Hear what Ian Hill ACTUALLY does on BASS in the mix | Judas Priest Reaction

As of today Judas Priest's bassist Ian Hill remains the only founding member, still active in the band. And while he is criticised by some, Ian is praised by others for leading Judas Priest's rhythm section, and laying the foundation, which allows the two lead guitars to build the melody on top of it. And so, let's take a look at some of the isolated bass tracks for Judas Priest to see what Ian Hill ACTUALLY does in the band, and hopefully answer the question of whether he is the best possible bassist for Judas Priest. Spoiler: HE IS!

The songs we will look at:
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
Judas Priest - Hell Bent For Leather
Judas Priest - Electric Eye
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Judas Priest - Bloodstone
Judas Priest - You've got Another Thing Comin' (a bit in the beginning)
Judas Priest - Victim of Changes (with a special anonymous guest)

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#JudasPriest #IanHill #DefendersOftheFaith

[valuedhumanoid]

No flash, no "hey look at me" just pure solid rhythm section. Ian is a legend.

[fullmetal-animator]

Ian still gets so much respect because he doesn't fight for attention or show off in his playing. He's simply on rhythm, on time and on key, which is why the bands sound always holds so well. He's pretty much the role model of what a bass player is meant to do for a band.

[davidtaylor]

Just saw him last night in Detroit. Fantastic show. The only problem with Ian's bass lines is he is not loud enough in the mix! He is solid and serves the song very well. There is a quote he gives about Roger Glover, who produced Priest at one time, advising Ian on more of a pocket approach. I enjoyed hearing the isolated tracks and he is doing more than I thought or can hear in the mix. And the career length and touring mileage..forget about it. A legend of Bass!

[highvolts]

I definitely thought you were gonna put “The Rage” in there. Love the opening bass line.

[justsomedude]

The 70s albums show his skill a lot more, especially rocka rolla, but he knows how to serve the song and keep the rhythm tight, which makes him a great bassist in his own way

[martinmccomb]

His playing style creates a "bridge" between the drums and the guitars. His fretting hand is following the melody of the rhythm guitar, while his picking hand follows the rhythm of the drums. This is what gives their music its' groove and makes the bottom end so solid and seamless while simultaneously flowing smoothly. He is actually producing a "dual" rhythm which requires a great deal of concentration to do correctly. His lines are not as simple as they seem on the surface.

[aghilton]

Ian Hill is one of the most rock-steady bass players. Always holding down the low end. So glad you pointed out he has a lot more complex work on the early material. That doesn’t seem to get brought up a lot

[jasonscott]

I just saw them live for the first time and man, Ian Hill blows you away live.

[aleisterbroley]

The "Painkiller" bit is a mix of Ian's part, and Don Airey's synth bass. I think it sounds killer, personally, but it is a mix of keys and Ian on the bass track. According to Halfords autobiography, anyway, and I feel you can definitely hear it.

[riddlinu]

I was the bass player in a small town band in middle america during the early 80s and Priest had a big part of our 3-4 set playlist. I modeled my style after Ian Hill and just as you said, my band had a SOLID AF rhythm section! My drummer and I was TIGHT as tight can get and the guitars loved it!

[noobinator]

My appreciation for Ian Hill's bass playing grew after watching this video

[arto]

Imagine Ian Hill and Steve Harris discussing the position of a bass player on the stage and in the mix.

[Broke_Guy_]

Judas Priest was the 1st metal band I listened to when I was young They are the reason when I am a metal head THANKS guys for your music, I still listen to them today.

[valeriotagliaferri]

My favourite bass player. He does perfectly his job by valorizing their songs with straight bass lines. The bass active pickups played with a pick are absolutely amazing because they give a strong and bright sound (even playing low notes)!

[jimharris]

Always loved Hill's playing, he plays for the song, always building a powerful foundation rather than noodling up the neck to show how clever he is - in short, he understands that he is the Bass player 🤘

[Thorgrim]

As a bassist I've always thought that the metal rhythm section has to be a mix between simplicity and complexity.
Ian Hill incarnates this kind of mentality and for that he's the best Judas Priest should have asked for.

[sreegk]

Ian is often overlooked when mentioning about great bassists. Glad you made this video.

[welcorp]

I met Ian Hill a couple years ago after a concert. You could never meet a more humble, friendly man.

[tamaonvetta]

While many of Ian Hill's bass lines are pretty simple, they're still very effective and get the job done. But as you pointed out in the video, he does have some pretty complex bass lines as well!

[joefisher]

I just saw them here in Virginia Beach last week and Halford sounded great and he nailed Painkiller! I even got a cool picture of Ian Hill during the bow at the end of the show with a big smile on his face!