Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Judas Priest
Label: Columbia Records
Released: 1996
Rating: 4/5
This collection of tracks was officially released only in Japan. But in the second half of the nineties it miraculously found its way onto the shelves of Slovenian shops too. Sadly, you can only order and buy this CD online these days. A set of circumstances I never expected has landed it in front of me for review. It made sense to add this review to the rest of the band’s reviewed discography, like a little tile in a mosaic that helps complete the whole picture and gives some insight into the phenomenon that is Judas Priest. The disc is made up almost entirely of material that came out on the b-sides of singles. So, apart from one, the actual singles aren’t on this collection. It’s all material that never appeared on the band’s official albums, which makes it a true rarity. Let’s see what’s hiding on it!
It kicks off in the best way possible, with live recordings from Cleveland in 1978. It opens with a fantastic version of the cult classic Beyond The Realms Of Death, originally the b-side to the single Evening Star. Right behind it come two more historic recordings from the same gig, White Heat, Red Hot and Starbreaker. All three feature Rob Halford on vocals. You can’t get official live versions of these three tracks with Halford on CD today, except for Starbreaker, now a bonus on the remaster of “Unleashed In The East”. The latter two tracks officially came out on the single Take On The World. The live sound is excellent, and with their extraordinary stage intensity and, for the time, remarkable sharpness, Judas Priest radiate a steely determination to seize the metal throne, with all the enthusiasm that shows in a rock-solid, flawless performance. The band also serves up a really interesting slice of stage magic captured on the European leg of the Point Of Entry tour, with live versions of Breaking The Law, where Rob lets the audience sing the whole refrain line on their own, and Living After Midnight. They show the band’s growth, their incredible tightness and the fantastic onstage chemistry that worked flawlessly. Both tracks originally appeared on the b-side of the 12-inch vinyl Hot Rockin’. Priest then deliver a slightly rawer metal sound with live recordings from 1983, from the American leg of the “World Vengeance” tour. That pulse of the band onstage is captured in You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ and yet another version of Breaking The Law, which originally appeared on the b-side of the single The Green Manalishi (with the two pronged crown), the only single represented as such on this compilation of rarities. The reason it was added here probably lies in the fact that it doesn’t appear on any of the band’s officially released live albums. This gave Judas Priest a chance to add the track to their collection of lost treasures. The last two tracks officially appeared on the single Turbo Lover. The first is Private Property, live from the American leg of the “Fuel For Life” tour in 1986, recorded in St. Louis, so it’s not the same recording that’s on the live album “Priest…Live!” (1987). The last song on this compilation is Turbo Lover in its “hi-octane mix” form. This extended pop/metal hybrid version of the original is proof that you can dance disco to the beats of Judas Priest. Horrifying! It’s the one weak spot on this compilation.
The live material shows the band in four different phases of its evolution. As the band grew, so did the crowds at their shows. The sonic echoes of the audience are indispensable, and they differ like night and day from one period of the band’s live career to the next. The band’s performance changes too, radiating an incredible sense of invincibility onstage in the eighties. The crowd reacts fanatically to Rob’s every gesture, accompanying it with roaring waves of enthusiasm (the 1983 and 1986 recordings). This compilation ebbs and flows beautifully with the varied moods it captures, which gives the whole disc a gorgeous contrast.
This CD is an absolute must for every Judas Priest devotee. The last two live albums, “’98 Live Meltdown” (1998) and “Live In London” (2003), focused mostly on playing material written in the eighties. Going back to the first three tracks, the absolute peak of the compilation, they serve up a few more facts. On the latest versions of Beyond The Realms Of Death Halford isn’t singing, while Judas Priest have never played Starbreaker and White Heat, Red Hot live again since the eighties, right up to today. So this is a real balm for the wounds of all of you who never came to terms with Rob’s absence from the band through the nineties.
Lineup
Rob Halford – vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitar
K.K. Downing – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Les Binks – drums on tracks 1 – 3
Dave Holland – drums on tracks 4 – 10
Track list
1. Beyond The Realms Of Death (Live) (7:04)
2. White Heat, Red Hot (Live) (4:32)
3. Starbreaker (Live) (7:19)
4. Breaking The Law (Live) (2:35)
5. Living After Midnight (Live) (4:19)
6. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (Live) (5:01)
7. Breaking The Law (Live) (2:44)
8. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ (Live) (7:34)
9. Private Property (Live) (5:10)
10. Turbo Lover (Hi-Octane Mix) (7:21)
Running time: 53:51
