Judas Priest at Kosei-Nenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan on 31st July 1978 on the Stained Class Tour. This is the best-quality video available from this performance.
Really good drum solos in the extended version of Unleashed in the East. I personally think more of Peter Kriss from Kiss but more natural and sounding like part of the original composition rather than a "special" solo.
Most of the time, people don't realize they are having a moment of greatness which won't be repeated. I wonder if the audience realized they were having such a time witnessing Priest in '78 at the top of their game!
I think I'm not the only one when I say that Judas Priest were totally ahead of its time. That was in 1978 and still today is super heavy. This guys traveled in a time machine? The drums, the speed, the glorious riffs, even the guitar effects which are far from what we used to hear in the 70s. This is 80s sound in 1978! One of my favorite songs of Judas. After listening to this, I can say they invented it all even before the initials NWOBHM became popular.
i agree with your statement, but they're not the only band that's doing this type of stuff in the 70s, here are some really fast songs from the 70s: Set Me Free (The Sweet, 1974), Kill The King (Rainbow, 1978), Warrior (Riot, 1977), A Light In the Black (Rainbow, 1976), Stone Cold Crazy (Queen, 1974), Fireball (Deep Purple, 1971)
They say if it's too loud, you're too old. But you can never be too old. You can be too young, but you can't be too old. That's not a thing. Therefore, it can never be too loud.
A commenter here said that "in '78 [Exciter] must have been futuristic". Well, not exactly, but fairly close. If y'all don't mind a long post from someone who discovered Exciter back when Unleashed was the latest Priest album, I'll give you my thoughts on this idea, since what he said is a common assessment of what next-level things "must have" seemed like at the time, and since equivalent things are still happening today (though not as often) that might otherwise go unrecognized for years. I'm 58 and been a hard rock/metal musician on several occasions. I'M OLDER THAN METAL, and I've watched it develop. That Unleashed cover photo and the song titles were irresistible to me and my buds. Never seen its like before; nothing so stark and slick and brutal. And I was already well used to being into what we NOW see as precursor music, as I'd been into Sabbath for 8 years, and Rush for 2 or 3. It didn't feel "futuristic" in a sci-fi sense, though of course individual songs like Into The Void and Invader did, Rush very much did, and the whole Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album still does for some odd reason. (Maybe SBS could be the soundtrack for "Again, Dangerous Visions", if anyone gets that reference. I read and kinda understood the book at 10, and got and kinda understood the album at 12. IIRC they're sort of the same color.) The precursor bands also didn't feel "futuristic" in a precursor sense: metal wasn't even 10 years old, few of its fans were more than 18, and we barely even CALLED it "metal" until '79 or '80. We mostly called it rock-n-roll, and we deliberately excluded all other rock forms that also should have been called that. (Later, the "metal" and "HR/HM" labels let us separate our beloved music from all that other stuff.) Plus, people today forget that in '78ish several generations of rock-haters were still alive and still had social and political power. Our favorite bands influencing successive generations wasn't even a concept to most of us - we just lived in the moment. But in that moment things like Dissident Aggressor and Exciter definitely felt ultra-modern: 'this is pinnacle stuff; look how far music has come. How can you older people not love this band like I do??' We just knew it was something special, but it still felt like it was the right pinnacle for the time. Pinnacles which I was a fan of, in the order they made it big, are Zeppelin, Sabbath, mid-career Purple, Kiss (only for their image and show), Rush, Ramones,, Van Halen (whose influence created the entire SoCal Happy Shiny Party Metal scene - aka "hair metal"). Then there was an amazing new upstart called Rainbow with the well-known Ritchie Blackmore, a slamming drummer named Cozy Powell, and this incredible new guy Ronnie James Dio with the insane voice and the mystical-level presence. Then there was AC/DC, Priest, Maiden, and finally the first two Ozzy albums with Randy Rhoads (we knew he was special before he died). All very pinnacle at the time, and all became hugely influential. (FTR, I don't care about the short-lived influence of any of the mediocrities of Hair Metal or Grunge, despite a few really good genre-defying same-era bands like Queensryche and Stabbing Westward. Hair Metal was great stuff for a while, but it mostly just influenced hair metal, and that's the end of that family tree. Grunge was never metal in the first place, and so many of those self-haters have intentionally committed suicide by now anyway - which is an influence nobody needs - so I sincerely hope that's the end of THAT family tree.) TODAY'S PINNACLE is what yesterday's pinnacle felt like. Those kinds of artists are 1) ultra-modern and/or cutting edge, but still right for their day 2) have their own personality and 3) almost instantly make fans out of the wider set of genre lovers. That's who is influencing the next generations, in all genres, right now as I'm typing this. I'm too out of touch to tell you exactly who they are, but I bet some of YOU know. Well, maybe I discovered one about 48 hours ago. You'll instantly see their influences and that Exciter was ultimately the prototype - nothing pinnacle these days. But you'll also instantly see what this subgenre, and this band in particular, have to offer that DOES make them pinnacle: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IivCHNaQh2Q.html&start_radio=1&t=29s I hope the future agrees. \m/
I loved your text. Unfortunately the link you pasted expired due to copyrights, would you mind typing the name of the band? As for pinnacles, I have only been listening to rock and metal since about 2004, but I'd say the one for me these days is Band-Maid. They are on the threshold between hard rock and metal but listen to "Blooming", "Secret My Lips" and "Non-Fiction Days" and tell me what you think. ;-)
Danimal300zx if you pay attention you will notice that KK was already wearing leather, as he mentions in his book. It was KK that started the fashion, not Rob.
