Best Judas Priest album opener

Victim Of Changes even though that wasn't supposed to be the album opener according to many people.

I was torn about also including "Prelude/Tyrant" (it's debatable as to whether the former was meant to open SWOD) and "Breaking The Law" (it was the opening track on BS in some countries). In the end, I went with the most common configuration.

But man, what a great list! Their album openers can make for a pretty great Best Of compilation.

I am leaning toward stalwart "Victim of Changes" myself, but "Sinner" is really doing it for me these days as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrdEuEWBIFQ

I love the guitar sound and the middle section (starting about 3 mins in) is so great. I really wish they'd kept the sound of the first few albums just a little while longer...though I guess that would have had a drastic effect on the start date of NWOBHM.

'Exciter' by a million miles. Les Binks ftw

the correct answer is "Electric Eye."

Yeah, "Hellion"/"Electric Eye" is the one. But squeaking just ahead of "Freewheel Burning".

honestly, some days "Electric Eye" is my favorite Priest track period. so that.

voted hellion/electric eye which is the correct answer

This is tough. Best opening lyric goes to "One For The Road". "Where would you be without music? You wouldn't be nowhere at all." Quite prophetic for a band that couldn't possibly have imagined that it would still be around 40 years later.

This is really a toss-up between Victim of Changes and Sinner. Exciter and Hellion deserve big nods too.

I think I'm going to have to go with Sinner, though. Session drummer Simon Phillips took Priest into another dimension on Sin After Sin.

As mentioned above, "Prelude/Tyrant" were supposed to be the opening tacks of Sad Wings, and the band addressed that confusion on the 2012 remaster. To me that feels more right, although "Victim of Changes" was sure a spectacular way to kick off that record.

This… Is… The… PAINKILLER

I could honestly also go for "Turbo Lover" or "Ram It down," although the rest of those albums are pretty goddamn weak (with the exception of "Blood Red Skies").

"Hellion/Electric Eye" because "Victim Of Changes" isn't the opener. Otherwise it would be "Victim" because it's one of the best songs ever.

easy to forget in this cascade of awesome that "painkiller" is the best song ever

Hellion/EE

Awesome album opener. Even more awesome show opener back in the 80s.

Electric Eye

I don't understand the people dismissing "Victim Of Changes" because it wasn't the opener. I made a joke about it but it WAS in fact the opener! Whether the band liked it or not, that's the track that opens the album. And did on subsequent CD releases. Every single one until the 2011 remaster.

You can rationalize your pick any way, but doing it in a way that is clearly at odds with the facts is ridiculous.

Or, you could look at the original album art and say that Gull Records screwed up the LP "Side A" and "Side B" labels. And since Priest and Gull had a rather acrimonious split, with Priest having no rights or say in the Gull material or how it was repackaged, Gull never bothered to correct it. However, the band did when they finally could.

http://bradysana.tripod.com/Photos2/judassadwingslp2.jpg

So what? That doesn't change that it was the album opener. It just changes why.

I'll go by cover art and the band changing it when they finally could. To each their own.

The LP I've been spinning since 1985 starts with VOC as side 1 so it is hard for me to rethink it as side 2. I always assumed the band members changed their minds at the last minute and swapped sides. It's not like there has ever been a wealth of information about the Gull years beyond the fact that the band desperately wanted off the label.

Regardless, I think it works much better as an album opener. I like "Tyrant" a lot, but "Genocide" and "Epitaph" sound like second-side material to these ears, and "Island of Domination" works awesomely as an album closer.

Speaking of which, in addition to great album openers, JP albums often close with really great tracks as well. (I'm looking at you, "Dissident Aggressor!")

I love "painkiller" so much

stained class is prob my #1 priest lp but "exciter" is not one of my fave tracks, weirdly enough

Agree - I heard Unleashed in the East before Stained Class (chrome head w/spike through it vs. awesome live shot - you know which album is getting an 11-year-old's money) and even back then I always thought that "Fall to your knees and repent if you please!" was corny, not awesome. Too bad, too, because other than that part, that song fucking rules.

"if you please" lol

victim of changes and hellion/electric eye = hipster's choice

heading out to the highway rules tbh

Victim...one of the best riffs ever. The guitar tone is so sweet too.

Hellion / Electric Eye. But they begin almost all their albums well.

saying "hipster" = hipster's choice

Hellion/Electric Eye

no contest

IMMENSE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkvEDAg6MWw

Less leather, more blouses.... Japan 1978

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89pvPNjogaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GShr13m0UZ8

Doh - why are my YT links not embedding???

take the 's' off of the end of http and they'll embed

Ahh thanks!

