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Rating:  -
What can be said about the great JP and their contributions to the Heavy Metal genre? Other than Black Sabbath, these guys were soley responsible for what I consider to be TRUE Heavy Metal.... A "crunching" guitar assault, "Head-pummeling" tempos, and "soaring" vocals abound. And as far as "looks" go, this band epitomized the visual side of the genre BETTER than any band before or since....literally Hell bent for Leather...and studs...and chains...and boots.
Although "British Steel" is not my all-time favorite from the band (that HAS to go to "Screaming"), I feel it contains a varied mix of music that encompasses what made this band so acssesable and likeable. Metal Anthems such as "Breaking the Law", "Grinder", "Metal Gods" and "Livin' After Midnight" can still be heard on FM stations across the land. Cult followers of the band would surely cite cuts such as "Rapid Fire", "The Rage" and "Steeler" as the real "treats" on this album. Personally, I like every song here...including the "lesser" tracks such as "United" and "Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" (though somewhat "burnt" on "Livin" and "Breaking the Law"). The first band I was ever in (Pure Grain...are you out there!?!), literally "cut their teeth" to this 'Metal' great, and played no less than half the tracks on this album on any given "Gig". If there is anybody reading this that is not familiar with The Priest and is searching for the REAL DEAL, "Old school" version of Heavy Metal....look no further, you've found IT! Also recommended for the "budding" Metalist: Maiden's "Piece of Mind", Metallica's "Ride the Lightning", Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" and Sabbath's "Master of Reality".
P.S. As I was about to submit this review, it occured to me that I failed to mention the individual members of Priest. The rhythm section of Ian Hill and Dave Holland were as tight and "spot-on" as any in the business....holding the "Bus" together with a mighty, pounding 'Pulse'. The dual guitar "assault" of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing never gave the music of JP a chance to even think about "blinking an eye", and literally "steam-rolled" anything in their way....rivaled in intensity only by Iron Maiden and The Scorpions. And then there's Rob Halford....This man WILL go down in Metal's history as one of the best, if not THE best vocalist ever...."Pipes" the likes of Rob's aren't "handed-out" just any day of the week....His IS the voice of Heavy Metal and is not likely to be "Dethroned" in my lifetime! Many bands calling themselves "Metal" have come along in the years since this album----some faster, some harder and some 'flashier'...However, this band will forever remain "The Standard" to which ALL others are judged. Don't Miss Out!
Rating:  -
i cannot believe all the positive reviews for this album. its an alright album,but since when did judas priest go pop metal? before you press the "no" button. read me. The first 5 tracks are great. United is really good imo. and so is you don't have to be old to be wise. so make it the first 6 tracks. but listen to living after midnight! wtf? what happened rob? hm?? got a little partied away their? hm? the simplicity of the beat to living after midnight sickens me. the rage is an okay song. not that bad, but the steeler is horrible. trust me, don't listen to that one! this song is only marginally beter than living after midnight, which i may add is very simple! red white and blue tries to be an anthem but doesn't really work. the live version of grinder is pretty sweet though. studio is better imo.so the final grades.
Rapid fire: 10/10
Metal gods: 10/10
Breakin' the law: 10/10
Grinder: 10/10
United: 9/10
you don't have to be old to be wise:9/10
Living after midnight: 4/10
The rage: 7/10
The Steeler: 6/10
Red white and blue: 4/10
Grinder (live):8/10
Final: 87/110 = 79%
too bad for judas priest. they could've done better.
-The Metallian
Rating: -
This was the first recording of Judas Priest I ever heard and I was a bit disappointed. The 'hit' songs like "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" struck me as dumbed-down bubble-gum rock (with "Grinder," "United" and "Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" following not far behind). Fortunately "Breaking the Law" starts to become infectious after hearing it 50 times, while "Living After Midnight" continues to sound like kindergarten pop rock (I DESPISE that simplistic, juvenile opening beat!).
Aside from the two 'hits' there's some very enjoyable metal to be found on this disk, such as "Rapid Fire," "Metal Gods," "United," "Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" and "Steeler."
What makes British Steel a necessary purchase, however, is the emotional juggernaut "The Rage." This song is essentially the antithesis to the rest of the CD. Whereas the rest of the album basically consists of superficial and juvenile ditties, "The Rage" towers as a deep and mature masterpiece. This is substantiated by the fact that I didn't even really like this song and 'get it' until many years after I first heard it. For further proof just read the lyrics (powerfully delivered by Rob Halford):
From a fireball we came
Cross sea and mountain
We were drinking beauty with our eyes
We were given all to make our own
Let us be left alone
Laid the tasks and paid the price
Everything suffice
Crashed and bolted all we craved
After every whim what a state we're in
Is pain better than the grave?
When we talk with other men
We see red and then
Deep inside our blood begins to boil
Like a tiger in the cage
We begin to shake with rage!
