At 8 minutes and 32 seconds it is also Priest's third longest song, and it has 70s written all over it, with only a hint of what would become the Judas Priest most people know.
Rob Halford mentioned that they kept their guitar play rather simple, to sound more heavy metal, but #RockaRolla has some nice solos!
Back last year I rated #RockaRolla as "good album". And that fits, I am staying with that: 3 / 5
Ranking
RockaRolla 3/5
Now the version I was listening to closed with a bonus track, Diamonds and Rust, which was recorded during the Sad Wings Of Destiny Sessions and is not the Sin After Sin version (thanks wiki).
5/n
The second album of my #JudasPriest#Metaljourney is already one of my favourites ...although that doesn't say much because I have like 10 favourite Priest albums.
The year is 1976, #SadWingsOfDestiny has 70s still written all over it, but the guitars are toned down and sound a lot heavier.
"Victim Of Changes" is a masterpiece, but I'll link the second song of the album, because I adore the razor sharp vocals that underline the lyrics of...
@derthomas Interesting - I have a blind spot concerning Judas Priest … What would be a good album to start with? I love and have Painkiller, of course - but the rest is hmmm 😄
@derthomas I usually listen to Apple. It’s weird cause it has the ‘The Essential Judas Priest’ compilation (which I have on CD) but the SWOD songs are missing.
Interesting how you'll always discover something new each time you revisit albums on a #Metaljourney
For example:
Let Us Prey / Call for the Priest starts as a Queen song that turns into a Deep Purple song only to become a Judas Priest song with Motörhead like drums. And with the Metal God. Great fast number!
Sin After Sin is a remarkable Judas Priest ablum. Not only does it contain two slow numbers, but also two covers (Diamonds and Rust, Race with the Devil).
The tempo has been picked up a notch and the guitars are heavy. This might be Priest's first "pure" heavy metal album.
#SinAfterSin is great, but not a masterpiece (to me).
Hence 4 out of 5 horny little Robs (read his biography!)
#Metaljourney trivia:
Did you know that a lot, and I mean A LOT of Judas Priest's lyrics are about Rob's life as closeted horny gay lad? Again: read his autobiography, and listen closely to the lyrics.
"I came across a smoking field, pulsating afterglow
I saw a seering flash of light erupt and skyward go"
@satsuma absolutely!
But... by the time he came out, he was already the undisputed Metal God. I honestly don't know if things have turned out the same way if he came out in the early 80s?
@satsuma it was? I didn't get this from his bio, but of course I can be wrong.
According to him he tried to hide it at all costs, but of course that doesn't mean that others didn't know.
And I think it might be a fitting contribution to @Kitty 's #TuneTuesday this week. Because @VestigialLung asks for #TheDeepestCut - lesser known songs from famous bands.
Here come the 80s and with that a big one, a career defining album for Judas Priest:
British Steel
The album with the iconic cover was a huge success and for many it is the best #JudasPriest album.
Spoiler alert: not for me, but we'll come to that later in this #Metaljourney
#BritishSteel kicks off with a fast paced speed metal, almost proto-thrash song aptly called:
Last one for today on my Judas Priest #Metaljourney: Point Of Entry
This was the first album they recorded on the island of Ibiza.
And like with Rocka Rolla, they were not happy with the outcome.
Rob confessed that they were focused more on the party stuff and less on the songwriting stuff, hence they produced a half-assed album.
Well, I like it. And I also like the album art. 🤷♂️
@derthomas I put on Don't Go from Point Of Entry on our kitchen speaker while doing the dishes last night. My wife quite liked it - she had no clue it was Judas Priest! 😜
Trivia time:
The Parents Music Resource Center thought that "Eat Me Alive" is a naughty naughty song and put it on their infamous "Filthy Fifteen" list, because it references sexual activities.
Judas Priest and naughty lyrics, oh come on they barely touch this topic 😏
..turns off the lights of #DefendersOfTheFaith, I am having a really hard time deciding whether I like or more than SWoD. They are completely different albums, but each of them is a masterpiece.
