Judas Priest – LONG BEACH ARENA VOL.1 (RED VINYL 2LP) Vinyl Double Album

This lengthy 1984-set showcases metal icons, Judas Priest, at their mid-1980s best. Consisting of the classic British Steel line-up that included vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Dave Holland, this recording was originally made for the King Biscuit Flower Hour and is essentially a live greatest hits collection for the band, with some extra surprises.Opening with ‘Love Bites’, which segues into the metallic riff run, ‘Jawbreaker’, Halford leads Priest through a blistering set of the music that would make them one of the most popular hard rock bands of all time. ‘Grinder’, ‘Metal Gods’ and ‘Sinner’ are balanced with the band’s biggest radio hits: ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Some Heads Are Gonna Roll’.Tipton and Downing make an effective guitar duo, especially on some of the bigger hits, and the rhythm section of bassist Ian Hill and former Trapeze drummer Dave Holland, are simply rock solid. It is no wonder when most fans think of the Golden Age of Judas Priest they often refer to the time when this recording was made. This extraordinary performance is now available in its entirety on this two-instalment set.