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Posts tagged David Byron
Uriah Heep – Rarities From The Bronze Age (@256)
21 Dec 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
This is an archival album to plunder the Uriah Heep archives in search of rough diamonds. As the title suggests, it covers the period when the band recorded on the Bronze label. This era lasted from their inception through to the “Head First” album.
Up until this point, the average Uriah Heep fan had to assume they had heard all the Byron era songs by the band which had been recorded, with the possible exception of the odd single B side. This collection however indicated that there was a veritable wealth of material to be unearthed.
The tracks here are in fact a mixture of alternative recordings and edits, plus surplus album material. While David Byron dominates the vocals, there are also recordings featuring John Lawton, John Sloman, and Peter Goalby.
Getting the superfluous material out of the way first, “Look at Yourself”, “Gypsy” “Return to Fantasy” and “Stealin” are all excellent songs, but the versions here are simply edits of the original songs.
“Simon the Bullet Freak” is a pulsating blues based song which featured on the US version of “Salisbury” and also appeared as the B side of the “Look at Yourself” single. It is the first of many gems here. “Why” (full title allegedly “Why Fourteen Minutes”) is one of Heep’s most progressive songs ever. Several takes of the song have now become available but this superbly loose version is absolutely essential not just for fans of the band, but for anyone who thinks they were little more than a heavy rock band.
A succession of wonderful David Byron vocal performances follows on tracks such as “Sunshine”, “What Can I Do” “Shout It Out”, etc. None of these songs had previously appeared on a Uriah Heep album. In fairness, some of them may not be up to the standard of the classics which made it onto albums such as “Wonderworld”, “Return to Fantasy”, “Magician’s Birthday” etc. but they are still akin to the Holy Grail for Heep affectionados.
The John Lawton tracks here, of which there are four, are more prosaic. While Lawton is a fine singer in his own right, he did not fit in well with the sound of Heep, largely because he sounded nothing like Byron. The tracks here reflect that. Those who appreciated the Lawton era albums will however find these songs to be of a similar standard.
The “Conquest” album featuring the vocals of John Sloman is generally considered to be the low point of the band’s career, and the four tracks here on which he sings do nothing to alter that view. “Love Stealer” is however historically interesting, as it was only the band’s second cover version ever. Ken Hensley then left the band, leaving Mick Box as the only original member. The final three tracks here are from that post Hensley period, with Pete Goalby (whom Hensley had wanted to join the band when Sloman got the job) on vocals. Two of the tracks are from the rare “Abominog Junior” EP, while the final track “Playing for Time” is from the “Head First” sessions.
As will by now have become apparent, as this collection progresses, it moves rapidly from an indispensable status to (ardent) collectors only. Nevertheless, the historical significance of this album (in Uriah Heep terms) is unquestionable, and some of the music is worthy of any collection.
Track List:
01. Look At Yourself
02. Simon The Bullet Freak
03. Gypsy
04. Why
05. Stealin’
06. Sunshine
07. What Can I Do
08. Shout It Out
09. Return To Fantasy
10. Time Will Come
11. Crime Of Passion
12. Masquerade
13. Gimme Love (Struttin’)
14. Cheater
15. Been Hurt
16. Love Stealer
17. Think It Over
18. My Joanna Needs Tuning
19. Tin Soldier
20. Son Of A Bitch
21. Playing For Time
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Uriah Heep – Live At Shepperton '74 (@192)
06 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The recordings on this album are taken from a Television special that Uriah Heep recorded in 1974. Although the special was never actually broadcast, a number of extracts from it appeared on the now deleted “Easy Livin’, a history of Uriah Heep” video. The performance was never intended for commercial release in any format, but with the ongoing demand for Byron era material by the band, a belated release took place in 1986.
The original album was rather brief, but this was rectified by the remastered version, which incorporates a number of additional tracks from the same performance, plus some other relevant additions. A few of the tracks duplicate the superior versions on the “Live 1973” album, but as these recordings took place around the time of the release of the “Wonderworld” album, tracks from that album and “Sweet Freedom” also appear.
The performance by the band is not one of their best, tempered perhaps by the fact that they were conscious of the need to appeal visually as well as audibly. The recording quality too reflects the fact that it was intended only for television broadcast.
While it is good to hear early live versions of tracks such as “Sweet freedom” and “Stealin’”, only the emotive ballad “The easy road” shines through as anything more than average here. Uriah Heep made one of the best live albums ever. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it!
