Ripple Theater - Ballad Of Mott The Hoople DVD

 

Against all odds, I've become a big fan of Mott The Hoople over the past few years. I always liked some of their songs but never bothered to explore their music in great depth because I never thought I'd really like it. I've never been a fan of Bob Dylan or the Rolling Stones and both of those artists are big parts of the Mott sound. They have an association with one of my all time least favorites, David Bowie. But for some reason I was drawn to them and started checking out their first few albums that were released on Island Records. Probably had something to do with the fact that I've always loved the Dictators version of Mott's "Moon Upstairs" on their live album Fuck 'Em If They Can't Take A Joke. The original version is on a great album called Brain Capers that's become a real favorite of mine. In 2009 I was a guest on the Ripple radio show and wound up talking a lot about the Mott reunion with Ripple friend Bob Vinyl and his cousin who went to England to see one of the shows. So when in 2011 it was announced that the Ballad Of Mott the Hoople documentary was being released on DVD I couldn't wait to check it out. It was a pain in the butt to actually find in a store but the incredible Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ had it in stock.

The story of Mott is pretty unique in the history of rock n roll. Named and molded by insane record producer Guy Stevens, Mott The Hoople recorded 4 albums for Island Records between 1969 and 1971. Guy was impressed when guitarist Mick Ralphs burst into his office demanding an audition after waiting around hanging around for a few days. Guy was even more impressed when they lugged a massive Hammond organ up a couple flights of stairs to play for him. My band practices on the 3rd floor of a walk up. I can verify that doing something like this requires a HUGE commitment to your art. They didn't have much commercial success but attracted a rabid following for their high energy stage shows. The band decided to break up but were encouraged by David Bowie to continue and he offered his services as producer and gave them their first hit "All The Young Dudes." Bowie's manager had Mott wear glammy clothes and they finally achieved success.

All of the band members are interviewed and their honesty is very refreshing. It was Mick Ralph's idea to go in a country rock direction on the album Wild Life and he says that he wound up apologizing to the band for this mistake (Mild Life is how they refer to it). Ian Hunter's especially blunt and delivers some great quotes. Roger Taylor of Queen talks about how they gave Mott a run for their money when they opened for them. Ian says "we never had any problem following them." Some of the band members talk about how once they became popular that Ian became the leader of the band and it was no longer a democracy. Hunter's reply is "the band was always a democracy. That was the problem." I also really like how the band all agreed that it was great that Bowie helped them out but they wanted to get out from his shadow immediately. They dumped Bowie's manager and declined working with him as a songwriter or producer. Turns out they were right. The follow up album to …Dudes simply titled Mott was a bigger hit and contained even better songs. I've always thought "All The Way From Memphis" was a much better song than "All The Young Dudes." Watching the live footage of the band in their prime (wish there was more of it) made me realize why I liked the band so much. Even in their glam clothes Mott The Hoople was a kick ass band. It's obvious they were all real rock n rollers and were very confident on stage but never resorted to Jagger-esque pantomime. Watching bassist Pete "Overend" Watts is hilarious. It's obvious Pete Way of UFO got a lot of inspiration from him and we all know Steve Harris of Iron Maiden patterned his onstage persona on Way.

This DVD should be required viewing for anyone in a rock band. When Mick Ralphs presents Ian Hunter with a bunch of songs that Ian feels he's not capable of singing, Ralphs departs to form Bad Company. There were probably some hard feelings at the time but both of them agree that it was the best thing to happen to each of them. Rather than compromise, they moved on and Ralphs works with Hunter off and on to this very day. Replacement guitarist Ariel Bender is also honest in the fact that he rejuvenated the band on stage but fell short in the studio when it came time to write material. The DVD ends when Hunter departs on his solo career with Mick Ronson. The rest of the band got in some new members and carried on simply as Mott but not much is mentioned about that here. There could easily be another documentary about that bands sad demise along with Ian Hunter's career ups and downs. If you don't know much about Mott The Hoople this documentary will be very enlightening and entertaining. Ian Hunter is touring again in 2012 and is playing right in my own neighborhood at the end of March. He's in his early 70's but word has it is still putting on great shows. For an even more Mott The Hoople madness, check out the new issue of Shindig Magazine for a massive article in the current issue with some killer photos.

