It was a marathon, but it was never dull! With Pete Jones on board, we completely dissected every track on these two 40 year old albums:
- Judas Priest – Defenders of the Faith – 13 January 1984 – peaked at #18 in the US and went platinum. Produced by Tom Allom, his fifth with Priest.
- Iron Maiden – Powerslave – 3 Sept 1984 – peaked at #21 in the US and went platinum. Produced by Martin Birch, his fourth with Maiden.
Harrison Kopp arrived at the end of the show and between he, Peter and myself, we chose a winner. It was a 2-1 vote.
Lyrically and musically we broke down each track to the individual parts. We shone light and appreciation on all the players, for what they contributed to each of these epic metal masterpieces. At the end of the day, it was clear that though both bands are often lumped together, these two albums are completely different. They have different moods, different directions, and different lyrical themes. Both are important albums to 80s metal, and to the respective band catalogues.
Subject matter broken down in detail:
- The bass, drum, and guitar parts to each song.
- Lyrical themes to each song and album.
- The B-sides and bonus tracks.
- The true and hilarious story behind Mission From ‘Arry.
- Connections between Becket and Iron Maiden.
- Personal stories and impact of these records.
- Live performances and songs that have never been played live.
You will also be treated to a live performance of “Freewheel Burning” by Mike!
They call Peter the Professor and for good reason. He came prepared with tour information and intimate knowledge of the construction of these songs.
Though it pained me to have to pick a winner, we did!
We hope you enjoyed the show, and a big thank-you to Peter for contributing two hours of your Friday night! Of course, always nice to see Harrison.
This is likely the last evening show of the summer of 2024. Afternoon shows occur at 3:00 PM on Fridays, when I have an available co-host. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned…
The next show is an interview with author Angie Moon, regarding her debut music/true time book, Crime of the Century, June 21 on Grab A Stack of Rock!
mikeladano.com 
Screaming for Vengeance vs Number of the Beast should be Priest no contest at all. Although Harrison would disagree.
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I would agree. Although Pete loves Invaders.
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I like Invaders until the chorus, then I hate it.
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Iron Maiden>British Steel
Killers>Point of Entry
Number of the Beast<Screaming for Vengeance
Powerslave<Defenders
No Prayer for the Dying<Painkiller
Haven't really heard Somewhere in Time or Seventh Son enough to make a fair judgement, but they're probably both better than Turbo and Ram it Down.
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Oh they are, much better! Though Pete Jones is a Ram It Down fan and he makes an excellent case.
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Enjoyed the show, Mike (and Peter). I don’t know that I could choose – both are good albums and each band was at a particular moment in its evolution at that specific moment in time. Probably I’d go for Maiden’s “Powerslave” too but I’m having a big Priest moment lately so it would be close. Henry. PS – I listened to “Defenders of the Faith” again this morning and it’s “Rock Hard Ride Free” that reminds me at times of Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath.”
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Thanks Henry! I get what you’re hearing too. Some of that chug. Maiden covered Tull – Cross Eyed Mary!
I am getting some pushback from people who prefer Defenders!
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