Freedom to Music
Posts tagged Lee Kerslake
National Head Band – Albert 1 (1971) (@256)
07 May 2010
(Info from sleeve)
In many ways, Albert One has a familiar story: Label sign experimental band, band makes album, label doesn’t promote band, band make no money, band split.
The moniker turned out to be apt — for this is musically an intelligent, experimental expose of progressive influences and excesses, played by a bunch of talented, passionate guys who knew (more or less) what they were doing.
The band members had eclectic tastes and strong personalities. Schelhaas was a soul fan, whereas Ford’s background had largely been blues and Paull was ostensibly a folkie. Only Kerslake had had a crack at the post-Beatles rock that was now spreading like wildfire on the underground. Progressive rock heavyweight Eddie Offord, fresh from success with Yes’ The Yes Album became the album’s producer.
The resulting album is a piquant mix of blues, folk and progressive interlaced with a harder, rockier sensibility.
“Got No Time” begins the record, starting out as a rock standard, the track gave way at the bridge to an extended percussion solo from Kerslake. Picking up on the riff from the opener, “You” is more pastoral and showcases the band’s talent for harmonising. “Too Much Country Water” — often misleading attributed to Uriah Heep due to the Kerslake connection, is, by that virtue the band’s best known track. Heavy and rockin’, it has the band at their colourful best; ending with a great riff. “Lead Me Back” is perhaps the most Beatles-que number on the album, with a clear cue coming from Abbey Road. It features Paull’s best bass-playing and some magic moog work from Schelhaas.
The highlight of the whole record, “Listen to the Music” is another Beatles inspired ballad, mixing four-part hormonies, blended effortlessly with an intricate rock template that remains all their own.
With the Harmonium driving “For Islington Farm”; it becomes a lush, poetic number full of soaring harmonies and melancholy. A rhythmic, folk ballad follows in the shape of “Try to Reach You” which again features some blistering bass from Paull. “Brand New World” contains insightful lyrics and is another intelligent mix of styles, a big stab at rock.
A two-parter ends the album and brings together all the aforementioned skills with delicious aplomb. Beginning as an intense rock-out, with all and sundry playing hard, it gives way halfway to their most pastoral and wistful side.
Experimental, but tied both to an array of influences and the mood of the time, it stands as a snapshot of a music scene undergoing a huge shift and a talented band who deserved more recognition.
Jan Schelhaas would later join Caravan and Camel, Lee Kerslake would go on to Uriah Heep.
Line-up:
- Neil Ford / guitar, moog, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, moog, vocals
- Dave Paull / bass, mood, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Jan Schelhaas / piano, organ, harmonium, moog
Track List:
01. Got No Time – 5:00
02. You – 3:59
03. Too Much Country Water – 4:12
04. Lead Me Back – 4:01
05. Listen To The Music – 6:30
06. Islington Farm – 3:12
07. Try To Reach You – 4:20
08. Brand New World – 6:24
09. Mister Jesus – 8:10
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Uriah Heep – Live In Europe (1979) (@256)
20 Dec 2008
(Review from progarchives.com)
This live album is taken from various recordings on John Lawton’s last tour with the band. It was not released at the time, but was put out as an archival live recording later on.
By 1979, David Byron and Gary Thain had left the classic line up, being replaced by John Lawton and Trevor Boulder respectively. Audiences however still demanded to hear a good proportion of material from the band’s Byron era albums, hence we have Lawton singing songs such as “Easy Livin’”, “Look at yourself”, and “July Morning”.
John Lawton is a fine vocalist, and the studio albums he made with Uriah Heep were designed to his vocals well. Yet his style and delivery are far too rough and bluesy though for the Byron era songs which the Uriah Heep audiences expect in concerts. The album would probably have been much more successful if the band were able to stick with the material designed for Lawton.
“Live in Europe” manages to capture an accurate live Uriah Heep of the era. Those who love to explore may find the album interesting.
