than most of Priest's covers.
Cosmiceddie
Back From The Edge
I second this.
Eric Wright
Nomad
They were probably trying to turn more glam/commercial, because Turbo was pretty much where they hit rock bottom in this phase.
Judas Priest was really good about staying relevant to the times, especially when it came to appealing to American audiences. This can be seen as a positive or negative thing (personally I see it as both), but either way I think it explains the overtly sexual lyrics found in the 80's. Sexual themes played a huge part in that decade among almost all genres. You saw it in pop, hip hop, and even metal. It doesn't come across as a surprise to me when Priest starts writing with these themes.
It's even more noticeable in their music. Even today, when Priest writes a new album it always sounds "modern".
It's even more noticeable in their music. Even today, when Priest writes a new album it always sounds "modern".
Eric Wright
Nomad
I've never really had the incentive to listen to the modern Priest albums like Nostradamus past a few seconds because it just doesn't sound that interesting. Doesn't sound bad at all, but just not particularly inspired. Feel the same way about Sabbath with Tony Martin
Crimson Idol
Caveman
Oh no, the worm can has been opened.
Chained Prometheus
The Spiral King
Actually I think it might have something to do with Rob struggling with his sexuality at the time. From what I've heard, he used to deal with alcohol/drugs a lot due to the stress he had from dealing with his sexuality until he went sober around 1986. That stress might have bled out into the lyrics he was writing at the time too.
Turbo (1986)
Rob Halford – vocals
K. K. Downing – guitar
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Dave Holland – drums
From the first note of Turbo, it becomes quite clear that listeners would be in for a surprise. No huge drum hits to start a epic twin guitar lead, no 16th note attack before heading into a riff, instead we're given the sound of a guitar synth! That's right, Judas Priest has discovered the world of synthesizers and were pushing into a very mainstream sound. And more importantly, Rob Halford had a mullet.
Coming off the heels of yet another album and tour, it was time for Priest to explore new horizons. After taking a hiatus from touring in 1985 (their only performance that year being a brief appearance at Live Aid), the band got to work on another album. The initial plan was to release a double album titled Twin Turbos. Recording sessions took place at Compass Point Studios in Nassau (a location that should be very familiar to Maiden fans) using brand new recording technology. In fact, Turbo holds the distinction for being the first Metal album recorded entirely digital. 19 songs were recorded, giving a glimpse at various Priest styles. The idea was to release it for the price of a single album, but the record label refused to go along with this. So instead, the band picked out the most commercial/up tempo songs and Turbo was born. As for the other songs, a few ended up appearing on Ram It Down and others were released as bonus tracks on remastered albums and box sets. As of 2014, only two songs from the Turbo sessions remain unreleased.
With the double album idea scrapped, Priest then set out to release a commercial hit. Influenced by Glam Metal bands such as Quiet Riot and The Scorpions, the idea was to create an album that could appeal to a wide audience. While the album sold well, the reception wasn't as great as the band had hoped. Fans were divided and many accused the band of selling out.
Lyrically, the album was also a departure from previous efforts. More "love" songs were present, as opposed to songs about Metal Messiahs and other fantasy themes. Parental Guidance was written as an attack on the PMRC, who listed Eat Me Alive on the infamous "Filthy Fifteen". This was a theme that was also popular in the late 80's, appealing to rebellious teenagers. The Twisted Sister influence is quite clear. The final line in this song also has a nod to You've Got Another Thing Comin'. The song Reckless was set to appear in the film Top Gun, but the band declined since they didn't expect the film to do well and it would mean not having the song appear on the album. Reckless also has the distinction of being one of the first Priest songs (along with Wild Nights, Hot and Crazy Days) to be recorded in an alternate tuning.
New grounds were also explored when it came to promoting this album. More elaborate music videos were made; Turbo Lover and Locked In had music videos that acted as a sort of "series", with similar plots, costumes, and special effects. And on top of the normal magazine ads and radio promos, the band even created TV commercials to promote the album!
The tour for this album was also huge. Priest was playing arenas around the world, with a huge elaborate stage show and new glamed up costumes. The setlist featured many live favorites from the 80's, with the only pre Killing Machine song being Victim of Changes. There was also a large focus on the latest album, with all but two songs being performed. This would be remembered as one of Priest's biggest tours ever and was immortalized in the live album/video titled Priest...Live!.
