British Steel (album)

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British Steel
British Steel cover
Studio album by Judas Priest
Released April 14, 1980
Recorded January - February 1980 at Startling Studios, Ascot, England
Genre Heavy metal
Length 36:10(w/o bonus tracks)
44:36(w/ bonus tracks)
Label Epic Records
Producer(s) Tom Allom
Professional reviews
Judas Priest chronology
Unleashed in the East
(1979)		 British Steel
(1980)		 Point of Entry
(1981)


British Steel is a heavy metal album by Judas Priest, released on April 14 1980 (see 1980 in music). The album was remastered in 2001, with two bonus tracks added. It is one of their most popular recordings and is widely regarded as one of the band's best efforts, along with Sad Wings of Destiny, Stained Class, Screaming for Vengeance and Painkiller. "Breaking the Law", "United", and "Living After Midnight" were released as singles.

The album was recorded at Tittenhurst Park, which was the home of the Beatle Ringo Starr. Sampling did not yet exist at the time of recording, so the band recorded the sounds of smashing milk bottles to be included in "Breaking the Law", as well as various sounds in "Metal Gods" produced by "trays of cutlery" and "billiard cues."

The bonus track "Red, White, and Blue" was written sometime during the earlier years of Priest's career. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau in July of 1985. Judas Priest explains this track in the remaster booklet as follows:

"This is a great song which was written as an anthem for audience participation AKA "United" or "Take On the World" and although a little tongue-in-cheek, it is also very patriotic and may bring a tear to your eye! We felt that the end tag of Rule Britannia was very fitting for a British band especially on an album entitled British Steel."

The second bonus track, a live performance of "Grinder", was recorded during the U.S. British Steel tour in 1980.

Anthrax guitar player, Scott Ian said in an interview in the documentary Heavy Metal: Louder than Life that British Steel was probably the album that really defined heavy metal, because it, according to him, did away with the "last shards of blues" that had otherwise been characteristic of the genre. He said, "Even the title... how does it get more metal than that?"


[edit] Original U.S. track listing

  1. "Breaking the Law" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 2:35
  2. "Rapid Fire" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:08
  3. "Metal Gods" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:00
  4. "Grinder" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:58
  5. "United" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:35
  6. "Living After Midnight" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:31
  7. "You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 5:04
  8. "The Rage" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:44
  9. "Steeler" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:30

[edit] 2001 remaster and original non-U.S. track listing

  1. "Rapid Fire" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:08
  2. "Metal Gods" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:00
  3. "Breaking the Law" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 2:35
  4. "Grinder" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:58
  5. "United" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:35
  6. "You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 5:04
  7. "Living After Midnight" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:31
  8. "The Rage" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:44
  9. "Steeler" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:30

[edit] 2001 bonus tracks

  1. "Red White & Blue" (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 3:42
  2. "Grinder" (Live) (Downing/Halford/Tipton) – 4:49

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1980 Pop Albums 34

[edit] External links

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