URIAH HEEP

Uriah Heep broke the Iron Curtain and became one of the most regular rock band visiting Russia till now. Without doubt ,good for Russia.

Album by itself represents one of endless band line-up playing gold classic for hungry-for-rock russian fans ( in fact, it's one of very first Western band visited Empire of Evil). Some songs sounds good, some not too much. In all cases, Uriah Heep earlier live album (1973) is much more better. There you can find some songs sounding like originals, or trying to sound like this. No new arrangements ( ok, I don't think that some russian folk song elements used for filling the space between songs are new direction), nothing new at all.

All the recording looks as "anti-matrioshka" : russians well-known all around the world by producing and selling their "matrioshkas" to any foreign tourist at any possibility. So, Uriah Heep made their "matrioshka" - old product packed in new paper with fashionable ( at a time ) symbols on it.

Fully listenable, not too interesting and not too reasonable release. If you have early Uriah Heep concert album, or even just studio albums with the same songs, there is no reason to purchase that one.

Uriah Heep - Live is a live album release by UK semi-progressive hard rock act Uriah Heep. After having released 5 studio albums the group found that it was time ( or maybe the record company did?) to release a live album. The album was recorded while on tour supporting their latest album release The Magician's Birthday (1972) and features songs from all 5 studio albums except Salisbury (1971) ( which is rather strange IMO). The album features what most people consider the classic Uriah Heep lineup with David Byron on lead vocals, Ken Hensley on keyboards/ vocals, Mick Box on guitars/ vocals, Gary Thain on bass/ vocals and Lee Kerslake on drums/ vocals. The album originally released on double vinyl but my version is in the single CD format. Uriah Heep - Live was recorded in Birmingham, England during January of 1973.

The album features classic Uriah Heep tracks like Easy Livin´, Traveller In Time and July Morning but it´s mostly the performance I´m interested in. Most Uriah Heep tracks from that time could have made it to the setlist IMO. The performance of the songs is excellent. Lots of power and emotion in both vocal and instrumental performances. I especially noticed the great bass playing by Gary Thain which is really given space in the mix, but the sound quality is actually excellent throughout. you can almost smell the sweat, beer and smoke at the venue. Great organic sound.

Uriah Heep - Live is a great testimony to how Uriah Heep sounded live in their prime. A 3.5 - 4 star rating is deserved IMO.

Demons and Wizards is the fourth full-length studio album by UK progressive hard rock act Uriah Heep. The album turned out to be the band´s break-through in the US and it is to date their best-selling album in the US.

The music is semi-progressive organ and guitar driven hard rock. Great vocals and vocal harmonies grace the album throughout. as with both Salisbury (1971) and Look at Yourself the album features both hard rocking tracks and more semi-progressive ones too. The short rocker Easy Livin' became quite a big hit and it´s easy to see why IMO. What a powerful rocker. The album is pretty varied though and all compositions are strong. I also grealy appreciate the heavy Rainbow demon. An example of the progressive sides of the band´s sound can be found in the last couple of minutes of Circle Of Hands. As usual the strong and skillful vocals by David Byron impress me greatly. What a set of pipes on that man.

Demons and Wizards is another greatly enjoyable album by Uriah Heep and a 4 star rating is deserved.

Look at Yourself is the third full-length studio album by UK progressive hard rock act Uriah Heep. After the excursion into progressive territory with Salisbury (1971), Uriah Heep returned with a more hard rock oriented album. Look at Yourself still has enough progressive elements to be called a progressive hard rock album in my book though.

The trademark organ and guitar driven hard rock with progressive elements is still the order of the day on Look at Yourself. There are some great hard rock songs on the album. Just take a listen to the title track. One of the most known Uriah Heep songs is probably the 10:36 minute long and progressive July Morning though. The great epic ending to the song with the organ motifs by Ken Hensley and the moog themes played by guest musician Manfred Mann. The musicianship is as always excellent. I really enjoy the vocals and the vocal harmonies which I feel is one of the greatest assets on the album.