In retrospect, Turbo remains as one of the most controversial albums in the Priest catalog. While it has its moments and the band seemed to be quite clear with their intentions, it still leads to the question of whether or not they were "selling out". At the end of the day, it is clear that Priest do care for their fans and want to make music that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Commercial sounding singles weren't new to the band either. Priest has also never been a band to keep the same sound for too long, which I can appreciate, personally. Sometimes it involves some wrong turns, but it also breeds creativity and can result in some really great material. After all, we did get Painkiller because of this. And besides..
...I can respect this attitude much more than the "no taking risks" attitude of the new album.K.K. Downing said:
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Priest...Live! (1987)
Recorded in Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas on the Fuel For Life tour, this live album is a great snap shot of Priest at the top of their game in the 80's. Compared to the highly studio modified previous live album, Unleashed in the East, Priest...Live! features a much more live sound, and feels more like a live performance. It was also a longer album, being released as a double live album. This release also had a video counterpart. Recorded in Dallas, the video showcased the band's stunning visual performance and featured songs that weren't included on the original LP/CD. It was later released on DVD in the very awesome Electric Eye collection. Unfortunately, this album was a bit of a flop for Priest standards, only reaching gold. This is a shame as it's a very strong release and I would go as far as to call it one of my favorite live albums. The video is also a must.
In 1986 I was 19, just starting college and Priest was easily my favourite band and a favourite of most of my friends as well. It had been two long years since the triumph of Defenders and when Locked In hit the radio announcing an imminent album release, I was practically camping at the record store.
I remember bringing it home, heading into the basement, turning down the lights, turning up the volume and dropping the needle onto the vinyl...and being left utterly speechless. My friend came by. Same reaction.
It wasn't horrible exactly, it actually had some catchy moments and some Priest-ly playing.
It was just...different.
Turbo grew on us. In fact, it became kind of the soundtrack of that period in our lives.
It was the time of strippers and mullets and '80s excess and — ranked against the Motley Crues that dominated that Rock of Ages world — it stacked up very well.
Much later, I grew to despise it, like so much of the shallow pool that dominated heavy music in the late '80s — maybe more because I knew Priest was so much better than that. And then, eventually, I stopped caring about it at all. I've been looking forward to this opportunity to listen to it with some fresh, objective ears.
I remember bringing it home, heading into the basement, turning down the lights, turning up the volume and dropping the needle onto the vinyl...and being left utterly speechless. My friend came by. Same reaction.
It wasn't horrible exactly, it actually had some catchy moments and some Priest-ly playing.
It was just...different.
Turbo grew on us. In fact, it became kind of the soundtrack of that period in our lives.
It was the time of strippers and mullets and '80s excess and — ranked against the Motley Crues that dominated that Rock of Ages world — it stacked up very well.
Much later, I grew to despise it, like so much of the shallow pool that dominated heavy music in the late '80s — maybe more because I knew Priest was so much better than that. And then, eventually, I stopped caring about it at all. I've been looking forward to this opportunity to listen to it with some fresh, objective ears.
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Cosmiceddie
Back From The Edge
'Turbo Lover' is still a top ten song for me. Other great songs are 'Out In The Cold', and 'Hot For Love'. However, the album contains awful tracks like 'Rock You All Around The World', 'Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days' and 'Parental Guidance' as well.
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It has some great tracks. It's innovative from a recording/technological standpoint, but not so much from a songwriting standpoint. A lot of the songs sound like them following the crowd, in a way. That said, it's still Priest, and they still knew how to write killer tracks. Turbo Lover, Locked In, Out in the Cold, all top tier Priest. Unfortunately, the album doesn't have a lot to offer beyond that.
Sara
Not even Wensleydale?
