*** Judas Priest

LIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT: THE BEST OF JUDAS PRIEST

(Columbia/Legacy)

Ann-Margret may have ripped off Rob Halford's motorcycle stage entrance, but nobody ever bested Birmingham's lords of British steel for their searing, economical sound. The twin axes of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton dished out twice the hooks in half the time of other bands. And if you can name a more dynamic post-Robert Plant lieder of the pack than Halford, go play your Michael Bolton tunes elsewhere.

This 16-track anthology surveys the bulk of the quintet's career (skipping their mid-'70s RCA catalogue), concentrating on their glory years, when nascent MTV gave them the exposure radio didn't. (Priest never had a US Top 40 hit.) Five live cuts may seem excessive, but if you've seen Priest in concert, you'll understand the attraction. Plus, nothing beats the sound of a testosterone-addled throng chanting along with "Breaking the Law." You think Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, or any of the pansy LA hair-metal bands would've enjoyed a fraction of their success if Judas Priest hadn't sown the land first? Boy, you've got another think comin'.

-- Kurt B. Reighley