Allthough Look at Yourself doesn´t add that much new to Uriah Heep´s sound it´s an excellent album by the band fully deserving a 4 star rating. While Salisbury saw the band experiment with different sounds and styles ( that album is arguably the band´s most progressive effort), Look at Yourself is more a consolidation that Uriah Heep is first and foremost a hard rock act and then a semi-progressive one.

Salisbury is the second full-length studio album by UK progressive hard rock act Uriah Heep. The debut album Very 'eavy...Very 'umble (1970) didn´t exactly do much for me and unfortunately that´s the only Uriah Heep I listened to for many years. Salisbury is a totally different creature and I´m glad that I got the opportunity ( and took it) to take a listen to this album. The UK and the US release have different tracklists as Bird of Prey, the opening song from the UK release, was replaced by the non-UK track Simon The Bullet Freak. I recommend getting the either the 1996 remastered CD version or the 2003 expanded deluxe CD version where both songs are included.

The basic organ and guitar driven bluesy hard rock from the debut is still present on Salisbury, but the sound on Salisbury is much more progressive and adds many new elements to Uriah Heep´s style. The two hard rocking tracks Time To Live and High Priestess are probably the tracks that remind me the most of the debut but the excellent Bird of Prey, the progressive The Park, the folky Lady In Black and the epic 16:02 minute long title track, which features a 24-piece orchestra, are all very different from the songs on the debut. The band are well playing and I have to give a special mention to lead vocalist David Byron who is quite fantastic in my book. He has a very varied vocal style and can go from powerful hard rocking vocals to softer styled vocals and his trademark high pitched vocals. I mentioned this in my review of the debut album but I´ll mention it again here. Those high pitched vocals must have been one of the main influences on artists like Rob Halford ( Judas Priest) and King Diamond ( King Diamond, Mercyful Fate).

The production is much better than the sound on the debut.

Salisbury has ignited my interest in Uriah Heep like the debut never accomplished and I think it´s an excellent progressive hard rock album. 4 stars are fully deserved.

Uh ? This is a ballads and songs record. What's great here are David Byron and collective vocals harmonies. The compositions are easy listening.

Clearly a record made to reach the charts and sell records. My interest is in music not in fame, prog and substantial music is what grabs me, so in a prog perspective I can give ** to "Demons and Wizards" and 5 stars or if possible more to unknown records like KORNELYANS "not an ordinary life" from 1974 Iron Curtain or LAGGER BLUES MACHINE "s/t" 1972 from Belgium. Anyway "demons and wizards" is a nice ballads record with hammond organ, so I'll keep ***. I consider "Salisbury" by far a more challenging and interesting record.

This is the album that truly got me into Prog music. A person who only knows "Yes" and buys it on a lark, then falls in love with the "Prog" genre... If that doesn't earn this album a 5 star review, nothing will!

I'd been weaned, literally on diapers, with it and 60s folk in the background. But as a kid I went into 80s "Punk" and "NewAge" and worse, "Pop"... In my early adulthood, I'd truly discovered "Yes" and was buying up the CDs but was worried since their music sounded so unique would there be anything like it once I got used to their music?

On a lark, at "Best Buy" I picked up this album, which was bargain priced at $6. It was the "Roger Dean" cover art that pointed me, because even though any artist would draw about any album cover for $, hopefully there was some association.

And, boy was I right! This album was full of deep and rich songs. Most albums in "The pop machine" one song sounds good until the third play, then it's boring. But a good "Prog" album is a masterpiece from beginning to end. The song of the title was only the desert at the end of the great meal, the rest of the songs were wonderful.

Besides the title, which I always play on my B-Day no matter what, the song that really gets to me the most is "Blind Eye" which to me is a deep philosophical song.

