The lead up to their follow up album was beset by interesting phases that the band had to work through. The influence of the punk movement in the UK in the back half of the 1970’s had brought about a change, depending on your point of view. Priest had already begun to tone down the progressive nature of their songs and move to a more defined short and sharp design of their song structure, in some way mirroring what punk had brought to the table. At the same time was the rise of the NWOBHM, that was bringing a heavier aspect to music that had in fact been inspired by bands such as Priest and Motorhead. The previous album “Killing Machine” had already seen Priest begin that slight metamorphosis to their music. Here on “British Steel” they probably perfected it.
The fate of drummer Les Binks was more convoluted than it probably should have been, but it does fit in to the scenario when it comes to bands, managers, record companies, and money. Though Binks was acknowledged by the fans as a member of Judas Priest for two studio albums and one live album, he was still being paid as a session drummer, paid for his performance and nothing else. This included his live performances. However, when it came to the release of the “Unleashed in the East” live album, there was a conflict in ideas. As Binks related in an interview that is posted on KK Downing’s website:
“I had no prior arrangement with Dolan to record. When the band went into the studio to record I would negotiate a fee with the manager beforehand. I received a one off session fee for each album as I wasn’t contracted to the record company and therefore would not receive royalties from record sales. I asked Dolan why he hadn’t informed me in advance so we could agree on my fee for a live album. He brushed it off by saying, “don’t worry, it’s just for CBS/Sony’s benefit. We’ll sort things out later.” Little did I know, I was making the next album. These recordings became “Unleashed in the East”.
This one is a touchy subject for me as the live in Tokyo album “Unleashed in the East” caused a rift between me and the band’s manager and ultimately led to my decision to leave the band. I just didn’t see the point in continuing to work with a band whose manager didn’t want me to receive any payment for that live album. A completely ludicrous scenario. It’s a classic heavy metal live album which I believe eventually went platinum and he didn’t want me to receive a penny for it. Crazy f–ker!!! But that’s what happens if a band allows someone like that to manage them, they lose members. So exit drummer number four”.
This was not the first nor last time that Mike Dolan’s management came under question, and his dealings have since been shown to be less than honourable. Binks went on to say:
“As you can imagine, I was feeling disappointed and undervalued so I left and went back to the session work. What disappointed me most was that no one in the band bothered to call me to say we hear you’re leaving. What’s the problem? Is there something we can sort out cause we don’t want to lose you? That didn’t happen. After I’d left, I read all kinds of made up reasons given to the media as to why I left. I guess “he left because we didn’t want to pay him for the live album” didn’t look too good in print. So there you have it. The real reason Les Binks left Judas Priest”.
In his place the band recruited Dave Holland who would go on to be the mainstay behind the kit for the 1980’s decade, and be the pounding beat that set the rhythm pattern of what would be one of the milestone albums for the band, the one that is full of “British Steel”.
One of the great annoyances for me of albums by many bands during this era is the differences in cover art and song list and even name of albums between the US and the rest of the world. As a music listener and podcasting reviewer, it makes my job just that little more difficult for no reason. The farce that occurred with the first few AC/DC albums is one example. Judas Priest is another. It wasn’t enough that the US distributor wouldn’t accept the name “Killing Machine” for the previous album because of the connotations of violence – somewhat ridiculous given the disproportionate level of people killed by gun violence in the US compared to the rest of the world – but then there was the different track listing. Here on “British Steel” they at least accepted the name, but instead of the perfectly good opening listing of “Rapid Fire”, “Metal Gods” and “Breaking the Law”, the US decided to move “Breaking the Law” to the opening track, and also flipping the opening track of side two of the album. JUST LEAVE IT LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD FOR FUCKS SAKE!!! Anyway... rant over.
