{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = The Privilege of Power | type = Album | artist = Riot | cover = RiotTPOP.jpg | alt = | released = 28 February 1990 | recorded = December 1988 – September 1989 | venue = | studio = Greene St. Recording, New York City | genre = Heavy metal, progressive metal | length = 57:52 | label = Epic | producer = Steve Loeb, Vince Perazzo, Rod Hui, Mark Reale | prev_title = Riot Live | prev_year = 1989 | next_title = Riot in Japan – Live!! | next_year = 1992 }}
'''''The Privilege of Power''''' is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Riot. It was more experimental than their previous work, being an attempt at a concept album and also including a horn section on some of the tracks.
"Racing with the Devil on a Spanish Highway" is a cover of an Al Di Meola instrumental track from the album ''Elegant Gypsy'' (1977). "Killer" is about convicted killer Jeffrey R. MacDonald and features a guest vocal appearance by Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen).
The album was re-issued in 2003 by Collectables Records with slightly amended artwork and re-issued on 180g vinyl as a 2-LP set with ''Thundersteel'' by SPV on February 25, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=SPV launch an exciting new series of catalogue vinyl releases|url=http://www.spv.de/News/newsdetail.php?newsID=436|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101084304/http://www.spv.de/News/newsdetail.php?newsID=436|archivedate=January 1, 2014}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-privilege-of-power-r16611/review | title = Riot The Privilege of Power review | access-date = January 10, 2012 | last = Monger | first = James Christopher | publisher = AllMusic}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Classic Rock'' | rev2score = {{Rating|8|10}}<ref name="classic" >{{cite magazine |title=Riot - Thundersteel/The Privilege of Power |journal=Classic Rock |date=February 2010 |last=Barton |first=Geoff |authorlink=Geoff Barton |issue=141 |page=93}}</ref> | rev3 =''Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' | rev3score = 8/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = August 1, 2007 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | pages=365–366 |isbn = 978-1-894959-62-9}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Rock Hard'' | rev4score = 9.5/10<ref>{{cite web|last=Stratmann|first=Holger|title=Rock Hard review|url=http://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeigen.html?tx_rxsearch_pi1%5Breview%5D=9127|work=issue 36|access-date=May 26, 2013}}</ref> }} In 2005, ''The Privilege of Power'' was ranked number 354 in ''Rock Hard'' magazine's book of ''The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten|year=2005|publisher=Rock Hard|isbn=3-89880-517-4|page=68}}</ref>
== Track listing == {{Track listing | title1 = On Your Knees | writer1 = Tony Moore, Don Van Stavern | length1 = 6:37 | title2 = Metal Soldiers | writer2 = Moore, Mark Reale, Van Stavern | length2 = 6:40 | title3 = Runaway | writer3 = Moore, Reale | length3 = 5:11 | title4 = Killer | writer4 = Moore, Reale, Van Stavern | length4 = 4:53 | title5 = Dance of Death | writer5 = Moore, Van Stavern, Reale | length5 = 7:17 | title6 = Storming the Gates of Hell | writer6 = Reale | length6 = 3:43 | title7 = Maryanne | writer7 = Moore, Reale | length7 = 4:55 | title8 = Little Miss Death | writer8 = Eric Mauk, Moore, Reale | length8 = 4:12 | title9 = Black Leather and Glittering Steel | writer9 = Moore, Van Stavern | length9 = 7:07 | title10 = Racing with the Devil on a Spanish Highway (Revisited) | note10 = Al Di Meola cover | writer10 = Al Di Meola | length10 = 7:17 }}
==Personnel== ===Band members=== *Tony Moore – vocals *Mark Reale – guitars, producer *Don Van Stavern – bass *Bobby Jarzombek – drums
===Additional musicians=== *Tower of Power horn section: Greg Adams, Emilio Castillio, Steve Kupka, Lee Thornburg, Steve Gross *Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, Dave Bargeron, Ron Cuber, Lawrence Feldman – horn section *James 'Blood' Ulmer – guitar *G. E. Smith – guitar *T. M. Stevens – bass *Joe Lynn Turner – vocals on "Killer" * Bob Held – bass on "Little Miss Death"
===Production=== *Steve Loeb – producer, executive producer *Vince Perazzo – executive producer *Rod Hui – producer, engineer, mixing *Nick Sansano, Chris Shaw, Kirk Yano – engineers *Dan Wood, Dave Swanson, Jason Vogel, Kenny Almestica, Glenn Zimet – assistant engineers
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Riot V}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Privilege of Power, The}} Category:Riot V albums Category:1990 albums Category:Epic Records albums Category:1990s concept albums