Judas Priest/Turbo(1986)

 

Now! How’s this once again for timing! Today(Feb 3 2017) Priest releases the deluxe edition of Turbo included is a live show recorded in Kansas City. I will say it again as Priest knows how to do the reissue format properly!

You know Turbo at the time of its release back in good ol 1986 I think got somehow buried since from a Hard Rock standpoint the Van Halen VS David Lee Roth drama took in a ton of press that year and it was like “Oh here’s a new Priest album!” and that was it.

From a build up standpoint there was no hype for Turbo which was kinda bizarre as the previous couple of Priest album’s 1982’s Screaming For Vengeance and 1984’s Defenders Of The Faith delivered in full Metal fashion.

I still recall watching MuchMusic when the first  video single was dropped from Turbo and that being Locked In which I thought was a good track but Wowzer’s Priest went and borrowed the ZZ Top Synth and slammed out a bunch of tracks and talk about a direction change in everything including the packaging/the song’s and even Priest themselves were all sporting a new swag like look! Think the KISS Lick It Up look mashed up with a Mad Max/Road Warrior look! See video posted below….

Haha….gotta love this video…man the 80’s Ruled!

Um…The Turbo Lovers….

Rob Halford – vocals
K. K. Downing – guitar
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Dave Holland – drums

Turbo Tracks…

1. “Turbo Lover” 5:33
2. “Locked In” 4:19
3. “Private Property” 4:29
4. “Parental Guidance” 3:25
5. “Rock You All Around the World” 3:37
6. “Out in the Cold” 6:27
7. “Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days” 4:39
8. “Hot for Love” 4:12
9. “Reckless”  

Priest open the album with an all time great which is Turbo Lover which features KK and Glenn playing all kinds of metal like synth shots emulating from there guitars going straight into the synth and it is quite genius. Though at the time I was like “Whoah a real shift in direction” as if you recall Defenders opening track was the ballistic  FreeWheel Burning which is Metal through and through…

Locked In ..well watch the video again if you must! The song is pretty decent and really grabs my attention when it breaks down and shifts gears in the middle point of the track.

Private Property is a great track. Swirling Metal Synth propels this song forward with Hollands drums pushing the beat forward! The pre chorus part of the track is simply brilliant! “Keep Your Hands Off Private Property” sings Robbo and in a perfect  Metal World setlist Priest should have done a Eat Me Alive/Private Property/Ram It Down trilogy…haha. Seriously though this song oozes cool even 30 years later!

Priest here is Itchin! Itchin for a Hit  with Parental Guidance which was the rally cry of the wacka doodle censorship that was going on in the record industry circa the mid 80’s! There’s Robbo singing ” We don’t need no,no.no.no Parental Guidance here!” This song was silly to me back than and it still is today. Like why guy’s? Really?! I mean just two years before your writing tunes like The Sentinal which is just a sick mad beast of tune from Defenders. I will give Priest there due though as they are trying to move forward, maybe a little too much to my liking….

Rock You All Around The World picks up a lot more steam and KK and Glenn take off and Dave Holland or is it a drum machine keeps the tune rocking. Kinda of a cool catchy chorus. Kinda like a metal bubblegum like vibe that will stick in the inside of your noggin for minutes/hours after….anything with the title Rock in it will. Like for instance…Rock You/Rock You Like A Hurricane/Rocks Off/Rock Rock Til You Drop/I Wanna Rock/Rock Hard Ride Free/Rock Bottom and my personal fav Big Bottom! ummm sorry that last one doesn’t belong here….

Side 2 begins with the 6 minute plus Priest mid tempo Out In The Cold which is a great track and what totally blows my mind is that this was used as the tour opener on Priests Turbo Tour. Ballsy move instead of coming out and punishing the crowd Priest shifts gears and fools everyone. Out In The Cold confused back in 86 but now in 2017 I understand what these sneaky Brits were doing…Chill the crowd out and wallop them with your second song of the night….

Wild Nights,Hot And Crazy Days has Rob and Crew getting on down with the after concert party crowd and hey look over there at the catering table are Simmons and Stanley looking at that nights buffet! Kinda reminds of that a Goofy Dumbo Like KISS mid 80s track that could have slid perfectly in right before Uh All Night. This track sounds like a toss in…..

Hot For Love….mmmmm no thanks….next,

Reckless. Now we are talking after two dud’s Priest storm back with a fire cracker of a track that ends Turbo with a bang and not a whimper! Cool pace and the chorus is oh so good. So good that the video is below….

Priest in 2017 are smart as they are like I said earlier are bringing Turbo back to life with the Deluxe Edition and by all accounts from the two live tracks that were made available already (Turbo Lover and Out In The Cold) this is going to be a great live addition as the mixes are so good on the guitars especially on Turbo Lover.

Have to hand it to them as they tried to keep pushing forward but some songs fell by the wayside though Turbo is still a decent effort.

With the sonics and production of this album it’s there ZZ Priest album!

# waiting for the Point OF Entry Reissue!