Line-up:
- Mick Box / guitars
- John Lawton / vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboard, guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Trevor Bolder / bass
Track List:
01. Easy Livin’ – 3:17
02. Look At Yourself – 5:07
03. Lady In Black – 7:19
04. Free Me – 5:02
05. Stealin’ – 6:06
06. The Wizard – 4:13
07. July Morning – 12:13
08. Falling In Love – 2:57
09. Woman Of The Night – 3:18
10. I’m Alive – 4:11
11. Sweet Lorraine – 11:30
12. Free N’ Easy – 3:20
13. Gypsy – 5:07
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Ozzy Osbourne – Diary of a Madman (1981) (@256)
20 Oct 2008
(Review from allmusic)
The follow-up to the masterful Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman was rushed into existence by a band desperate to finish its next album before an upcoming tour. As a result, it doesn’t feel quite as fully realized — a couple of the ballads are overly long and slow the momentum, and Randy Rhoads’ guide solo on “Little Dolls” was never replaced with a version intended for the public.
Yet despite the fact that some songs could have used a longer gestation period, there are numerous moments of brilliance on Diary of a Madman and the title track is a jaw-droppingly intricate epic that represents the most classically influenced work of Rhoads’ all-too-brief career.
Tthe production is fuller, and the instruments better recorded this time around. It’s not uncommon to find fans who prefer “Diary of a Madman” to “Blizzard of Ozz”, since it sets an even more mystical, eerie mood, and since Rhoads’ playing is progressing to an even higher level.
One can only wonder what the Osbourne/Rhoads collaboration might have produced in the future, had Rhoads not been killed in a bizarre and sadly avoidable plane crash after the album’s release.
Note: The 2002 reissue of this album is derided by fans due to the substitution of the original bass and drum tracks of Daisley and Kerslake for new ones by Osbourne’s then-current drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Robert Trujillo (for royalty reasons). Fans and critics generally felt the move was dishonest, especially as no indication of the changes appears on the exterior packaging or sleeves of the altered albums.
Line-up:
- Lee Kerslake / Drums
- Bob Daisley / Bass, Vocals
- Ozzy Osbourne / Vocals
- Randy Rhoads / Guitar
Track List:
01. Over The Mountain – 4:31
02. Flying High Again – 4:44
03. You Can’t Kill Rock And Roll – 6:59
04. Believer – 5:15
05. Little Dolls – 5:38
06. Tonight – 5:50
07. S.A.T.O. – 4:07
08. Diary of a Madman – 6:15
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Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz (1980) (@256)
14 Oct 2008
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Though many bands have succeeded in earning the hatred of parents and media worldwide throughout the past few decades, Ozzy Osbourne has always been one of the best. Despite his outlandish reputation, however, one cannot deny that Osbourne has had an immeasurable effect on music. While he doesn’t possess a great voice (it’s thin and doesn’t have much range), he makes up for it with his good ear and dramatic flair.
After the 1978 album Never Say Die, Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath, which led him to form his own solo project. With his new manager and wife, Sharon, Ozzy formed his own band with guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer Lee Kerslake (ex-Uriah Heep).
Ozzy Osbourne’s 1981 solo debut “Blizzard of Ozz” is a masterpiece of neo-classical metal that became a cornerstone of ’80s metal guitar. Upon its release, there was considerable doubt that Ozzy could become a viable solo attraction. “Blizzard of Ozz” demonstrates not only his ear for melody, but also an unfailing instinct for assembling top-notch backing bands.
Onetime Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads was a startling discovery, arriving here as a unique, fully formed talent. Rhoads is just as responsible as Osbourne — perhaps even more so — for the album’s musical direction, and his application of classical guitar techniques and scales rewrote the rulebook radically. Rhoads can hold his own as a flashy soloist, but his detailed, ambitious compositions and arrangements reveales his true depth, as well as creating a sense of doomy, sinister elegance built on Ritchie Blackmore’s minor-key innovations.
All of this may seem to downplay the importance of Ozzy himself, which shouldn’t be the case at all. The music is a thoroughly convincing match for his lyrical obsession with the dark side; so, despite its collaborative nature, the album’s unequivocally stamped with Ozzy’s personality. What’s more, the band is far more versatile and subtle than Sabbath, freeing Ozzy from his habit of singing in unison with the guitar (and proving that he has an excellent grasp of how to frame his limited voice).
Nothing short of revelatory, Blizzard of Ozz deservedly made Ozzy a star, and it set new standards for musical virtuosity in the realm of heavy metal.