Line-up:
- David Byron / vocals
- Mick Box / guitar, vocals
- Gary Thain / bass, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, vocals
Track List:
01. Easy Livin’ (4:01)
02. So Tired (3.32)
03. I Won’t Mind (5:54)
04. Sweet Freedom (6:59)
05. Something Or Nothing (3:21)
06. The Easy Road (2:49)
07. Stealin’ (5:26)
08. Love Machine (2:23)
09. Rock ‘N’ Roll Medley (7:45)
10. Out-Takes (5:28)
a) The Easy Road
b) Sleazy Livin’
c) Easy Livin’
11. Stealin’ (6:19)
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Uriah Heep – High and Mighty (1976) (@256)
02 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
David Byron’s final album with Uriah Heep came all too soon. The recording of “High and Mighty” was apparently a somewhat piecemeal affair, with only Hensley (who yet again dominates the song writing) and Wetton committed in full to the project. The absence of Gerry Bron as producer for the first time is less apparent than might have been expected, but he was reportedly unimpressed with the results.
The two sides of the LP make an appropriate division between what turned out to be an impressive side one, and a poor side two. Mick Box is largely absent throughout, with Hensley by and large providing both keyboards and guitar.
The opening track, “One way or another” doesn’t even feature Byron’s vocals, with Wetton taking on those duties. Ironically Byron, who was reportedly comfortable with the finished track, played Hammond organ on it instead. It is though an intriguingly successful diversion for the band in a slightly less organised direction. Hensley’s middle 8 restores the more melodic sound, providing a harmonic counterpoint. The track has similarities to “Dreamer” which opened “Sweet Freedom”.
Byron first appears on the beautiful “Weep in silence”, a softer track but highly melodic almost emotional, with Hensley’s keyboards swirling around the pained voice of Byron.
“Midnight”, which closes side one, is a miniature epic in about 6 minutes. In that time it moves from an attention grabbing opening riff, through a number of time changes and brief instrumental breaks, to fade with a reprise of the opening riff. “Midnight” stand proud alongside Hensley’s finest compositions, and would have made a fitting end to the Byron era Uriah Heep. Unfortunately, they continued onto side two of the album, which brings together some of the weakest material recorded by the band while Byron was a member.
Had the entire album been up to the standard of the four tracks on side one, “High and mighty” would have been worthy of it’s name. Unfortunately side two of the album only served to indicate that radical change was needed, and such change was indeed, just around the corner.
Line-up:
- David Byron / vocals
- John Wetton / bass, guitar, Mellotron, electric piano, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, percussion, vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string acoustic guitar
- Ken Hensley / organ, piano, Moog synthesizer, tubular bells, electric piano, guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar, electric 12 string guitar, pedal steel guitar, vocals
Track List:
01. One Way Or Another (4:37)
02. Weep In Silence (5:09)
03. Misty Eyes (4:15)
04. Midnight (5:40)
05. Can’t Keep A Good Band Down (3:40)
06. Woman Of The World (3:10)
07. Footprints In The Snow (3:56)
08. Can’t Stop Singing (3:15)
09. Make A Little Love (3:24)
10. Confession (2:16)
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Uriah Heep – Return to Fantasy (1975) (@256)
31 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The title of course refers to the “Demons and Wizards”/”Magician’s Birthday” period, which had brought Uriah Heep both their best music, and their biggest success to date. It is however is somewhat misleading, as there’s little in the way of wizards, demons, or indeed magicians. What there is however is a good collection of Uriah Heep songs.
With John Wetton on bass in place of Gary Thain, the band had the opportunity to exploit Wetton’s songwriting and vocal skills, but once again it’s Hensley’s songwriting which dominates the album. David Byron is still in fine form vocally, thus Wetton becomes almost a session player, providing bass and only occasional backing vocals.
Apart from the opening title track, side one of the LP contains much the weaker tracks on the album. “Return to fantasy” is a fine piece of faster paced Heep, with a driving rhythm, and pulsating keyboards. The remaining tracks on side one are a bit by-the-numbers Heep, although “Beautiful dream” has some good keyboards.
The second side is more diverse, with a couple of fine ballads allowing Byron to display his more sensitive side. The unaccompanied intro to “Why did you go” is particularly delicate, and would have been a challenge beyond most of Byron’s contemporaries. The final track, “A year or a day” builds superbly from a slow soft start to a climactic conclusion, with lyrical echoes of “The wizard”.
