Coming off the heels of 1980's "British Steel", "Point of Entry" certainly had a lot of live up to. "British Steel" is widely considered to be the band's pinnacle, both artistically and sales-wise. The two albums are extremely different, but each has their place in Priest's long discography. While British Steel is quite aggressive, dissident, and angry; Point of Entry is longing, contemplative, and sensitive at times. Opening track "Heading Out to the Highway" sets the tone for the album. The songs' chugging rhythm replicates the revving of a Harley engine. One of Priest's first great "motorcycle anthems", the song contains "twin solos" that really show why K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton are absolutely the most trusted names in metal leads. Next up is "Don't Go", a fairly well-known song by Priest. I have never really been a huge advocate of this song, it's fairly slow and clunky sounding. Also, the musical limitations of bass player Ian Hill are quite apparent in this song. The chorus is quite catchy, but not a stand-out track for me. On to "Hot Rockin". This is one of the few songs by Priest that make me cringe somewhat. I do not like this song at all. The lyrics are goofy and laughable, and it lacks the edge and bravado that Priest are synonymous with. "Turning Circles" comes in next. Although many hardcore Priest fans adore this song, I have never loved this song. Quite short and simple, it echoes the feel of the album but I find it to be somewhat "pedestrian" when considering the caliber of other Priest songs of this era. Next.
The album continues with what me and many others consider to be the best Priest song ever released. "Desert Plains" is the epitome of classic Priest. Similar in musicality to "Heading Out", but even more desolate and sexual-charged, galloping like a calvary-charge of pure metal. Halford's vocals are absolutely untouchable, and in my opinion, were never bettered except possibly on "Painkiller". The song has survived as a live staple, and the roar of the crowd can be heard every time it is played live. Flawless. "Solar Angels" comes next. Quite a slow song, with mystical lyrics about heavenly creatures in the sky. I have always preferred Priest songs grounded in the "real" rather than mythical. But, certainly not a bad tune, just a little plodding and slow for me. On to "You Say Yes". I absolutely hate this song and I immediately skip it. Like "Hot Rockin", the song represents Priest's cartoony and "metal lite" side. Despite this, the song is frequently cited as an important example of Halford's "coming out" via lyrics about homosexuality. But, the music just doesn't stand up for me.
"All the Way" shows the more traditional side of Judas Priest. A retro-rocker, the song reinforces the bands' love of Chuck Berry and other early-rockers. For some reason, the song reminds me of something that Gene Simmons of Kiss would write. The song is below the musical capabilities of Priest, but is a fun rocker and a great party anthem. "Troubleshooter" continues the 1950's theme. Highly loathed by many Priest fans, the song is fairly basic and generic both lyrically and musically. I am glad that Priest adopted a much harder edge on "Screaming". Troubleshooter and All the Way are not as bad as people say, but for me they are goofy, basic, and far below the talents of a band that wrote such classics as "Beyond the Realms of Death" and "Painkiller'. Fairly run-of-the-mill rockers. The album closes with "On the Run". Continuing the theme of motorcycles and escapism, the song is much better than anything else of "Side 2". The song shows that Priest can certainly flex their swagger, especially when singing about what they do best, breaking laws and heading out to the highway. Great track that encompasses the "motorcycle bandit" theme that covers most of the album.
"Point of Entry" is essential if only for the classic "motorcycle" anthems of "Heading Out to the Highway", "Desert Plains", and "On the Run". Other than these gems, the album contains a great deal of filler. Seeing as many of the classic tunes can be found on numerous compilations released over the years, I cannot recommend a casual Priest fan to buy this album in its entirety. For the hardcore, "Point of Entry" represents a decent, but transitional Priest album that is almost great.
Rating-7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment