Judas Priest – ‘Ram It Down’ (1988) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic

As you know, the Turbo album was supposed to be a double album, but the powers-that-be decided the band should only release a single disc album. That meant a lot of songs were scrapped. Well, at least four of those songs wound up on the band’s follow-up, ‘Ram It Down’. The rest of those songs wound up as Bonus tracks on the re-issues and a couple I don’t think have ever seen the light of day. Maybe someday we will hear them.

‘Ram It Down’ was recorded from December 1987 to March of 1988. It would finally be released on May 17, 1988 and would end up being the last album with drummer Dave Holland. There are a few people I know that were quite happy with that move as they always felt Dave’s drumming was a little on the lackluster side. The album would ship gold but only wound up going to #31 on the US Billboard Charts. The album was pretty heavy compared to Turbo, but the songs were no where near as strong and I believe most were disappointed with the end result. In fact, when we did the Nigel Tufnel Top 10 Judas Priest albums on The LeBrain Train several weeks back, none of the three guest even chose this album as one of their Top 10 if that clues you in on anything.

The album kicks off with the classic Halford scream and really slams it home with heavy thrash sounding drums and frantically flying fingers on guitar. The title track, “Ram It Down”, is doing just that. Slamming the fist down to show the world they weren’t a synthesizer band anymore. When compared to the rest of the album, this is one of the better tracks as it still has a little bite and a great dual guitar solo from Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing and man their fingers had to be smoking after the speed of those solos.

“Heavy Metal” kicks off with a guitar solo and I love when that happens. Reminds me a little of “No, No, No” from Kiss with Bruce’s solo at the front. Then the band crashes in and Rob starts singing in a style he has not really done before. It is really high pitched and a little off-putting. Not his normal brilliant falsetto. The chorus is pretty catchy and simple with mostly repeating “Heavy Metal” and “What do you Want”. And the cool thing we get another solo in the middle. Musically, I like it but vocally I am not a huge fan. A little mixed on this one.

The sound goes back to a little more like the ‘Turbo’ album with “Love Zone”. The opening drums sound like programmed 80’s style drum and not in a good way. Rob feels like he is over singing on this one. This one falls flat as it is to 80’s glam and not metal in any way.

“Come and Get It” is up next and is a little more rocking with another small guitar solo to start the song which is always a good thing. However, the song turns rather disappointing as it never really goes anywhere. It has a decent pre-chorus but the pay-off of the chorus is pretty weak. It is another 80’s rock song and not a Priest metal song.

“Hard as Iron” brings back the heavy with a double bass kick drum sound and explosions. It is speed metal and some blistering guitar work from the boys. Rob feels more at home here as it is in his wheelhouse. This song is much needed after the last couple as it shows the boys haven’t gone soft. It is sign of what is coming with the ‘Painkiller’ album.

The most epic song on the album is “Blood Red Skies” which starts off slower and it sound like we are in space or something. There are some acoustic guitars and Rob comes in soft and gentle to keep with the feel of the music. His falsettos are stellar. The song kicks up the tempo with some guitar synthesizer sounds, heavier drumming. Rob changes his vocal approach as well getting a little more sinister and angrier. The song takes me back to earlier Priest when they were doing a little more Prog stuff. This is one of the better songs on the album.

Next up is “I’m A Rocker” and for a song called a “rocker”, it really doesn’t. Coming off “Blood Red Skies” it is pretty freaking dull and boring. And that is all I have to say about that.

Then we get to the love/hate song of “Johnny B. Goode”. The song is sort of a cover and sort of not. The lyrics all from the Chuck Berry classic song, but Priest re-wrote the music entirely. The song was done for the Anthony Michael Hall move called ‘Johnny B. Goode’ which was horrible by the way. Rob’s vocals style on this is horrible and I don’t like his delivery at all. The song is really painful. Priest is great at making covers be their own, but this one they completely missed the mark. Now some people like this song, I’m not one of them.

Then we get “Love You to Death” and I’m sorry but I don’t. It is pure filler and not their best work. It falls flat and overall disappointing. Next…

Finally we come to the end of this mess with “Monsters of Rock” which starts with some loud booming sounds and sounds all evil and menacing in a Black Sabbath way. It starts off interesting and very promising, but only plods along not really going anywhere. No variety in the song, all monotone in its style which is really disappointing as it felt like it could be bigger than it was.

There are two bonus tracks and the first is a live version of “Night Comes Down” which was recorded at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach California on May 5, 1984. The song is dull and flat and not very exciting plus why put a live song from 1984 and not a live song from this album. Their bonus track choices have really sucked in a lot of cases. The next track is the live version of “Bloodstone” from Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on December 12, 1982. Again same argument, however, this is a killer song and great live version of it so no real complaints with it. This one felt live and had a lot more energy plus Rob sounded great and that chorus is so damn catchy…great stuff.