While “Return to Fantasy” is a fine album, it does not consistently meet the enormously high standards the band had set for themselves. There are some excellent moments, but there’s also an apparent lack of ambition at times, with some treading of water in evidence.
Line-up:
- David Byron / lead vocals
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, synthesizer, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, percussion, vocals
- John Wetton / bass, Mellotron, vocals
Track List:
01. Return To Fantasy (5:52)
02. Shady Lady (4:46)
03. Devil’s Daughter (4:48)
04. Beautiful Dream (4:52)
05. Prima Donna (3:11)
06. Your Turn To Remember (4:22)
07. Showdown (4:17)
08. Why Did You Go (3:53)
09. A Year Or A Day (4:22)
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Uriah Heep – Wonderworld (1974) (@256)
30 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
With the soon to come sacking and subsequent death of Gary Thain, it seems incredible that this was to be the last album by the line up which has come to be regarded as Uriah Heep’s finest. In fact they only recorded four studio albums together, although the nucleus of the band (Box, Byron, Hensley, and from “Demons and Wizards on Kerslake) recorded more.
“Wonderworld”, Hensley’s name for his dream world where he finds inspiration for many of his songs, continued the slightly softer more melodic approach of its predecessor “Sweet Freedom”. The opening title track is a power ballad, with soft melodic verses and a sweeping chorus; it is reminiscent of “Sunrise” from “The Magician’s birthday”. “The shadows and the wind” has Heep’s most complex ever vocals arrangement, almost Beach Boys like in structure, if not sound. “The Easy road” is one of those lovely soft Hensley ballads, which he appeared to write with Byron’s vocal prowess in mind. It really is a truly moving song.
On side two of the album, “I won’t mind” is a plodding blues, and despite the excellent guitar work, one of the most disappointing Heep tracks of the period. The final track “Dreams” has a melody which sounds very similar to the old single “Windmills of your mind” by Noel Harrison. It’s a very good track though, if slightly lacking in the impact which previous final tracks have had.
In all, “Wonderworld” is another solid album by the classic line up, but the cracks are definitely beginning to show It does lack the knockout punch of other albums by that line up.
Line-up:
- Ken Hensley / organ, guitars & vocals
- David Byron / vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitars
- Gary Thain / bass
- Lee Kerslake / drums
Track List:
01. Wonderworld (4:29)
02. Suicidal Man (3:38)
03. The Shadows And The Wind (4:27)
04. So Tired (3:39)
05. The Easy Road (2:43)
06. Something Or Nothing (2:56)
07. I Won’t Mind (5:59)
08. We Got We (3:39)
09. Dreams (6:10)
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Uriah Heep – Live (1973) (@256)
29 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
There are many fine live albums, “Yessongs”, “Made in Japan (Deep Purple)”, “Welcome back my friends” (ELP) etc, but arguably the finest of them all is “Uriah Heep Live 1973″.
Despite numerous well documented problems which meant that it very nearly never happened, everything fell into place for the band for this recording. The line up is the classic one – Box/Byron/Hensley/Kerslake/Thain, with each member of the band attaining top form. There is some doubt as to whether the tracks included here were all taken from the same concert, but there’s no obvious indication that subsequent overdubbing has been undertaken.
There are so many highlights to the album, I could wax lyrical about every track. What is especially pleasing is the way the longer tracks have been developed and reworked, while retaining their identity. “July Morning” has a much more satisfactory ending, with the opening theme returning in place of the fade out. “Gypsy”, a track which changes with every tour, has a superb synthesiser solo from Hensley. “Circle of Hands” is completely transformed from the track on “Demons and Wizards”, the slide guitar which ends the studio version gives way here to a synthesiser solo, which builds majestically, powered on by Kerslake’s frantic drumming, to a euphoric crescendo.
The album closes with the encore rock ‘n’ roll medley. Byron is in his element here, as the band power through the old favourites. Truly a classic live album, which captures the essence of the band perfectly. The double LP came in a programme style sleeve, and sold for the price of a single LP which turned out to be a very effective marketing move.
