Judas Priest - Turbo 30 (aka: Flair Metal God)

I received "Turbo 30 [30th Anniversary Edition]" a couple weeks ago and have been listening to it non-stop. Say what you will about the guitar-synths they used, but I had no problem with this when it was released back in '86.  And there are many Priest fans who wrote them off too.  Was it the follow-up to "Defenders of the Faith" I was expecting? Definitely not. I expected another guitar-driven, balls out, Glenn/KK all out guitar attack. Priest were having fun in the mid-80s, so this was their quintessential 80s party album.  It was light and had a lot of that pomp-and-flair.

Yes, I was surprised when I first heard Turbo Lover, Locked In, and Private Property.  But I listened to the album three times in one sitting, just to take it all in and not pass judgement on a band I've admired for so long. And suffice to say, I embraced this one wholeheartedly. Again, their party album during a fun period in their lives while riding another pinnacle of fan adoration.

This Turbo 30th anniversary edition (actually 31 yrs - ha ha) is remastered and includes the concert radio broadcast from Kemper Arena - Kansas City May 22, 1986. Oddly enough, this is a concert I have on cassette. I remember racing home from work so I could record it off the radio (ah, memories). Great package and it still sounds great. My hair still stands on end when I listen to Out In The Cold.

I also included my original ticket stub.  I saw them on the Turbo tour May 2, 1986.  And Raven was the support band (they had released "The Pack Is Back"....but I won't touch that one).

A Few Good CD Rips

Ripping a few CDs for my iGod today and figured I'd throw a quick blog on them.  Especially since they're not your average CD releases.

'Operation Rock & Roll' was a compilation released prior to the 1991 tour of the same name. Great lineup - Judas Priest, Motörhead, Alice Cooper, Metal Church and Dangerous Toys. 

Icon's  '1984: Live Bootleg' is a nice gem capturing them on their 1984 tour. I attended this very show since it was recorded in my hometown. I have the DVD of this one as well. Icon was a damn good band at the time. Their self-titled debut is an all-time top album for me. I liked MAYBE half of their follow-up album 'Night of the Crime'.  What a disappointment for them to go from Metal to Pop Rock. I'm sure it was pressure from the label to try and be the next Bon Jovi, White Lion etc.

Heathen 's second release 'Victims of Deception' is a Metal masterpiece. So overlooked by many and one I've listened to extensively. Guitarist Lee Altus still keeps this band of his going, even since joining Exodus some ten years ago. Just check out the last release from 2010 entitled 'The Evolution Of Chaos'  It'll rip your damn head off.

Varga's 'Prototype' is another one of those "little engine that could" releases. I can't say enough good things about this one. Back in the day I used to listen to the Rock/Metal radio station Z-Rock and they played "Unconscience" and "Freeze Don't Move". Loved the riffs but didn't care for the some of the sampling.  I also enjoyed their third album, 'Oxygen'.  The two EPs they released a few years ago; 'Enter The Metal' (2013) and 'Return Of The Metal' (2014), are top notch.  Glad they reformed and got the band back together for a short period of time.