Judas Priest - Ram It Down - 1986 (iTunes - Amazon)
Now, I'm just confused.
Ram It Down is supposed to be the second half of Turbo. Everything I've read says that they were trying to release Turbo as a double album.
But Turbo sucks. It's interminable.
Ram It Down at least sounds like Priest. 80s Priest. By which I mean generic Priest. But, it's light years better than the synthesizer horror show that was Turbo.
Proof that Priest has run out of ideas? There is a track called "Heavy Metal". Need I say more? This would be like The Cars writing a song called, "New Wave." Or Boston recording a tune called "Classic Rock!"
Or...
You get the idea.
The first half of the album isn't horrible. It doesn't aspire to be anything more than an arena filling, banger-satisfying, play-it-LOUD album. And in that respect it succeeds.
The second half starts off with the epic Blood Red Skies. Harmless and not very inventive, it's classic mid-80s Priest. I could see myself blasting this on an open desert road. On my way to kill someone's grandmother. Or dog. And I mean that in a good way.
However.
Don't. Under ANY circumstances. Listen to their cover of Johnny B. Good. If you do then you're on your own. I can't help you. You've been warned.
While the name "Ram it Down" makes sense, I can't help but wonder if they wanted to name it after the sludge metal closing track, "Monsters of Rock". I have a soft spot in my heart for a band that writes a song with no irony. Especially a song that has already been rendered a parody of itself by Spinal Tap.
Ram It Down is not nearly as bad as you've heard. When it's good (Blood Red Skies, Hard as Iron, Ram It Down) it's really good. When it's not it's mediocre. It's not Turbo. Thank god.
Grade C
A Side: Ram It Down, Hard as Iron, Blood Red Skies
BlindSide: Love Zone,
DownSide: Heavy Metal, Johnny B. Goode.
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