Line-up:
- David Byron / vocals
- Mick Box / guitar, vocals
- Gary Thain / bass, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, vocals
Track List:
01. Sunrise
02. Sweet Lorraine
03. Traveller In Time
04. Easy Livin’
05. July Morning
06. Tears In My Eyes
07. Gypsy
08. Circle Of Hands
09. Look At Yourself
10. The Magician’s Birthday
11. Love Machine
12. Roll Over Beethoven
13. Blue Suede Shoes
14. Mean Woman Blues
15. Hound Dog
16. At The Hop
17. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
18. Blue Suede Shoes
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Uriah Heep – Sweet Freedom (1973) (@256)
28 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The third album by the Byron/Box/Hensley/Kerslake/Thain line up found them moving away from the fantasy theme, but producing what was probably their most melodic album of all. The sleeve was the first clue of the changes as, unlike the previous two albums, Roger Dean was not involved. This was compensated for to some extent by the double fold out, but it still lacks the impact of Dean’s work.
Musically however, the band were still in top form. Hensley dominates the song writing once again, and the tracks generally lean towards his keyboard work, with Box’s lead guitar outings being less frequent. The album includes one of Heep’s most famous works in “Stealin’”, which in many ways is a slightly slowed down version of “Easy Livin’”. The band were as close as they’ve ever come to a world-wide hit single with this track, foiled only by it being banned from radio play because of the reference to “doing the rancher’s daughter”!
The title track is a wonderful power ballad on which Byron interprets Hensley’s sensitive lyrics in a very emotive and effective way. I remember a reviewer at the time described the track as “swimming in organ”. It was intended as a criticism, but while quite correct, is in fact a strong recommendation.
“If I had the time” sees Hensley still in power ballad writing mode, this time using the synthesiser to create the depth of sound. It’s interesting to compare the demo version of this track which first appeared on Hensley’s “From time to time” album with the finished article here. It demonstrates clearly how, while Hensley was the main songwriter, the band as a whole created the finished articles.
“Pilgrim” closes the album in more progressive mode. The track has two distinct sections, separated by a screaming guitar solo from Box. Byron exercises the full range of his vocal capabilities during the track, cumulating in a screamed finale. While the track is truly excellent, it could have been even better. This may be due in part to the fade out ending which seems to imply that the band couldn’t come up with a satisfactory conclusion.
In all, another fine, polished product from the band, which generally finds them moving further away from their “’eavy” beginnings.
Line-up:
- David Byron / vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars and vocals
- Mick Box / guitars
- Lee Kerslake / drums, percussion, vocals
- Gary Thain / bass guitar
Track List:
01. Dreamer (3:41)
02. Stealin’ (4:49)
03. One Day (2:47)
04. Sweet Freedom (6:37)
05. If I Had The Time (5:43)
06. Seven Stars (3:52)
07. Circus (2:44)
08. Pilgrim (7:10)
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Uriah Heep – The Magician's Birthday (1972) (@256)
27 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The second album by the “classic” line up is a natural follow on to the magnificent “Demons and Wizards”. All the elements are still in place, the Roger Dean Sleeve, the fantasy themes, and of course the great music. “Sunrise”, which became the opener for the live set, sets the scene immediately, with Byron’s first appearance being in the form of a controlled scream.
The track are generally short and straight forward, with only the title track having a more complex structure. “The Magician’s Birthday” (track) picks up the fantasy theme, and weaves a tale around the battle between good and evil. This is interrupted by a lengthy guitar solo from Mick Box, accompanied only by Lee Kerslake on drums, and the occasional spooky theme from Hensley’s keyboards. The track climaxes in the battle itself, played out with stereo effects, before Byron ascends to ethereal bliss and fades.
There are softer numbers on the album such as the lovely Hensley ballad “Rain”. Apparently Hensley wanted to make the final chorus much louder and more powerful, but the rest of the band pushed back. He took the opportunity to record his preferred version on his solo album “Proud words on a dusty shelf”.
The tracks are generally marginally less strong than those on “Demons and Wizards” but, “The Magician’s Birthday” is still a superb album with many fine moments.
Line-up:
- Gary Thain / bass guitar
- Lee Kerslake / drums and percussion
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, Moog synthesizer
- David Byron / vocals
Track List:
01. Sunrise (4:04)
02. Spider Woman (2:25)
03. Blind Eye (3:33)
04. Echoes In The Dark (4:48)
05. Rain (3:59)
06. Sweet Lorraine (4:13)
07. Tales (4:09)
08. The Magician’s Birthday (10:23)
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Uriah Heep – Demons and Wizards (1972) (@256)
26 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
I must admit to finding it somewhat difficult to write dispassionately about this album, since for the last 30+ years it has been my all time favourite. I do remember however when I first heard it, the one minor criticism I had at the time was that, when compared to the previous “Look at yourself”, there were too few instrumental breaks. That misgiving soon vanished however, and ever since it has taken pride of place in my collection.
