JUDAS PRIEST GUITARIST GLENN TIPTION TELLS EDDIE TRUNK, “I DON’T BELIEVE IN LIFE WITHOUT METAL”
Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton was a guest on Eddie’s Sirius/XM’s Trunk Nation radio show on October 27th. Highlights from the interview appear below and has been transcribed exclusively for EddieTrunk.com.
Discussing the legacy of Defenders Of The Faith, which is celebrating its 30 anniversary:
“I think with the success of Screaming For Vengeance, you look at our other albums and you tend to think that perhaps they didn’t reach the market screaming. But in retrospect, a lot of people came back and said, Ram It Down was a great album, Defenders was a great album. Everyone of our albums, I think has some gems on there. The album itself might not be the strongest of all the Priest albums, but its got good songs to offer. A good example is Point Of Entry. I know people weren’t sure about that album when it first came out but it’s got Hot Rockin’ on there, its got Solar Angels and its got Desert Plains. So, if we didn’t experiment a little bit, we wouldn’t have those Priest classics. So, it’s all about trying to push the borders and boundaries further apart and that’s what we have always tried to do.”
Speaking about Turbo being very experimental at the time when it was released in 1986:
“Yes, Turbo, again, was experimental which is what we love to do and we brought in synth guitars. People didn’t exactly condemn us for that, but they didn’t quite understand what we were trying to do at that time. Not everybody, but some people sort of said, ‘Oh, we’re not sure about the synth guitars.’ But then, of course, other people started to use them. When you hear us play Turbo [Lover], even now, and we’re playing it in the set at the moment, it’s one of the strongest songs in the set and everyone sings along with it. So, you’ve got to keep on experimenting and trying different things and going down different paths. But…the songs will always have the character of Judas Priest and that’s the most important thing.”
Talking about Rob Halford’s voice still being strong after all these years:
“It’s amazing….Rob couldn’t be singing better. I don’t know how he does it, really. He’s not a youngster anymore, but he can still hit those high notes. His voice is as strong as ever. But working with him on the album [Redeemer Of Souls], I noticed how strong his voice still is, it’s phenomenal how his voice has held up throughout the years. He’s in tremendous form.”
On where the next generation of iconic, great classic bands will come from:
“I think probably naturally evolution will solve that problem. There’s a lot of great bands out there. I do believe that everything goes in circles and I see a return to that classic style of metal. I think everybody..branches off, they experiment and they try different paths to go down and that’s great offshoots of metal. Even if you go back to Punk, Death Metal or Black Metal, it’s just people experimenting, but it usually finds its way back to the mainstream of what is [classic] heavy metal. Actually, there are some very talented musicians out there and great bands. I think maybe some of them have yet to find themselves and it does take some time to do that sometimes. But, I am sure that void will be filled…I don’t believe in life without metal.”
Answering whether or not he saw K.K. Downing’s recent comments wishing the band luck:
“No, I didn’t no….[But], that’s really nice. It’s really nice of him.”
Discussing what he will do if and when the band ever decides to retire:
Glenn: “I like to travel a lot. I am also a home[body]. I love the country life. I like the countryside. I like animals. I’ve got lots of interests. I even make and crash model airplanes…I’ve got a few weird interests Eddie.”
Eddie: “Wait, you make airplanes and then crash them??”
Glenn: “Well, I’m trying to fly them and then crash them….model helicopters. I am not a successful pilot, I’m afraid. They don’t usually last many seconds. Hours of work for seconds of destruction. There’s a good title for the next Priest album….”
Put that with the evidence that he always kept up with the innovations in guitar playing, which during the prime of his career, were many. Priest delivered but also surprised us.
I like how Glenn talks about various albums and how they were liked and accepted –
I love both Point Of Entry and Turbo, which a lot of fans don’t like. The only Priest albums I don’t like are Ram It Down and their first album. I don’t care for Stained Class either but I know a lot of people like it. I think Redeemer Of Souls is as good as anything they’ve done and Priest is one of the few classic bands who’s new stuff I still listen to.
The show in Georgia this week was awesome. Devil’s Child & Victim Of Changes back to back was like a time warp back to 1983!!!! Jawbreaker was a nice surprise as well.
