Late to the Party (Judas Priest)

I only got into Priest about 10 years ago. They were always considered "evil" and thus off-limits to me when I was young. In the last 10 years I've listened through most of their stuff, but avoided songs that I thought were about Rob's gay lifestyle. I also just seemed to have missed songs as I listened through it. 

Recently I read an interview where Rob discussed Grinder. I always thought this was a homo-song. I was totally wrong. It's about the first amendment of the US Constitution, for heavens sake. Now that I know that, I freakin' love that song! 

Another song I seem to have missed somehow, and one that doesn't get a lot of attention, is Steeler. This is now in my top 5 JP songs. I love this track!

It's fun finding new (old) songs from a favorite artist!   

Steeler is a big song for them, you just missed it at the time.  Have fun, it's cool to find new old stuff.

I've always been a fan since around 1983. However, some albums I had never heard until a couple of years ago. Someone gave me Stained Class on vinyl and I had never heard it. Awesome, one of my favorites by them. Always been a casual fan but LOVE Sad Wings, Unleashed In The East, British Steel, Hell Bent & Screaming. And still listening to Firepower.

Stained class was the first Album for me... a friend gave me a copy of it. Unleashed in the East is one of my favorite all time live albums from any band ... I still listen to it now... awesome stuff!

To experience Priest at their best, you need 6 albums....

Stained Class
British Steel
Hell Bent For Leather
Screaming For Vengeance
Painkiller
Firepower

...and you can throw in Defenders Of The Faith, as well.

The rest of the catalog ranges from pretty good to good, but those 6 or 7 are truly great records, imo. Also get Priest Live for a killer live record with Halford in fine form.

Arttie

While it's not necessarily a classic, Priest's comeback album with Rob, Angel of Retribution, is worth exploring if not for Judas Rising alone. That song slays!

TRIOdevil wrote:While it's not necessarily a classic, Priest's comeback album with Rob, Angel of Retribution, is worth exploring if not for Judas Rising alone. That song slays!

Great album.

I know it's not popular to say but Jugulator is a top 5 JP album for me if just for Bullet Train and Cathedral Spires. Rips paint off the wall.

I was a big JP fan until after Ram It Down..I pretty much stopped listening after that.

I still love their old school stuff...

Some of my favorites...
The entire albums for Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith albums.
Beyond The Realms of Death
Hot Rockin'
Heading Out To The Highway
Metal Gods
Living After Midnight

I was a huge fan of the band in the Screaming for Vengeance & Defenders of the Faith era.  They kind of lost me with the lead singles from Turbo and I quit keeping up with them for a few decades after that.  But probably my favorite albums would have to be...

Screaming For Vengeance
Point of Entry
British Steel
Stained Class
Defenders of the Faith
Hell Bent For Leather/Killing Machine

A joke reference to Halford being in the news recently

Oh man.