Such intriguing and mature lyrics stand in direct opposition to most of the rest of the material on the recording (I said "most").
In addition, the last stanza of "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise" is an incredible declaration of personal freedom, expertly delivered by Halford:
I'm down on the reins, holding the rope
Live and let live from now on
And as the free hand, alone a free man
I got a world of my own
I go as I please, fend for myself
Pull out all stops, throw the dice
Out on my own gonna go it alone
When I need it, then I'll ask for advice
FINAL ANALYSIS: British Steel is basically the result of an incredibly talented metal band trying to become popular with mid-teenagers. Most of the music and lyrics are ridiculously dumbed-down in comparison to their past works like Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin and Stained Class.
Yet, British Steel is still a very fun and likable album; it's got loads of pizzazz. It's just that it pales in comparison to those earlier works. The average metal fan would likely view it as a 4 or 5-Star release, which is accurate; the only reason I rate it 3-Stars is because it's a step down from their previous stellar material (in fact, if Amazon would let me edit my rating I'd perk it up to 4/5-Stars).
Ah, but "The Rage" is a work of brilliance.
Rating: -
This was the first Judas Priest album I ever got, and along with Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell" (which I also got around the same time, summer '81), these are my two "Desert Island Discs". I've owned various permutations of both on vinyl, cassette and CD.
This remaster is, of course, excellent, but curious in a couple of ways.
1. Why change the track order? It was fine as-was.
2. The extra tracks are more of a curiosity than anything else. The live "Grinder" is excellent, but "Red, White and Blue" is from the "Turbo" sessions (in my estimation, Priest's lowest point) and is a typical mid-80's lighters-in-the-air chant-along. Clever (if contrived) title, though, since both the British and U.S. flags are red, white and blue.
However, as to the actual music, this is music that has, and will last, the test of time. At this time the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was happening in the UK, where bands would go to a studio, set up, play live, and put the finished product out as a record (the early Iron Maiden and Saxon efforts were done this way). Priest did this on "British Steel" and the results showed the new upstarts that the elder statesmen had as much energy as they did.
Some have said that Priest "commercialised" on this album. With the exception of "Living After Midnight", I disagree. This is as heavy as anything they've done, the Tipton/Downing guitars are well upfront, and Rob Halford (with hair!) sounds as angry as ever. Listen closely, bass fans: Ian Hill is actually AUDIBLE doing the intro to "The Rage"!
Dave Holland (is he still in prison?) made his debut on this album, and while he is the weakest drummer Priest ever had (not a patch on predecessor Les Binks or successor Scott Travis), he does a credible job here, though his drum sound is a bit "boxy". Still, though, he'd have to have done his drum tracks on syn-drums to let these excellent songs down...but wait, he did that on "Turbo".
As stated, this is the first Priest album I ever got, and I would recommend it as the first Priest album to buy (other than one of the many compilations) to a neophyte Priest fan.
They did other good, sometimes excellent, albums after this, but their steel was never this sharp again.
Rating: -
The Judas Priest album that broke the band out into the mainstream is here, remastered, and with new tracks. "British Steel" is the pinnacle album for Judas Priest and is just a spectacular hard rock album. The songs are great and catchy; This is an album you have to listen to all the way through when you listen to it. Rob Halford's vocals, Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing's guitars, Ian Hill's bass, and Dave Holland's drumming are all in top form here. Halford doesn't show off her as he did on songs like "Rock Forever" but this song only proves that JP are true Gods of Metal. Here are the tracks:
1. Rapid Fire-5/5-This a great song, with great guitar playing and Rob Halford hitting a seemingly impossible note at the end.
2. Metal Gods-5/5-This song kind of turned Judas Priest into metal gods. This is a great song, except for the panting thing at the end. That's disturbing.
3. Breaking the Law-5/5-This song is the big JP song on the radio, but it's such a great song. By the way, am I the only one who thinks it sounds like Rob Halford is saying "Freaky Galore" during the chorus.
4. Grinder-5/5-I like this song, but it's odd.
5. United-5/5-This is one of the songs they wrote for audience participation. But it's not quite better than some of the other ones like "Take on the World."
6. You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise-5/5-This song sounds like older Priest, like something off of "Hellbent for Leather." It's a great song, though.
7. Living After Midnight-5/5-I think this is one of the coolest/funnest songs Priest ever recorded. It's a totally cool song that would be perfect to play at a party.
8. The Rage-5/5-The basslines and guitar solos in this song are great.
9. Steeler-4/5-I think this is the weakest song on the album, but it's allright.
BONUS TRACKS
10. Red, White, & Blue-5/5-It's a shame they cut this track, it's better than "Steeler."
11. Grinder (Live)-5/5-This version is almost better than the studio version. Almost.
So whether you're a hardcore Priest fan or just a new metalhead looking for a good album to buy. Get this CD, you won't be dissapointed.
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