While looking over my CDs, trying to decide on the order of preference
for JP albums, I was struck by some of the cover art. Some by how cool
it was, others by how awful. With that in mind, here's my list of best
& worst Priest album covers. Feel free to disagree:
BEST
1. Screaming for Vengeance - Although the yellow is a little much, this
art perfectly matches the title. You can almost hear the screech of the
bird as he swoops in for the kill!
2. Sad Wings of Destiny - Horrible logo, but very nice illustration
work. Wish I had it as a full size LP.
3. British Steel - Simple, to the point. Just with the print job on
the CD booklet was a little better. Looks almost like they just shot a
photo of the album cover, rather than try to find the original film.
WORST
1. Painkiller - Horrible title logo, bad illustration, bad airbrush
work, bad perspective, bad layout, bad design, and a really cheesy
concept. Might have worked if Bill Seinkewicz or Simon Bisley had
painted it. Otherwise, forget it!
2. Priest... Live! - Boy, how long did this one take to produce? 10
whole minutes? "Hey, let's take some multiple-generation photocopies of
a couple of hands, slap 'em down in no particular pattern (obscuring the
band's logo in the process), add some press type, and call it good!"
This DIY look might have worked on a punk band's album cover, but not
Priest! Not a very attractive color, either...
3. Point of Entry (US version) - One word: BORING!!! Was this a
last-minute decision by someone at the record company? What really bugs
me most of all is that I can't reach into the photo and straighten out
the goddamn paper buckle near the bottom! Aaaarrrghhh!!!
And that's my two cents,
tpe
Todd Emerson wrote in message
<9251-36A...@newsd-251.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...
Just when you thought it was safe to go out at night...
JOE'S BEST AND WORST ALBUM COVERS(imo)
BEST
1. Jugulator--The ORIGINAL album cover, not that pixelated piece of shit, not
even worthy of the wiping of the ass!
2. Painkiller--My first PRIEST cd, i love the concept of the painkiller,
brialliant story! Cool Motorcycle too!
3. Defenders of the Faith--The Metallian...
....Master of all metal!
This would've been MUCH better looking if the artist (Doug Johnson) didn't draw
this(and screaming cover) so cartoon looking. Otherwise, Very cool. Although
the concept of the Hellion I like better
WORST
1. Priest...LIVE! Cheezy album cover, and what's worse, all those hands that
came from a Commodore 64 clip art pack. Looks like the hands of that dumb ass
Dancing baby on ally mcbeal
2. Point Of Entry. Crappy album, crappy art work. Too cheezy for me
3. 98 Live Meltdown--The whole layout of this CD is fucked up. I want to see
some NORMAL looking photos of the band. Not to mention that the front cover
looks like something a kindergartner would fingerpaint!
Bash me if you like, but then face the wrath of THE METALLIAN...
...Master of all metal
Putting the "U" in "Disappointed",
Joe
1. Sin After Sin (Foreboding is the only word I can use to describe it)
2. Jugulator (like somebody else said, the "real" version)
3. Sad Wings (could this be anything else other than a metal album? I thought
not)
Worst:
1. Live! (Does this really need any more explanation?)
2. Hell Bent (Didn't know if I was supposed to be scared or bust out laughing
when I first saw it)
3. British Steel (No reason in particular, I just don't like it)
-Andrew J. Shal
Penn State University
ICQ#8781555
"I get my kicks outta playin' my licks
I be layin' my chicks down on Route 66!"
--AC/DC
Am I the only one who likes the "pixelated" version of Jug? I prefer it
over the original picture which has too much shit going on to fit on a cd
cover. I also think the pixelated looks better because its pixelated.
> WORST
> 1. Priest...LIVE! Cheezy album cover, and what's worse, all those hands that
> came from a Commodore 64 clip art pack. Looks like the hands of that dumb ass
> Dancing baby on ally mcbeal
I too think its stupid, but I like the color unlike someone else who
posted earlier. I think that brown color has a lot af associations as far
as the Turbo Lover video and Locked In video. The motorcycle riding out
into the desert is a theme found in Turbo video's as well as Heading Out
and Desert Plains. The color I associate with Priest are black (leather).