saw the Stained Class tour that year at The Liverpool Empire ..... Priests best album..Stained Class was heavily showcased........ Les Binks...their awesome drummer...king of the tom tom drum rolls
This video/concert was such a tape traders grail back in the day. I'm talkin' 25+ years ago. Certainly the best early Priest but man, I wish the footage was just a bit more complete and with a tad better quality. Regardless, Thank you Niko for providing this.
Exxciter ✓ a really good tight tune . Get well Mr. Glen Tipton ... K.K. and Glen have always worked excellent together ! Ian and Dave keep the thumping up to par . They're all Genius in the abilities far surpass other bands abilities ! ✓ Taste the fire upon Your tongue ! 🔷😎🔷
les binks was so amazing! Priest in its prime imho. So ahead of the times, But the world caught up. Plus, what an opening number. "Guys, what should we open with "Exciter" that works.
Dave Holland was the Right guy to pick up 2 Sticks when Priest wanted to achieve a Radio-Friendly Sound, something Lighter. Holland in his own right was a SongDrummer, the Ringgo Starr of British Heavy Metal.
The version of this song on the unleashed in the east album is so fucking incredible. Glenn and KK make SO MUCH incredible sound with their instruments. It sounds like there's 4 guitarists jamming out. And of every heavy metal singer, Rob Halford is the least lazy of them all. He puts in 1000% effort, holding notes, hitting notes, he's just amazing. The bass player and drummer are awesome too! I started listening to JP when i was in 7th grade but didn't listen to unleashed for 30 years until last week and HOLY SHIT they're so good live.
Racing' cross the heavens Straight into the dawn Looking like a comet Slicing through the morn Scorching the horizon Blazing to the land Now he's here amongst us The age of fire's at hand Stand by for exciter Salvation is his task Stand by for exciter Salvation bids to ask Everything he touches fries into a crisp, Let him get close to you so you're in his trip, First you'll smoke and smolder Blister up and singe When ignition hits you the very soul of your being will cringe Stand by for exciter Salvation is his task Stand by for exciter Here he comes now Fall to your knees and repent if you please Who is this man? Where is he from? Exciter comes For everyone You'll never see him But you will taste the fire upon your tongue He's come to make you snap out Of the state…
Oh man. Awesome. I saw them the following year same line up. Forgot how tight and talented this band was in their live shows. Stopped seeing them after their Point of Entry album by that time I think the 80's music genre going around pulled me out of the metal pit - but it was fun until it wasn't. Thanks for the post! Brings back memories.
Ironic how 20 years later this was the music that made people not get laid at all! (and/or people who didn't get laid used metal as the ultimate male rage calming medicine. Cause and effect aren't clear)
@@virgult This is so accurate, I have been rejected so many times because of my music taste. I am a Slayer and Judas Priest fan so because of it people think that I am into Satanism or something and I use metal music to get over the rejection.
One of oriests top 2. Albums. N. Definately. A. Major. Show. I. Missed. Again. I didnt get go. See. Priest until 84. At. 14 yrs old. Pissed. I missed all. The greatest. Tours
I got here via a military sci-fi book. Yeah, Priest is given the accolade for this song, by title. Had to check it out, and...omg...I didn't know about this look! Dayamm! ✌🙀
The Unleashed in the East live album, used this live track and Rob Halford put the vocals in the studio. Perfect combination, that version is the greatest "live" metal song ever.
I remember this as being the opening song on "Unleashed in the East"however I also see the discrepancy between how the are dressed here and the album cover! Either way this is visceral,inspired metal at its absolute best.Please check out my version of JP's greatest guitar solo here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kVSdtOYvXKc.html
