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List Price: $7.99 | | Label: Sony
Salesrank: 4673
Released: May 29, 2001 |
| Our Price: $5.20 |
| Used Price: $2.75 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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British Steel Track Listing:
1. Rapid Fire
2. Metal Gods
3. Breaking the Law
4. Grinder
5. United
6. Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
7. Living After Midnight
8. The Rage
9. Steeler
10. Red, White & Blue
11. Grinder (live)
Editorial Review:
The guitar riff from "Breaking the Law" is one of the most recognizable from early 1980s heavy metal. Though British Steel sounds dated these days, it's also a classic slice of metal, one of the best from a band that defined the genre in the late '70s and early '80s. Everything that ultimately became characteristic of heavy metal is here, from the lightning-fast riffs on "Rapid Fire," the anthemic "Metal Gods," and "United" to the obligatory party song "Living After Midnight" to the equally obligatory youth-rebellion song, "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise." British Steel is unquestionably Priest at their peak. The 2001 remastered reissue includes two bonus tracks--a previously unavailable studio selection called "Red, White & Blue" and a live take on "Grinder." --Genevieve Williams
British Steel Reviews:
The Colours Red, White & Blue...!!! 
2009-09-20 - This was one of the first Priest albums I have ever heard. I don't remember which was first...this or "Painkiller". Well anyway, this album is the classic one! This is often said to be the best Judas Priest album because there's hits "Living After Midnight", "Breaking the Law", "Rapid Fire", and "United". I cannot blame them who think that way. Still, I think that "Sad Wings of Destiny" and "Stained Class" would deserve better treatment, because they are a little bit better than this. This is true metal, I'm not saying anything against it. This album is quite short too which is kinda nice because I like short albums. The 35 minutes of great metal which must have inspired many metal bands.
Stars: United, Rapid Fire, Breaking the Law
British Steel Remastered
2009-07-29 - I bought this one when it originally came out in the 80's on vinyl, and now more recently on CD Remastered. One of Judias Priest's best records and one of the best heavy metal records as well. Up there with AC/DC Highway to Hell and Back in Black.
The album that made Judas Priest metal legends still phenomenal nearly 30 years on
2009-07-14 - Metal Gods Judas Priest released its sixth studio album British Steel in May of 1980.
The album was a change for the band in several ways. First, the band (which consisted of lead singer Rob Halford, lead guitarists Glenn Tipton and KK Downing and bass player Ian Hill) got a new drummer out of ex-Trapeze drummer Dave Holland (who would be their second long serving drummer (only his successor Scott Travis has been with them for 19 years)). Second, the band recruited producer Tom Allom (beginning a decade long association with the band after being an engineer for Black Sabbath in the early 1970s and also produced Def Leppard's superb debut album). Third, the band released their first album of the decade they would reign supreme, the 1980s. Recorded at Titenhurst Park (the estate of Beatle Ringo Starr (previously owned by his deceased bandmate John Lennon)), they created a masterpiece which is still one of the best albums ever made (as I found out when I bought the original US cassette edition in 1997 (I was familiar with three tracks on the disc "Breaking the Law", "Metal Gods" and "Living After Midnight" as they were on the 2-CD best of Metal Works)).
The original US album opened with "Breaking the Law" which is one of the band's best loved tracks and a great song still to this day. Next is the track "Rapid Fire" (which opened the UK issue of the album and opens the remastered CD (the US version switched tracks around)) which is a fast, prototype speed-metal kick*ss rocker. Great lyrics and superb guitar dueling by Tipton and Downing. Next is the great rocker (which became the band's nickname by fans and rock journalists) "Metal Gods". Halford's superb singing and sci-fi lyrics coupled with Downing and Halford's riffing makes this a killer rocker. We then have "Grinder" which is another rocker with raunchy, in a good way, lyrics, and another staple of the band's. The first half ends with the track "United". Like "Take on the World" (on 1979's Hell Bent For Leather), this is an uplifting, singalong anthem and is also one of the greatest rock/metal anthems ever written.
