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KEN HENSLEY

Prog Related • United Kingdom


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Ken Hensley biography
Kenneth William David Hensley - Born 24.08.1945 (Plumstead, UK) - died 4.11.2020 (Agost, Alicante, Spain)

Doubtless one of the most favored musicians, Ken Hensley have the ability to play keyboards (especially Hammond B3 an expensive model by the way), guitar, singing with an excellent tone and in addition an excellent composer, that he has influenced to generations of musicians and fans to the progressive rock. Ken Hensley was born 24 from August of 1945 Hertforshire, England. Showing from his childhood an extraordinary gift musician. In the mid 60's he would form a called group "THE GODS", which also included stars of the caliber of Mick Taylor and Greg Lake, recording two albums, which now are very looked by the collectors. From ashes of this group another merges with the name of Toe Fat, which in its first album participates Hensley next to a young Lee Kerslake and Cliff Bennett, once outside the group he was invited by Paul Newton to be member of another called group: "Spice" in which also are Mick Box and David Byron, this in 1969; changing the name in 1970 to URIAH HEEP. In Uriah Heep, Hensley it passed ten years playing keyboards and guitar, as well as providing more than 70% of the compositional material that would make famous to this band, the very evocative, nostalgic and sentimental lyrics they were easily identifiable by astute listening, that without a doubt is songs that have supported the test of the time well.

Besides the previous success Ken Hensley have to record several solo albums, which much more reflect the style characteristic of composition and musical quality that Ken Hensley have. In 1973 he recorded its first album as a soloist, call Proud Words are to Dusty Shelf", which was made accompany by the rhythmical base of Uriah Heep, Gary Thain and Lee Kerslake, feature subjects of great musical quality, like the great "Fortune" which is a mini epic of and evocative musical sounds capes, as well as the characteristic "When the Evening Comes", which has an excellent guitar licks, as well as an evocative lyric of past and future moments, love and sadness, "King Without to Throne" with characteristic and powerful bass playing in charge of Thain and an exquisite sticky melody that Hensley delights to us, among others songs of great musical invoice. In 1975 Eager to Pl...
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KEN HENSLEY discography


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KEN HENSLEY top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.86 | 16 ratings
Head Machine: Orgasm
1970
3.32 | 25 ratings
Weed: Weed...!
1971
3.54 | 54 ratings
Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf
1973
3.13 | 46 ratings
Eager to Please
1975
2.69 | 30 ratings
Free Spirit
1981
2.71 | 18 ratings
A Glimpse of Glory
1999
2.76 | 23 ratings
Running Blind
2002
3.61 | 21 ratings
The Last Dance
2003
3.42 | 17 ratings
The Wizard's Diary - Vol. One
2005
2.81 | 14 ratings
Cold Autumn Sunday
2005
3.53 | 32 ratings
Blood on the Highway
2006
3.88 | 24 ratings
Ken Hensley & Live Fire: Faster
2011
2.48 | 10 ratings
Love & Other Mysteries
2012
3.53 | 15 ratings
Ken Hensley & Live Fire: Trouble
2013
4.00 | 12 ratings
My Book of Answers
2021

KEN HENSLEY Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 13 ratings
The Hensley | Lawton Band - The Return
2001
3.27 | 11 ratings
Ken Hensley & John Wetton: More Than Conquerors
2002
4.00 | 4 ratings
Live Tales
2013
4.07 | 6 ratings
Ken Hensley & Live Fire - Live!!
2013
3.80 | 5 ratings
Ken Hensley & Live Fire - Live in Russia
2019

KEN HENSLEY Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.50 | 2 ratings
The Hensley | Lawton Band. Salisbury Live In Concert (VHS + CD)
2001
4.04 | 8 ratings
More Than Conquerors (with John Wetton) (DVD)
2002
4.00 | 2 ratings
Live Fire (Ken Hensley with Live Fire in Concert, Norway)
2007
4.17 | 6 ratings
Blood on the Highway - The Exclusive Release Concert
2008

