Rating: 8 / 10 Stars
REVIEW – Every long-term Judas Priest fan have a story of that first time they heard “ Turbo”. For me April 13th 1986 was an odd night. Bob Coburn of Rock Line world premiered the album. The second “ Turbo Lover”, the opening track started, I was speechless. At that time, not sure if it was a positive or negative mindset, but I was curious as to what Priest were up to. By the second song, “ Locked In”, I knew I was going to buy the album even though I knew it would have to grow on me. The atmosphere in music at this time was a more “ commercial” and “ glam” approach. You had bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Poison raise the flag. When you see Rob Halford with long hair in this mad max inspired glam leather, you know that people are paying attention to where they can make a dollar. Iron Maiden was not even safe from commercialism as “ Wasted Years” would try to be a crossover hit for them. At this time in history, radio and MTV were king. If you could get on there, you could see the bank pulling up to your front door. As I said early in this review, I had to buy the record. I will admit, I am a huge Judas Priest fan. I will also admit, I did not mind “ Turbo”.
If you are familiar with the history of Priest, this album while shocking at first, when you think about it, you could see it coming. Where a band like Two can be seen as a very huge radical departure, this album has to be seen as a band that is trying to merge their past with the climate of music. “ Screaming for Vengeance” also delved into commercialism, and it is still a perfect album. “ Defenders of the Faith” was embracing the underground metal scene that was emerging in the Bay. (My very first concert was Judas Priest in 1984) I have to admit songs like, “ Out in the Cold”, you know the band had to be forced by studio execs. I do not see the band wanting to do that kind of desperate radio friendly song. The production on this album is very slick and glossy. This could be seen as the first Judas Priest record that the song-writing seemed to lack the punch we knew in the past, and in it’s place is just catchy choruses and lyrics that are meant to win over radio. 1986 was also the year that you saw bands like Slayer, Exodus, Megadeth, Overkill and Metallica emerge from the underground as the so-called “ True Metal”. The enemy was the so-called “false metal” that had taken over the radio and MTV. Where each of the “ True Metal” were so vocal about not wanting to be “ cover boys” or “ video stars”. (We all know how that turned out when they also found themselves all over MTV and magazine covers).
This is where I am supposed to tell you, how it felt to play “ Turbo” some 30 years later. The issue is, I have never stopped playing this cd. Songs like “ Turbo Lover” and “ Hot For Love” are still constantly being played. I will agree this album does have some filler, but I also will admit, that I am such a fan, that I can forgive that. Whether, I can forgive them for the last few releases is a different story, for different reviews. There is this immediately attraction I have to this album. You listen to one lick, lyric or even an intro, and you are excited. “ That is Out in the Cold, I can remember the first time I played that song”. There were other bands and cds that came out in this era, I am less forgiving towards. Kiss-”Crazy Nights” and Alice Cooper-”Constrictor” come to mind immediately. I would love to say Iron Maiden “ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”, but I have warmed up to it, in recent years. “ Turbo” is the album that the studio felt Priest needed to release. The album went platinum and cracked the top 20, so someone bought it. “ Hot For Love” sounds like the song that is on every soundtrack in the mid 80’s. I know I am supposed to dismiss this cd, if I am a true fan. I am a true fan, but yet I dig “ Turbo”. I love the catchy choruses and bouncy grooves this album has. I mean, there are more people singing “ Turbo Lover” live than “ Prophecy”. On this three disc version of “ Turbo” comes the live recording from their 1986 “ Fuel for Life” tour at the Kemper Arena. The 20-song set offers nothing really new if you have all the other Priest concert cds. The performance was fair, but the crowd was not as lively and vocal as they are in the current recordings. You do get “ Rock You All Around the World” and “ Locked In” from “ Turbo”. That was a cool plus for me. All in all, this three disc set is all depending on the collector. This 150-gram-vinyl version is incredible to play again. The live recording is fair, but I would have loved some bonus tracks. I know “ Turbo” had alternative versions of songs like “ Hot for Love” and “ Turbo Lover” that I would have loved to hear the original vision.