"Living After Midnight" (which kicked off Side Two of original US/Canadian release) is next and was one of Priest's first US rock radio hits and became a staple of American rock radio. This track may have been seen as sellout city but its hook, riffs and lyrics make this song rock. Next is "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise" (which was the first track on Side Two of the UK release of the album) and is an underrated, great track. Next is "The Rage" which starts with a cool bass guitar riff from Hill before turning into an epic rocker with some uneartly Downing guitar solos. We close the album with the fast heavy rocker "Steeler". It has more classic guitar work, singing and lyrics. A kick*ss way to close the album.
British Steel became Judas Priest's first US Top 40 charting album and first Gold seller (would hit Platinum after the success of 1982's Screaming For Vengeance) for good reason. The songs, production, playing and the resurrection of hard rock and metal at the time made this a timeless album.
The remastered CD version of the album features the tracks in its UK sequence ("Rapid Fire", "Metal Gods", "Breaking the Law", "Grinder", "United", "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise", "Living After Midnight", "The Rage" and "Steeler") plus an outtake from the scrapped double Twin Turbos album (which became Turbo in 1986) entitled "Red White and Blue" which was a great power ballad. It's ironic that Judas Priest, (a British metal band), wrote a song about what is also construed as an anthem for American pride. There's also a live version of "Grinder" from 1984's Defenders Of the Faith Tour.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Where Metal started and ended 
2009-07-13 - It all started in '79 for me. We were going to see Robin Trower that night at the San Bernardino Fairgrounds and we were listening to some records and getting stoned at my friend Greg's house before we left. Someone put on the new record they just got "Unleashed in the East" and my mind was blown. After that show me and my friends went and bought all of the previous Judas Priest albums in the next few weeks. All of them were great at the time but some stuck out as better (Sad Wings, Sin After Sin & Stained Class) & got most of the time on the turn table. Soon we heard Priest was coming to town & we got tickets to see them and bought the new album "British Steel" - which I have to admit we were a bit disapointed with compared to their previous albums. The show (with probably just a few hundred in attendance) was fantastic & we wore our Priest shirts to school with pride - though hardly anyone knew who they were 'til "Living After Midnight" & "Breaking the Law" became hits. I stopped listening to new Priest after "Point of No Return" (Oops meant Point of Entry) and seldom listen to them today - except for a couple times a year I got to throw "Unleashed in the East" back into the car cd player and rock out like I was 15 again. I recommend that "Live" album as the starting place for anyone wanting to discover Judas Priest for the first time.
4.5 stars, but its actually a classic 
2009-07-03 - Ahh, British Steel, the album that officially put Priest on the map here in the states, with songs like the catchy simple Breaking the Law and the pop rock catchiness of Living After Midnight. I notice some give these album flack because of the simpleness of the riffs and the seemingly commercial direction but this albums positives far outweight any gripe you can have with it. Priest had already succeeded in making the Sabbath inspired metal classics like Sad Wings and Stained Class. Because of those albums we know the Tipton and Downing are highly skilled guitar pros and can make some of the best prog metal masterpieces on the planet. But British Steel proved that they could also crossover and take the airwaves, in doing so, influencing a slew of thrash bands that were to be, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, etc.. Songs like Rapid Fire, Grinder, and the Rage are so pre-thrash and heavy, simple and effective. Pantera took notes, as did Metallica. Thrash metal was virtually created by taking equal parts British Steel and Overkill by Motorhead and mixing in the punk element of Discharge. There really isnt one bad song on this album, maybe United is a bit pointless, but for some reason it fits in to contrast the songs around it. Yes, Sad Wings and Stained Class were more complicated masterpieces, but British Steel is great and just as important in the Judas Priest legacy. Negative reviewers, sorry your just plain wrong, Priest can get away with changing and experimenting without sounding lame, thats why they have lasted as long as they have. Metal Gods.