Note: The 2002 reissue of this album is derided by fans due to the substitution of the original bass and drum tracks of Daisley and Kerslake for new ones by Osbourne’s then-current drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Robert Trujillo (for royalty reasons). Fans and critics generally felt the move was dishonest, especially as no indication of the changes appears on the exterior packaging or sleeves of the altered albums.
Line-up:
- Ozzy Osbourne / Vocals
- Randy Rhoads / Guitar
- Bob Daisley / Bass, Gong, Back Vocals
- Lee Kerslake / Drums, percussion, Bells, Tympani
with
- Don Airey / Keyboards
- Rudy Sarzo / Bass
Track List:
01. I Don’t Know – 5:14
02. Crazy Train – 4:50
03. Goodbye To Romance – 5:34
04. Dee – 0:49
05. Suicide Solution – 4:16
06. Mr. Crowley – 4:56
07. No Bone Movies – 3:58
08. Revelation (Mother Earth) – 6:09
09. Steal Away (The Night) – 3:30
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Head Machine – Orgasm (1970) (@256)
07 Jul 2007
(Info from geocities.com)
During his time with Gods and Toe Fat, Ken Hensley recorded an album for a specific project called Head Machine. At this time, Hensley played mainly guitar again, as in the beginning of his career. The producer of the album “Orgasm” was David Paramor, who also produced The Gods’ albums.
The music is good, but not outstanding, and the style is something between The Gods and Toe Fat. Hensley describes this project as a “mercenary” one, which means that they were involved only for the money, professionally speaking. He states that it wasn’t really his band, and there are some doubts about the songwriting credits, since on the album it’s written that Paramor composed all the songs, but there’s definitely a “Ken Hensley touch” on them. It is one of the heaviest records that Hensley has ever been involved.
Line-up:
* Ken Leslie (Ken Hensley) – organ/piano/guitar/vocals
* John Leadhen (John Glascock) – bass guitar
* Brian and Lee Poole (Brian Glascock and Lee Kerslake) – drums
* Mike Road (?) – percussion
Track List:
01. Climax – You Tried To Take It All
02. Make The Feeling Last
03. You Must Come With Me
04. The Girl Who Loved, The Girl Who Loved
05. Orgasm
06. The First Time
07. Scattering Seeds
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Toe Fat – Toe Fat (1970) (@256)
05 Jul 2007
(Info from sleeve)
After Gods dissolved, Hensley, Kerslake and Glasscock moved on to the heavy rock outfit Toe Fat led by 60s soul exponent Cliff Bennett.
Having decided on a major realignment in musical direction – based largely on the new bluesier material which Hensley was writing – and realizing that a more “progressive” moniker was required to go with their new, heavier style, someone came up with “Toe Fat”. They set out on the UK colleges, pubs and clubs’ circuits where they duly broke in their new material.
They cut their selftitled first album at Abbey Road with Jonathan Peel – who’d produced the Gods’ albums and latter-day Cliff Bennett Band singles – at the controls. Peel brought in noted session flautist/harp-player Moxy (something of an Ian Anderson look alike/sound alike, as Bennett recalls) to augment the band, and the album “Toe Fat” came together with the minimum of fuss.
Line-up:
* Cliff Bennett – Piano, Vocals
* Ken Hensley – Organ, Guitar, Piano, Vocals
* Lee Kerslake – Drums, Vocals
* John Glasscock – Bass, Vocals
with
* Moxy – Flute, Harmonica
Track List:
01. That’s My Love for You
02. Bad Side of the Moon
03. Nobody
04. Wherefors and the Whys
05. But I’m Wrong
06. Just Like Me
07. Just Like All the Rest
08. I Can’t Believe
09. Working Nights
10. You Tried to Take It All
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Gods – To Samuel A Son (1969) (@192)
04 Jul 2007
(Review from allmusic.com)
Their first album, Genesis didn’t make much of an impact, nor did some non-album singles. The Gods disbanded in early 1969, though a second album, To Samuel a Son, was posthumously released.