This was the first album recorded by the “classic” line up, with Lee Kerslake (drums), and Gary Thain (bass), completing the quintet. Ken Hensley was now fully installed as the main composer with the band, and had just entered his “fantasy” phase. These were the final pieces which would see the band creating it’s finest works.
The album is supremely melodic, and much less “’eavy” than previous albums. The opening track, “The wizard” is an acoustic number, which finds David Byron in his best vocal form. “Easy Livin’” is wonderful three minute burst of driving rock, with everything turned up to 11. The Hammond organ and lead guitar combine with a great bass line from Thain, to provide the basis for this brief masterpiece. “Circle of hands” is similar in structure to “July Morning” from the previous album, with a repeating instrumental conclusion.
The closing two part track “Paradise/The Spell”, is awesome. It is two separate pieces, which happen to combine well together. “Paradise” is a soft acoustic number, on which Byron and Hensley alternate the vocals on the repeating choruses. “The spell” was in many ways a predecessor for Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. It has a complex structure with a multitude of vocal styles, and time changes a plenty. The centre point is a choral backed slide guitar solo by Hensley, which on its own would have made an excellent single in the “Sylvia” (Focus) vein. It sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it.
Had the other tracks appeared on any other album, I would have been listing them individually with glowing praise. I’m sure you get the message though, this album is the pinnacle, a work of pure genius.
Line-up:
- Gary Train / bass guitar (except Mark Clarke on ‘The Wizard’)
- Lee Kerslake / drums and percussion
- Mick Box / guitars
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, percussion
- David Byron / vocals
Track List:
01. The Wizard (2:59)
02. Traveller In Time (3:26)
03. Easy Livin’ (2:36)
04. Poet’s Justice (4:14)
05. Circle Of Hands (6:34)
06. Rainbow demon (4:30)
07. All My Life (2:46)
08. Paradise (5:15)
09. The Spell (7:26)
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Uriah Heep – Salisbury (1971) (@256)
26 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Uriah Heep’s second album took its name from a town in England. Apparently the audience at a Uriah Heep gig there helped out when the band found themselves in a tight spot and this, or more precisely the title track, was their reward. Salisbury Plain nearby is used for army exercises, hence the tank (about to symbolically destroy a flower) on the sleeve.
The album was a natural but defined progression from “Very ‘eavy, very ‘umble”, with greater emphasis on melody and refinement. This was in part due to Ken Hensley having a much greater involvement in song-writing duties, something he would come to dominate on future albums. His poem “The Park” which became the album’s second track, has Byron singing falsetto. It’s a song about as far away from the metal image of the band as you could find. Hensley takes lead vocal on “Lady in Black”, an acoustic guitar driven chant-based track, which became their biggest hit in some countries.
The stand out track is the 16 minute title epic, which is quite different from anything else the band has done. This difference is mainly down to the addition of orchestral backing (the band appear to have conflicting recollections as to whether they actually recorded with the orchestra or whether those parts were added later). The track has a far more complex and progressive structure than the vast majority of the band?s work. Mick Box is truly inspired on the three improvised guitar solos had adds, and Byron’s vocal timing is immaculate throughout. This really is one of Uriah Heep’s best pieces on any album.
The risk with having such a dominant piece on an album is that the remaining tracks are overshadowed. The lasting appeal of “Salisbury” is that the tracks are strong throughout, with the title track providing a wonderful climax.
Line-up:
- David Byron / lead vocals
- Ken Hensley / organ, piano, slide & acoustic guitars, harpshicord, vibes and vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Paul Newton / bass guitar, vocals
- Keith Baker / drums
with
- John Fiddy / brass and woodmind on “Salisbury”
Track List:
01. Bird Of Prey (4:05)
02. The Park (5:38)
03. Time To Live (4:02)
04. Lady In Black (4:33)
05. High Priestess (3:39)
06. Salisbury (16:02)
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Uriah Heep – Very 'eavy… Very 'umble (1970) (@256)
25 Mar 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
This is where it all started for Uriah Heep. The band’s transition from their previous incarnation as “Spice” was more than just a name change, with this album they became a formidable act. The nucleus of the band (Byron and Box joined by Hensley) was already in place, although the rhythm section still had a number of changes to come before the “classic” line up was completed. With Hensley only having recently joined the band, his song writing is much less in evidence than on future albums.
