Judas Priest - Missed them in the Seventies need to make up for lost time.

I'm in the same boat as the OP, so I appreciate all of these recs as well. Was listening to Ozzy's station on Sirius the other day and heard a cut from Stained Class (don't remember which) and it was ridiculously good, and thought to myself, 'why didn't I ever get this stuff before?'

 

Doesn't matter. There's not a bad cut on Stained Class!!

 

Just dropping this thread in for reference
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-judas-priest-album-by-album-thread.307907/

 

Yeah, we spent some good time on that one.

I can only reiterate what others have said: start at Rocka Rolla and go to about Defenders of the Faith and stop there. Other albums past those have some good moments, but aren't strong, overall. While Painkiller is seen as one of the best comebacks by a metal band after a period of dropping the ball, it's not an album I recommend. It's too sterile and seems to try a little too hard. The reunion stuff with Halford has been a mixed bag and not so great, really. Avoid the Tim "Ripper" Owens stuff, altogether.

 

Painkiller was an easy comeback for Priest after the absolute drivel that was Turbo and Ram It Down. It doesn't hold a candle to their best stuff (Sad Wings,Sin After Sin,Stained Class) but had that speed metal sound that was popular at the time. Everything past that album has been more miss than hit, IMO.

 

Thanks. I only buy vinyl

 

I love just about every Priest album to one degree or another. Got into them in 1984 so I had to backtrack from there. Loved then and still love Defenders and Screaming, but there is some real truth to 70's stuff being their best. It's the same story with every band to one degree or another, but in this case I find that up to Stained Class they were just creating music with no self consciousness! Then a level of self consciousness creeped in and they started making Judas Priest music and a little bit of purity was sacrificed.

Most people will trace that to British Steel but I believe it began with Hell Bent For Leather (and I worshipped Hell Bent when I first got it all those years ago). The prime suspects in this change are Evening Star and Take On the World.

Anyway, as mentioned previously The Sentinel is a classic you need to hear. Instead of albums, here's some songs that are lesser known but brilliant.

The Sentinel
Solar Angels
Before the Dawn
Dissident Aggressor - if you can listen to the version on A Touch of Evil - Live. Rob's delivery of "GRAND CANYONS" is stunning!! It's originally on Sin After Sin which I believe to be their best album. Last Rose of Summer and Here Come the Tears are true ballads!
Johnny B. Goode-Okay, just making sure everyone's paying attention, cause this song is garbage!
Hard As Iron-Need to punch your way through concrete? Listen to Hard As Iron!
Desert Plains and it's sister song...
Worth Fighting For
Halls of Valhalla-a stone cold classic from the new album! It is worthy!!!
Cathedral Spires from the Ripper Owens era-pretty much the only real gem they put together over those two albums, but great!

Oh, and Painkiller is great and all, but take the title track off there and it would be largely forgotten. Over rated to the hilt!

 

I saw them live at the Glasgow Apollo in 1980-some band called Iron Maiden were support-Priest were and remain one of the worst bands I've ever seen.

Tedious soloing, HM turned to cartoon cliches, motorbikes on stage and daft effects-dire wouldn't cover it, I've seen this gig discussed on the Glasgow Apollo page on FB and everyone was in agreement it was awful possibly a bad night but for me they mark an era when HM lost it's way or maybe I grew out of a lot either way as much as I liked some of the 70's stuff after that gig I was out......

 

What????? OMG. Or should that be OMC?

I've had that album since about a year after it came out and always thought it was "Glass", as has every single one of my friends who were into them back then. I've never heard anyone call it "Stained Class" but googling now I see you're right.

This is so weird my brain almost can't take it in. It's like finding out water is made out of Helium and Oxygen when for 40 years I thought it was Hydrogen and Oxygen. Did the original vinyl have it misprinted with a "G" & it was later changed?? This is freaking me out.

I am going to have to quiz a couple current Priest fan friends without them knowing why and pretend I can't remember the title, ask them "What is the name of the album after Sad Wings?" (or is that Wincs?!?!?) and see what they say.

 

They will probably say 'Sin After Sin'. Ha.

 

Or ask if they know what song and album has lyrics from an earlier album that is then the album title of a later album - and what are the lyrics?

 

Yuppers, my thoughts match yours exactly. Especially with Painkiller
For those who want to get in to Priest, give Ram It Down at least one chance and don't listen to the critics. Same with the Ripper stuff (which you should approach as a different band, it worked for me). Only check out Turbo if you like hair metal.

 

Doh! Brain fart...

I bought Stained Glass (sic) as my next Priest album after Wings and didn't get S.A.S. until after I already had Stained Glass (I just can't train my mind to say Stained Class yet btw).

 

Seriously? It took to update 12 to get to Screaming? WTH! Someone else mentioned Painkiller. The sound of JP changed, in a good way I feel with the addition of Scott Travis on drums with Painkiller. Driving beat to say the least. I saw them quite a few times from about 81 on. Always a great show.

 

My favorites are Sad wings through Stained. I like Hell Bent through Screaming as well, but not as much - still very strong, though. I don't mind Turbo, but Ram it Down is godawful.

 

Perhaps. Except that they really weren't cliches at the time. It's only in looking back, after all the years and countless imitators, that they come off that way now.

 

I figured it out a little quicker than you did but it is a strange title. The song lyrics make it clear though - humanity has inherent dignity and nobility that is spoiled by the tendency to sin. Most religious rock bands have nothing on these guys!

 

Their 70s stuff is very Gothic (in the literary sense)

 

My favorite band in the world. Nothing beats the Priest!
The albums I would recommend you get first would be: Hell Bent For Leather, British Steel, Stained Class, and Painkiller.

 

The 70's stuff is great, innovative and creative with Sad Wings of Destiny and Sin after Sin outstanding. The 80's stuff is good cheese metal. Painkiller is way overrated. Angel of Retribution is a nice comeback though. Also try solo Rob Halford stuff. Avoid the last one.

 

Could very well be the best live on TV vocal performance. The instrumental track and backing vocals are playback though.

 

Holy crap! lol. That's not even what I would consider the best song on the album! 'Tis a great opener though!

 

Thanks for all the replies. will absorb the albums I have ordered and listen to the rest on You Tube.

What makes a good album, and this goes for any group, if you enjoy it, it is good. Doesn't matter what the critics or anyone else says.

I have listened to British Steel and was not overly impressed with it, sounded too much like Metallica for my taste.

Its only taken me 30 odd years to discover the group so another year of trying out their music will do just fine.

 

They are not really even close stylistically.

 

It cannot be denied that Priest are, always have been and shall remain the Ultimate Heavy Metal Experience, especially live.