KEN HENSLEY Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.40 | 5 ratings
The Best of Ken Hensley
1990
3.60 | 12 ratings
From Time To Time
1994
3.96 | 5 ratings
The Anthology
2000
4.00 | 2 ratings
Elements. Anthology 1968 to 2005
2006
2.25 | 3 ratings
Inside The Mystery
2006
4.50 | 4 ratings
Rare & Timeless
2018
4.50 | 2 ratings
The Bronze Years 1973-1981
2019
4.00 | 2 ratings
Past & Present (Songs in Time) 1970-2021
2023

KEN HENSLEY Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 1 ratings
Cold Autumn Sunday
1973
0.00 | 0 ratings
In the Morning
1975
0.00 | 0 ratings
When Evening Comes
1975
0.00 | 0 ratings
No More
1980
0.00 | 0 ratings
The System
1981
0.00 | 0 ratings
Lady in Black
2003
0.00 | 0 ratings
Free Me
2004
0.00 | 0 ratings
Frozen
2020

KEN HENSLEY Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Head Machine: Orgasm by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 1970
3.86 | 16 ratings

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Head Machine: Orgasm
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Recorded in 1969, this was originally planned to be the third album for The Gods, before being released as being by Head Machine. The Gods were an important band in the late Sixties, less for their releases but who went through their ranks. Formed by Mick Taylor (yes, THAT Mick Taylor) and school mates Brian Glascock and his brother John (Jethro Tull), they went through some line-up changes over time. This included John being replaced by Paul Newton (who then left to form Spice, which became Uriah Heep), who was in turn replaced by Greg Lake (yes, THAT Greg Lake), before John was asked to return. During this period, they also brought in Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep), with Brian later being replaced by Lee Kerslake (Uriah Heep).

Head Machine was The Gods along with their producer David Paramor, who provided vocals, with the rest of the line-up being Ken Hensley (organ, piano, guitar, vocals), John Glascock (bass, vocals), Brian Glascock (drums), Lee Kerslake (drums) and Mike Road (percussion). At the time all those involved were listed under pseudonyms, probably as Hensley/John Glascock/Kerslake were by now working with ex-Rebel Rouser Cliff Bennett as Toe Fat. Treating this as a standalone album is virtually impossible, given who was involved, as one is always listening to the music to see if it gives any hints of what was to come. It is blues-based hard rock with some progressive elements here and there, and there is no doubt that this has Hensley all over it, no matter what the name is on the front cover. Back then Hensley was far fonder of his guitar than the keyboards he became more associated with, the drums are basic, but Glascock shows why he was later to become involved with Chicken Shack and Carmen before joining Tull, as he is already a driving and dynamic player. One can only wonder what he may have achieved if he hadn't died so young from a congenital heart disease.

Musically this is incredibly dated, very much music of its time, and in many ways, this can be seen as an intermediate album between The Gods' 'To Samuel A Son' and Uriah Heep's '...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble', with the introduction to "The First Time" in particular, very Heep-like indeed. One can hear just how Hensley's writing was developing, and the nascent Heep sound is very much in evidence. While the music was moving forwards, Paramor was very much a Sixties style singer, and it would need the theatrics of Byron to move Hensley's material in the right direction. While he had little writing input into the Heep debut, his impact on songs such as "Gypsy" was immense and listening to "Scattering Seeds" one can easily hear that one sitting alongside with the high-pitched harmony vocals, Hammond and crunching guitar. I came across The Gods more than 30 years ago when I was spending silly amounts of music attempting to collect albums by anyone who had ever remotely been involved with Tull, and have material by Toe Fat as well, yet somehow missed out on this one. I may be viewing it through Tull-tinted lenses, combined with the knowledge of what many of these guys went on to achieve, but I love it. There is something about this hard rock/prog naivety which is just plain fun.

 Weed: Weed...! by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 1971
3.32 | 25 ratings

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Weed: Weed...!
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Tarcisio Moura
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Although I do consider myself a big fan of Uriah Heep and Ken Hensley for over 40 years, I have to admit that I never knew about this album until a few days ago when a friend told me about it and I had the opportunity to borrow his CD. And I was quite amazed by it. According to one site, Weed would be the name of the band and Hensley only had a guest appearance on it. But I found an interview with Ken himself who talked about this project and how he was contracted to write and play for this album by a German label, and he sang all the songs and played most instruments (he claims that only the bass and drums parts were played by other people). The LP was made quickly, recorded and released in 1971, between Uriah Heep´s Salisbury and Look At Yourself albums. Although Hensley says he does not really remember much about this project, I tend to agree with him, since it is obvious that he is the singer, and the musical style is totally him, both composition wise and on the performance. If there was a band called Weed, they surely had very little to do with this album in particular and if they indeed record anything, it must be the aforementioned bass and drums and, maybe, some overdubbing guitar part. The songs are credit to one B. Albes, but this is clearly to avoid Hensleys contractual issues with his recording company.

