Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance - 1982 (iTunes - Amazon)
I would like to go back in time 25 years and kick the pretentious asshole that is my younger, teenage self, in the ass.
Why, you ask?
Because, the only reason, or the main reason that I poopoo-ed this album is because the title of the song, "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" is an eggcorn. Oh, there wasn't a name for it. I only recently learned what it is, but it's right and it fits.
it's "You've got another THINK coming!" And that would also, lyrically, follow the logic of the song.
Oh, feh.
By being such a grammar priss I missed out on the most essential metal album of the 80s. Everything that came before was prelude to "Vengeance". All bands that came later were but pretenders to the throne or worshipped at this altar.
From the opening instrumental track, The Hellion, straight through to the very last note on Devil's Child, this is one taught, tense, paranoid, explosive, headbanging, devil-horn masterstroke.
What does it say that the biggest hit in their career, while catchy as fuck, is perhaps the weakest track on the album? It says that you should fire up the Rhapsody, Napster, or whatever you use to stream, or torrent, or better yet, just buy the damned thing.
As soon as I publish this I am logging on to Rock Band on my Wii and buying the album for game play. At least Electric Eye. Which is Breaking the Law times 1000 only more assured and terrifying.
The wall of monster sound on this record would be copied over and over all through the decade until it would almost be a cliche. But this is ground zero.
Damn. 17 year old Allen was an IDIOT.
Grade A+
A Side: Electric Eye, You've Got Another Thing Comin'
BlindSide: Riding on the Wind, Screaming for Vengeance
DownSide: There are no bad tracks on this record.
1 comment:
Agreed. SO many great albums used to slip past people because the 'single' turned them off... even though it didn't truely represent the rest of the album... although I suppose other times the single brought people to an album that then proved to be a gem... an example? I know it isn't Metal, bu how about Jim Carroll's "Catholic Boy' album? ...like a lot of kids, I bought it for the single 'people who died' but after just one listen-through that song quickly became one of my lesser favorites.
... I guess you just never know.
Post a Comment