AMG Review of Judas Priest Collectors' Box

Lindsay Planer
All Music Guide

This limited-edition box set contains the final four titles in Sony/Legacy's dozen-album overhaul of the classic Judas Priest catalog, including Turbo (1986), Priest...Live! (1987) (now expanded to a double-CD set), Ram It Down (1988), and Painkiller (1990). Each release is likewise available separately. The box -- designed to replicate a mini-touring storage container or "roadcase" -- also includes room for the remaining eight discs in the series. Of particular note and exclusive to the Judas Priest Collectors' Box is a 24-page liner notes booklet. Among the metal mastery on the four titles included in the set are not only the band's second live recording, but also a wealth of album rock favorites, including "Turbo Lover," "Locked In," "Rock You All Around the World," and "Monsters of Rock." This package, as well as the entire Remasters Series, has been overseen by Judas Priest. With their input, the respective CD booklets in each expanded edition not only reprise the original LP artwork, including lyrics where available, they are also packed with vintage photos straight out of the band's personal archives. Additionally, each title boasts newly inked liner notes. While perhaps stark in comparison to other CD reissues that surpass the amount of material that was available on the original album, these expanded editions include, in all, nine previously unheard studio tracks and 17 songs never before released as live performances. The newly remastered sound sonically matches the eye candy with famed producer Jon Astley at the controls. Enthusiasts aiming to complete the collection cannot go wrong with Judas Priest Collectors' Box, which additionally offers a bit of a price break from purchasing the titles individually.