Artist: JUDAS PRIEST
Album: ROCKA ROLLA REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1974/ 1993
EAN/UPS: 4009910430521
Media type: CD

Rocka Rolla is the debut album by the British heavy metal group Judas Priest, released in 1974. It was produced by Rodger Bain, who had made a name for himself as the producer of Black Sabbath's first three albums.

This album was played entirely "live" (i.e. all musicians playing simultaneously as in a concert, vs. the more popular method of each musician's parts being recorded separately and then mixing them).

According to the band there were technical problems in the studio, resulting in poor sound quality and a hiss through the album. The band further claims that the producer had too much control over track selection, and omitted their more popular stage classics. These songs were eventually included on their next album. Many of the songs were written before Rob Halford joined the band. The track "Caviar and Meths" was originally a 14-minute epic penned by Halford's predecessor, Al Atkins, but due to time constraints, only the intro is recorded for the album. A longer version of the song appears on original vocalist Al Atkins's 1998 album Victim of Changes. Though not the full-length version, it is notably longer at seven minutes. The album also contains covers of the songs "Winter" and "Never Satisfied".

At this point of the band's career, they had not yet developed their signature look of leather and studs. They had appeared on a British television programme called The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975, performing "Rocka Rolla" and "Dreamer Deceiver", and their wardrobe was very "hippified" as journalist Malcolm Dome put it. This footage was included on the "Electric Eye" DVD. In addition, the album has some slight progressive rock influences that would continue through to Stained Class, but to a lesser extent, and would be abandoned in later releases. Although those same progressive rock influences are resumed again and can be heard on their latest albums Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus.

Drummer John Hinch would be dismissed in 1975, before the next record was to begin being recorded, for what Glenn Tipton would later call him being "musically inadequate".

All songs written by Rob Halford and K.K. Downing, except where noted.

TRACKLIST:

1 "One for the Road" – 4:34
2 "Rocka Rolla" (Halford, Downing, Glenn Tipton) – 3:05
3 "Winter" (Al Atkins, Downing, Ian Hill) – 1:42
4 "Deep Freeze" (Downing) – 1:21
5 "Winter Retreat" – 3:28
6 "Cheater" – 2:59
7 "Never Satisfied" (Atkins, Downing) – 4:50
8 "Run of the Mill" (Halford, Downing, Tipton) – 8:34
9 "Dying to Meet You" – 6:23
10 "Caviar and Meths" (Atkins, Downing, Hill) – 2:02

1987 Remaster Bonus Track:
11 "Diamonds & Rust" (Joan Baez) – 3:12

LINE-UP:

Rob Halford: vocals, harmonica
K.K. Downing: guitar
Glenn Tipton: guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
Ian Hill: bass
John Hinch: drums