Glenn Tipton is not the most virtuoso guitar player in the world. Not a chance. His guitar playing is everything but flamboyant or show off. He is the kind of band guy, that one that plays for the band and the band gets bigger than himself, and he is pretty okay with that. We never saw him complaining about anything or anyone or his bandmates.
This list represents the top five finest moments in Glenn Tipton’s career with Judas Priest. Here we go:
#1 – Guitar solo in “Beyond the Realms of Death”
If there is a perfect guitar solo this is the one. It begins in the emotional peak of the song and goes like he was telling a history. Pay attention how he masterly follows the peaks within the song. It goes in a crescendo until it reaches the peak and than slowly fades away. No shredding, no million notes, only a few notes in the right place.
This live version is a killer.
#2 – Guitar riff in “Screamin’ for Vengeance”
6 in 5 thrash metallers quote The Priest as their inspiration. This song is the reason why. Acid, fast, and sharp. Extreme metal before extreme metal.
#3 – Guitar solo, guitar riff, song, whatever in “Painkiller”
“Painkiller” is the album that restored the natural order of things. After a painful while Judas Priest were back teaching a lesson, I mean, not a lesson, the lesson of how proper Heavy Metal should be. As a matter of fact it is not only the guitar solo with all his arpeggios from hell, not only the killer guitar riff, but the whole deal.
#4 – Guitar riff in “Breaking the Law”
Sometimes life is not fair. Many talk about “Smoke On the Water’s” riff, others play “Stairway to Heaven” intro, but only a few have noticed one of the easiest and most iconic guitar riff ever. I bet it was one of the first riffs you learned. Repent if you please!
# 5 – Acoustic version of “Diamond and Rust”
I confess that I only knew the album version. Then I went to the show back then in 2009 I guess. I got speechless.