At the time Turbo came out, I was still very young, and it was before I started really getting into hard rock and metal, so I can't comment on how it must have sounded to people who were longtime fans before that album. I got into Priest during the "Painkiller" era, after which I started gradually aqquiring all of their albums. I remember getting Tower Records to order in certain Priest CDs, as I couldn't find them in any music store (this was at a time before the albums were re-released and re-mastered), and one of those CDs was 'Turbo". Although there were aspects of the album that I liked initially, it was quite a long time before I developed a genuine love for the album. I guess this was no surprise, as at the time, I had just recently discovered the delights of albums like "Sad Wings Of Destiny", and "Defenders Of The Faith", and compared to them, the album seemed a bit lightweight, and lacking in fire. However, right from the start, my ears were drawn to things like the great solo in "Locked In", and the memorable pre-chorus in "Hot For Love", so there were certainly elements of it which I enjoyed, but it was a while before the album as a whole, rose in my estimation. In many ways, my relationship with this album is very similar to the one I have with "Point Of Entry".
There are some awful and stupid tracks such as "Parental Guidance", "Private Property", and "Wild Nights...", but overall, there is more that I love about the album, than I dislike. It's still a weak album overall, in the context of the whole Priest Canon, but I adore songs like "Out In The Cold", and "Hot For Love", and do view them as classic Priest songs. The style of the album is off-putting to some, understandably, but the band showed that even in this style, they were still expert songwriters. It's certainly not one of their best albums, but there are songs on it which I love a lot. Proof that even a weak Priest album is still pretty killer!
There are some awful and stupid tracks such as "Parental Guidance", "Private Property", and "Wild Nights...", but overall, there is more that I love about the album, than I dislike. It's still a weak album overall, in the context of the whole Priest Canon, but I adore songs like "Out In The Cold", and "Hot For Love", and do view them as classic Priest songs. The style of the album is off-putting to some, understandably, but the band showed that even in this style, they were still expert songwriters. It's certainly not one of their best albums, but there are songs on it which I love a lot. Proof that even a weak Priest album is still pretty killer!
Saapanael
Ancient Mariner
The last time I listened to "Turbo" I didn't like it at all except for Turbo Lover. I played it yesterday and it really has become a bit better. It's one of those occasions where every song on the album has some good bits but many on the whole are below average. "Locked In", for example: the solo is really beautiful but the song, especially in terms of lyrics, is very cheesy. Hot For Love has an amazing harmony section but the biggest bar-raisers are Turbo Lover and Reckless. These songs are great all throughout. The evolution of their guitar solos on every album is just awesome, many Tipton masterpieces on this one.
So yeah, while lyrically Priest was a weak band at the time, they were still a big thing musically.
Priest...Live! is one of my favourite live albums as well. The video is so metal and the playing very energetic. Truly the height of the 80s. Their costumes and everything make it very enjoyable to watch.
On the whole, Turbo is among the weaker albums of Priest but I'm glad they at least tried to take a new approach with synth guitars (even if it didn't work out very well) and the album is, no doubt, worth a listen.
So yeah, while lyrically Priest was a weak band at the time, they were still a big thing musically.
Priest...Live! is one of my favourite live albums as well. The video is so metal and the playing very energetic. Truly the height of the 80s. Their costumes and everything make it very enjoyable to watch.
On the whole, Turbo is among the weaker albums of Priest but I'm glad they at least tried to take a new approach with synth guitars (even if it didn't work out very well) and the album is, no doubt, worth a listen.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
This is an album that proves to me that (for me at least) music is more important than lyrics. I really dislike the lyrics of this album, but some tunes have such catchy guitar riffs and vocals melodies that I can't be bothered that much about it. Also the soft, commercial sounding production becomes an inferior aspect because form (a shell) is less powerful than the core, the soul: music, melody and passion.
I find Reckless the best one, a very strong hard rock song.
That opening riff speaks for itself. I love the bridge and chorus. Mighty stuff. Great vocals with lots of spirit!
Locked In is unbelievably catchy as is Hot For Love (especially the pre-chorus: nowhere to go.. etc.). Out in the Cold and Turbo Lover are atmospheric, especially the title track has a unique edge to it. Some weird grabbing tension. I care less about the other four songs because I find the music and vocal melodies less interesting.
Special mention: Prisoner of Your Eyes was a great surprise to me when it got released. What a ballad. Haunting chorus with a strong accompanying guitar melody woven into it.
