u/Blaze_BC

So, a while ago, a made a song discussion post about Angel, how it was the most beautiful JP song, and why I loved it so much, and I wanna do the same for Freewheel Burning.

I actually overlooked this song for a long time, considering it one of the least best off of Defenders of the Faith. However, now that I own the album on CD, I’ve been playing it again and again, and I must say, I heavily slept on this beast.

It’s a blisteringly fast track that really gets the energy going. While I’m not the biggest fan of the main riff, and I think the chorus is just good, just about everything else about this song is incredible.

In particular, the little bridge before and after the solo, is INCREDIBLE. I love when Rob spits out lyrics lightning fast like that, like in similar parts of Hell Patrol and Persecution.

And the solo itself. Damn. Priest really went all out with their solos on Defenders huh? Rock Hard Ride Free, The Sentinel, and THIS? It feels intense, it feels powerful, it feels heroic! It’s absolutely incredible.

Also, something that I didn’t know about until recently was that the song had a really cool little intro before the opening riff that was exclusive to the single version of this song. Check it out if you haven’t. I really wish it made it onto the album.

So what’re your thoughts on Freewheel Burning? Would you consider it one of your favorite Priest openers?

I’m not gonna waste too much time. We all know about the bonus tracks included on the 2001 re-releases of Sin After Sin to Painkiller. I’m not including live tracks, just the studio recorded bonus tracks, k? If there are any I missed, let me know.

9. Red, White & Blue (British Steel)

Yet another attempt Priest made at making a sort of arena rock anthem. This was one of many recorded during the Turbo sessions in 1985. It definitely sounds triumphant, I’ll give it that, but it also sounds really basic and slow and I never find myself coming back to this one.

8. Fight for Your Life (Killing Machine)

Okay, MAJOR step up from the last one. This one was recorded around 1982 during the Screaming for Vengeance sessions. What you’ll immediately notice is that it’s sort of an early version of Rock Hard Ride Free off of Defenders of the Faith. Now, I LOVE Rock Hard Ride Free, so I really like this track as well, but it’s not nearly as good. Especially in the chorus, the intro and the solo. The solo is VASTLY inferior to the eventual one on Rock Hard Ride Free and it makes the song feel much more generic. Still not bad, but not nearly as good as it would eventually become

7. Living Bad Dreams (Painkiller)

Unlike most of these bonus tracks, this one was actually recorded during the sessions of the album it’s on, Painkiller! Though, to me, it’s easily the weakest link on said album. It’s not bad! It’s still got an amazing vocal performance from Halford and a nice solo, but it fails to hit that mark that the rest of the songs do. Also, I haven’t been talking about how well these songs work as closers, but this one I have to, since it replaces One Shot At Glory as the closer, and One Shot At Glory is fucking AWESOME, so it loses some points for that.

6. Turn On Your Light (Defenders of the Faith)

Again, recorded during the Turbo sessions around 1986. I’m gonna be totally honest, this would definitely be lower if it weren’t for my personal attachment to this song. This song always reminds me of my girlfriend, the love of my life. I remember staying up all night one time listening to music. I put on Defenders of the Faith and then heard this at the end. I then proceeded the replay the song over and over and over, crying at the thought of her. They weren’t tears of sadness. I just couldn’t contain how much I loved her. So yeah, my reasoning for this being this high is probably really dumb, but I don’t care. It’s my list, you can make your own.

5. Race With the Devil (Sin After Sin)

Unlike most, this song was recorded in the 70’s, during the Stained Class sessions around 1977. It’s a cover of Race With the Devil by The Gun. And like Priest’s other covers in the 70’s, it completely knocks it out of the park, in my opinion, being better than the original. I love the original, but the production, vocals, and solo at the end of Priest’s version really seal the deal for me. Absolutely incredible cover. Works decent as a closer too, even if I think Dissident Aggressor is probably a better closer.

4. Thunder Road (Point of Entry)

Okay, here’s where these signs start to get REALLY good. Recorded during the Ram It Down sessions around 1988, Thunder Road makes for a phenomenal closer to Point of Entry. WAY better than On the Run or whatever. Maybe it has something to do with me not being the biggest fan of Point of Entry, but damn, this song really outshines most others on the album. I love the little quiet part after the solo. You can really hear the bass, I love that. Also, the solo itself is awesome! I love when a song has a key change mid-solo. And I can never help but sing along to the chorus, it’s so good.

3. All Fired Up (Turbo)

This is the only other bonus track recorded during the session of the album it was included on, that being the Turbo sessions, around 1985. So, I had actually never heard All Fired Up prior to making this ranking, but holy hell, this song rocks!the lyrics are kinda typical Judas Priest cheesy, but I really like them. I love how fast the song is, and it feels SUPER driving during the prechorus/chorus and the little bridge thingy before the solo and the final chorus. Speaking of that bridge thingy, I LOVE the high note Halford hits at the end of it, it’s so damn cool. You have to really wonder why Priest didn’t include this one on Turbo because it fucking rules!

2. Prisoner of Your Eyes (Screaming for Vengeance)

Again, recorded during the Turbo sessions around 1986. This song feels surprisingly heartfelt. I’ve never experienced heartbreak (I don’t think) but I can really feel the emotion in this one. Great vocal performance from Halford like always, and oh my gosh, I ADORE the guitar solo on this song. The chorus as well is absolutely amazing, and the ending is just an eargasm. This song makes for such a better closer than Devil’s Child and is honestly a highlight on Screaming For Vengeance for me. I feel like I should also mention Halford’s reimagining of this song in 2001, which I think is great, but not as good as the original.

1. Fire Burns Below (Stained Class)

Finally, we’ve got this one. Recorded during the Ram It Down sessions around 1988, Fire Burns Below is a PERFECT closer for Stained Class. Genuinely, my second favorite song on the album, only behind Beyond the Realms of Death. And that’s really saying something, because Stained Class is a damn near PERFECT album. Literally everything I said about Prisoner of Your Eyes can be applied here, except even more so. However, whereas Prisoner of Your Eyes had so much emotion in the verses and chorus, Fire Burns Below channels all that emotion into the solo. Gosh, this might be one of my favorite JP solos. I love when a solo implements acoustic guitar into it as well, and Fire Burns Below does exactly that. I just adore the feeling of this song, it’s perfect for listening to on a lonely night, or even a more pleasant night (despite the lyrics). What a damn good song. It kinda saddens me this was left off of Ram it Down because it’s fucking incredible.

After looking at the new Judas Priest greatest hits comp, I was a little disappointed with the track listing. I looked back at The Essential Judas Priest and realized “damn, this beast has 34 fucking songs on it, with at least one from each album except Rocka Rolla and the Ripper albums”.

But I do wanna hear about other compilations. I know Metal Works is pretty good as well. What are some of your favorite JP greatest hits compilations?