Unleashed in the East [Live]

Judas Priest | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 6, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000025H4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,514 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Exciter

2. Running Wild

3. Sinner

4. The Ripper

5. Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)

6. Diamonds and Rust

7. Victim of Changes

8. Genocide

9. Tyrant

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Judas Priest live record, November 8, 2001

By 

S. Baker "sdbaker70" (Phoenix, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unleashed in the East (Exp) (Audio CD)

This one is considered Judas Priest's breakthrough classic, and rightfully so. Although too produced to call it a real "live" record, it may be better to think of it as a re-recorded best of their previous efforts (`Sad Wings of Destiny' (1976), `Sin After Sin' (1977), `Stained Class' (1978), and `Hell Bent for Leather' (1978)). That is, all the songs here are performed with an improved more metallic, more up tempo sound than the original versions - the tempo is a little faster on "Exciter", the guitar solo is a little more daring on "Sinner", the chords ring a little harder on "Green Manalishi", the licks are a little edgier on "Diamonds and Rust". But the essential performance here is "The Ripper" - the original of which was drenched with silly sound effects and seemed out-of-place on `Sad Wings of Destiny' (1976) - but the version here is simply incredible. In fact, I challenge anyone to find a metal song with a more impressive vocal performance (including any later Judas Priest records).

The original release contained nine songs with an emphasis on tunes taken from their pre-major label record, `Sad Wings of Destiny' (1976) and only one or two songs each from `Sin After Sin' (1977), `Stained Class' (1978), and `Hell Bent for Leather' (aka `Killing Machine' (1978)). On bootlegs and certain "official" releases, other songs from these concerts/session later emerged, creating a broader representation of their catalog up to that point. The original record probably should have been a double album, but now with the benefit of the extended format of CDs, it is all here, including the infamous live version of "Hell Bent for Leather" (sans the revving Harley), which became the signature encore of subsequent Judas Priest shows.

In my opinion, as important as Judas Priest was to the metal scene, this record surpasses any of their previous five prior releases.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Unleashed" delivers, June 13, 2000

By 

Dan Weimer (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unleashed in the East (Audio CD)

I think perhaps the most telling account of how I feel about this recording is the fact that I'm a grown man who's banished most of his heavy metal discs to the shoe boxes, used CD stores, or even the trash. "Unleashed" is the only heavy metal disc I keep in the regular rotation. This disc not only gets Priest at their best, really capturing the guitar interplay before they have a chance to bury it in six layers in the studio, but it is also a textbook example of the reasons live albums should be made in the first place. It should bring the concert home. That involves not only invigorated performances of the studio material but also solid production values; keep the sound true so you can hear what the musicians sound like without studio wizardry. This is my favorite heavy metal album, and my favorite live album of any genre. I can only assume that if you're reading this, you're at least mildly interested, so I can recommend without reservation that you buy it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest live albums ever recorded, January 25, 2005

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unleashed in the East (Exp) (Audio CD)

Released in 1979 (it would go Platinum ten years later), Unleashed in the East isn't just the best live album available from Judas Priest, it's one of the best live albums ever recorded. Purists can nitpick all they want on whether this is considered a "live" album or not, but you'll rarely find anything that sounds better than this. Classic Priest songs like "Exciter", "Sinner", "The Ripper", "Green Manalishi", "Diamonds and Rust", "Victim of Changes", "Tyrant", and "Hell Bent for Leather" are re-produced live with faster tempos, edgier riffs, and grinding solos that are pure old metal bliss. Rob Halford's voice booms, and the guitar combo of Downing and Tipton can be heard in their prime here. All in all, any Judas Priest fan most likely owns this disc, but if you don't, consider Unleashed in the East an absolute must own.