Live Insurrection [Live]

Although Rob Halford's nineties career in various unsuccessful bands may have shaken many of his fans into thinking his career had reached its end, he more than redeemed himself with his solo debut, 2000's Resurrection. And what better way to follow up a damn good studio album with a career-spanning live release? Read on for my review of Halford's first live album as a solo artist - Live Insurrection.

PROS:
-Halford plays a variety of songs on here. You don't just get material he did on the recent album - you get songs that cover most of his career - including Judas Priest and Fight songs - both popular and underrated.
-Unlike most two-disc compact discs on the market today, this one doesn't cost much more than single-disc releases, if it costs more at all (it all depends on where you shop.)
-These songs are all every bit as good as their studio counterparts - even the old Judas Priest and Fight ones. If you liked ANY past release from Halford, I almost guarantee you'll like this.
-The bonus studio tracks are killer!

CONS:
-The major problem with this release was mentioned previously by another reviewer - you don't get the cover of the Scorpions classic Blackout (featuring Rudolf Schenker of that band) that is available on the import! And honestly, who wants to shell out extra cash for a single song?
-There are a ton of songs Halford doesn't play on this album that I would have loved to hear live. Among these are Night Fall, Twist, and (Take These) Chains. Two discs of live Halford just isn't enough!
-As another reviewer states, one track is messed up.

NEUTRAL COMMENT:
-I should also note that there is no material from Halford's days with Two on this album. This is a pro to some and a con to others.

Overall this is an excellent live album. If you're a fan of Halford's, or one of any band he has ever played in, this is a highly recommended release. Listen to this album, and you'll see why Halford is called the Metal God.

The songs are culled from the Halford album, the Judas Priest back catologue, and the first Fight album (note: no tracks from the second dissapointing one), with a lot of added surprises.

These surprises include three studio tracks, two of which are tracks written by Judas Priest, but never released (until recently with the Priest remasters)! You also get Rob's duet with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, live, and the two bonus tracks from the Japanese version of the Halford album, again performed live. Rob sings his first-ever solo track, "Light Comes Out Of Black" which was originally on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer soundtrack back in 1992. The Priest material is a great mix: old obscure stuff from Sad Wings and Stained Class, as well as more obvious stuff from Hell Bent and Screaming. Rob's voice is in fine form, doing justice to the Priest and Fight material.

The Japanese bonus track is "Blackout". Yes, the old Scorpions tune, and recorded here with a Scorpion: Rudolph Schenker! Halford easily handles Klaus Meine's vocal part. It's a great bonus track, easily worth the extra cash.

They give you lots of great packaging with this live album. Decent liner notes, lots of pictures, plenty to look at while you spend a couple hours listening to this platter of metal perfection. Enjoy.