Golden Turd of 1986
This was an easy decision because of how huge a disappointment this album was. Of course this award goes to............
Judas Priest-Turbo
Let's look at Priest's career prior to this. Other than a mediocre debut in Rocka Rolla the rest of their albums in the 1970's were either very good or great. Okay so let's look at the 1980's. One thing that came to my mind was that I was thinking of how many great albums hard rock and metal bands had between 1980 and 1985. Iron Maiden had four and then Judas Priest clock in with three as I think British Steel, Screaming for vengeance and Defenders of the faith are all great. To me Point of entry was just good. So Priest had three great albums between 80 and 85 and I don't think anyone other than them and Maiden had more than two truly great albums at that point. So if right before Turbo's release you said Priest were the second best metal band in the 80's so far behind Iron Maiden then I would have agreed. They were not just a quality band though because they were certainly popular and selling albums. So why then in early 1986 did what was one of the best true metal bands going release this limp release full of synths? It's an album lacking almost any traces of the band that had spend more than ten years establishing themselves as a quality metal act. Twenty years later and I still can't figure it out. It wasn't the direction that the previous albums were heading in. It wasn't a huge trend going on. So why was it so bad? I would have understood the direction of the album more if the previous effort had sold poorly, but it didn't. Unfortunately this album did sell well and the tour did well. Instead people have should threw this album back at the band and said "We don't want your Turbo lover and your Out in the cold, we want the real Priest back!" Don't even get me started on those ridiculous outfits, the hairstyles and the videos. What a nightmare this album was. The band did return with Ram it down in 1988 which was good and Painkiller in 1990 which was great. Yet think about what might have been if they had followed up Defenders in 1986 with an album that was actually a worthy follow-up.
***Tuesday I will have the last day of 1986 awards with the best and worst album covers.
Judas Priest-Turbo
Let's look at Priest's career prior to this. Other than a mediocre debut in Rocka Rolla the rest of their albums in the 1970's were either very good or great. Okay so let's look at the 1980's. One thing that came to my mind was that I was thinking of how many great albums hard rock and metal bands had between 1980 and 1985. Iron Maiden had four and then Judas Priest clock in with three as I think British Steel, Screaming for vengeance and Defenders of the faith are all great. To me Point of entry was just good. So Priest had three great albums between 80 and 85 and I don't think anyone other than them and Maiden had more than two truly great albums at that point. So if right before Turbo's release you said Priest were the second best metal band in the 80's so far behind Iron Maiden then I would have agreed. They were not just a quality band though because they were certainly popular and selling albums. So why then in early 1986 did what was one of the best true metal bands going release this limp release full of synths? It's an album lacking almost any traces of the band that had spend more than ten years establishing themselves as a quality metal act. Twenty years later and I still can't figure it out. It wasn't the direction that the previous albums were heading in. It wasn't a huge trend going on. So why was it so bad? I would have understood the direction of the album more if the previous effort had sold poorly, but it didn't. Unfortunately this album did sell well and the tour did well. Instead people have should threw this album back at the band and said "We don't want your Turbo lover and your Out in the cold, we want the real Priest back!" Don't even get me started on those ridiculous outfits, the hairstyles and the videos. What a nightmare this album was. The band did return with Ram it down in 1988 which was good and Painkiller in 1990 which was great. Yet think about what might have been if they had followed up Defenders in 1986 with an album that was actually a worthy follow-up.
***Tuesday I will have the last day of 1986 awards with the best and worst album covers.
posted by Metal Mark at
12:30 PM
18 Comments:
I like the Golden Turd award, it's a much more original concept then a worst album of the year.
You're absolutely right, Mark. I don't know what they were thinking - too much Miami Vice, maybe? It's funny... you hated "turbo lover" for the same reasons I hated "jump" from VH. But I must admit, I did like "Locked In" off of that one. But yes, it wasn't their finest moment for sure.
There's no argument against what you said here. Turbo ranks among the most disappointing albums of all time!
This albums was such a disappointment. I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't get into it completely. I had a friend who would blast this album over and over...I felt like it was some sort of war time torture.
Sorry about the triple post! It timed out each time on my end...didn't think it worked at all!
Captain Corky-Thanks.
Onmywatch- It was such a surprise with how different and bad this album was.
Bob-I agree about Turbo.
rockdog-I remember about a month after Turbo came out this guy in my English class told me that he thought it was Priest's best album ever. I told him that he was insane.
pot on - Turbo was poor.
I always liked this album by JUDAS PRIEST. Not their best of course but still 100 times better then the two albums with RIPPER SHIT OWENS.
Turbo is scary, even today. At least they got it (mostly) out of their system.
-- david
It was a failed attempt to go major mainstream. Maybe they saw the death of metal coming? Not the complete death of course but a major slow down. So it was a grasp to move in a different direction?
Excellent blog. This is my first vist.
Now I have to go grab my best of Judas Priest CD and listen to it after reading this.
Look, somebody liked Turbo. Of course his name is krokus so that doesn't bode well for his credibility!
Golden Turd...what a great oxymoron!
t-bone-I have listen to it every once in a while over the years and it hasn't gotten any better.
Krokus-The Ripper Owens bands are bad too, but Turbo came at a time when it should have been good.
David-True, but there was just no point to it that I could see.
Tom-Welcome.
Bob-A lot of people seemed to like it back then. I remember piles of kids in high school wearing Turbo shirts.
Phoenix-Glad you like it.
Ben-It's probably not worth the trouble.
I probably would have went with Raven since I was a bigger Raven fan back then. Still, Turbo is pretty rank. Actually, I don't really care for any of priest albums after Defenders of the Faith. The reunion album was bland and now they are working on a concept of Nostradamus?
Kind of brings to mind when Spinal Tap are talking about writing a rock opera about Jack the Ripper. "Saucy Jack!"
Turbo sucked of that there is no doubt. It was metals version of Mr. Roboto.
Fred-I am a little worried about Priest with that new album. For Rob Halford the last album was the only weak thing he had done in some time. However for Tipton, Downing and Hill, they have not been involved in something good in a long time.
Fuzzbox-Good point.
hear hear....I have it only as a completist thing and a couple of songs are still guilty pleasures, but....
Ray-I understand the guilt part, but fail to see the pleasure.
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