The album OPENS with the excellent “Rapid Fire” with a great drum fill to introduce Holland from the outset. He and bass guitarist Ian Hill lock in from the opening and keep the control centre of that Judas Priest rhythm section humming from the opening bars. Holland’s drumming on this track is a great kickstart, and one of the main reasons why this had to be the opening track of the album, because the pace of the song gives the album its heartbeat out of the blocks and showcases Holland’s skills immediately. Grafted onto this of course are those twin guitars and Rob’s scintillating vocal delivery, and the entrance into the new album is complete.
This beautifully segues with the sound of metal being created into the legendary “Metal Gods”, a song that does perfect justice to everything that is Judas Priest. The heartbeat of Holland and Hill sets the tone again, the pounding of the drumbeat and the thumping of the bass strings grinds and grooves the trail into the steel, laying the platform for the twin guitars to follow. Even just listening to the track, it compels you to raise your fist and pump it in time as Rob’s vocals arrive and draw you into singing along, no matter where you are or what you are doing. A masterpiece in composition and performance, with the phasing of the chorus and the guitar riff that sounds like it came from a Birmingham steel mill. Would anyone go to see a Judas Priest gig if they didn’t play this song? It would certainly be the lesser without it. The end of this classic track is then immediately compounded by another in “Breaking the Law” it its rightful position in the track list (No, I will not let this go!) Everybody in the world, no matter what your music persuasion is, knows “Breaking the Law”. Whether you learned it at school as an anthem r were just pumped with it being played over and over on MTV and other music video shows, everyone knows the riff, everyone knows the chorus, and everyone wants to play air guitar to it like the cop does on the music video. The riff and melody of the track might be simplified, but my word it is catchy, and fun. Who would have thought that singing a song about the affected youth of the world rising up and breaking the law in order to shake their fist at the world as they know it would be such a powerful anthem? On an album full of anthems that are solid heavy songs, the video for this song (released as the second single) gave it the airtime to make it a hit.
Then into “Grinder” we go, with more of the same when it comes to tempo, rhythm and great singalong lyrics. Holland and Hill lay down the pathway and Downing and Tipton follow in kind. It follows along the template that has been crafted for this album. Perhaps those that overcook their opinion on the tracks here are looking for the progressive nature of earlier albums, but this is the sleeker and shinier version of the band, with polished production and military styled precision in recording. This is brought further to bear in “United”, with the stop start guitar riff and lyrics based around the people standing up against the government, it has an anthemic feel about its construction enhanced by the repeating of the chorus to emphasise its power. Much the same connotations can be made about “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise”. Musically it holds its pattern throughout, structured through the 4/4 timing and rhythm riff as Rob sings over the top, with the song extolling the virtues of the title by describing someone standing up and realising they don’t have downtrodden but can think for themselves and find their own way forward. This then leads straight into another youth anthem and first single from the album “Living After Midnight”, one that has been sung and acted out by fans for 45 years. With a better structured singalong chorus and brighter vocals from Rob it suits its release as a single, one that could enlighten the airwaves and be an attracter of fans as a result.
A pair of the longest songs of the album combine to close out the time together. “The Rage” slows the tempo back and is driven in power and energy by the excellent guttural guitar riff against the sludgy slow tempo of the track. In many ways it acts as a precursor to a song that was to come some albums down the track in “Heavy Duty”. Given the livelier output in the song selection up to this point, “The Rage” is very much a counterpoint to the style of the rest of the album. “Steeler” then finishes off the album, moving back towards the other half of the album content wise, warning of the dangers of believing all around you without believing in yourself. The return of the upbeat tempo allows the song to send you to the album’s completion on a high, a rush that is enhanced by the great lead out soloing of guitars and crashing of drums that by its very nature is the best part of Judas Priest.
My journey with Judas Priest began with the music video for “Turbo Lover” on Rage, the year when I first began to begin my love affair with heavy metal. It, and the video for “Freewheel Burning” were the frequently played Judas Priest videos on that program when the metal section came on during the early hours of the morning on weekends, and so were my first exposure to the band. Then came the live album “Unleashed in the East” from my heavy metal music dealer, and I was well and truly on my way.