It's not one of my favourite Priest albums (absolutely not) but I appreciate it on its own and still find it better than some of their other (non-)"experimental" works, and better than many releases from other bands, from both the eighties and other eras.
I find Reckless the best one, a very strong hard rock song.
Locked In is unbelievably catchy as is Hot For Love (especially the pre-chorus: nowhere to go.. etc.). Out in the Cold and Turbo Lover are atmospheric, especially the title track has a unique edge to it. Some weird grabbing tension. I care less about the other four songs because I find the music and vocal melodies less interesting.
Special mention: Prisoner of Your Eyes was a great surprise to me when it got released. What a ballad. Haunting chorus with a strong accompanying guitar melody woven into it.
It's not one of my favourite Priest albums (absolutely not) but I appreciate it on its own and still find it better than some of their other (non-)"experimental" works, and better than many releases from other bands, from both the eighties and other eras.
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Sara
Not even Wensleydale?
Talking of the solos on the album, the solo on "Hot For Love" which is played by K.K., is a real showstopper! Like "Jawbreaker" on the previous album, it proves that whilst K.K. doesn't take as many of the main solos as Glenn, when he does have one, they are usually explosive, and very memorable. As for Glenn, his solo on "Rock You All Around The World" really elevates that song from being merely average/okay, to being a really good one. It's more akin to something you'd find on "Painkiller", and gives that song some much needed edge and bite.
About "Prisoner Of Your Eyes", the first time I heard that song, was the version recorded by Halford on the "Live Insurrection" album, and it is a stunning, and beautiful song. It amazes me that the Priest original ended up locked in the vault for many years, without making it onto a studio album, much like the awesome "Heart Of A Lion", which was written during the same era. I have no idea why the latter song was given to Racer X, Priest should have kept it for themselves!
About "Prisoner Of Your Eyes", the first time I heard that song, was the version recorded by Halford on the "Live Insurrection" album, and it is a stunning, and beautiful song. It amazes me that the Priest original ended up locked in the vault for many years, without making it onto a studio album, much like the awesome "Heart Of A Lion", which was written during the same era. I have no idea why the latter song was given to Racer X, Priest should have kept it for themselves!
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Saapanael
Ancient Mariner
You're right about "Rock You...". That lead comes as a surprise and compliments the song. It has that classical Tipton sweep. Also I agree that the solo on "Hot for Love" is memorable and interesting. The melodic approach works well in the song.
Especially on this Priest...Live! version, Glenn does some great guitar wizardry here:
Especially on this Priest...Live! version, Glenn does some great guitar wizardry here:
Crimson Idol
Caveman
I've never had a problem with Turbo. It is at the low end of the 80's albums certainly, but I still enjoy it a lot. Title track is fantastic, Out in the Cold is one of Priests bests and can get me quite emotional, I've always enjoyed 'Rock You...' and even though Parental Guidance/Private Property are fairly commercial neither bothers me at all. Wild Nights is the weakest track, I'd probably call it average if anything.
Heart of a Lion is a great track, best version being on Halfords Live Insurrection, but yes it's first appearance was on Racer X's second album - I heard that it was because Halford was involved with Jeff Martin at the time. Jeff Martin sings backing vocals on Wild Nights too, so there's probably some truth to that and/or it was a thank you for his participation.
Quite a lot of the bonus tracks on the various albums came from the Turbo sessions, and whilst most of them feel different enough that I think they would've made for a very bizarre album they are all (imo) very good. It definitely seems to have been a strong time for them writing wise, just sadly most of the stuff they came up with was too varied to be used on the same CD.
Heart of a Lion is a great track, best version being on Halfords Live Insurrection, but yes it's first appearance was on Racer X's second album - I heard that it was because Halford was involved with Jeff Martin at the time. Jeff Martin sings backing vocals on Wild Nights too, so there's probably some truth to that and/or it was a thank you for his participation.
Quite a lot of the bonus tracks on the various albums came from the Turbo sessions, and whilst most of them feel different enough that I think they would've made for a very bizarre album they are all (imo) very good. It definitely seems to have been a strong time for them writing wise, just sadly most of the stuff they came up with was too varied to be used on the same CD.