Blue and red (RIT, Defenders, Painkiller, Jug) and brown (Turbo, POE).
> 2. Point Of Entry. Crappy album, crappy art work. Too cheezy for me
If we ever see the remasters, I'd like to see the original POE cover, the
one the band didn't like,deciding to release a worse cover for the U.S. I
like the prismic glow of that cover, and I think it matches the feeling I
get from the music, especially the guitar tones, which I find to be the
most "colorful" of any Priest album. I don't understand why you think the
album is crappy. You don't like "Hot Rockin'?" not even the riff at the
end? What about Solar Angels, Desert Plains, Heading Out?
> 3. 98 Live Meltdown--The whole layout of this CD is fucked up. I want to see
> some NORMAL looking photos of the band. Not to mention that the front cover
> looks like something a kindergartner would fingerpaint!
Agreed. This cover is real dumb and I'm glad you brought it up. They were
selling t shirts with this picture on them and I thought, "why the hell
would anyone want a t shirt with that picture." Of course, my buddy went
right ahead and bought one. He bought another one and let me wear the
Meltdown one. I got pounded on all night by crowd surfers and at the end
realized that the shirt had torn in a few places. My friend was pissed. I
said, "C'mon, it's the RIPPER, you gotta leave it the way it is!" He
wasn't having it, so he got his grandma to sew it up. Anyway, this cover
is really lame and so is the whole album for that matter. I haven't been
so disappointed in Priest since Rob jetted. The mix is so fucking awful I
can't listen to it for shit. Every so often I'll put it on for Diamonds
and Rust, but otherwise I just have it for the sake of my collection.
the ONLY two I really can get into at all on this piece of crap is Hot Rocking
and Solar angels. the rest are too commercial. I don't see why so many people
think desert plains is cool, because it is SO commercial, it's about
motorcycles, but I prefer freewheel burning and hell bent over this cheezy
song.
>Anyway, this cover
>is really lame and so is the whole album for that matter. I haven't been
>so disappointed in Priest since Rob jetted. The mix is so fucking awful I
>can't listen to it for shit. Every so often I'll put it on for Diamonds
>and Rust, but otherwise I just have it for the sake of my collection.
>
>
I think the album (Well parts of it anyway) is good as far as sound goes. They
put together a crappy mix though, I miss the producing ofTom Allom!(Hell I miss
Chris Tsangerides' produciong more!)
That's all folks
Joe
You can thank Wal-Mart for the pixelated Piece of Shit ! They're afraid
they'll offend the hoosiers who frequently hang-out there.
It's a monster, DEAL WITH IT! If people don't like, no one's putting a gun to
their head to look at it or anything. Corporations like this and Tipper
Gore(Killing Machine, Eat Me Alive, remember that?) piss me off. I can see if
a group is promoting racism or Nazism or something, but because the song's
about, well, the wild thing, doesn't mean you have to be offended. If you are
offended, then DON'T LISTEN TO IT! YOu can CHANGE THE STATION OR WHATEVER!
If It's Too Loud
You're Too Old
(From the back of my Kiss Animalize t-shirt, a year younger than I! LoL)
Joe
In article <19990126180447...@ng-ft1.aol.com>,
>2. Point Of Entry. Crappy album, crappy art work. Too cheezy for me
Aw, come on man. Point Of Entry is a cool album. Lovely guitar sound, good
songs like Heading Out To The Highway, Hot Rockin', Turning Circles, Desert
Plains, etc. Okay, maybe it's not up the standard of certain other Priest
albums, but it certainly isn't 'crappy' IMO.
Cheers,
Nick
______
/ \ Curse and damn you all
/___/ You'll fall by the hand of The Sinner
__/
Yup, easily the worst Priest cover.
>-Unleashed In The East (I don't need to see Rob's gay biker outfit
Why not? Ha ha!
Gotta disagree here - Unleashed is one of the best, IMO
>and Glenn's goofy smile.Plus you can't see Les Binks)
>-Metalworks(only for the lack of color,otherwise I love it)
>BEST:
>-Ram It Down (the fist actually looks metallic,fucking brilliant!)
