{"id":1531,"date":"2026-04-07T02:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T02:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/?post_type=thefuelofthefurnace&p=1531"},"modified":"2026-04-07T04:27:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T04:27:29","slug":"reckless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kkdowning.net\/steelmill\/reckless\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fuel Of The Furnace pt. 8: The 40th Anniversary of “Reckless”"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Coming At Gale Force Ten..\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Origins<\/strong><\/p>\n

After finishing the \u201cDefenders Of The Faith<\/em>\u201d world tour in Japan late 1984, Judas Priest<\/strong> took their first ever lengthy time off. During 1985 Priest only played one live show, the famous Live Aid<\/strong> appearance in Philadelphia which took place in July. Although this was hardly a full show with only three songs played. Shortly after this, Priest headed for Bahamas to begin recording their new studio album with Tom Allom<\/strong> once again behind the producer\u2019s desk. While this took place, changes in metal music around them were notable. Glam rock had taken over with bands like M\u00f6tley Crue<\/strong>, Ratt<\/strong>, Poison<\/strong> and Dokken<\/strong> scoring high on the record sales and charts all around the globe. Like with any genre there were some weaker bands, good ones often got undeserved bashing. No one can deny that records such as \u201cInvasion Of Your Privacy<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cShout At The Devil<\/strong>\u201d were musically top notch.<\/p>\n

Priest met these changes head on by working with synthesizer guitars for the first time and again pushing the envelope of their songs further. During the pre-production stages bands creativity was at all time high and new material was actually written enough for two full albums. For a while plans were made to issue a double LP, it carried a working title of \u201cTwin Turbos\u201d<\/em> and would have essentially included a mixture of more commercial material and traditional Priest head bangers. However, this was not meant to be. The band originally hoped the album would be sold at the price of a normal LP. At that time when the digital CD era was just in its beginning, the costs of putting out a double album were huge and usually reserved only for compilations and live releases. So plans for a double album were scrapped and a decision made to put all commercial stuff on one cohesive LP.<\/p>\n

Priest completed \u201cTurbo<\/strong>\u201d late 1985 and mixed the album in early 1986 while extensively rehearsing for the forthcoming tour. \u201cTurbo\u201d was released in April 1986 and initially caused controversy among critics and fans. The album presented a tight, focused set of new sounding Priest tracks. This concept, the nine tracks and single album strategy, had definitely worked on bands favour. However, not all embraced the different style and look of the band.<\/p>\n

A famous Finnish music magazine reviewed the LP: \u201cWhen opening track \u201cTurbo Lover\u201d kicks in, first reaction is shocking. Old leatherjackets throw in synths and melodies reminiscent of ZZ Top.\u201d<\/em> The review did conclude with somewhat apologetic statement of there being \u201csome good stuff to be found.\u201d<\/em> As usual, the movement which took place in 1986 and 1987 was not appreciated by many as it happened but nowadays most look back on it as with nostalgia. Yet what those people fail to see is that \u201cTurbo\u201d was and is not about nostalgia but about looking ahead \u2013 and still being Judas Priest.<\/p>\n

What most gripe about this album, is of course its commercial approach, guitar synthesizers and songs about \u2013 instead of sci-fi monsters or technical warfare \u2013 lost love, lust and generally having a good time. Yet especially on \u201cPoint Of Entry<\/strong>\u201d there are similar themes (albeit once again, plenty of other things going on as well). And who could forget the classic \u201cLiving After Midnight<\/strong>\u201d? Going back even further on songs from Priest\u2019s debut album \u2013 \u201cRocka Rolla<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cCheater<\/strong>\u201d themes such as these were lyrically very much in place, while of course the music was almost completely different beast.<\/p>\n

Although somewhat rising in stature for the past decade or so \u201cTurbo\u201d remains one of Judas Priest\u2019s most misunderstood releases. Yet for this writer it\u2019s one of the bands greatest releases ever, an album that was both a part of the time it was released and ahead of its era. What is also sadly often overlooked is that it featured arguably band\u2019s finest song writing up to this stage. But more on that later.<\/p>\n

