Midlife Metal Crisis - Top Ten Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #6 Judas Priest - British Steel

The Best Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #6 Judas Priest -British Steel (1980)

There are many albums by Judas Priest that could have been included in this list. I'm particularly partial to Turbo which I know everyone else hates but I bought it when it came out and loved it. It came between Screaming for Vengeance and British Steel, I opted for this one as its more solid as an album and represents a point where I think Heavy Metal tried to go a bit mainstream and get the commercial hooks into the songs.

Living After Midnight was their first single with a video directed by Julien Temple (Great rock n roll swindle, Absolute Beginners).




Breaking the Law, the second single is probably their most recognisable song. Simple riff, easy to play and simple chorus. Even the Mighty Boosh covered it (albeit a folk version for their Glam Folk episode). Also featuring another Temple video.

  

The final single was United. Here is a live version from the BBC in 1980

Of course now Rob Halford is openly gay and he has spoke at length about how it was a challenge hiding his sexuality through his time with Judas Priest. Although I sincerely doubt that anyone was actually surprised when he came out in the 90's. If anyone was they seriously need their Gaydar recalibrating.

 

 

Bad Heavy Metal Cover Versions

Cover versions are rarely good, every band or artist puts their own twist on it and it either works or it doesn't. This post was inspired by a chat in the pub on Saturday regarding the pure awfulness of the Metallica cover at the end.

Twisted Sister covering the Leader of the Pack will brighten anyones day. Its campness amplified through a wonderfully cheesy eighties video:



When Chuck Berry recorded Johnny B Goode in the Fifties it is a well known fact that the sound he wanted for it was not possible with the technology available. This would only become available in the late 1980's and it would fall to Judas Priest to record a definitive version that Berry himself would be happy with:



Back in the 80's, before they sued their fans, before they tried to be Bon Jovi and before they took a Therapist on Tour with them. Metallica recorded some kick ass covers. Am I Evil, Blitzkrieg and the Garage Days Ep were all fantastic. The best tunes from the Justice for all period were not the album tracks produced by the Drummer where funnily enough all you could hear were the drums, they were the covers on the B sides. Their version of Budgie's Breadfan is immense. So when it was announced in the late nineties they would re-release all these tracks on a double album fronted by an entire album of brand new covers it sounded a credible prospect. What follows is probably the worst cover version ever ( and there is version of smells like teen spirit by Miley Cyrus on the internet)