Judas Priest are one of the best metal bands of all time, they did help invent it after all.
The band has a back catalogue that any band on the planet would be envious of. The CD consists of early material such as the legendary “Breaking the Law” from the classic British Steel right through to “Judas Rising” from the 2005 release Angel of Retribution. It also oddly includes a mix of album tracks.
Not only are the band a brilliant and energetic in the studio, they really excel live on stage. This is evident due to the numerous live albums they have recorded.
This is what Legacy recordings have attempted to remedy by releasing Setlist: The Very Best of Judas Priest. This album collects all the best live tracks from the bands long career in music. The album is a pick and mix of various live versions of the tracks throughout the years. This allows the fan on a budget to listen to a selection of live tracks but this is also a bad thing in a way.
The track listing is a good selection of tracks but ” Breaking the Law”, their most famous track would have been better used as the opener for the album.
What sets this album apart from the usual greatest hits and live records is that the tracks are “.mp3” ready. The album also has a plethora of pdf files which container liner notes, photos and other bonus features. This is a welcome relief from a standard CD release which these days seem to just come with lyrics and that is all.
The tracks have amazing sound quality. All of them have been digitally re-mastered and really sound like you are hearing them live on stage. I can’t help but think the ideals behind this release would be put to better use by releasing each original live album with all these liner notes.
All together the album is a great introduction for newcomers to the band and is a great collection of live material.
Key Tracks: Breaking the Law, Judas Rising
Matthew Webb – MuzikReviews.com Contributor
July 8, 2010