>-The Doug Johnson trilogy of Screamin',Defenders,and Turbo.Unique style.
>-Jugulator (the inside pic not that horrible cover.Apparently that was on
>purpose,but I think that's bullshit.Who would actually choose that
pixelized
>piece of shit over the clear glossy looking pic inside?)
Best 3: Unleashed, Painkiller, Ram It Down
Worst 3: Priest...Live!, Jugulator, Point Of Entry
This is my LEAST favorite. The problem is like you said "Simple" except
I'll follow that by saying boring. How about simple and boring.
>WORST
>3. Point of Entry (US version) - One >word:
>BORING!!! Was this a last-minute
>decision by someone at the record
>company? What really bugs me most of
>all is that I can't reach into the photo and
>straighten out the goddamn paper buckle
>near the bottom! Aaaarrrghhh!!!
Well I feel like this is simple, but not
boring. I much prefer the POE cover to British Steel anyday. Being a
desert lover, I can appreciate a natural no gimmicks cover like this
one. It's also so perfect for the great sound of this album.
MY FAVORITES
1. Painkiller - There's a lot going on here. I especially like the
bottom part with the mountains and terrain, much like POE.
2. Point Of Entry - see above
3. Priest In The East - Anybody realize that this is the only regular JP
release with a picture of the band on the front cover.
4. Rocka Rolla - Not the one with the weird guy and the missiles, but
rather the one with the Coca Cola bottle cap. It's kind of plain too,
but I like it for its rarity and because I happen to have it.
5. Sin After Sin - Kinda trippy looking. This would make a great poster.
LEAST FAVORITES
1. British Steel - One of the lamest covers I've ever seen. A hand on
razor blade... give me a break.
2. Hell Bent For Leather - Honestly, they could have put a more menacing
face on those sunburst or cracked shades and metal cap.
3. priest...live - What hasn't already been said before on this one.
4. Defenders Of The Faith - This is really a bit juvenile in their
attempt at the Metallian.
5. Jugulator - While I'm glad they changed their logo whereas to
seperate the different eras of Rob and Tim, the cover is just atrocious.
Lionheart
JdasPrst wrote in message <19990126180000...@ng-ft1.aol.com>...
It wasn't aimed at you guys, I'm flaming wal mart/Tipper Gore!
Joe
turbo is more commercial, but heavier in parts(OUT IN THE COLD, reckless, and
Hot for love are the only good songs)
As for Tom Allom, the live mix sure as hell was better on 87, though not as
audible. Chris Tsangerides was their best producer.!
If it's too loud
You're too old
Joe
JdasPrst wrote in message <19990126231831...@ng-ce1.aol.com>...
Shut up. "Sucking shit", you are a moron. What a stupid comment. Need some
english language remedial eh'. Why don't you go sit in the corner,well you
already do. Boo hoo I love Ralf Sheepers,Boo hoo boo hoo,jackass.
All throughout there are good jams on that cd. Please, don't get the new JP
when it comes out. All the crying is lame.
What is the pixelated cover? Just the face shot?
I didn't give out any 10s because I think Priest is still capable of putting out
an album cover that could beat all of the previous ones and I wanted to leave
room. If you don't want to read all that boring stuff below, I'll just say my
favourites are "Sad Wings" and the Doug Johnson trilogy, all about the same. My
least favourite covers are almost all the live albums.
Rocka-Rolla:
A pun! Well, they never made one like this again. This cover could work for just
about any 70s band, actually. If you look at this in the summertime you will
actually be thirsty for some Rocka-Rolla. It's kind of clever but it offers no
real hint of what kind of music you're going to get inside, which an album cover
should do for a brand-new group.
Back cover: A standard low-budget 70s back cover for a band's first release. I
don't have this in my CD. I've only seen a low-quality scan of it on the
internet. "Bob"s picture looks like a real hoot though. Has the back cover been
reproduced on any CD issues?