The Gods’ second album is, like their debut, Genesis, early keyboard-based progressive rock with a psychedelic hangover, vaguely tied into a concept about the experiences of the “Samuel” in the title track. It’s more varied in tone than their first record, though, and more surprisingly, a little lighter in touch, though you can still hear some of the bluster of keyboardist Ken Hensley’s subsequent group, Uriah Heep.
Line-up:
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, vocals
- Joe Konas / guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- John Glascock / bass, vocals
Track List:
01. To Samuel A Son (3:29)
02. Three O’ Clock In The Morning (3:16)
03. He’s Growing (2:25)
04. Sticking Wings On Flies (2:39)
05. Lady Lady (3:18)
06. Penny Dear (2:34)
07. Long Time, Sad Time, Bad Time (3:12)
08. Five To Three (2:59)
09. Autumn (3:12)
10. Yes I Cry (2:42)
11. Groozy (3:41)
12. Momma I Need (3:57)
13. Candlelight (2:34)
14. Lovely Anita (3:32)
15. Maria (3:58)
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Gods – Genesis (1968) (@256)
03 Jul 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The Gods are a band that have gone down in any number of ‘rock family trees’ for housing Greg Lake, Mick Taylor but mainly future Uriah Heep members, Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake. By the time they released their debut, Greg Lake and Mick Taylor had already moved out; principal songwriting and performing duties are therefore shared between Ken Hensley and Joe Konas. Hensley’s dominance certainly offers hints of the direction he would follow with Uriah Heep.
Musically, they were very derivative of Vanilla Fudge, particularly concerning the bombastic vocal harmonies and heavy musicianship, yet brought their own flavour to proceedings. Certainly, The Gods predictably have a very English sound at times; they are often much more polite than Vanilla Fudge, particularly with the slower numbers.
Line-up:
- Ken Hensley – keyboards, vocals
- Joe Konas – guitars, vocals
- John Glascock – bass, vocals
- Lee Kerslake – drums, vocals
Track List:
01. Towards The Skies (3:24)
02. Candles Getting Shorter (4:28)
03. You’re My Life (3:20)
04. Looking Glass (4:18)
05. Misleading Colours (3:38)
06. Radio Show (3:12)
07. Plastic Horizon (3:26)
08. Farthing Man (3:30)
09. I Never Know (5:41)
10. Love And Eternity (2:41)
11. Baby’s Rich (Bonus) (2:45)
12. Somewhere In The Street (Bonus) (2:47)
13. Hey Bulldog (Bonus) (3:01)
14. Real Love Guaranteed (Bonus) (2:29)
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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 – Fallen Angel (1978) (@256)
05 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The third and final Uriah Heep album with John Lawton on vocals, and the last for the time being with the long serving Lee Kerslake on drums.
While Ken Hensley still dominates the song writing, the rest of the band also make contributions. Lawton for example wrote 2 tracks, and co-wrote a third. Unfortunately, with Hensley having contributed so much to previous albums, his inspiration appears to be declining rapidly, and the rest of the band do not share his worthy credentials in that field. Understandable as this is, It does make for a somewhat disappointing album. Things would get worse on subsequent output before they got better and taken in context, this is far from being a bummer. The band themselves (Hensley and Box) in the sleeve notes for the 1997 remaster felt that the album was a bit “poppy”, and this a fair description.
Ironically the best track is Lee Kerslake ballad “Come back to me” (co-written with Hensley), written as an anguished plea to his then recently estranged wife. Lawton’s vocals are ideal for the song, which he sings with great passion.
The tracks are all short, the longest being the title track at just over 5 minutes. On “One more night”, Lawton almost carries off an Elvis impersonation, but on most of the tracks, the performance is all too similar and lightweight. In retrospect, it’s all to obvious that the band had taken their eye of the ball, and were drifting away from their roots, into a more commercial area which did not fit well with their strengths. It would be several years until they found their way again.
By the way, the sleeve was a vast improvement from “Innocent victim”, with a rather attractive image of a female warrior who has just vanquished her next meal, in the gatefold cover.
