Record (Re)Collection: Ben Weasel (Screeching Weasel) On Judas Priest’s “Unleashed In The East”
Posted on February 15th, 2011 by Matthew
Judas Priest’s 1979 live album, Unleashed In The East, was their KISS Alive! Like Kiss, their studio recordings hadn’t come close to matching the band’s live ferocity and, also like Kiss, they remedied the situation by releasing a live album that seemed to have been mostly re-dubbed in the studio.
I have no idea how that approach worked, but it worked like a motherfucker. Originals like “Sinner,” “Ripper,” and “Victim Of Changes” that came off timid in their original form just about rip your head off here. Most impressive is the 1-2 punch of their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)” followed by a tender, heartfelt and tremendously ballsy version of hippie Joan Baez’s “Diamonds And Rust.” Rob Halford’s vocals on both tracks are stunning, but equally jaw-dropping are the lead guitars of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. From the alternating solos on “Green Manalishi” to the lead answering Halford’s vocals on the bridge and final verse of “Diamonds And Rust,” this is some of the best metal guitar playing ever put to tape. But it’s almost pointless to single out the best moments; the whole album absolutely smokes.