The album begins majestically with its most well known song \u201cTurbo Lover<\/strong>,\u201d which of course is still featured in band\u2019s live set list up until recent tours. The scope of the record then proceeds from metallic \u201cLocked In<\/strong>\u201d through epic \u201cOut In The Cold<\/strong>\u201d and lighter \u201cWild Nights, Hot And Crazy Days<\/strong>\u201d until the ninth and final track. Outside of Priest maniacs, not too many are familiar with \u201cReckless<\/strong>.\u201d However, in many ways this is the best possible example of the case I was arguing above about the band\u2019s improved song writing, their understanding of song dynamics and the rich palette of lyrical and musical paths they continuously take.<\/p>\n

The song begins with heavy guitar riff, first one, then the other guitar joining in impressive harmony. Drums kick in perfectly as both K.K. Downing<\/strong> and Glenn Tipton<\/strong> execute the melody with style. The synth guitars introduced on \u201cTurbo\u201d and dominating some of the other songs are not as imminent here, thus this is arguably one of the more trademark Priest numbers on the album.<\/p>\n

Rhythm pattern is straightforward and very heavy, proving that this side was not lost on \u201cTurbo.\u201d Rob Halford<\/strong> begins singing long melodic vocal lines, somewhat unlike anything he\u2019d done before. His voice had gone through a notable change in 1985 sounding now sharper and reaching even higher scale than few years before. Many claim he peaked as a vocalist during late 1980\u2019s and this is certainly a valid claim. There\u2019s also an extra emotional evidence to support this. Check out how he sings the line \u201ccharging out with power\u201d<\/em> and guitars answer in perfect unison \u2013 classic Priest.<\/p>\n

The character in \u201cReckless\u201d is indeed gearing up power all through the verses, as Rob invests just that little bit more emotion with every line. Most clearly in second verse\u2019s \u201cfirst placed in everything I do\u201d<\/em> \u2013 note how the music moves with the singer and comes to a halt exactly as vocals reach their peak. When Rob shouts \u201clook out!\u201d<\/em> listener is fully engaged. Note the drum fills before chorus, guitars take a back seat here and come back more forcefully during chorus and second verse.<\/p>\n

Chorus is effective four-line attack, with backing vocals nicely complementing Rob on the song\u2019s title. Bridge brings a short departure from the straight forward rhythm. Several Halfords again create a nice sound picture and join in on the end of the last line \u201cstratosphere.\u201d<\/em> Drums are pounding hard and setting the stage for solo section.<\/p>\n

Main guitar solo by Glenn is pure melodic ecstasy, the part from 2:49 onwards is awesome and several notes after this move in the same territory as many songs on follow-up albums \u201cRam It Down<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cPainkiller<\/strong>.\u201d Interesting how notes carry on the everlasting sense of freedom \u2013 the culprit of the song. Again not a second is wasted, you feel you could extend the music for several minutes but of course it wouldn\u2019t work \u2013 it is perfect just as it is. Over four minutes of magic.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere K.K. plays several licks in his trademark style throughout the song, they support the melody and flow of the tune and especially Rob\u2019s vocals. For further proof, one can listen to a short lick at 1:47, a good example of a guitar lead supporting the story along with the singer. Something Priest have always excelled in.<\/p>\n

At the core of it however, lies one of the greatest performances by Rob Halford, and one of the most outstanding vocals in the whole heavy metal history. He moves from verses onto chorus effortlessly considering the breath taking rhythm and some insanely high melody lines. The final lines before fade-out begins have Rob peaking with \u201ccoming at gale force, coming at gale force ten\u201d<\/em>. He makes a stand of absolute power and freedom right here, the word \u201cten\u201d is stretched out for seven seconds.<\/p>\n

The song gradually fades out with Halford seemingly topping himself with every chorus, every line. Surely this is a certain illusion created by the fading music which only highlights the intense vocal delivery, yet it is also the absolute truth. A powerful way to close the record. Closing numbers on most of Priest albums are epic in scope and structure and indeed quite a few of them have been discussed on these very pages. It proves how important sequencing the record is. The songs on \u201cTurbo\u201d certainly flow together and create a journey through different peaks and valleys.<\/p>\n