--Woody

Queen - Days Of Our Lives

THE DEFINITIVE DOCUMENTARY ON THE WORLD’S GREATEST ROCK BAND IS COMING TO DVD AND BLU-RAY

~On January 31~

To Be Released by Eagle Rock Entertainment through Eagle Vision.

"This fantastic and moving two-parter tells the story of the finest live band in the history of rock. There's archive footage of past performances, interviews with the members and, best of all, plenty of insider anecdotes; the choicest being Elton John's reaction to Bohemian Rhapsody: "Are you off your head? You'll never get that played." The Guardian/UK.

In 1971, four college students got together to form a rock band. Since then, that certain band called Queen have released 26 albums and sold over 300 million records worldwide. The popularity of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon is stronger than ever 40 years on. On November 6, 2011, in front of an estimated TV audience of 1.2 billion they were honored with the Global Icon Award at the 2011 MTV EMA.

But for Queen the journey was no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise. Queen had their share of kicks in the face, but they came through - and this is how they did it.

Set against a backdrop of brilliant music and stunning live performances from every corner of the globe, Queen: Days of Our Lives - available in both Blu-Ray and standard DVD formats, brings Queen’s 40th Anniversary year to a close in suitably regal style.

Days Of Our Lives began as a two-part documentary produced by long-term Queen collaborators and life long fans Rhys Thomas (the comedian who famously broke the Mastermind all-time record points score with a specialist subject of Queen) and Simon Lupton, and directed by the renowned director Matt Casey. After 10 years of making Queen DVDs, Lupton and Thomas were asked by the band to produce the definitive 40th Anniversary documentary and after almost a year of painstaking research and editing, this was the result.

Split over two episodes, Part One covering 1970-80, Part Two 1980 – present day, the documentary is a genuine rollercoaster of rock and roll history.

In this film, for the first time, it is the band that tells their story. Featuring brand new interviews with Brian May and Roger Taylor and unseen archive footage - including their recently unearthed first ever TV performance - it is a compelling story told with intelligence, wit, plenty of humor and painful honesty.

Rhys Thomas comments, “We set out to make the definitive Queen documentary. It's a funny, honest, inspiring and ultimately tragic account of ‘a certain band called Queen’, as told by the band themselves. We tell the story of four students who met in West London, slogged hard and conquered the world, ultimately changing rock music forever.”

When originally broadcast in the UK on BBC 2 across two nights in May of last year, Queen: Days of Our Lives was the highest rated TV show on in its slot, beating every other channel and peaking with 3 million viewers. It has been widely regarded as one of the finest rock documentaries made and the critical reaction was outstanding. “Funny that,” says Thomas, “considering Queen were always denounced by the press!”

“The Boys did a fantastic Job on this documentary ... with little interference from us! I think this one will set the bench mark for years to come,” said Brian May.

Thomas explains the transfer of the original BBC documentary to DVD release: “When originally making the series it wasn’t easy condensing 40 years of Queen down to just two hours. In fact, there was so much more to be said and so much more to be seen. Thanks to Blu-Ray and DVD, so much more of that story can now be told…As the two documentaries worked so well, we resisted the idea of making an epic 3-hour ‘Extended Cut’. They are always boring, and as Freddie said to his manager Jim Beach in his last days: “Do anything you want with my music dear, but never make me boring!

“So rather than simply dump a load of ‘deleted scenes’ onto the DVD and Blu-Ray, Simon and I decided to edit them all with as much love, time and care as we put into the main documentary. What we have as a result is a great companion to the main story and some real gems, most notably covering the formation of the band and the making of the last three albums which was only touched upon in the televised version. For instance, we learn from Brian how John Deacon made a cut in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ for the record company and Freddie’s reaction; the revelation that Freddie was not sober during the making of ‘Spread Your Wings’/’We Will Rock You’ in Roger’s back garden, and a hilarious sequence about Queen and their love of Scrabble.

“As well as the new sequences, there are 7 new videos. Excerpts were featured in the main documentary, but we have completed them, and here on DVD and Blu- Ray they appear in full.”
The Blu-Ray format allows for additional bonus material and therefore differs in content to the Standard DVD release. Please check credits for each release.


‘Queen: Days of our Lives’ Blu-Ray & Standard DVD content descriptions:

Documentary Part 1 – 59 mins

Documentary Part 2 – 59 mins.