Whatever the reasons, this is a very interesting and worthy CD for Ken Hensley and/or Uriah Heep fans. The first two songs in particular are the best ones: the heavy Sweet Morning Light and the acoustic Lonely Ship. Both of them could easily be on Salisbury or Look At Yourself and are even superior to some tracks on those records. The remaining tunes are ok, but clearly, closer to what Hensley called "an exercise on composition style" than anything. He was still trying to find a personal sound at the time. Only Slowin´Down, a very cliched blues rocker is really a bad track, even if the slide guitar lines are typical of KH and should please the faithful.

Although I cannot say this is essential, Weed...! is another proof of more how gifted and original Ken Hensley was. I really don´t know what this album is all about, and even with all its faults( it was obviously recorded in a hurry and it is very short, clocking at 31;26) is still good. Specially if you´re into this great master works. Worth a listen.

Rating: 2,5 stars that I will round up to three (those two first tracks are really good and should have been recorded by Uriah Heep).

 My Book of Answers by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 2021
4.00 | 12 ratings

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My Book of Answers
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Heart of the Matter

4 stars This is not a compilation, in spite of its being released months after Ken's sad demise. It's a full album worth of new (and great) original songs. Our artist met by pure chance a Russian fan when in transit at the airport, who later offered to him his poems as a base for new Hensley's songs. The acompanying book includes the original Russian poems, English translations, and the final anotated lyrics.

The music starts as a significative departure from the Uriah Heep style, with somber tone and vocals in a mid-to-low range, but in the second track we are back in the familiar Heep territory, with those more classic hard-rock vocals and keyboard-ladden riffs, that used to be the brand of the house. There are also a strong and tasty presence of the accompanying band, particularly in the guitar and in the drums departments, as well as great vocal harmonies (listen to track 3 Cold Sacrifice, and 9 Suddenly, then tell me). There are also some catchy melody (track 4), and the emotional ballads (5-6-7) we learned to expect from Mr. Hensley.

The most dignifying goodbye from a great artist.

 Love & Other Mysteries by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 2012
2.48 | 10 ratings

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Love & Other Mysteries
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

2 stars About a month ago, in 4th of November, Ken Hensley passed away at the age of 75. Although he had sort of semi- retired long ago, he continued to write and record music at a steady pace till the very end. Without a doubt, the most important and the best remembered part of his musical legacy is the classic (70's) era of URIAH HEEP, in which he played organ and other keyboards and composed most of the music. Before Heep he had already been the key figure in several short-time late 60's bands such as The Gods, and his first solo album came out in 1973: Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf is still regarded his best album.

I confess this is my first listening of any solo album by Hensley. (Sadly my review is also the first one for this album released eight years ago.) Without knowing exactly what to expect, I simply try to verbalize my subjective initial reception of the music, and along that I share some of Hensley's liner notes for each song. "The songs are not linked by any particular concept but they are connected as a phase in my life and career as a songwriter (...) I took them to the studio and presented them to the various musicians, vocalists, arrangers and technicians. Their only instructions were to ignore any instructions and apply their own creative thinking... This turned out to be the best plan."

Ken Hensley does most of the vocals himself, and he's actually a fairly good vocalist, slightly reminding of Elvis Costello. 'Bleeding Heart' has a country-ish tone, up to the guitar style and female backing vocals. On 'Romance' (about doomed "love between an American aristocrat and a Russian nobleman") Hensley duets with Santra Salkova; this emotional ballad goes back and forth from sensitivity to slightly overblown power, whereas I would have preferred to keep it simpler. '(Please) Tell Me When' is sung by Sarah Rope. Again, bordering on cheesiness, but naturally it depends on the listener if (s)he conciders the production to be excellent or too polished.

