Judas Priest Album: “The Essential Judas Priest [Remaster]”

If you're already a big Judas Priest fan, then you probably own their other greatest hits albums they've put out and the box set, so it's not really "essential" that you own this, but hey, it beats switching out 20 different cds constantly to hear all of these songs.

CD 1 opens up with Judas Rising off of their latest (although sadly, not their best work) album "Angel of Retribution", and CD 2 ends with another cut from the album, Revolution, with 30 years of awesome music sandwiched in between (although I wonder why it's not in chronological order?).

As I said before, chances are if you're a Judas Priest fan, you probably own most of their CDs already or even the other greatest hits, but if you're just hearing them for the first time, this is an awesome place to start, but check out all of their albums because there's so much music they've done that cant all be included on here that is definitely some of their best.

Judas Priest's 2006 compilation album entitled The Essential Judas Priest is a great 2-CD retrospective covering the classic heavy metal band's 1976-2005 career.

Judas Priest weren't just called the Metal Gods for nothing. For decades, the core of Judas Priest which are guitarists KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, bass player Ian Hill and lead singer Rob Halford and the cast of drummers have successfully defended the faith of metal!

The Essential Judas Priest contains thirty-four tracks overall. Released by Columbia Records, the set covers the band's Rob Halford years from 1976-1990 and reunion in 2005. It covers tracks from twelve of the band's fifteen studio albums released over the years.

The band's 1974 debut Rocka Rolla was not covered though some would have wanted its title cut here.

The band's sophomore effort 1976's Sad Wings of Destiny is represented by the classics and finally properly remastered versions of the studio recording of "Victim Of Changes" and "The Ripper". Whilst the album, like its predecessor was on Ovation Records (a long out of print label here in the US), didn't sell well upon release it did find the band's sound that it would adopt for the rest of its career.

The band's third album (their first for CBS/Sony affiliate Columbia) 1977's Sin After Sin (which saw the addition of powehouse drummer Simon Phillips (who would work with Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford on his Smallcreep's Day album and with Pete Townshend and The Who and later Toto in his career)) is represented by "Diamonds And Rust" and "Sinner". The album's key tracks were chosen though some whine that album tracks like "Starbreaker" and "Dissident Aggressor" are missing.

The group's fourth album, February 1978's Stained Class (which was the band's first studio album with drummer Les Binks) is represented by "Exciter" and the classic "Beyond the Realms of Death". They put the album's two best tracks on here but left off the infamous "Better By You Better Than Me".

The band's fifth studio effort titled Killing Machine in the UK (released in October, 1978) and as Hell Bent For Leather here in the US (released in February of 1979) is represented by "Hell Bent For Leather", "Delivering The Goods", "The Green Manalashi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)" and the ballad "Before The Dawn". The album's UK hit "Take On The World" is missing but the other songs from this album featured here are superb.

The band's 1980 breakthrough album British Steel (which was their first with new drummer Dave Holland and producer Tom Allom) is represented by "Breaking The Law", "United", "Metal Gods" and "Living After Midnight". No Priest compilation is complete without "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight", so the set has that base covered.

The US Top 40 charting Point Of Entry from 1981 is represented by the big US rock radio smash "Heading Out To The Highway" and the UK hit "Hot Rockin'". The concert favorite "Desert Plains" and "Solar Angels" are missing but you can't have them all.

The band's biggest selling album in the US 1982's three million plus selling Screaming For Vengeance is represented by the band's signature track "You've Got Another Thing Coming" plus the superb opener "The Hellion" and "Electric Eye" plus Screaming's title cut. Good picks but they could have added Devil's Child and Bloodstone but gives one a reason to buy Screaming in its own right.

The 1984 follow-up, the US Platinum selling Defenders of the Faith is represented by the big hit "Freewheel Burning" plus album favorites like "Love Bites", "Jawbreaker" and "The Sentinel". Great choices though some yearn for "Rock Hard Ride Free" or "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" on here.

The 1986 Platinum seller Turbo is represented by "Turbo Lover" and the classic "Out In The Cold". When Priest experimented with guitar synthesizers with Turbo, the album and got a very mixed reaction. Nonetheless, the album still did well in the eyes of many of the band's fans. "Locked In" (the album's first single) is missing though.

The next studio album 1988's Ram It Down is represented by its title cut and "Blood Red Skies". Another controversial album for the band. I wish "Monsters of Rock" was on here but c'est la vie.