Rating: 7 out of 10
===================
Sad Wings of Destiny:
A cover much better suited to the group's image and music contained within. The
first appearance of the "cross", around the neck of a guy in a satanic-looking
environment. Is it really Lucifer right after getting cast into Hell? Well, it's
cool, kinda Victorian-looking, fits with "The Ripper" and the dark themes in
there. Their best 70s cover IMO.
Back Cover: Similar layout to the first but more stylish with the "energy fields"
crackling all around. Reminds me of the front cover of the first Van Halen album.
My fave Priest back cover of the 70s as well.
Rating: 9 out of 10
============
Sin After Sin
My pick for the wierdest cover they ever did. It's pretty gothic with the creepy
ancient temple in drab colours. It could be an image from a dream or a mild
hallucination - the woman is so much bigger than the guy on the left, adding to
the surrealness.
Rating: 7
=================
Best of Judas Priest
Metal Samaurai guys. Was this an attempt to appeal to the Japanese market?
Back Cover: An early band photo I didn't get in my CD issue. Pre-leather Priest
pics are rare so I can't get enough of those.
Rating: 7
===================
Stained Class
Now it's finally starting to look "metal" instead of just dark. This cover would
have scared me if I saw it as a kid. It would have been like a 9 if the cover
wasn't so murky though. Does anyone know who "Destro" was, a G.I. Joe villain
from the 80s cartoon? He looks like this guy, the collar and everything. Hmmmm.
Rating: 7
==============
Hell Bent For Leather
I don't know what this has to do with being Hell Bent For Leather (or a Killing
Machine). I don't really get this one. The idea with the sunglasses is great but
the stuff around it could have been done better. It could have gone farther with
the studded leather look which was brand-new at the time.
Back Cover: Hey, CBS skimped on this one! The US version of the CD is just brown
with a track listing, but the Japanese import has "ascending" band member photos,
including Les, plus Rob with facial hair!
Rating: 7.5
==========================
Unleashed In The East
Unfortunately they went with a staged photo rather than a real live shot. Glenn
and Ian are out of focus in my CD, is this the same as the original? They should
fix that. I guess Les didn't even have to show up for this picture. One cool part
is the font printed sideways along the bottom. It would have been nice if they
offered some more live shots inside the album like a lot of other '70s live
albums.
Back Cover: Even more staged-looking than the front! Could Glenn get more boring?
Rating: a bare 7
==================
British Steel
Pretty cool idea for a cover, but couldn't they have found a better hand model?
The fourth finger (next to the pinky) looks like it has a couple nibbles out of
it.
Back Cover: More brown! - surrounding individual band member photos. Worth it for
the funny picture documenting Rob's mushroom haircut. At least they caught the
drummer's head this time.
Rating: 8
=====================
Point of Entry
I don't get it. What is it? Printer paper?
Back Cover: OK, this one I don't get either. Five white tablets - does each one
represent a band member or something? Is this a joke on 2001 like Zep's
"Presence"?
What's the back cover of the European version look like?
Rating: a bare 7
=================
Screaming For Vengeance
Yeah! Now that's metal! It still looks very '82 because of the colour scheme, but
man, is that metal eagle cool. My brother saw this when he was 9 and said just
one word -
Caw!
Inside: The first "bonus" in the packaging that I know about, the grainy picture
where they appear to be in the hallway of a Star Wars ship or something.
Rating: 9
===================
Defenders of the Faith
Also a bit dated today, but man, this is what metal LOOKED like at its peak. A
big unstoppable monster, crushing unbelievers under its tank treads! Tied with
SFV for my fave 80s cover.
Back Cover: Continuation of the front, completing the Stained Class / SFV / DOTF
"streaking" theme trilogy. But there's a couple of streaks in the back of this
one that look like a hot dog. Mmmm, subliminal hot dog.
Inside: Nice picture of the three "main" guys, but Ian and Dave look like they're
in rehearsal because of their plainer clothing.
Rating: 9
=============================
Turbo
The Doug Johnson trilogy completed with another slick cover. I really like the
reflective texture on these three album covers, although I like the previous two
a trifle better. This looks a bit more "commercial", like it could have been used
in an ad for fast cars or milk.
