The Official RC Roundtable: Judas Priest Week 3: Stained Class

[Papa Josh]

JUDAS PRIEST
Stained Class
Originally Released in 1978

1. Exciter
2. White Hot, Red Heat
3. Better By You, Better Than Me
4. Stained Class
5. Invader
6. Saints in Hell
7. Savage
8. Beyond the Realms Of Death
9. Heroes End

(For the purpose of discussion on the remasters)
10. Fire Burns Below
11. Better By You, Better Than Me (Live)

Ok, I'm gonna attempt to start something that will either be interesting or fail miserably. I'm opening up a sort of reviewer's roundtable, not just to staff, but all forum regulars. I'm hoping to make this sorta special. like our Iron Maiden or Testament feature. So, the subject matter is Judas Priest, and for the next 15 weeks (if my count is accurate), I invite you all to take part in a discussion of each studio album the Metal Gods have created over the course of their career. I'm not gonna go in chronological order, but the threads will be labeled appropriately. It'll be interesting to see which albums get more or less responses, etc., etc.

Alright, besides having the monumental "Beyond the Realms of Death," this album came out in 78, while the rest of the world was enraptured by disco and obssessed with punk. I love this album, the double bass kick of "Exciter" introduced Les Binks as the band's new drummer at the time.

Halford's soaring vocals kick the song into overdrive, of course.

Title track rules (one of my favorite moments in heavy metal history), Heroes End kicks ass, Saints In Hell, awesome.

Discuss. :Spin:

 

[JayKeeley]

Wow, 1 star before a single posted response.

"Beyond the Realms of Death" is in the top 3 JP songs ever. Certainly some of the finest guitar work...

 

[Papa Josh]

Great song, I've heard so many covers of it. Speaking of covers, have any of you heard Fates Warning's cover of "Saints In Hell?"

Very good version, in my opinion.

This is definitely one of Priest's best 70's albums. Certainly one the most infamous, as it was the center of "the trial."

 

[JayKeeley]

That's right!! A 3 second section of "Better By You, Better Than Me", if played backwards, sounds like "Do it".

That actually went to court, with a full blown jury.

At least Ozzy's "Suicide Solution" was supposed to spell out "Get yourself a gun". I mean, you would think that would hold more water than just "Do it".

I notice how Nike aren't in court defending themselves.

 

[Papa Josh]

That is absolutely wonderful, even Halford would have to admit that looks good.:Smug: And if he didn't, well I'd just knock him out of the way anyway.

 

[Erik]

STAAAAAAAAAND BY FOR EXCIIITER

 

[Papa Josh]

STAAAAAAAAAND BY FOR EXCIIITER

That's what I'm talking about!

"Wild eyed and tight fisted, I'm fused to the bone.
I stand contemplating, reacting alone.
Impaled with betrayal, the tourniquet turns,
Society's creation, pole-axed out and burnt.

Long ago when man was king, his heart was clean, now he's just stained class,
Time has slashed each untouched thing, so now he's just a stained class king."

 

[Ayeka]

I love this album so much!

If you play the end of Beyond The Realms Of Death backwards it says "I took my life". For serious. There's supposed to be a cock on the cover too...

I'd say this album has some of the best lyrics ever written. Fall to your knees and repent if you please!

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Awesome album! Then again, I categorize most of their albums as "awesome"

 

[Papa Josh]

I love this album so much!

If you play the end of Beyond The Realms Of Death backwards it says "I took my life". For serious. There's supposed to be a cock on the cover too...

I'd say this album has some of the best lyrics ever written. Fall to your knees and repent if you please!

"They laughed at their gods, and fought them in vain,
So he turned his back on them, and left them in pain.
Now here comes the saints, with their banners held high,
Each one of them martyrs, quite willing to die."

Saints In Hell

 

[Bruni]

Practically the best Priest album ever...

 

[DeathToThoseWhoOppose]

This album rules, no doubt! If it has such powers to make people kill, perhaps we should give it to the soldiers on the warfields.

 

[Henrik Main]

This album rules, no doubt! If it has such powers to make people kill, perhaps we should give it to the soldiers on the warfields.

.... but then again, perhaps not.

 

[Papa Josh]

.... but then again, perhaps not.

Just Do It!

 

[Lies and Perfidy]

One of the all-time most important albums in the history of metal. Without Stained Class, there is no Iron Maiden.

More when I get back from class.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

One of the all-time most important albums in the history of metal. Without Stained Class, there is no Iron Maiden.

More when I get back from class.

Well that I don't agree with. Maiden would've been Maiden with or without this album IMO.

 

[Chromatose]

yes! my favorite priest

I used to rock out to an 8-track of this quite often

 

[Papa Josh]

Well that I don't agree with. Maiden would've been Maiden with or without this album IMO.

Disagree. Priest was doing the sped up galloping thing (not to the excess that Maiden did) quite early on.