Another sentimental ballad, 'No Matter' is sung by Irenere Fornaciari and Roberto Tiranti, the latter from an Italian power metal band Labyrinth. 'Come to Me' and three songs after it are sung by Hensley. At this point it's clear that this album is not very rocking one. It is easily accessible, mellow, adult oriented pop, rather in the same way as old classic bands such as Procol Harum have done in their later years, only sounding more American and middle-of- the-road. Certainly no prog in sight. A blindfold listener couldn't really tell whether this was a keyboardist's (let alone rock legend's) album or just worked together with a capable bunch of musicians and producers. 'Walk Away' is even more country-spirited than the opener. Sorry to say, but this album feels to me so forgettable that I forget to read Hensley's liner notes for the songs. 'Respiro Tu Amor' is sung by Tiranti in Spanish, "one of the most romantic languages in the world". Sentimental as hell. The closing song is yet another syrupy man/woman duet (Fornaciari and Tiranti again).

As I said, I didn't know what to expect, but certainly it wasn't THIS lame and sentimental easy listening pop album in an American style. Disappointing, no other way to put it. R.I.P., Ken Hensley, we won't forget that you've done a lot of wonderful and progressive rock music too.

 Cold Autumn Sunday by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1973
3.00 | 1 ratings

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Cold Autumn Sunday
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Heart of the Matter

— First review of this album —
3 stars "Cold Autumn Sunday", the A side to this very good single, is taken from "Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf", Ken's first solo album, originally recorded in 1973 and released on the Bronze label. After a balladesque piano supported beginning, the thing evolves rapidly into a more rocking paced number, propulsed by the solid rythmic base, which, to nobody's surprise, is played by fellow Uriah Heepers Lee Kerslake on Drums, and Gary Thain on bass.

On the B side, Ken resorted to a little trick: even when "Rain" is part of the same album as the previous song, it was already taken from "The Magician's Birthday", Uriah's fifth album (released in November 1972). Anyway, a nice piano/vocal, synth wrapped ballad.

 Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 1973
3.54 | 54 ratings

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Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Psychedelic Paul

5 stars KEN HENSLEY (born 1945) is the thundering keyboard powerhouse that drives the High and Mighty sound of URIAH HEEP. He's been involved with a number of "very 'eavy, very 'umble" bands during his early years, including two albums with The Gods: "Genesis" (1968) and "To Samuel a Son" (1969), one album with Head Machine: "Orgasm" (1969), a self-titled album with "Toe Fat" (1970), and another self-titled album with "Weed" (1971). Ken Hensley appeared on thirteen Uriah Heep albums in a row, from their first album, "Very 'eavy, Very 'umble" in 1970, right through to their "Conquest" album in 1980, when he left the band he'd founded shortly afterwards due to the age-old band problem of "artistic differences". In the mid-1980's, Ken Hensley appeared on two albums with the American Southern Rock band Blackfoot: "Siogo" (1983) and "Vertical Smiles" (1984). He's also recorded two Live albums each in 2001 and 2002 with his two former Uriah Heep bandmates, John Lawton and John Wetton. More recently, he's recorded two studio albums under the name Ken Hensley & Live Fire: "Faster" (2011) and "Trouble" (2013). Ken Hensley launched his solo career in 1973 with "Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf", when he was still very much the driving force behind Uriah Heep. Two of Ken's Uriah Heep bandmates featured on the album: Gary Thain on bass and Lee Kerslake on drums. He's since recorded eight more studio albums with his most recent solo album "Love & Other Mysteries" arriving in the record stores in 2012. It's time now to take Ken Hensley's loud and proud first solo album off the shelf and blow off the dust and wipe away the cobwebs and give it a listen.