ADDITIONAL VIDEOS – Blu-Ray and Standard DVD (24 mins):

Seven Seas Of Rhye 2011:

A compilation of all four Top Of The Pops and Rainbow Live performances from 1974 – all unseen


Killer Queen 2011

A compilation of two Top of The Pops performances, one the familiar 1974 Christmas Special, the other - discovered in the late British comedian Dick Emery’s private collection, hasn’t been seen since 1974, the original master tape wiped from the BBC archives.


Somebody To Love 2011

This is a new edit of the video using the four takes shot on the day, most of which has never before been seen.


We Are The Champions 2011

In 1977, cameras filmed Queen recording a new version of the song for the promo video. This video shows the band performing and mixing this unreleased version in two live takes. An instrumental version of this closed Part One of ‘Days of our Lives’. Here for the first time the video can be seen in its entirety.


Crazy Little Thing Called Love 2011

A new edit of the video compiled from the rushes including outtakes and unseen angles.


Under Pressure 2011

A new video intercutting Queen’s first live performance of the song in Montreal 81 and Queen + David Bowie at the Freddie Mercury Tribute.


Radio Ga Ga 2011

This new video includes unseen color footage from the 1984 Radio Ga Ga video shoot plus rushes and outtakes.


BONUS SEQUENCES – Blu-Ray (59 mins) / Standard DVD (21 mins only):

Queen: The Beginning
A detailed look at how Queen formed in 1971. Covering Smile, finding John Deacon, and the early struggles of the band.


Queen On Tour 1974-5

Featuring Queen at the Rainbow and unseen footage of the band touring Japan for the first time. Includes excerpts of ‘Now I’m Here’, ‘Killer Queen’ and ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’ live.


Bohemian Rhapsody

Brian reveals how John Deacon made a cut in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ for the record company, only to be dismissed by Freddie: “Either it’s released in it’s entirety or not at all!.”


Working Together

The Band discuss their working relationship, including unheard archive of Queen having a ‘creative discussion!’


Leaving John Reid

An in-depth account of how the band left manager John Reid and set up Queen Productions – plus the revelation that Freddie was not sober during the making of ‘Spread Your Wings’/’We Will Rock You’ in Roger’s back garden.


Don’t Stop Me Now

Brian and Roger discuss ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and the ‘Guitar Version’ discarded by Freddie.


Flash Gordon

A short sequence on the making of Queen’s first film soundtrack, ‘Flash Gordon’, plus an alternate promo video.


Making Videos

The band discuss the video making process, featuring lots of unseen outtakes.


Scrabble Wars

A hilarious sequence about Queen and their love of Scrabble. You will just have to watch!


From Magic to The Miracle

In the three years between A Kind Of Magic and The Miracle, the members of Queen went through some life changing experiences in their working and personal lives. This chapter sheds light on what went on behind closed doors.


Going Slightly Mad: The Making of Innuendo

In 1991 Queen hit the charts with a No.1 album and single, “Innuendo.” Creatively the band were reinvigorated, their material better than ever, but beneath the surface, they all had to face the fact that Freddie was seriously ill and time was running out.


Made In Heaven

Roger and Brian talk about the making of the last Queen album, Made In Heaven, working with Freddie in his final weeks, as well and working with the material he had recorded after he had passed away and the emotional distress it caused.


Return To Imperial

Brian returns to Imperial College and shows us around the college where he and Roger first met, formed Smile and ultimately Queen.


BONUS INTERVIEWS - Blu-Ray (19 mins). Not included on Standard DVD:

The Bonus Interview section contains various interesting, funny and insightful footage that didn’t fit into any particular sequence but was too great to leave on the cutting room floor.


Official website:
www.queenonline.com 

Peter Gabriel ~New Blood Live In London multi-format DVD release

Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the October 25, 2011 release of the stunning Peter Gabriel concert film New Blood Live In London. This show was filmed in high definition 3D and is available on multiple formats: the triple-pack 3D release regular Blu-ray and standard DVD. A deluxe limited edition  comes as an 11.5” square 60-page hardback photo book containing the live DVD and Blu-ray, the CD of the New Blood studio album and an exclusive CD of live tracks from the show. 

This visual release compliments the release of the New Blood studio album by EMI on October 11th and the 3D version will be released in cinemas in September. New Blood features many classic tracks including “Biko”, “Red Rain”, “Solsbury Hill”, “Don’t Give Up”, “Blood Of Eden”, “The Rhythm Of The Heat”, “Mercy Street”, “Intruder” and more.