“British Steel” didn’t come until a dozen months later and was probably the obvious port of call as it was the most accessible and easiest to find Judas Priest album when it came to scouring the record stores of the area. And as it turns out, it is probably the best album to start with if you want to get a feel for what Judas Priest is about. Because it came at a time when through their own writing, they produced a minimalist album. And by that, I mean that while it is a well-polished album, it has everything you need to be at the least inoffensive to any music tastes. The timing hits the right beat all the way through, it is neither too fast nor too slow. The songs are more structured, with verse then chorus then verse then chorus. The rhythm is tight and perfect, holding each song within its walls. The guitars are perfectly in sync, only breaking out in their allocated solo section. This is such a regimented album in almost every way, you could probably march to it were you so inclined to do so. New fans can come in and have songs that may seem similar all the way through because of what I’ve just described and yet enjoy the fact that they are not.
The same too can be said for the guitars on the album. All of the songs in general have simple riffs and chords for most of the song, before allowing the guitar solos in the middle to help change up this part of each song. And through it all, the vocals are terrific, but there is nothing stretching the range here like on earlier albums. It’s all very within the limitations of other vocalists, and has no breakout screams or high pitched ringers that has always been a part of the Halford trick bag. To try and put a comparison on it, “British Steel” is much like an AC/DC album, but in a metal sense and not a hard rock sense. The basic premise of the rhythm, both in how tight it is and the tempo in particular, reminds me of how AC/DC operate. That’s not a bad thing in song structure, but it is somewhat different from what Judas Priest had done in the past.
Despite all of this and any belief that I may be bagging the album, I assure you I am not, nor would I ever. For me, everything works here, and showcases the combination of the times by having shorter songs in a simpler fashion like punk rock while offering great musicianship and heavy moments that the band was renowned for, and would be appreciated again by the NWOBHM movement that was forming as a result of their earlier work. The fast-paced opening of “Rapid Fire” is terrific, and the brilliant mood swing into “Metal Gods” is still a joy to listen to even after all of these years. “Breaking the Law” is the track that got most airplay at the time and typifies what this album is about, the simple but effective and memorable riff along with a catchy chorus that people of all ages find themselves singing along to. “Grinder” as well has a great feel to the rhythm riff. Perhaps the album is too rigid in places and for some fans it doesn’t offer enough of the great groundbreaking memories of the band’s recent past.
The result of the similar song structures does hold some dangers, and there does come a point where there is some repetition. For me, that is part of the charm of the album as a whole.
I have had some amazing albums on my rotation over the past week, all of which were released around each other. You’ll hear those podcast episodes around this one, and no doubt you will be amazed to. And “British Steel” has not taken a back seat to any of them. It is still such a powerful and fun album to listen to. Do I think every song on here is a stone cold classic? No, I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy them anyway. Each song complements the one before it and the one that follows. They fit together like a puzzle, and everything here makes this album what it is. “British Steel” has been a classic since its release 45 years ago, playing off the success of its two main singles and through the simplistic excellence of the rest of the album. Even now when you listen to the album you can hear the results of the effort put into the writing and recording these songs and the plan that must have been in place for all of them. As a structured masterpiece this ticks every box.
1980’s Judas Priest is where it is at for me. “British Steel”, “Screaming for Vengeance”, “Defenders of the Faith” ... they are gold standard albums, and along with “Painkiller” and “Sin After Sin” showcase every element of the band that you could wish to listen to. I mean, let’s face it. I don’t think there is a bad Judas Priest album, and I know I’m in the minority here. And “British Steel” is up there with the best. It brings back so many great memories every time I put it on. And you know what? Seeing as I’ve finished with this episode now, I’m going back to the stereo, and I am going to crank it once again. Because, as Rob is wont to say... “It’s Friday night and the Priest is back!”
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