Examining \u201cReckless\u201d and its message, it becomes obvious to a careful listener that we are entering into a much deeper territory than what\u2019s often given credit for this particular phase in Judas Priest\u2019s career. In the most obvious way the lyrics are a full celebration of person\u2019s inner power and self confidence. The adjectives describing the individual\u2019s emotional high follow each other \u2013 no can stop him now, he\u2019s \u201cyoung, lethal, alive and kickin\u2019<\/em> rarin\u2019 to get up and go.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In the chorus protagonist proudly announces he\u2019s \u201ccoming at gale force ten.\u201d<\/em> The term can be traced into fighter pilots, but basically comes from what is called the Beaufort Scale. The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure for describing wind speed based mainly on observed sea conditions. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale. Gale force ten on that scale marks a point when winds blow over 100 km\/h. So the character on \u201cReckless\u201d is indeed pretty fast.<\/p>\n

Bridge lyrics bring forth more reference to fighter planes and other aircraft with \u201cshootin\u2019 through the atmosphere\u201d<\/em> and \u201cheading like a rocket through the stratosphere.\u201d<\/em> \u201cReckless\u201d is also an excellent example of a track where how the lyrics are sung is equally important for the song\u2019s message as the actual content of the lyrics. Protagonist in the song sings with each line conveying the full sense of recklessness and you completely believe every word he says, even if it\u2019s literally impossible task such as surrounding yourself with a force field. And of course the meaning here is rhetorical, it could be any person\u2019s inner force field against the world. There\u2019s room for interpretation as always.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Top Gun<\/strong><\/p>\n

The song \u201cReckless\u201d is of course mostly known as it\u2019s connection to one of 1986\u2019s biggest films, \u201cTop Gun.\u201d As the story goes, Priest were approached in early 1986 for a possibility to offer a theme song for the movie as the soundtrack was due out via Columbia Records. Thus the band played them \u201cReckless,\u201d which seemed like a perfect fit because of its content and style. Producers of the film liked the song and were ready to attach it over the closing credits, however what sank the deal was their demand that the rights of the track would exclusively go to films soundtrack. It meant Priest could not include it on their forthcoming album and that was just a price too high to pay at the time. Of course no one also knew how successful the film would become.<\/p>\n

K.K. remembers the process: \u201cWe were down in the studio mixing the album and everything was just working out. The producers of the movie \u201cTop Gun\u201d wanted to use the song ‘Reckless’ for the movie, but we decided not to take it off the album. We thought the album flowed really well, but that was a big mistake on our part. Obviously, it would have been cool to have that in the movie, but we didn’t. We offered them three other songs, but the producers didn’t want them.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Eventually Kenny Loggins<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cDanger Zone<\/strong>\u201d was chosen for the film\u2019s closing credits and while not bad pop tune, it certainly wasn\u2019t in the same league with \u201cReckless.\u201d The movie became one of Paramount\u2019s most successful blockbusters ever and made an international star out of its leading actor Tom Cruise. The film accumulated over $350 million worldwide and broke home-video sales records. Of course it also spawned countless of parodies from \u201cTop Secret<\/em>\u201d to \u201cHot Shots<\/em>-\u201c movies, ironically the star of \u201cTop Secret,\u201d Val Kilmer<\/strong> also appeared as Tom “Iceman” Kazanski<\/em> in \u201cTop Gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cTop Gun\u201d soundtrack is one of the most popular soundtracks to date and went to number one on Billboard charts. After the release of Loggins’ “Danger Zone”, sales of the album exploded, selling seven million in the United States alone. Other artists beside Judas Priest were considered for the soundtrack project but did not take part. Bryan Adams<\/strong> was considered as a potential candidate but refused to participate because he felt the film glorified war. Likewise, REO Speedwagon<\/strong> was considered but backed down because they would not be allowed to record their own composition.<\/p>\n

