Judas Priest fanatics rejoice, the band have released the ultimate collection chronicling their entire career in this box set. The four CD set is a lasting tribute to this incredible band, and quite a well-done package at that. Obviously, any time you are trying to condense down the career of a group who has been as prolific as JP over the years, there will be differences of opinion as to what should and should not have been included. I doubt that any band could ever do it to the exact specification of their fans. I suppose the only way to truly pull that one off would be to include the entire catalog in the set (a few bands - Steely Dan, ZZ Top - have actually done this) but for most groups this would defeat the purpose and be virtually impossible. The Priest have opted to compile a set consisting of material from every album they have ever released. They have also managed to include some very interesting unreleased, or at least never on CD material to fill out the collection. The result, although, again, I could quibble with some of the selections, is a set that, like their career is a bit of a mixed bag, but has much more powerful material than weak. I think that it does a nice job of encapsulating the career of this highly important metal band.

Judas Priest were at the birth of heavy metal. Although they did not get a recording contract until the early 1970's, they were playing music at the same time, and in the same place, as Black Sabbath as that band was pioneering the genre of metal. Priest's first disc, Rocka Rolla, felt a lot like the bluesy early Sabbath. By the time they recorded the follow up, Sad Wings of Destiny, though, they had forged their own sound. It was a slightly off-kilter, highly unique, almost psychedelic take on the metal sound. This style was truly made reality by both a combination of KK Downing and Glenn Tipton's angular circling around one another on the fret board, and a times dueling, and the immense vocal talents of Rob Halford. Halford, in the opinion of this reviewer had, and still has, the finest voice in the business. A few people (Geoff Tate, Ronnie James Dio, DC Cooper and Bruce Dickinson come to mind) come close, but the combination of a strong and decisive delivery and incredible range (the man can jump from incredibly low tones to screams that seem almost in the dog-only hearing range in a heartbeat) make Halford a force that is unequalled.

As the band made their way forward they moved into what was a more mainstream metallic sound. The thing is, they were really creating and forming that sound, always pushing the cutting edge, rather than just copying. By the time of British Steel, the American audiences were ready, and "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law" took them from obscurity onto the arena stages. The age of Priest was a hand. The band moved through several more albums, all with greater and lesser degrees of critical and commercial success. In this reviewers opinion the Point of Entry album, with its experimentation of a new form of metal, was always one of the high points. At the other end of the spectrum the poppy, hair metalish Turbo was almost without argument the least effective disc the group ever recorded. As the band carried on, they eventually ran into the bane of all bands, personal and musical differences, that lead to the departure of Halford. This had been, other than what seemed like more changes of drummers than Spinal Tap (although none spontaneously combusted), the only personnel shift in the band since they began recording. Ripper Owens, at the time singing in a Judas Priest tribute band, stepped up to the plate to replace Halford. The group recorded two studio albums with Owens, but now Halford is back in the fold, and the circle is complete.

This box set goes a long way towards capturing much of that rich and important musical legacy. For Priest fanatics like myself the rare tracks and live DVD (a Screaming For Vengeance tour show that has been long out of print) will surely make this set a must have. For those who have been wanting to make the plunge into the catalog, this could well be a good, but pricey starting point. It surely gives a realistic and balanced view of the history of the group.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2004 Year Book Volume 2 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2003-and-2004/.