:)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Elected electric spy iirc

If some are being pedantic about band intentions re: Victim of Changes, where is the pedantry re: Electric Eye actually being the second song on Screaming? 'Cause it is and I don't think that The Hellion, as perfect an intro as it might be to Electric Eye, stands alone particularly well.

If that's how you view it then you shouldn't vote for it.

rmde

VH1 classic aired their part of the '83 US festival.. "Screaming for Vengeance" sounded like the fucking record sans the over dubbed background scream in the chorus

aired it last night I meant to say..

(xp) Well of course! Yet nobody seems to be complaining about that... Amusing to me that nebulous band intentions which didn't change the actual running order on every release that came out for over thirty five years on every format (LP, cassette, CD and 8-track) can cause people to dismiss a track as the first track on the album very vociferously and with smug certainty yet not a single person has indicated even the slightest problem with the fact that "Electric Eye" is by every single undeniable account the second song on Screaming.

Dude, you're being an ass. If you don't like my reasons for voting or not voting for something, fine. But there was nothing smug about my explanation, only in your dismissal of it.

NYCnative, let me tell you why you're wrong---zzzzzzzz

go yell at Judas Priest for listing them as one combined track then. jeezus

It has nothing to do with what I like or not; I am just pointing out that your criteria as you spelled it out seems inconsistent to me. You said:

"Hellion/Electric Eye" because "Victim Of Changes" isn't the opener. Otherwise it would be "Victim" because it's one of the best songs ever.

I didn't mean to frustrate you and I apologize for that but I think your frustration above is because you realize that this is inconsistent. If me pointing out the logical inconsistency of your criteria for making your choice bothers you so much, maybe you might rethink your position instead of snipping at the guy who merely pointed it out.

enough with the Spock trip dude, seriously

It's listed as one choice in this poll, is one contiguous track, and most importantly opens the album.

But I'm glad you care so much about my internal consistency. I've never argued my choice fit your criteria, only that it was my choice and these were my reasons. Though speaking of consistency, you are consistently a titanic asshat, so kudos to you.

lol

titanic asshat

:D

didn't the UK releases of sad wings have the "correct" order i.e. "prelude" first?

Okay, this leads me to my next question: I am genuinely curious then, since "Prelude" is essentially an intro into "Tyrant" whether "Prelude/Tyrant" would have got your vote if it was a choice or if that at least made sense to you as a choice (possibly more sense than "Victim Of Changes" even)?

I am sorry that trying to understand this bothers you but I find this really interesting and I am not trying to be critical of your choice (really, there is no right or wrong), just understand your reasoning (won't use the l-word because heaven forbid others might continue unnecessary snark).

Because I can totally understand if you feel that the intro doesn't really count as a song even if the CD skips ahead when it ends although that would open the door for "Prelude/Tyrant" in a perfect world, wouldn't it?

I like "Prelude/Tyrant" (and I do think they should be paired) but wouldn't vote for it over "Hellion/Electric Eye" which I consider the best opener on any of their albums. And I do consider "Prelude/Tryrant" the proper choice for the opener of Sad Wings, despite years of an uncorrected error that was as familiar to me as a well-worn pair of shoes. It makes more sense when I listen to the record as corrected.

Though in all honesty, the pairing of "Prelude" and "Tyrant" isn't as pivotal to my mind as the pairing of "Hellion" and "Electric Eye", because the pairing hasn't been maintained as a live staple. I don't believe "Prelude" ever was part of the live show. They surely didn't have the monetary capability to pull it off at the time and once they had the capability their sound had moved on.

And thanks for changing the tone of inquiry/opinion. It does matter.

didn't the UK releases of sad wings have the "correct" order i.e. "prelude" first?

Nope:

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=297163

Um, er, this one:

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=2971636

The Korean tracklist was completely fucked:

http://www.discogs.com/Judas-Priest-Sad-Wings-Of-Destiny/release/3199525

And this Canadian pressing omitted "Prelude" and changed the tracklist on the back cover:

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=3103328

Oh it looks like Janus did the same thing to the U.S. pressing as well...

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Not entirely surprising #1 & #2, but I am surprised that many people like "Painkiller." I know the album is seen as a return-to-form by many, but I can't get into it.

Definitely surprised by the two votes for "Turbo Lover!"

This wasn't in the running, but it works very well as an opening track on Gull's JP Best Of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhctLe_HMrk

well Kent its best album opener, so the best song to open an album, and Painkiller, although the rest of that album is kinda caca, its definitely a great opener.. especially with that drum intro

I voted for the winner, but I confess I'm a little sad nobody voted for "Ram It Down." I kinda like that album, always have.

and Painkiller, although the rest of that album is kinda caca

this might be the most insane thing I've ever read on ILX