The band's 1990 album Painkiller (their first with current drummer Scott Travis) is represented by the title cut, "A Touch Of Evil", "Night Crawler" and "Hell Patrol". Painkiller was the swan song from the classic lineup, until the 2003 onwards reunion. After two questionable pop-metal albums, the band released their heaviest album to date. The title track is killer. The other tracks featured here are no slouches as well. Still, the epic "One Shot at Glory" could have been included.

After Rob Halford left in 1992, Priest soldiered on with singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and released two mediocre albums 1997's Jugulator and 2001's Demolition (neither album has any songs featured here thankfully).

The band's 2005 triumphant comeback and reunion album with Halford titled Angel Of Retribution is represented by "Judas Rising" and "Revolution". Good choices but "Deal With The Devil", "Wheels Of Fire" and "Loch Ness" should have been included as well (but you can't have them all).

If you are a newbie, start with this SUPERB compilation and then work your way through the catalog.

Feeling nostalgic I ordered this CD. After all I had been a complete "Priesthead" in the early 80's but like most good things from my youth Judas Priest had become just a memory from the past. It only took one listen to rouse me out of this mid-life slump!! Rob Halford's articulate vocal's and high pitched wails sent delicious shivers up my spine while KK Downing & Glenn Tipton's blistering, mind-blowing, in your face guitar riffs got the oxygen flowing and the blood racing. It was beyond fantastic to feel so alive again while listening to a band that never disappointed. Whether you are a fan of metal or just curious, give this band a chance. I guarantee that songs like Free Wheel Burning, Ram It Down, The Sentinel, & Screaming For Vengeance will make you believe in metal again.

Prior to this relase ,SONY has made 2 compilations for this band :METAL WORKS 1973-1993(a 2-disc set) and LIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT:THE BEST OF JUDAS PRIEST,both of which are excellent.The difference among the three is minor.Some tracks selected here are not available in the other two and vice versa,and they are not arranged chronologically as in their year of release.All highlight a collection of hits from JP's three-decade career.Exclusive to this release, not found in the other two, are the following tracks : Judas Rising, Love Bites, Jawbreaker, The Sentinel, Hell Patrol, The Ripper, Out in the Cold, and Revolution.

For casual fans this is an excellent and essential collection.For those who want the most complete compilation of the band, get METALOGY instead which contains 4 discs and a LIVE VENGEANCE dvd.

I don't like hits compilations a whole hell of a lot. There are only a few out there in rock and roll where I would suggest a hits album over an original album. A very small few, and especially when it comes to bands like PRIEST who have been around for years, and have had great years, and less than great years in that frame.

However, in understanding of the fact that most don't know the songs from the albums, or the albums from the cover art etc. the way some of us do, after years and years.. I guess I can say that this is a fair sampler of PRIEST. I have to admit that for years the only PRIEST song I really knew was BREAKIN THE LAW. So, due to that, the first PRIEST I ever picked up was 1980's British Steel, when I was about twelve. There are a lot of songs represented from this album.. LIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT is crucial too. The others are decent picks, but, not the picks I would have made from that album particularly (pssst..Rapid Fire will melt your mug off, maybe buy BRITISH STEEL album later..)

The rest is pretty well represented here, if you are going to take one or two from other albums. However 1978's STAINED CLASS is only represented by one song EXCITER. ehhh. Not my favorite track. No SAINTS IN HELL? (..maybe you should pick this album up later on too!)

Nothing from ROCKA ROLLA, that was a good move, trust me. DIAMONDS AND RUST was way better on SIN AFTER SIN, and SINNER also from that bit were easily the best songs on that album.

I can also say VICTIM OF CHANGES and THE RIPPER were easily the best tracks from SAD WINGS OF DESTINY, but, that whole album holds a special place in my collection, I couldn't see it any other way.

The rest is all well and good. Still... I have yet to purchase last years ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION, which was really good, and they have already dished out the songs from that album too? huh? Perhaps you should check the album out in its entirety, whenever you get the chance.

WELL anyway kids, this is about as much info as I can give you. JUDAS PRIEST happens to be one of my all time faves, they tear [...] up all around, and have a very unique breed of metal, which they basically created from scratch.. I took a dump on ESSENTIALS IRON MAIDEN collection, even though I love them too, just don't really care for ESSENTIAL discs,.. but if you are new to school... this PRIEST collection, probably will do you the best, THEY'RE ALL STUDIO CUTS! (...save the LIVE experience for your later purchase of UNLEASHED IN THE EAST..)