Stained Class was my introduction to Judas Priest back in ’79 and i have to scratch my head when i hear that someone says they don’t like it. Honestly, that’s the 1st time i’ve ever heard that. I know many people who may not like POE, Turbo or RID, but Stained Class. I’m flabbergasted!! LOL
Hey Greg,
That is what makes horse racing, as they say. I know I am going to get flamed for this, but I never cared for Sin After Sin or Painkiller.
However, thankfully, I rarely hear anyone disparage my favorite Priest album, Screaming for Vengeance. In my opinion, a metal masterpiece. 😀
Dana from ET.com 🙂
Dana, I’m with you on Painkiller. The epiphenomenal guitar playing notwithstanding. They could’ve written that album in their sleep, and great hooks are noticeably absent. In fact, the first really decent hook doesn’t hit until way over on side 2 with “Touch of Evil’s” chorus. “One Shot At Glory” is the best song on there for my money. It has those majestic Priest hallmarks. The title track almost sounds monotone. Like he’s reading a book, but screaming. Even the song “Screaming for Vengeance” has a strong melody. Painkiller is too cartoonish, they were pandering.
I love the early 80’s period for Priest, but I must say that from a song structure standpoint and from a lyrical standpoint, Priest’s 70’s stuff kills everything that came after it. Just listen to the lyrics of something like “Dreamer Deciever” or “Hero’s End” or “Here Come the Tears” and it just has so much more of a story and relevance than silly lyrics like “Love Bites” or “Breakin the Law”. I would say Stained Class, Hell Bent, Sad Wings and Sin After Sin are Priest at their ultimate best in the studio. Anyway it’s all opinion – but yes I do find it strange when someone says Stained Class is a bad album.
Hi Adam,
You don’t have to sell me on Sad Wings of Destiny, that is in my top four favorite Priest albums, as is Hell Bent for Leather. But Screaming for me, lyrics withstanding, is in a league unto itself.
Additionally, while Delivering The Goods (off Hell Bent) might be one of my all time favorite songs (although, I have MANY all time favorite Priest songs), those lyrics aren’t the most esoteric either. So while intelligent and clever lyrics might add to song, in my opinion, it is not a deal breaker for me. If that was the case, then many Beatles songs would be considered quite awful. To me what makes a great song is a great hook an infectious melody.
Cheers,
D 🙂
I’ve been a Priest fan since around Turbo, that’s just where they were when I was of the age I was getting into metal. So I went forward with them from there, but only really went back as far as British Steel – because that’s what the handful of other kids in school that liked Priest said was “good”. For whatever reason, I never went back beyond that except for a few individual songs, predictably “Victim of Changes”, “Hell Bent For Leather”, “Beyond the Realms of Death”, “The Ripper”, and maybe a couple of others. Some of it was because as a teenager in the late 80’s, stuff from the 70’s sounded “old” and as I got into heavier stuff (except for Rush) none of that “old” stuff interested me. Fast forward to the present and I’m happily discovering the early Priest material. Just received my CD of Stained Class this week. I got Unleashed in the East a couple years back and it blew me away. To someone today a lot of it probably isn’t anything new, but back in the mid to late 70’s these guys must have been considered HEAVY. “Exciter” sounds like an early prototype for speed metal.
I practically wore out Turbo, Ram it Down, and Painkiller when I first got them. Now far past adolescence I honestly have to say there’s plenty on each of them I could do without – but there are still gems on each. Turbo Lover, Locked in, Out in the Cold, Blood Red Skies, Hard as Iron, Heavy Metal (although kinda cheesy you just have to love that big head banging, fist pumping chorus and riff), Love You to Death, they still get me going. Painkiller seemed to be more about making a statement, that Judas Priest could still hang with the younger, heavier bands that succeeded them. Though lyrically silly, “Painkiller” was heavy as $h!t, Rob screamed his head off, and Glenn Tipton’s solo in that one has to be one of the most insane of his career. In hindsight, like some others, I don’t love it as a whole like I did back then but there’s still some favorites on it. It took a while for “Redeemer of Souls” to grow on me, but for the most part I like it.
Metalmania,
I agree with you about Heavy Metal off of Ram It Down. The lyrics are somewhat juvenile, but I love the way they double tracked the Metal God’s voice on that song. It just sounds so cool 🙂
I am not sure if you have most of the catalog, but I highly recommend Point of Entry, Sad Wings of Destiny and Hell Bent for Leather.