Track Listing:

  1. Ram It Down – Keeper
  2. Heavy Metal – Keeper (1/2 Point)
  3. Love Zone – Delete 
  4. Come And Get It – Delete
  5. Hard As Iron – Keeper
  6. Blood Red Skies – Keeper
  7. I’m A Rocker – Delete
  8. Johnny B. Goode – DELETE
  9. Love You To Death – Delete
  10. Monsters of Rock – Delete

Bonus Tracks:

  1. Night Comes Down (Live)
  2. Bloodstone (Live)

The Track Score is 3.5 out of 10 or 35% which might be the worst score yet on any album I’ve done for them so far. This was a really disappointing album for me. Only a few standout tracks and the rest of it the band seemed lost and wandering aimlessly with no direction. The album is all over the place, the songwriting was half-assed at times and Rob was not at his best vocally. A really dreadful album. The overall score is 2.0 out of 5.0 Stars. And I have nothing else to add.

UP NEXT: ‘Painkiller’ (1990)

THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION SERIES:

  1. Rocka Rolla (1974)
  2. Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
  3. Sin After Sin (1977)
  4. Stained Class (1978)
  5. Killing Machine / Hell Bent For Leather (1978)
  6. Unleashed in the East (1979)
  7. British Steel (1980)
  8. Point of Entry (1981)
  9. Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
  10. Defenders of the Faith (1984)
  11. Turbo (1986)
  12. Priest…Live! (1987)
  13. Ram it Down (1988)
  14. Painkiller (1990)
  15. Angel of Retribution (2005)
  16. Nostradamus (2008)
  17. A Touch of Evil: Live (2009)

51 thoughts on “Judas Priest – ‘Ram It Down’ (1988) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series)”

  1. As far as I’m concerned, the title track is the only thing worth listening to on this one.

    And I will agree with you and say that that live version of “Night Comes Down” is pretty pathetic compared to the studio version.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. Hell, I was just listening to this. Interesting. Dude, that cover of Johnny B. Goode is so fucking bad. I mean they go through every metal cliche in the first five seconds, but I love it because it transcends awfulness and springs into Spinal Tap level hilarity. This definitely is not their best song. Like the title track a lot. That scream really gets it off to a good start. Cheesy as fuck album.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Do have to praise KK and Glenn for stepping up their lead game here. Some kickass solos, new sweep-picking technique they’d put to even greater use on Painkiller.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I’m with ya on the score. I bought this on cassette tape and the best thing I can say about is the cover is brilliant.
    Priest had a great run up to 87. Than I checked out…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. I don’t know this one at all… and I don’t think I’d bother getting to know it based on your review.

    And my word! That Johnny B. Goode is the worst thing I’ve heard in a while.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. I never listened to this album entirely, but I know I enjoyed the first track. I love “Come and Get It,” as I covered it on my blog. The cover of “Johnny B. Goode” sucks and totally un-Priest like. Also, I agree, the bonus tracks for these remastered albums are very random and don’t fit their respective albums at all.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Their cover of that song jumps the shark in the first five seconds and then nukes the fridge when those ridiculous fist waving twin guitar harmonies hit after solos.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

        1. Jumping the shark refers to the episode of Happy Days where the Fonz jumps a shark with his motorcycle, which symbolically represents the decline of the show. It’s been used ever since to describe something that is past its prime.

          Nuking the fridge refers to a scene in the 4th Indiana Jones movie that was so stupid it became the cinematic equivalent of jumping the shark.

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply

          1. Oh the reference is from ‘Happy Days,’ interesting. I thought the decline of the show was because Richie left.

            I’m not an Indiana Jones fan, except for the Disneyland ride, but I’m guessing the fourth film was bad?

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply

          1. You’re right, the bonus tracks can be good if they relate to the album (and they don’t repeat the same tracks). I bought Saxon’s ‘Thunderbolt’ album and I swear, “Nosferatu” (or whatever that song’s called) was on there like three times. Two of them were bonus tracks.

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply

              1. Huh, I guess you and I are very different. But that’s cool. I’ve taught myself not to get into the bonus tracks because I don’t want to turn into someone that’s obsessed with finding the bonus tracks off an album I like and be cursed.

                Liked by 1 person

                Reply

                  1. Yeah, Mike told me about what a curse that is to get all the bonus tracks and the latest editions of a certain album. Those Japanese versions are expensive. I saw a Japanese version of ‘Paranoid’ at my local record store and it was about $20 or something. I just know it was out of my price range.

                    Liked by 1 person

                    Reply
  10. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Painkiller’ (1990) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  12. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Angel of Retribution’ (2005) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  13. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Nostradamus’ (2008) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  14. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘A Touch of Evil: Live’ (2009) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  15. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Jugulator’ (1997) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series – Bonus Edition) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  16. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Demolition’ (2001) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series – Bonus Edition) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  17. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Redeemer of Souls’ (2014) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series – Bonus Edition) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  18. Pingback: Judas Priest – ‘Firepower’ (2018) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series – Bonus Edition) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music
  19. Pingback: Judas Priest – The Albums Ranked Worst to First (The Complete Albums Collection Series) – 2 Loud 2 Old Music

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s