The group name is taken from a Dickens character, and the “‘umble” in the album’s title reflects his self declared personality. The “‘eavy” reference is of course related to the music, but is a bit misleading. The band?s music does indeed often have a dominant rhythm section, but it is highly melodic, and every album has a variety of loud rock and soft ballads. Most tracks are based around the (predominantly organ) keyboards of Ken Hensley, the great rock voice of David Byron, and the distinctive guitar sound of Mick Box.
The opening track, “Gypsy” is indeed ‘heavy’, with a driving Hammond organ, a thumping beat, and an early burst of Mick Box’s famous wah wah guitar soloing. There are however several decidedly softer moments. “Come Away Melinda” (also recorded by Ufo) is one of the very few covers the band has done. Their interpretation is quite stunning, with David Byron adopting various vocal sounds to distinguish between the two characters in the song. It’s a beautiful, haunting number, with a peaceful message. “Wake up (set your sights)” also has a lovely soft conclusion which follows an almost jazz like opening section.
“Lucy blues” sounds somewhat out of place on the album, and in fact was omitted from the US release (called “Uriah Heep”), being a straight forward blues number, pleasant but hardly essential. The remaining numbers are indeed generally ‘eavy with tracks like “I’ll keep on trying” and “Dreammare” (a dream and a nightmare, get it?!) setting out the band’s stall for future albums perfectly.
There is better to come from the band, but this is a high quality first offering, with some excellent tracks.
Line-up:
- David Byron / lead vocals
- Ken Hensley / organ, slide guitar, Mellotron, piano and vocals
- Mick Box / lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Paul Newton / bass guitar, vocals
- Ollie Olsson / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. Gypsy (6:37)
02. Walking In Your Shadow (4:31)
03. Come Away Melinda (3:46)
04. Lucy Blues (5:09)
05. Dreammare (4:39)
06. Real Turned On (3:37)
07. I’ll Keep On trying (5:24)
08. Wake Up (Set Your Sights) (6:22)
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Uriah Heep – Look at Yourself (1971) (@256)
23 Feb 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Uriah Heep is probably one of the most underrated bands in history and “Look at Yourself” is their most underrated album, it’s true that the force of nature called Lee Kerslake and one of the best bass players in history (Gary Thain) hadn’t still joined the band, but Uriah Heep was doing progressive rock with the pioneers of the genre, and incredibly they could be catalogued as progressive metal 18 years before Dream Theater was even formed. But still some progressive people refuse to take them seriously, that’s something I will never understand.
The third album from Uriah Heep sees them taking further giant steps forward. The rhythm section is still in a state of turmoil, but the nucleus of Box/Byron/Hensley have found a solid direction, and are approaching the pinnacle of their combined creativity.
The title track has become one of the band’s most enduring pieces, a solid five minute chunk of loud, infectious rock, with a wall of sound, and a breathtaking pace. The instrumental breaks are quite stunning, with Box in particular in fine form. Towards the end of the track, Bronze label-mates Osibisa add additional percussion as it increases pace before reaching a climactic conclusion. I only discovered recently, that the lead vocals on the track are performed by Ken Hensley, not David Byron, although the latter always took the lead when the song was performed live. Quite why this happened is puzzling, as the overall sound is very much as if Byron himself was singing as usual.
The album includes the epic “July Morning”, with its majestic prog sound, and superb structure. The track alternates between soft and loud passages, and includes a wonderful Hammond solo followed by Byron reaching ever higher with his piercing screams. The main instrumental theme which closes the track is basically simple, but transformed by a guest appearance from Manfred Mann on synthesiser. While Hensley would later master this instrument himself, they were still somewhat rare at the time, giving the track a very progressive feel in the early 70’s. A truly magnificent piece of music.
The rest of the tracks are all very strong, including the melodic ballad “What should be done”, and the twin guitar lead on “Tears in my eyes”. With this album, the Uriah Heep “sound” was firmly established. The tracks have great power, while strong melodies are still very much the priority.
Line-up:
- Ken Hensley / organ, piano, guitar, acoustic guitar & vocal
- Mick Box / lead guitar & acoustic guitar
- David Byron / lead vocal
- Paul Newton / bass guitar
- Ian Clarke / drums
Track List:
01. Look At Yourself (5:07)
02. I Wanna Be Free (3:59)
03. July Morning (10:36)
04. Tears In My Eyes (5:02)
05. Shadows Of Grief (8:40)
06. What Should Be Done (4:13)
07. Love Machine (3:37)
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