While Judas Priest's first three Columbia albums displayed a band that seemed musically restless and a bit wary of becoming just another rock caricature, their first official live album offers up a strong distillation of the musical sense that informed those records (along with earlier material from Sad Wings of Destiny) and is a testament to their KK Dowling/Glen Tipton fueled twin-guitar fury. The fact that vocalist Rob Halford's tracks (allegedly damaged in the recording process) were later replaced in the studio has long been a bone of contention to purists (though hardly an unusual practice in the industry), but fresh ears may find the "problem" actually resulted in a better-sounding record. More gratifying, the original album's manic sensibility has been amped even further by the inclusion of four key live, previously unreleased bonus tracks--"Rock Forever," "Delivering the Goods," "Hell Bent for Leather," and "Starbreaker." This digitally remastered edition also features new notes by the band and expanded artwork. This is Judas Priest's early arena rock at its over-the-top best: big, loud, and wholly unapologetic. --Jerry McCulley
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