1979 promo video for “The Ripper” by Judas Priest. The song also appears on today’s record of the day.

Eclipse Record of the Day: Judas Priest Unleashed in the East (1979).

Picking up the heavy metal live album theme from yesterday, here we have one of Judas Priest’s all time best-selling records, recorded live (or so they claim) in Tokyo on the Hell Bent For Leather tour.

The extent to which this is a true live album is debated—Rob Halford has gone on record saying that only his vocals were overdubbed later. But why argue with a good thing? Priest fans seem to agree, by and large, that the renditions on Unleashed are strong by any standard.

$5, and 10% off today. Check the recent arrivals!

—JRN

Eclipse Record of the Day: Black Sabbath Live Evil 2xLP(1982).

The band’s first authorized live album, recorded on on the Mob Rules tour with Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Vinnie Appice on drums. Classic tunes from both the Ozzy and Dio era are included; in fact, I’d say Dio sings the early material better than Ozzy ever did. The rest of the band is in crushingly fine form, too.

Low price due to the records being kinda beat up, but still totally playable.

$6, and 10% off today. Check the recent arrivals!

—JRN

Iron Maiden, with Paul Di’Anno, perform “Phantom of the Opera” (from today’s record of the day) live in 1980.

(NB: the record already sold)

Eclipse Record of the Day: Iron Maiden Iron Maiden (1980).

The U.K. heavy metal icons’ first album, recorded with original lead singer Paul Di’Anno. By all accounts a classic debut.

Features the title track (“Iron Maiden” by Iron Maiden from Iron Maiden), a feature of the band’s live sets up through their most recent tours.

$9, and 10% off today. Check the recent arrivals!

—JRN

Joe Jackson performs “On Your Radio”, the first track from today’s record of the day, on Rockpalast in 1979.

Eclipse Record of the Day: Joe Jackson I’m the Man (1979).

Released the same year as his excellent debut, I’m the Man carries on in the same taut, acerbic New Wave vein, to equal or maybe even greater effect.

Of all the late-70s UK rockers dubbed “angry young men” (alongside the likes of Elvis Costello and Graham Parker), Jackson probably has the most palpably unpleasant personality. At one point, he spits out a homophobic slur (albeit in a way that is technically ambiguous, and probably unintentionally so, as to whether he’s acknowledging or denying being gay).

But if you’re willing to look past that, you’ll find a brilliant songwriter in the midst of a creative fugue.

$7, and 10% off today.

Eclipse Record of the Day: Elvis Costello National Ransom 2xLP (2010).

The second of Costello’s two well-received Americana-rock collaborations with acclaimed producer T-Bone Burnett.

$16, and 10% off today.

The recent boom in vinyl merely reflects business’s desire to extract maximum commodity value from “manufactured rarities”€™. But, ask Numero Group’s Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley, what happens to the music when the bubble bursts?

Can’t speak for Martin or Joe F., but I’m in complete agreement here.

—JRN

Eclipse Record of the Day: The Rolling Stones Love You Live (1977).

The Stones’ third official live album, and this one’s a double. Hits aplenty, plus a string of covers on disc 2, in which the Stones pay tribute to Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Howlin’ Wolf.

$12, and 10% off today. Check the recent arrivals!