Now we’re getting serious about personal history. As noted a few places already, my heavy metal journey began with Judas Priest’s Hell Bent for Leather real time in 1979. I consider Unleashed in the East the greatest live album ever – again recalling that I have so much history with it. British Steel was mixed, but still very good. And then they laid a major egg with Point of Entry. No idea what the band were thinking, but they clearly weren’t plugged into why they were so popular. However, I saw them live in the summer of 1981, and I’m not even sure they played one song from their new album, realizing their mistake. The show consisted of the tunes from Unleashed in the East with a generous helping of British Steel. Now it’s time to get back in the studio, would Judas Priest deliver? Heck yea! Those opening 3 tracks are as fine a start to a Priest album as any they ever did. And sure they mixed in some other lighter styles, just as they did with British Steel. It’s probably never going to transcend that 10 level for me. But the nostalgia rating is off the charts. When we were partying with a group of cute girls on the beach at Port Aransas – and they’re playing ‘You Got Another Thing Comin’ nonstop in the background – it was destined that I would always treasure this album. Our time had arrived. It was March 1983 – 18 years old. And real heavy metal was going mainstream. I mean... Cute Girls!
Ownership: LP: 1982 CBS (Netherlands). Single sleeve with lyric inner bag. Acquired from JL (2023). This was an upgrade to a US copy I found in the Denver area (2021). Originally purchased new upon release (US copy on Columbia of course). Long sold off.
1982; 2012; 3/17/23 (LP 4.13); 4/13/23 (new entry)
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