There's another PopMarket-exclusive box coming your way next week - and it's a loud one. Legacy is releasing a 19-disc box of Judas Priest's influential metal discography, with a couple of surprises inside.
Since the late 1970s, Birmingham-based Judas Priest have been pioneers of the genre. With the iconic leather-and-studs look and distinctive voice of frontman Rob Halford and the cutting guitar of K.K. Downing front and center for most of the band's most recognized years, Priest have served the rock world admirably, and have been well treated by Legacy in the past few years, with a reissue of iconic 1980 album British Steel and a handful of collectible compilations and box sets.
The release of The Complete Albums Collection brings together all studio and live efforts with iconic members Halford, Downing, guitarist Glenn Tipton and bassist Ian Hill - meaning neither of the albums featuring Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals in the late '90s and early '00s are included - but there's a few surprises. First of all, the bonus tracks that appeared on Legacy's 2001 reissues of the Priest catalogue are still on the discs - which now appear in mini-LP size wallet cases - with the same masterings by Jon Astley. (Everything after 1990's Painkiller has not been remastered for this set.)
Better yet, though, is the inclusion of Priest's first two albums on Gull Records: 1974's Rocka Rolla and 1976's Sad Wings of Destiny. While both have appeared on CD before, these albums have been newly remastered for the box by Vic Anesini and mark the first time the band has authorized their release on CD. (It's worth noting that each disc features the original artwork, and Sad Wings restores the album's original track order; initial pressings had pressed the second side as the first and vice versa.)
The set is yours to order starting January 24, and you can dive into the track list after the jump.
Judas Priest, The Complete Albums Collection (Columbia/Epic/Legacy 88697 96787-2, 2012)
Note: original catalogue numbers are U.K.-based and reissue catalogue numbers are U.S.-based.
Disc 1: Rocka Rolla (originally released as Gull Records GULP 1005, 1974)
- One for the Road
- Rocka Rolla
- Winter: Winter/Deep Freeze/Winter Retreat/Cheater
- Never Satisfied
- Run of the Mill
- Dying to Meet You
- Caviar and Meths
Disc 2: Sad Wings of Destiny (originally released as Gull Records GULP 1015, 1976)
- Prelude
- Tyrant
- Genocide
- Epitaph
- Island of Domination
- Victim of Changes
- The Ripper
- Dreamer Deceiver
- Deceiver
Disc 3: Sin After Sin (originally released as CBS 82008, 1977 - reissued Columbia/Legacy CK 86183, 2001)
- Sinner
- Diamonds & Rust
- Starbreaker
- Last Rose of Summer
- Let Us Prey/Call for the Priest
- Raw Deal
- Here Come the Tears
- Dissident Aggressor
- Race with the Devil (Studio Outtake)
- Jawbreaker (Live @ Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - 5/5/1984)
Disc 4: Stained Class (originally released as CBS 82430, 1978 - reissued Columbia/Legacy CK 85434, 2001)
- Exciter
- White Heat, Red Hot
- Better by You, Better Than Me
- Stained Class
- Invader
- Saints in Hell
- Savage
- Beyond the Realms of Death
- Heroes End
- Fire Down Below (Studio Outtake)
- Better by You, Better Than Me (Live @ Foundations Forum, Los Angeles - 9/13/1990)
Disc 5: Killing Machine (originally released as CBS 83135, 1978 - reissued Columbia/Legacy CK 86181, 2001)
- Delivering the Goods
- Rock Forever
- Evening Star
- Hell Bent for Leather
- Take on the World
- Burnin' Up
- The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown) (from Hell Bent for Leather - Columbia JC 35706 (U.S.), 1978)
- Killing Machine
- Running Wild
- Before the Dawn
- Evil Fantasies
- Fight for Your Life (Studio Outtake)
- Riding on the Wind (Live @ The US Festival, Devore, CA - 5/29/1983)
Disc 6: Unleashed in the East (originally released as CBS 83852, 1979 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 86182, 2001)
- Exciter (Live)
- Running Wild (Live)
- Sinner (Live)
- The Ripper (Live)
- The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown) (Live)
- Diamonds and Rust (Live)
- Victim of Changes (Live)
- Tyrant (Live)
- Rock Forever (Live Bonus Track)
- Delivering the Goods (Live Bonus Track)
- Hell Bent for Leather (Live Bonus Track)
- Starbreaker (Live Bonus Track)
Disc 7: British Steel (originally released as CBS 84160, 1980 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 85752, 2001)
- Rapid Fire
- Metal Gods
- Breaking the Law
- Grinder
- United
- You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
- Living After Midnight
- The Rage
- Steeler
- Red, White & Blue (Studio Outtake)
- Grinder (Live @ Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - 5/5/1984)
Disc 8: Point of Entry (originally released as CBS 84834, 1981 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 85436, 2001)
- Heading Out to the Highway
- Don't Go
- Hot Rockin'
- Turning Circles
- Desert Plains
- Solar Angels
- You Say Yes
- All the Way
- Troubleshooter
- On the Run
- Thunder Road (Studio Outtake)
- Desert Plains (Live @ Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis - 5/23/1986)
Disc 9: Screaming for Vengeance (originally released as CBS 85941, 1982 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 85435, 2001)
- The Hellion
- Electric Eye
- Riding on the Wind
- Bloodstone
- (Take These) Chains
- Pain and Pleasure
- Screaming for Vengeance
- You've Got Another Thing Comin'
- Fever
- Devil's Child
- Prisoner of Your Eyes (Studio Outtake)
- Devil's Child (Live @ Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis - 12/12/1982)
Disc 10: Defenders of the Faith (originally released as CBS 25713, 1984 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 85438, 2001)
- Freewheel Burning
- Jawbreaker
- Rock Hard Ride Free
- The Sentinel
- Love Bites
- Eat Me Alive
- Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
- Night Comes Down
- Heavy Duty
- Defenders of the Faith
- Turn on Your Light (Studio Outtake)
- Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith (Live @ Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - 5/5/1984)
Disc 11: Turbo (originally released as CBS 463365, 1986 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 85437, 2001)
- Turbo Lover
- Locked In
- Private Property
- Parental Guidance
- Rock You All Around the World
- Out in the Cold
- Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days
- Hot for Love
- Reckless
- All Fired Up (Studio Outtake)
- Locked In (Live @ Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis - 5/23/1986)
Discs 12-13: Priest…Live! (originally released as CBS 450639, 1987 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy C2K 86378, 2002)
- Out in the Cold
- Heading Out to the Highway
- Metal Gods
- Breaking the Law
- Love Bites
- Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
- The Sentinel
- Private Property
- Rock You All Over the World
- Electric Eye
- Turbo Lover
- Freewheel Burning
- Parental Guidance
- Living After Midnight
- You've Got Another Thing Comin'
- Screaming for Vengeance (Bonus Track)
- Rock Hard, Ride Free (Bonus Track)
- Hell Bent for Leather (Bonus Track)
Disc 14: Ram It Down (originally released as CBS 461108, 1988 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 86381, 2002)
- Ram It Down
- Heavy Metal
- Love Zone
- Come and Get It
- Hard as Iron
- Blood Red Skies
- I'm a Rocker
- Johnny B. Goode
- Love You to Death
- Monsters of Rock
- Night Comes Down (Live @ Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - 5/5/1984)
- Bloodstone (Live @ Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis - 12/12/1982)
Disc 15: Painkiller (originally released as CBS 467290, 1990 - reissued as Columbia/Legacy CK 86382, 2002)
- Painkiller
- Hell Patrol
- All Guns Blazing
- Leather Rebel
- Metal Meltdown
- Night Crawler
- Between the Hammer and the Anvil
- A Touch of Evil
- Battle Hymn
- One Shot at Glory
- Living Bad Dreams (Studio Outtake)
- Leather Rebel (Live @ Foundations Forum, Los Angeles - 9/13/1990)
Disc 16: Angel of Retribution (originally released as Sony Music 519300, 2005)
- Judas Rising
- Deal with the Devil
- Revolution
- Worth Fighting For
- Demonizer
- Wheels of Fire
- Angel
- Hellrider
- Eulogy
- Lochness
Discs 17-18: Nostradamus (originally released as Sony BMG 88697 31559-2, 2008)
- Dawn of Creation
- Prophecy
- Awakening
- Revelations
- The Four Horsemen
- War
- Sands of Time
- Pestilence and Plague
- Death
- Peace
- Conquest
- Lost Love
- Persecution
- Solitude
- Exiled
- Alone
- Shadows in the Flame
- Visions
- Hope
- New Beginnings
- Calm Before the Storm
- Nostradamus
- Future of Mankind
Disc 19: A Touch of Evil…Live (originally released as Columbia 88697 54597-2, 2009)
- Judas Rising
- Hellrider
- Between the Hammer and the Anvil
- Riding on the Wind
- Death
- Beyond the Realms of Death
- Dissident Aggressor
- A Touch of Evil
- Eat Me Alive
- Prophecy
- Painkiller
Victor Dang says
"First of all, the bonus tracks that appeared on Legacy’s 2001 reissues of the Priest catalogue are still on the discs – which now appear in mini-LP size wallet cases – with the same masterings by Jon Astley"
Ick, I can forgot about this purchase, then.
Even though the first two albums are "newly remastered by Vic Anesini", this box set ultimately doesn't really offer anything new that's already available. It certainly won't offer any improvements in sound quality, mostly (though anything will be an improvement over Astley's brickwalled 2001 remastering).
Honestly, the one thing this box set is good for is collecting all of the previously remastered albums into one easy set, and offering new remasterings for the ones that haven't been touched in the last 10-20 years.
Bill B says
I agree with Victor. I have all the Priest cds. I love this band but why would I rebuy all these albums if there is no added value. All they would have had to do was throw a couple of dvd-audio 5.1 mixes in (like Rush did with their recent repackaged remasters) and they might have gotten me to bite. This just looks like a quick cash grab for those that are completists.
No value added = no sale.
I can buy those first two albums separately. Really only care about Sad Wings. Rocka Rolla was entirely forgettable.
George says
Are there plans to reissue Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings as stand alone remasters? When the Priest Catalog was remastered 10 years ago, they released them in sets of 4 over the year and the final set of 4 you could get in a limited edition box with a booklet which had room for the other 8 discs. I have that box and it is great but I think I will pass on this set. I don't think there are any other Priest tracks from the vault other than the rumoured songs which were produced by Stock, Waterman and Aiken which I don't think will ever see the light of day.
Bill B says
Yes, both are available as imports. A bit pricey at $21 but cheaper than rebuying all the other albums in this box set.
http://www.amazon.com/Sad-Wings-Destiny-Judas-Priest/dp/B005SQOEYE/ref=sr_1_6?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1327061567&sr=1-6
Jake says
I don't think that is the version of Sad Wings of Destiny that will be in the box set. I know the pictures on Amazon are not always accruate, but in the picture, "Victim of Changes" is the first song, while "Prelude" is the first song on the new remaster for the box set.
tim says
I have a 2001 remastered CD of Point of Entry and its sounds dreadfully awful
Derek Brown says
yeah the 2001 remasters sounded crap, how do we know this isn't going to be the same
Bryan says
This would have been the ultimate metal box set,had it not had those dreadful brickwalled Astley remasters.