I am also impressed that like Yes, Uriah Heep seems to be going and going and going on a level almost equal to "The Dead". Despite the "Colostomy Rock" label, they seem really healthy, probably got diet and yoga tips from Jon Anderson and kept them up or he'd shove 'em in the "Sweat Lodge" to re-purify them:-)

Very 'eavy...Very 'umble is the debut full-length studio album by UK hard rock act Uriah Heep. Uriah Heep are usually considered one of the great hard rock acts of the seventies and with this debut album it´s pretty obvious why.

The music is blues influenced hard rock. The biggest influences on the band´s sound is without a doubt Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Take the former´s bluesy hard rocking guitars and the latters omnipresent organ and you´re just about there. Songs like Gypsy and my favorite Real Turned On rocks IMO, but there are nice variation between the tracks and the ballad Come Away Melinda with added mellotron ( at least that´s what it sounds like to me) and the ending track Wake Up (Set Your Sights) points in a slightly progressive direction. Don´t mistake Very 'eavy...Very 'umble for a progressive rock album though. Expect hard rocking music on most of the tracks. The tracks are generally guitar driven but the distored organ takes a prominant role in the music too.

The band is very well playing and I especially enjoy the distinct vocals by David Byron. He is such a powerful and skilled vocalist who can do many different things with his voice. I love it when he sings his really high notes. People like Rob Halford and King Diamond have surely listened and learned from David Byron.

The production is good but not perfect.

Very 'eavy...Very 'umble is a good debut album by Uriah Heep and 3 stars are deserved.

Classic Uriah Heep album. To be honest, I prefer their debut because of heavy Hammond keyboards and common heavier sound. There they demosntarte all they 're doing good : nice melodies, multi layer vocals, heavy drumming. Still plenty of keyboards,for sure.

But for me this album has the same minus,as all their classic albums: there always are two- three strong tracks, and all other are fillers. I think it's a reason why during all their history critics hated UH. Another reason - their music is simplistic, working more on emotional level, then musicanship high technique standard.

All in all, album is classic example of their music and has it's own aura. But year after year become more historical value,than pleasant one for listening.For sure, the reason of that my point of view could be based on my love to original energetic music. In case of UH, their debut album mas much more interesting for me, there in "Look At Yourself" I hear much more sweety ballads and pop-oriented soft rounded keyboards I hate. So, for sure, it question of taste as well.

I own 2003 expanded de-luxe edition with some bonus tracks. Again, I prefer 2003 Casle re- realise of UH debut album with crystal sound and interesting bonuses. There in "Look at Yourself" re-release sound isn't so perfect, and bonuses mainly consist of boring LP out-takes and B-sides).

Debut album of Uriah Heep has plenty of different reviews. Interesting, that yhis in fact quite simple album has as many negative opinions, as positive.

To be honest ,it's not easy for me to understand, why many people don't like it. I think it's very strong debut with some songs which are band visit card till now.

OK, band's sound is too straight and too heavy in moments, with heavyweight Hammond domination. If you don't like Hammond sound, you will never accept this album. I like it, and think there is one of good example of Hammond leaded hard rock of that tiime ( another one is sound of Jon Lord's early Deep Purple).

Songs are very melodic, with high energy, multi layers of vocal. I have 2003 Castle CD version with perfectly mixed clear sound ( and plenty of bonuses as well). Ok, I think many listeners just don't like a bit simplistic musical technique there. I 'm agree, but the music is very good and without simplicities.

"Gypsy "is absolute masterpiece for years, "Come Away Melinda "ballade - as well. Some songs are bluesy, you can feel strong roots of early hard rock ( a-la Led Zeppelin). Alternative version of "Wake Up (Set Your Sights)"has interesting jazzy arrangements. Vocal is open and strong in all songs.

I think this album is interesting not only for UH fans and collectors, but for wide circle of listeners, starting from melodic hard rock fans. Only prog purists will be disappointed with simplistic neavy bluesy rock sound.