Judas Priest's Reviews
British Steel (Average Rating: 8.84 out of 10)
Raw Metal From The Masters Of Metal (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Bob Schneider
from Tacoma, WA USA
For those who may just now be getting into Judas Priest's music-- especially by way of either "Screaming For Vengeance" or "Defenders Of The Faith"-- BRITISH STEEL (1980) may sound like it was recorded in somebody's basement. Maybe it did; however, now Columbia Records has released what us metal-hungry Priest fans have waiting for a long time to get--BRITISH STEEL (REMASTERED)!This CD packs a much fuller, more three-dimensional sound. It no longer sounds like it was recorded in somebody's basement; now it sounds like Priest is playing right there in your home. The order of the songs has been changed somewhat. BRITISH STEEL now begins with the fastest, heaviest, and probably the best track: the speed-metal "Rapid Fire." Even though 22 years of metal, grunge, and 'nu-metal' has gone by since it was recorded, this fast-riffing metal workout remains strong to this day. I love the way Halford raises his voice into a scream at the end, and just holds his scream till he can't hold it anymore! It's just another example of why he's one of rock's greatest vocalists ever. "Metal Gods" still succeeds "Rapid Fire"--as well as it should be, as "Rapid Fire" just naturally goes right into the mid-tempo groove of "Metal Gods." The two-and-a-half-minute ode to fun and criminal mischief "Breaking The Law" comes next. One of only two singles that were released from this album, it's a steady rocker hooks you from beginning to end. I still never tire of hearing it. "United" is a classic slow Priest anthem, very much in the style of their later "Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith." Hearing it now in the wake of September 11th, I think that it would make a perfect anthem for American solidarity. What do you think? The CD continues with another steady rocker, the intelligently rebellious "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise." Despite the long title, it's a straightforward rocker that has a lot to say in favor of being in one's youth. "Living After Midnight," as I'm sure you all know, was the big single from this album (I believe that it briefly cracked the American Top 50). It still rocks hard today, and remains one of us Priest fans' most loved tracks to date. For years, it was one of JP's three concert encores--the others being "Hell Bent For Leather" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'--and I believe that they still close their shows with these same songs. "The Rage" and "Steeler" are pretty cool tunes to round out the album--but wait, there's more: In this Remastered edition of BRITISH STEEL, we now get the previously unreleased studio track "Red, White & Blue" which Judas Priest had recorded in 1985 during the TURBO sessions. Although it's actually dedicated to the colors on the flag of the United Kingdom, not the United States, I can see how it could become a great American anthem as well. It's quite an emotional and moving song. We also get a hot live version of "Grinder," which is a great track to end this excellent CD. I give BRITISH STEEL (REMASTERED) five stars for both content and for sound. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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