Line-up:
- Mick Box / electric and acoustic guitar
- Trevor Bolder / bass guitar
- John Lawton / lead vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, syn-drums, back-up vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, synthesizer, slide and acoustic guitar, back-up vocals
Track List:
01. Woman Of The Night (4:07)
02. Falling in Love (2:59)
03. One More Night (Last Farewell) (3:35)
04. Put Your Lovin’ On Me (4:08)
05. Come Back To Me (4:22)
06. Whad ‘Ya Say (3:41)
07. Save It (3:33)
08. Love Or Nothing (3:02)
09. I’m Alive (4:18)
10. Fallen Angel (4:51)
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Uriah Heep – Innocent Victim (1977) (@256)
04 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
Once you get past the rather grotesque and somewhat inappropriate cover picture, Uriah Heep’s second album with John Lawton on vocals is a pleasant, if rather lightweight offering.
The songs are pretty straightforward, leaning more towards melodic rock than prog. Once again, Hensley favours his synthesiser over the Hammond organ sound which laid the foundations of the band’s early work, creating a more orchestral backing. There are a couple of good ballads in “Choices” which has great power, and the softer “Illusion. “Free me” is a catchy pop tune. It’s not exactly challenging but should have been at least a minor hit in the UK, as it was in several other countries.
“The dance” is almost funky, a style which suits Lawton’s voice far better than it would have Byron’s. Finally, there are a number of more traditional rock tracks such as “Keep on ridin’”, “Flyin’ high” “Free’n'easy” and “Cheat’n'lie”
Ultimately I am left with a feeling that the band’s inspiration, and especially Hensley’s, is drying up rapidly. This is perhaps further evidenced by the fact that non band member Jack Williams wrote two of the songs, and co-wrote a third with Hensley.
Line-up:
- Mick Box / guitars
- John Lawton / vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboard, guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Trevor Bolder / bass
Track List:
01. Keep On Ridin’ (3:41)
02. Flyin’ High (3:18)
03. Roller (4:38)
04. Free ‘N’ Easy (3:02)
05. Illusion (5:02)
06. Free Me (3:35)
07. Cheat ‘N’ Lie (4:50)
08. The Dance (4:49)
09. Choices (5:42)
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Uriah Heep – Firefly (1977) (@256)
02 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
While the history of Uriah Heep is littered with line up changes, the single most important one in terms of their sound took place between the previous album, “High and Mighty”, and this one. With David Byron having been sacked as lead vocalist, John Lawton (ex Lucifer’s Child) was brought in as his replacement.
In opting for Lawton, the other band members had decided to go for someone with a completely different voice and style, so right from the first few bars of “Firefly” the listener is aware of a fundamental change. Lawton’s voice is deeper and much rougher, with more of a blues/jazz tinge.
John Wetton also left the band before this album was recorded, being replaced by ex Spiders from Mars bassist Trevor Boulder. Boulder has gone on to become one of Heep’s longest servicing members, and is in fact still in the band today.
The music on “Firefly” is generally lighter than previous albums, with Hensley choosing to create an almost orchestral texture with the keyboards, on which the album is built. Yet again, Hensley dominates the song writing, with only one short track “Who needs me” being a rare Kerslake composition. The title track is a very soft but beautiful piece, a million miles from “Easy Livin’”. Even when the band rock, such as on “Been away too long”, it’s not the all out wall of sound of the early days.
When listening to this album, it is necessary to first put aside any preconceptions about the music it will contain. It’s not really a follow up to “High and Mighty” but a new beginning for the band with a new direction and sound. Once that is accepted, it’s actually a very enjoyable album, with strong melodies, and tight musicianship.
Line-up:
- John Lawton / lead vocals
- Mick Box / guitars
- Trevor Bolder / bass guitar
- Lee “The Bear” Kerslake / drums, vocals
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, guitars, vocals
Track List:
01. The Hanging Tree (3:42)
02. Been Away Too Long (5:04)
03. Who Needs Me (3:40)
04. Wise Man (4:44)
05. Do You Know (3:15)
06. Rollin’ On (6:32)
07. Sympathy (4:50)
08. Firefly (6:18)
09. Crime Of Passion (Bonus, Single B-Side) (3:37)
10. Do You Know (3:16) (Bonus, Demo)
11. A Far Better Way (5:50) (Bonus, Outtake)
12. Wise Man (4:48) (Bonus, TV backing track version)
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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 – 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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