By the time Judas Priest released their most controversial album in 1986, "Turbo", Rob Halford hit rock-bottom. According to his bio he doesn't remember much of the time they were writing the album. IIRC they even had to pause due to his problems.
Anyhow, the album is rather on the glammy hair metal side.
#Turbo is fun, but listening to it right after Defenders... well, not so good.
Overall still good though, if you're in for some radio friendly heavy metal.
@derthomas Agreed! I always liked Ram It Down - it has some classic songs on it (Ram It Down, Heavy Metal, Blood Red Skies, Love You To Death and Monsters of Rock come to mind!). But it does have some filler (Love Zone, I'm a Rocker, Johnny B. Goode).
That's one of the beautiful things about Priest - no matter how bad the album is, it's going to have some top tier songs on it! 🤘
@TheWarlock666 once again I have to agree with you! Johnny B. Goode doesn't teally fit on the album, I guess that was a wish/demand from their record company.
But actually I have to disagree in one point: they don't have a bad album (l haven't listened to the Ripper albums yet).
I just wanted to write that I think that Metal Meltdown is NOT the best song on Painkiller.
But as it is blasting my brain away I realized that I am an idiot, of course it is the best song on Painkiller!
I know painkiller might be cheesy, lyrics are maybe not Goethe level.
But it is so f*king entertaining, it is heavy metal A-Z. It ticks all my boxes. I never feel bored listening to it. All songs killer.
To me, this album is almost a 5/5. But only almost, I'll give it 4,5 out of 5 shots at glory.
@Banur good question! I currently only have three 5/5 albums since "inventing" my rating system:
The Dark Side of the Moon, OK Computer and Songs for the Deaf
I tried to put another tier on top of the common 5 star rating system, reserved for greates of all time.
While Painkiller for sure is one of the greatest metal albums, I am not sure about greatest music albums. But I'll think about it.
In case you wonder, the top tiers of my system are:
@derthomas I'm almost through reading Rob's biography, and I have to say I would take some of what he says with a grain of salt. Based on his description of "quitting" the band, there is a lot he could have done to fix it - but he did nothing. So he did, in fact, quit the band. There's also a pattern in his biography of a certain... "moral flexibility" based on his discussions around infidelity and law breaking. I'd say that some of the facts he puts forth are just his version of the "truth".
@derthomas and of course, no disrespect meant to Rob - he is the Metal God. But after reading his book, I am going to read KK's book again - it might make more sense now. 😂
@TheWarlock666 of course in his bio we only hear his side. And I too found it a bit weird that they didn't talk to each other. I guess he wanted out to some degree, but I believe when he said that he immediately wanted back. But then why don't say anything?
On the other hand, why did he keep his first "boyfriend" for so long without talking about all the issues they had with him?
To that extend his version adds up. And reminds me a lot of myself actually 🫣
The second Ripper album #Demolition almost sounds like a hard rock album. Better than Jugulator, but still far away from the usual Judas Priest standards. 3/5
When I saw Judas Priest in 2018, they played Guardians and Rising From Ruins. I was blown away. I mean I knew the song before, but experiencing it live with all the fire and flames in the background was pure magic 🔥
I love the song ever since at it might as well be my favourite on Firepower.
Invincible Shield is an incredible album, I couldn't make out any weaknesses. It deserves a 4.5 out of 5 which means: masterpiece.
However, I'd like to make another adaptation. After some spins, I cannot help but move Sad Wings of Destiny even further up. As much as I love Firepower and Invincible Shield, Sad Wings is just so darn good.
@derthomas Such a fantastic album from such an awesome band! I remember listening to this tape in my Walkman back in 1982 while delivering newspapers (I was 13 at the time). Despite what Martin Popoff says, I feel this album is all killer and no filler. Easily one of my top 10 favourite albums. OOOH! I should do a list of my top 10 favourite albums...
@derthomas I agree - I know that JP weren't happy with the result of RockaRolla (and they hated the album cover!) but I honestly like the album. It's certainly not typical Priest, but it's got some great tracks on it. Very similar to Point Of Entry for me.
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