Judas Priest – Live In Concert 25th June 1980

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The Store For Music

Previously only available as a widely circulated bootleg, this classic period Judas Priest recording, part of an ongoing series of live releases by small English label The Store For Music, was recorded on the US leg of the 1980 British Steel tour at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver, CO on June 25.

Most noteable for very rare live versions of the tracks You Don’t Have To Be Old To Wise and Steeler, from the British Steel album, Concert Classics will represent the only commerically released recording from this tour so far, with official live documents already available from the Hell Bent For Leather (CD), Screaming For Vengeance (DVD), Fuel For Life (CD and DVD – Turbo album), Jugulator (CD), Demolition (CD and DVD) and Angel of Retribution (DVD) tours.

Featuring the ‘classic’ line-up of Rob Halford (vocals), KK Downing (guitar), Glenn Tipton (guitar), Ian Hill (bass) and Dave Holland (drums), what the recording lacks in even mixing of the instruments (typical of a direct from soundboard recording) it makes up for in the interesting setlist and the exemplification of Halford’s vocal range. Soundboard recordings, in their raw state, are often recorded through, at most, two channels. Full production official live albums are usually recorded with a separate channel for each instrument, such that they can be mixed later on at the correct respective volumes to present an even and balanced overall sound. With only one or two channels this isn’t possible, and usually results in each the bass and/or drums being louder than the rest, or the vocals being louder, with too much treble elsewhere. The latter is the case here.

For riff-heavy tracks like Hell Bent For Leather and Running Wild the lack of mid-range and the prominence of the vocals doesn’t work so well, but for tracks where the voice is the defining sound, like Beyond The Realms of Death and Victim of Changes, the mix makes hearing Halford’s incredible range all the more obvious. The same can be said for the lead guitar of Downing and Tipton, but less so for the rhythm.

The sound clarity is mostly excellent. The vocals start off a little distant on both Hell Bent For Leather and Genocide. Genocide was probably the first song of the encore, so the levels had probably been turned down when the band went off stage, and brought back up when they came back on. It doesn’t sound as good as the official releases, but they’ve been professionally recorded, mixed and mastered, while this has been professionally mastered but it almost certainly wasn’t recorded with a full mobile recording suite.

Judas Priest collectors will be happy with this release as they’ll finally have a proper recording from the British Steel tour. And of course, it is classic-period Priest music, which is about as genre defining as metal music gets after Black Sabbath. Fans new to Priest are advised to pick up Priest… Live and Live In London. These are with different singers (the latter with Halford’s relacement Tim “Ripper” Owens) and you can therefore make your mind up which you prefer. The well rounded metal fan will of course like both and buy everything.

“ sound clarity is mostly excellent ”

Tracklist: Hell Bent For Leather / The Ripper / Running Wild / Living After Midnight / Sinner / Beyond The Realms of Death / You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise / Breaking The Law / Victim of Changes / Steeler / Genocide / Tyrant / The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)

Written by Andy Lye
More: Heavy Metal, Live Albums, Judas Priest