Filmed in high definition 3D at Hammersmith Apollo in March of this year, New Blood – Live In London In 3 Dimensions captures Peter Gabriel performing live with the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra. The repertoire mixes cover versions from his Scratch My Back album with classic tracks from across his solo career in brand new orchestral arrangements. Gabriel is a renowned live performer and his onstage charisma and instantly recognizable voice combine brilliantly with the orchestral sound palette to breath a new sense of wonder into familiar songs. As you would expect the concert is also a visual feast, with graphics, animation and imagery blending to enhance and illustrate the music.

With the Bonus Feature section (Blu-ray & DVD only) offering the feature “Blood Donors” – the story behind the project including an interview with Peter Gabriel – New Blood Live In London is a landmark release both for Peter Gabriel and indeed for Eagle. Unmissable.


TRACKLISTING
1) Intruder
2) Wallflower
3) The Boy In The Bubble
4) Après Moi
) The Drop
6) Washing Of The Water*
7) The Book Of Love
8) Darkness
9) The Power Of The Heart
10) Biko
11) San Jacinto
12) Digging In The Dirt
13) Signal To Noise
14) Downside Up
15) Mercy Street
16) The Rhythm Of The Heat
17) Blood Of Eden
18) Red Rain
19) Solsbury Hill
20) In Your Eyes
21) Don’t Give Up
22) The Nest That Sailed The Sky
* Not on 3D version

Ripple Theater - Cactus - Live, Loud & Proud DVD

You can’t kill the boogie. Boogie will never die! Cactus broke up in 1972 but in 2006 original members Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert and Jim McCarty recruited powerhouse vocalist Jimmy Kunes and harmonica player Randy Pratt to resurrect the band and bring the power of the boogie pack to the people.

Captured live n nasty on their 2006-07 tour, this disc finds Cactus to still be a potent force to be reckoned with. Carmine proves once again that he’s the best rock drummer around and Tim’s bass playing is equally powerful. Guitarist Jim McCarty simply blazes. It’s such a shame more people don’t know how great he is. These three muthers can really burn! Add Jimmy’s raspy, soulful vocals and Randy’s honking harmonica and you’ve got a blues party that you can put to use.

Old classics like “Let Me Swim” and “One Way Or Another” sit nicely alongside songs from their reunion album Cactus V like “Muscle and Soul” and their personal anthem “Cactus Music.” Everyone gets a chance to shine but a real highlight is when Jim and Carmine play a killer duet before setting up Carmine’s epic drum solo in their radical reworking of Howlin Wolf’s “Evil.” Tim shows all the bass players how it should be done on “Oleo.” The climax of the show is an ultra-speedy “Parchman Farm” that slays.

Bonus materials include a cool jam session with Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa and Pat Travers with Jim and Pat playing really nicely together. There are also some interesting interviews with the band where they talk about how they really were intent on blowing everyone away. Their version of “Parchman Farm” was in direct response to the type of thing Ten Years After was doing with “I’m Going Home” but Cactus wanted to make it even more extreme. Everyone needs more Cactus in their life so check out this DVD and make sure to turn it up.  -- Woody

Buy here: Cactus - Live, Loud & Proud

Ripple Theater - Classic Albums DVD - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes

 I was 16.  Fiat keys hot in my hands and a brand new pioneer tape deck in the dashboard.  I remember it as if it was yesterday, driving down the twisting, back-country road from my girlfriend's house towards the high school, Tom Petty singing out the soundtrack to my life.

Tom Petty has been around for so long, and produced such a consistently strong catalog of music that it's terribly easy to take him for granted.  But we shouldn't do that.  At the very least, Petty and his remarkably tight backing unit, the Heartbreakers, produced some of the most classic, pure rock songs of the late '70's and early 80's.  In truth, Petty is much more than that and just may well be one of the best songwriters of his generation.  Capable of pulling out a seemingly endless stream of perfect melodies, and capable of crafting a body of work that is entirely his and his alone.