Rating: a bare 9
===============
Priest.....Live!
Yuck. It looks like a bootleg. Maybe it was supposed to. Mistake.
Back Cover: Live shots which they should have had back on UITE. Glenn's haircut
is almost as hard to get over as the music from Turbo itself.
Inside: That awful, awful, gatefold picture where the fingers on the hands look
like baby carrots. Like I said before, the only time I know of where the cassette
packaging of an album is better (it doesn't have the hands and the picture isn't
as washed out).
Rating: 4
=================
Ram It Down
I didn't like this cover at first but I'm starting to like it more. You have to
imagine the fist coming down in slow motion.....BOOOM. )))) shock wave )))))
Rating: 8
==================
Painkiller
I like the Priest "totems" coming out of the ground better than the guy on the
motorcycle. I don't like the "face" on the chopper, and the perspective is a bit
messed up but the overall look is not bad because it SCREAMS metal just like it
should.
Rating: 8
===================
Metal Works
Yeah, the Priest "mascots" dukin' it out. They should have invited Iron Maiden's
Eddie, Motorhead's Snaggletooth, Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead, and Dio's critter to
a big battle royal steel cage match to decide the ultimate mascot. My money's on
Metallian, but Eddie could maybe outweather the others because he has a proven
track record of surviving punishment.
They could have just depicted the "factory" itself because it would have looked
better in just the black by itself.....the Birmingham coal country.
Rating: 7.5
===============================
Jugulator
What was wrong with the full cover? I might have liked the "pixelated" version
more if I didn't know of this full painting. With the "pixelated" version it
looks like a screen capture from TV or something, not a bad concept if you
pretend that you're watching extremely rare footage of some kind of beast, like
that Bigfoot tape that just got proven fake. Well, okay, maybe that's not such a
good idea.
Rating: 7 because it's still cool, but 9 for the full one.
==================
Live 98 Meltdown
Yuck, this really does look like someone set out to make a cover of puke. Why
can't Priest make any good covers for their live albums? Just put a cool live
shot on there, it's not hard!
Rating: 2
===============
and catching up on one more:
Concert Classics: from the same photo session as the UITE cover. If you look
behind the drum kit you can just make out an arm pointing straight up, holding a
couple of sticks. Back cover has a shot from the same photo session as the Hell
Bent for Leather tourbook, which is also out-of-date because on the front of this
thing it says Dave Holland drums on this album.
Rating: a bare 7
Favorites,
1. Screamig For Vengeance, Classic cover
2.Sin After Sin- It has you thinking what it has to do with the title
3.Defenders -very colorful
4.Jugulator- Stiil in control even if it is not comercial like everyone
else
Worst,
1. Live 87- you guys summed it up pretty nicely for me
2. Live 98- too plain
3.Turbo- I still don't get it
4.Point Of Entry- Great album but cover doesn't appeal to me.
Right you are BuZ. The original that shows the whole Jugulator and the
landscape is much better, no pixelated POS.
Joe
BuZ, It's Joe again, I think POE is crap compared to the rest of priests
material(Except for turbo, the king of all CRAP!) Limp Biscuit sux. As For
the unleashed thing, I like the little comment at the end. I wear my leather
with pride(its the only way i represent priest since i only got the jug tshirt.
LoL)
If it's too loud,
this is my favorite cd, and cover, GREAT concept on this album. Very
creative(I drew this for my poetry notebook for english class, which contained
the infamous title tracks lyrics!)
>2. Hell Bent For Leather - Honestly, they could have put a more menacing
>face on those sunburst or cracked shades and metal cap.
It would've been better had it been released as "Killing Machine" in the U.S..
The glasses are cracked because the bullets from the hitman(Killing Machine)
hit them with deadly accuracy.
>4. Defenders Of The Faith - This is really a bit juvenile in their
>attempt at the Metallian.
Too cartoony looking, same goes for SFV, the way these two characters look on
Metal works cover is much better. Metallian on tribute disc looks alot better
too!
