Point of Entry
| Point of Entry | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Judas Priest | ||||
| Released | 26 February 1981 | |||
| Recorded | October - November 1980, Ibiza, Spain | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal | |||
| Length | 37:42 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Judas Priest and Tom Allom | |||
| Judas Priest chronology | ||||
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| Original Japanese & North American cover | ||||
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Point of Entry is the seventh album from the British heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released on 26 February 1981.
In 1980 Judas Priest garnered some airplay with "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" from their album British Steel. As a result the band pursued a more radio friendly direction on Point of Entry. However, the demo version of "On the Run" was not so radio friendly. It had "different lyrics, speed-metal pace, and spit-fire fast vocals."[1]
Promotion
Three singles were released from the album: "Heading Out to the Highway", "Don't Go" and "Hot Rockin' ", all of which had accompanying music videos. The song "Heading Out to the Highway" has been a staple in live shows since its release, and "Hot Rockin' " is still performed today. On the 2005 "Re-united" tour they also played "Solar Angels" on rare occasions: on the World Wide Blitz Tour of 1981 (supporting Point of Entry), it had been the opening song of every show.
Cover
The US cover differed from the rest of the world, this being repeated with the remaster. The US artwork featured computer printer paper to simulate the line in the middle of the road, and white cardboard boxes on the back. The artwork also saw the introduction of the 3D Judas Priest logo, which would be used up to Turbo.
Reissues
The album was remastered in 2001, with two bonus tracks added, a live version of "Desert Plains" and "Thunder Road", a track from the Ram It Down sessions.
In the booklet of the Remastered CD, the band states:
"Recorded on the island of Ibiza with multiple distractions, glorious sunshine, and extremely low cost alcohol, this album was regarded with mixed feelings because it was different from what people expected. The album was nearly all spontaneously written and performed in Ibiza - it was an experiment in the sense that before this we had already written the majority of the songs before going into the studio."
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
In 2005, Point of Entry was ranked number 352 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[3]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford and K.K. Downing, except where noted.| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heading Out to the Highway" | 3:47 | |
| 2. | "Don't Go" | 3:18 | |
| 3. | "Hot Rockin'" | 3:17 | |
| 4. | "Turning Circles" | 3:42 | |
| 5. | "Desert Plains" | 4:36 | |
| 6. | "Solar Angels" | 4:04 | |
| 7. | "You Say Yes" | 3:29 | |
| 8. | "All the Way" | 3:42 | |
| 9. | "Troubleshooter" | 4:00 | |
| 10. | "On the Run" | 3:47 |
| 2001 bonus tracks | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |||||||
| 11. | "Thunder Road" (Recorded during the 1988 Ram It Down sessions) | Glenn Tipton and Rob Halford | 5:12 | |||||||
| 12. | "Desert Plains" (Live at Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri; 23 May 1986) | 5:03 | ||||||||
Sales and certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[4] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[5] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| Worldwide sales: | 1,600,000 | |
| ^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
Personnel
- Judas Priest
- Rob Halford – vocals
- K. K. Downing – guitar
- Glenn Tipton – guitar
- Ian Hill – bass guitar
- Dave Holland – drums
- Production
- Produced by Judas Priest and Tom Allom
- Engineered by Louis Austin
- Mixed by Tom Allom
- Mastered by Ray Staff
- UK cover design by Rosław Szaybo
- US cover design by John Berg, photography by Art Kane
References
- ↑ http://www.thexquorum.com/mad/FAQS.htm#UNRELEASED%20TRACKS:
- ↑ Huey, Steve. "Allmusic review". Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ [...], Rock Hard (Hrsg.). [Red.: Michael Rensen. Mitarb.: Götz Kühnemund] (2005). Best of Rock & Metal die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. Königswinter: Heel. p. 69. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Judas Priest – Point of Entry". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Point of Entry in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
- ↑ "American album certifications – Judas Priest – Point of Entry". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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