Emerging during the punky/heady days of 1976, Petty initially got lumped into the punk crowd, with his jangling guitars, punky energy, stonesy swagger, and urgent vocal style.  I remember clearly the first time I  heard "Breakdown," and falling in love immediately with the 'difference' of it all.  It sounded nothing like the Kiss or Aerosmith albums I was digging, yet is was so much more familiar to me than The Ramones or New York Dolls or Iggy.  But Petty never was punk. Coming from the deep south of Gainseville, Fla, Petty combined the rootsy drive of the Stones with the southern soul of his roots, tossed in some jangly Byrds-esque Rickenbacker, and drove the whole shebang home with his impassioned vocals and intense energy.

Still, his first two albums only found moderate success, and by the time his third album was due to be recorded, Petty and his Heartbreakers felt they were ready for a breakthrough.  An album to push them over the top.  Their producer, Jimmy Iovine believed in them.  Engineer Shelly Yakus brought a new sound to them.

And with Damn the Torpedoes, Petty delivered the songs.

As with all the chapters of the Classic Albums series, this DVD set really is the definitive look back at one of the all-time classic albums of American rock.  Merging interviews with the band, Iovine, and Yakus, this DVD brings a totally new and fresh glimpse into the making of this iconic album.  The struggles within the band, the legal problems the band faced.  They're all here, but there is so much more.

One thing that comes across so screamingly loud and clear is just how virtuostic and talented the Heartbreakers were. It's not by chance that Petty kept them around for his entire career.  In Mike Campbell, Petty had found a true guitar god, who manages to bring a sound that is so totally his alone to the proceedings without ever overplaying the song.  As with all the Heartbreakers (and Petty himself) Campbell is massively under-rated as a guitarist.  But few musicians are able to define a sound so distinctly their own as to be instantly recognizable.  Campbell is one.  Listening to him describe how the power of "Even the Losers," made a single string guitar solo sound weak, so he crafted the perfect solo playing two strings simultaneously just turned the light on my respect bulb for the guy. 

Benmont Tench is another irreplaceable component of the Heartbreakers sound.  Listening to him (and the others) describe the subtle intricacies of the album, the complexity of the arrangements, the thought that went into each passage, each song, each verse, brings brand-new respect for the creative process. As with all the Heartbreakers, under-rated in his virtuosity. 

As usual, the best passages tend to occur when all the guys are gathered around the mixing board, discussing the various sounds they strove for.  Dropping the knobs down to the left, bringing them up to the right, I felt like I was being completely educated into the mysteries of recording.  The lucky breaks, the freak coincidences and the pure unadulterated genius. It's like a crash course for the uninitiated in record producing.  A treasure of lessons, ideas, and facts.

Of course none of this would mean anything if the music wasn't so good.  But damn, it is.  Damn the Torpedoes holds up today just as strongly as it did back then.  In fact, to my ears it sounds even better today.  Perhaps it's just that I listen to music with a different appreciation now than I did as a hormone-driven teenager with a wobbly Fiat and a couple of blown speakers.

"Refugee," is truly a great American rock song, but the rest also sound so fresh.  "Century City, " with it's powerpop drive.  "What are You Doing in My Life," with it's adrenalinized venom.  The languid daze of "Louisiana Rain."  The majestic pop perfection of "Here Comes my Girl."  And the singing-my-grand-theme-song "Even the Losers," sounding just as revelatory as ever.  And then to find out that Petty made up the choral line "Baby, even the losers, get lucky some time," in a spur of the moment, top-of-his head, spontaneous moment of pure creation just boggles the mind.  

Damn the Torpedoes is a timeless statement of pure rock and roll craft.  An iconic album.  One that has stood the test of time and will continue to for years to come.  Any fan of Petty, classic rock, or the history of recording, mixing, and crafting a perfect album should not miss this one. ---Racer

Buy here: Tom Petty - Classic Albums: Damn the Torpedoes
               Tom Petty - Classic Albums: Damn the Torpedoes [Blu-ray]

Judas Priest – British Steel 30th Anniversary Edition

And I had a car . . .

You have to let the magnitude of that sentence sink in.  There I was.  17 years old.  A raging, rampaging sack of testosterone, insatiable musical lust. . .  and I had a car.  Let’s don’t dwell on what type of car it was (a 1974 Fiat 4-door sedan with huge rubber bumpers and a 50 hp engine.).  Let’s just focus on the car part.  I had a car.  I had wheels.  I was free.

