“British Steel” by Judas Priest - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1980 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1980s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

The sixth album from the West Bromwich rockers arrived in April, 1980, and heralded their massive commercial breakthrough, peaking at #4 in the UK (previous high #23) and #34 in the US (previous high #128). They line-up: Rob Halford (vocals), K. K. Downing (guitars), Glenn Tipton (guitars), Ian Hill (bass) and new boy Dave Holland (drums). From what I'm led to believe, they simplified their sound for this one, and the striking front-cover image went with an identifiable marketing campaign and a VFM ploy of £3.99. To boot, British heavy metal was on the up, so everything fell into place for them. Their new radio-friendly hooks were rewarded with three hit singles: “Living After Midnight” (#12), “Breaking The Law” (#12) and “United” (#26).

The Jukebox Rebel
19–Nov–2016

Tracklist

A1	[04:04] Judas Priest - Rapid Fire (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
A2	[04:00] Judas Priest - Metal Gods (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
A3	[02:33] Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
A4	[03:57] Judas Priest - Grinder (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
A5	[03:31] Judas Priest - United (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
B1	[05:03] Judas Priest - You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
B2	[03:30] Judas Priest - Living After Midnight (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
B3	[04:44] Judas Priest - The Rage (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock
B4	[04:30] Judas Priest - Steeler (Robert Halford, Glenn Tipton, Kenneth Downing) Rock

ratings by TJR