Two years later Priest would take an actual stab at soundtrack work and recorded a title song for the movie \u201cJohnny B.Goode<\/strong>.\u201d Even though the inclusion of Priest-song in \u201cTop Gun\u201d would have undoubtedly brought more attention to the band, there was no shortage of interest as the group unleashed \u201cTurbo\u201d to eager audience. After the release Priest prepared intensively for 1986\u2019s \u201cFuel For Life<\/em>\u201d world tour. Setlist was revamped to focus mostly on material recorded after 1980 and \u201cTurbo\u201d was extensively featured, Only two out of its nine songs never made it to their live set and \u201cReckless\u201d was one of them, yet its merits against say \u201cPrivate Property<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cRock You All Around The World\u201d<\/strong> cannot be disputed. \u201cReckless\u201d being one of the most vocally demanding tracks in Priest\u2019s back catalogue might have been one of the factors for its exclusion from the show.<\/p>\n

Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

When one thinks about the massive legacy of Judas Priest\u2019s music the casual fan will most likely embrace the unrestrained fury of \u201cPainkiller\u201d or be swayed by infectious \u201cBritish Steel<\/strong>\u201d or classic metal of \u201cScreaming For Vengeance.<\/strong>\u201d At the time of its release and especially throughout the bleak and industrial 1990\u2019s, most labelled \u201cTurbo\u201d as misstep. During the current millennium, however \u201cTurbo\u201d has enjoyed more praise and many fans have been forced re-think their stand. And now exactly 40 years after, there is a lot to talk about regarding the album\u2019s heritage as well.\"Fuel<\/a><\/p>\n

What cannot be disputed is the album\u2019s modern production and excellent digital sound. Listening to it today, the synth guitars work greatly within the context of the songs and strengthen them. And like mentioned before, title track, \u201cOut In The Cold\u201d and \u201cReckless\u201d are brilliantly written anthems, song structures very cleverly executed and individual performances all standing out. There\u2019s even a guilty pleasure to be found on \u201cHot For Love<\/strong>\u201d \u2013 one of my personal favourites. Go past the lyrics and this is just awesome piece. Imagine this in \u201cPainkiller\u201d arrangement and we are at speed metal roots!<\/p>\n

Going further songs like \u201cHot For Love\u201d and \u201cTurbo Lover\u201d established sci-fi metal as we know and love today, references to it are everywhere for the ardent listener to find but most obviously bands like Crimson Glory<\/strong> might have taken an inspiration or two from \u201cTurbo\u2019s\u201d grooves.<\/p>\n

Priest themselves took another swing at it by re-introducing \u201cTurbo Lover\u201d to the live-set for 2001 \u201cDemolition<\/strong>\u201d tour and playing it through following reunion and \u201cAngel Of Retribution<\/strong>\u201d shows. The song has remained a regular in their set list ever since. In 2019 Priest brought back “Out In The Cold” for one leg of their then on-going world tour after 33 years of rest. Hopefully some other songs off \u201cTurbo\u201d get an airing one day, even if \u201cReckless\u201d remains a very unlikely case.<\/p>\n

\u201cReckless\u201d was ultimately released as a B-side of the \u201cLocked In\u201d single. It reached #25 in the Billboard charts. It isn\u2019t as instantly commercial song as \u201cTurbo Lover\u201d for example but in the pantheon of Judas Priest recordings more than fitting work. It also continues the grand tradition of Priest songs which explore the inner power of the individual. Albeit the framework was lighter than some of Priest\u2019s previous outings, the same themes heard on \u201cDefenders Of The Faith\u2019s\u201d brilliant \u201cRock Hard Ride Free<\/strong>\u201d can also be found here and specifically in lines such as \u201cI\u2019m goin\u2019 from here until eternity.\u201d<\/em> And they reappear on the 1988 LP \u201cRam It Down\u2019s\u201d (unsurprisingly as the songs originated from the same sessions) impressive \u201dI\u2019m A Rocker<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReckless\u201d as it stands may not be known among the general public but it is one of Judas Priest\u2019s best songs – a spine chilling performance filled with drama and versatility as any great Priest number. It\u2019s rewarding experience from start to finish and well worth revisiting time and again.<\/p>\n