That meant I could get out of the small then-ranch town I grew up in and head for the big City.  Ok, so the big City was a town of about 30,000 people 7 miles away, but don’t you get it?  They had a record store--several of them, including a Tower Records.   I remember pulling (er . . . sputtering) my car into the Tower parking lot, my pockets full of money I’d slaved to get working 8 ½ hour shifts at a local car wash.  I wandered the aisles, my eyes agape.  I was 17, I had a car, and I had money.  The world was my oyster.

I don’t remember everything I bought that day, but I do remember picking up one new cassette.  The brand new, just released Judas Priest album, British Steel.  I’d never heard Priest before, but thought their album covers were bitchin’.  Unleashed in the East was maniacal.  Hell Bent for Leather frightened me in a good way. Sin after Sin, Sad Wings . .  . the list goes on.  But on that day, British Steel had just arrived and I knew I had no choice but to make that the cassette that would christen the tape deck in my new hot rod.

Leaving the parking lot, I popped the cassette in, and my entire world changed.  I’d been listening to “metal” for years.  Kiss, Aerosmith, AC/DC.  Pretty standard suburban/rural kid stuff.  The same things everyone listened to.  But I wanted more.  My musical nomad life had already begun, and I needed to wander, to explore.  I had no friends to accompany me on this journey.  My high school classmates were content with what they were listening to, so I had to venture out onto that musical crossroads on my own.  But nothing could have prepared my tender ears for the sound that suddenly was tearing my speakers apart that day.

“Rapid Fire,” was just that-- an insane, accelerating attack of things that were far too heavy for my heart to bear.  My pulse exploded in time to the jackhammer drumbeat.  When that heavy-as-heavy guitar came in, I felt reborn.  Rejuvenated.  Alive, as if for the very first time.  I’d never heard the song before but there I was, air-guitaring like a madman, singing along to that incredible Rob Halford voice that made Paul Stanley seem like some fairy boy from neverland.  And then came the song's famous mid-break.  Halford’s voice spat out words in a flurry, screaming about anvils, and wars, and corrosive subsiding, and KK and Glenn were tearing the world apart on guitars I couldn’t name.  Suddenly the universe made sense to me.  Suddenly, my virginity had been ripped from my musical womb.

From that moment, I’ve worn my Priest flag with undying pride.

I’m not going to go into every song on this fantastic reissue of the album, other than to say that "The Rage" is still one of the absolute greatest metal songs ever written.  You know this album.  You know these songs by heart.  You’ve lived them in your own way just as I did that day in my Fiat. But I will say that I can still recall the exact moment that “Metal Gods,” kicked in, with that guitar tone.  That amazing, so metallic guitar tone.  This was no longer pansy-ass Kiss.  The guitar sounded so menacing, so alien, so foreign.  God damn it, that guitar sounded metal; as if it had been forged in a furnace of fiery steel and was clashing against massive chugging gears.  Priest forever defined not just metal for me, but the sound of a guitar that could actually sound like metal.

I won’t bore you about the time I saw them on the Point of Entry Tour, or how I was pressed so close against the stage, that KK Downing actually played his guitar on my face.  Those are my private memories.  But I will say that this 30th Anniversary Edition does the album justice.  The remastered songs sound even more metallic today.  The bonus song “Red White & Blue” is cool, and the live cut of “Grinder” decimates.  The video of Priest performing the album non-stop, in it’s entirety at a 2009 concert shows the band to be even more imposing than when I saw them as a kid.  Ageless and timeless, Halford in particular has become even more of a demented, metal God than he was back in 1980.  Dressed head to toe in his full-length leather and denim, he looks fierce and nasty.  I don’t care how old he is, he still looks like he could kick my ass.

KK and Glenn are also ageless, as if they’d been locked in some air-tight vortex all these years and suddenly released to unleash all sorts of guitar mayhem on the masses.  Ian Hill has been a rock for ages and still anchors the side of the stage like an immovable mass, while Scott Travis beats with fury and passion.

You know the album.  You know the band.  You need to get this package.  Priest are legends and this is their most legendary moment.  Past or present, they still rule this world we call metal.  And for me that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.

My Fiat is long gone.  My Priest flag is still flying high.

--Racer

Deluxe Edition has a third disc, the audio CD of the entire British Steel live concert.  Awesome.

Buy here: British Steel: 30th Anniversary Edition
Buy here: British Steel: 30th Anniversary: Deluxe Edition