>5. Jugulator - While I'm glad they changed their logo whereas to
>seperate the different eras of Rob and Tim, the cover is just atrocious.
Just read my little wal-mart/tipper gore bashing post about this one!
Joe
You know what, he was my favorite GI JOE as a kid! I always thought they just
took a destro figure, and zoomed in on his head, and did something to it. I
never DID find that action figure as a kid though(DAMMIT!) Then once i stop
playing action figures and stuff they re-release it. LoL how ironic!
>Back Cover: Hey, CBS skimped on this one! The US version of the CD is just
>brown
>with a track listing, but the Japanese import has "ascending" band member
>photos,
>including Les, plus Rob with facial hair!
>
they had that on the back of the american vinyl, i got one, (my dad's =, mine
when he moved out, hehe) the album case if about to disintegrate, considering
he's had that album longer than I've been around! LoL
DEFENDERS
>Inside: Nice picture of the three "main" guys, but Ian and Dave look like
>they're
>in rehearsal because of their plainer clothing.
I always thought Ian looked like a cave man in this pic, not to mention kk's
village people looking outfit. LoL>
Jugulator
>
>What was wrong with the full cover? I might have liked the "pixelated"
>version
>more if I didn't know of this full painting. With the "pixelated" version it
>looks like a screen capture from TV or something, not a bad concept if you
>pretend that you're watching extremely rare footage of some kind of beast,
>like
>that Bigfoot tape that just got proven fake. Well, okay, maybe that's not
>such a
>good idea.
>
>Rating: 7 because it's still cool, but 9 for the full one.
Like I said, thank wal-mart for the pixels
>Live 98 Meltdown
>
>Yuck, this really does look like someone set out to make a cover of puke. Why
>can't Priest make any good covers for their live albums? Just put a cool live
>shot on there, it's not hard!
>
Looks like a first grader finger-painted this crappy cover, the inside photos
are too fucked up looking as well, HORRIBLE COVER!
if it's too loud,
you're too old
Joe
BuZoe wrote in message <19990127025245...@ng01.aol.com>...
BuZoe wrote in message <19990127024201...@ng01.aol.com>...
>> I don't see why so many people
>>think desert plains is cool, because it is SO commercial, it's about
>>motorcycles, but I prefer freewheel burning and hell bent over this cheezy
>>song.
>All three of those are cool songs. Try to get some imagry out of Desert
Plains.
BuZoe wrote in message <19990127025544...@ng01.aol.com>...
>>You can thank Wal-Mart for the pixelated Piece of Shit !
>
>Don't like my opinion,then go to the next post shithead.You really are a
>little suck aren't you.I don't give a fuck if you worship Ripper,other
>opinions are allowed.I'll let you get back to jerking off to pictures of
>ripper.
>>>I agree about the 87 live cd being better mixed/produced than the new
>one,I
>>>meant the studio cds sound just sucks ass.I hate the new live cd with a
>>>passion!I refuse to put it with the other Priest cds.It just sits in the
>>>corner by itself sucking shit.
>>
>>Shut up. "Sucking shit", you are a moron. What a stupid comment. Need some
>>english language remedial eh'. Why don't you go sit in the corner,well you
>>already do. Boo hoo I love Ralf Sheepers,Boo hoo boo hoo,jackass.
>>All throughout there are good jams on that cd. Please, don't get the new JP
>>when it comes out. All the crying is lame.
>>
>
>
></PRE></HTML>
Please pass.
VicChanges wrote in message <19990128033311...@ng137.aol.com>...
BuZoe wrote in message <19990128123024...@ng104.aol.com>...
Cheers,
ERIC
That's all folks
Joe
amen! hope they stay at the noticeboard the little prickstains they are.
Joe
>(its the only way i represent priest since i only got the jug tshirt.
>LoL)
Which Judas Priest Jugulator t-shirt??? There are four: one with the group,
2nd is the cross on the front and "Judas *uckin' Priest" on the back, the 3rd
w/ a full picture of the cover, and the 4th which was on sale on 10/31 which
has the Jugulator same as cover inside a circle... hard to describe...
Jug you later...
Joe