D 🙂
My intro was the videos for Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight. I was completely enchanted. From there I “borrowed” a cassette this kid Richard Bunch had taped off the record. He had side 2 as side 1, so for awhile I thought the opener was “Midnight.” This was in Knoxville TN. The stereo was in the living room and I’d wait until everyone went to bed, and I’d put that on real low and lay on the floor in front of the speakers. That record was the coolest thing on the planet to me. I’ll never forget hearing “The Rage” followed by “Steeler” and just thinking I was privy to things no one else was. I got “Screaming” when it first came out, and I was so stunned I thought the band had gotten a new singer, I mean it was such a giant leap forward, I wasn’t even sure they were the same guys. I went back and got everything they ever did…and “Stained Class” did sound dated to me, the prog rock moves were seen as passe at the time. It was all about concision in the 80s. (Which I still think is a very good aesthetic). But, I grew to revere those older albums. (Funny, back then, five years was an eternity, perhaps time moved slower then, see the Bible). When I first heard “Turbo” my heart sank a little. But then, it really grew on me, now, I think it’s some of their strongest material, and again, what a move forward. All of their albums are jumps forward. If you listen to Hell Bent, followed by Screaming and then Turbo the gaps are grand canyons. No other rock band had that kind of trajectory.
Adam,
i agree with you on 70’s priest- their style change in the 80’s might have put off some fans when they started to commercialize their sound , the drumming became very basic for a few albums and many of their 80’s lyrics did become somewhat silly , but i really liked the heavy hooky guitar riffs – as a fan i lived with the trade off . also i just wanted to mention Simon Phillips, drums on sin after sin, and Les Binks drummer on stained class- they really were the anchors to both of those great albums-
I’m glad Glenn referenced Point Of Entry. That album gets overlooked for two big reasons: #1) It’s got a little more atmosphere to it meaning that and at times goes more in the radio friendly hard rock realm and #2) It sits between two of the most iconic metal albums of all time, British Steel and Screaming For Vengeance of course. But it’s a great, not just good, but GREAT album. I love it as much as I love Sin After Sin, Stained Class, Hell Bent For Leather and Screaming For Vengeance, with Screaming For Vengeance being my favorite Priest album of all time. But Point Of Entry is just “different” in a good way and people who may have not given it a chance or just over look it need to give that album another listen. Heading Out To The Highway is the big hit from that album, but it has so much more to it than that one song. It’s great top to bottom. Solar Angels, Desert Plains, Turning Circles, On The Run, just to name a few are among the best songs Judas Priest ever wrote, in my opinion. I just love the entire album.
James,
I agree, it is a pretty great album 🙂
D 🙂
Point Of Entry ranks #3 on my list of favorite JP albums! Underrated indeed! Where’s Louis? 😉
Hee hee! Sorry Dana and Doug! HA
Wow, a lot of comments on this story! Bottom line, I love the whole Priest catalog. I know Dana will probably torch me for this but Turbo was my LEAST favorite. I do love Turbo Lover and it sounded great the other night in Atlanta!! We have 40 years of great metal by the best metal band in history. Sabbath started it but the Priest took it to new heights. I love Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth and Dio but there is just something about Halford and the dual guitars that have stood the test of time.
For any of those who have a chance to see them during the Redeemer of Souls tour, go see them! Richie is fantastic and as many said, Glenn is always superb. He is very under-rated over all these years. Rob is moving around the stage like he did years ago. The back surgery sure helped him. All Hail the Mighty Priest!
Louis,
I would never torch you 🙂 As a matter of fact, I also hated Turbo when it was first realeased. I considered it Judas Priest’s disco album. 🙂 But, it grew on me years later.
Cheers my pal,
Dana 🙂
Welcome back Louis! So what did you think of Valhalla? Rob sounded great in Brooklyn & Atlantic City! 🙂
I hear you Dana! HA! Again, I still like Turbo but rank it at the bottom…I guess it is inevitable that one of the records has to be at the bottom!
Doug, I saw them in Atlanta last week and they were great! Halford was hitting the notes and he was moving around again, which I had not seen the last 2 tours. Glenn is still fantastic and Richie is awesome and he was great with the crowd. I am thrilled he is on board with the Priest. I hope they still have another cd or two left in the tank!!