The album opens in magnificent style with a tremendous power ballad: "When Evening Comes". Ken Hensley is in fine voice here and he's a very accomplished guitarist too, as he demonstrates here with some phenomenal soaring power chords and glittering glissandos. This dramatic refrain is just as strong and powerful as anything Uriah Heep have ever done, representing a dazzling entrance onto the solo stage for Ken Hensley which he can feel justly proud. Stunning debut albums like this one only come along "From Time To Time" and that's the title of our next song. It begins as a gentle strumming acoustic guitar number and blossoms out into a high and mighty passion play of stupendous sonic splendour, in true Uriah Heep style. Think of the magnificent majesty of "July Morning", and that's the kind of epic song you have here, only without David Byron's extravagant high-pitched vocals. When the dynamic keyboards appear at the midway point, that's when the song really reaches up into the stratosphere. It's back down to earth for "A King Without a Throne", a fairly routine and plodding Blues- Rock number without any great Demons and Wizards keyboard histrionics. It's time to put the umbrella up now for "Rain", which features Ken in full romantic balladeer mode. It's a gorgeous piano ballad featuring these moving heartfelt lyrics:- "It's raining outside but that's not unusual, But the way that I'm feeling is becoming usual, I guess you could say, The clouds are moving away, Away from your days, And into mine." ..... The moment when the gorgeous choir joins in is truly inspirational. This mellifluous romantic melody is guaranteed to brighten up the dullest of rainy days. We've reached the halfway point now with "Proud Words", a rousing and rollicking rock & roll song with a boisterous attitude. Ken Hensley's clearly not in the mood to stand for any nonsense here as he loudly and proudly urges us all to:- "Stand up and fight, Or you'll lose your right, Do you want to stand in a line, Fightin' hard to hold on to your mind." ..... It's a rockin' good song to close Side One, which sounds like a rousing call to arms.

We've struck lucky and hit musical gold with "Fortune", a resonant reverberant refrain with High and Mighty Ken Hensley at his exhilarating and exuberant best. It's a true Return To Fantasy in a glorious Wonderworld of classic Uriah Heep pomp and passion. It's a song with all of the storming power of a tank rolling across Salisbury Plain. This is where we get to hear the booming and bombastic sound of Ken Hensley having the Sweet Freedom to do what he does best of all - delivering dynamic and dramatic Hard Rock with all of the explosive power of a stick of TNT. It's very 'eavy, but not so very 'umble. There's a nice change of pace for "Black Hearted Lady", an uplifting romantic ballad with Ken Hensley wearing his heart on his sleeve with these bittersweet lyrics:- "Reading between the lines I find, You don't mean what you say, You cheated and you lied, And how you made me hurt inside, You turned my days into darkest nights, And re-arranged my dreams, You're just not what you seem, Black-hearted lady." ..... It sounds like Ken was writing from bitter personal experience with those emotionally-wrought lyrics. It's time to "Go Down" now for a lovely acoustic guitar ballad. It's a charming heart-warming song carried along on a harmonious wave of rich golden guitar chords and with Ken Hensley in fine impassioned voice. In an album that's choc-a-bloc full of great songs, the penultimate song "Cold Autumn Sunday" represents the highlight of the album. It's a passionate power ballad that pulls out all the stops, featuring a glittering display of stratospheric guitar riffing and a rousing honey-voiced choir that's guaranteed to lift the spirits up into the heavens. This is THE BIG anthemic number on the album with all of the grandiose splendour and magnificent majesty of a great royal occasion. And finally, here comes the real shocker..... Ken Hensley goes Country! Yes, really! "The Last Time" is the last song on the album and it's a twangy Country song, adding a countrified string to Mr Hensley's versatile musical bow - although it's hard to picture Ken Hensley wearing a Stetson hat and cowboy boots.

"Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf" is a magnificent debut for Ken Hensley and it's an album that any discerning connoisseur of classic Prog-Rock can feel proud to have on their dusty shelf. You don't HAVE to be a Uriah Heep fan to love this stunning album, but it might help. It's not as hard and heavy as Uriah Heep, but it's an album bursting at the seams with pride and power and romantic passion.

 Weed: Weed...! by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 1971
3.32 | 25 ratings

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Weed: Weed...!
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by The Jester

3 stars Review # 103 Weed was a project, that included German musicians and Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep. They released only this album and then disappeared. Their music style is the typical classic Rock of the 70's (with Prog hints), with lots of organ and guitar riffs.

The opening track, Sweet Morning Light, is one of the album's highlights, and a personal favorite. It also gives the listener a good idea of the band's sound. Lonely Ship that follows is a very sweet ballad, including acoustic guitar; Also a very nice song. I won't get into details for each song separately, I just mentioned the first two, in order to give you a small idea.

All the songs are good but don't expect anything special. This is an album that you will appreciate, but you won't go nuts with it. If you like the classic Rock sound of the early 70's, give it a try. My rating: 2.5 stars

 Ken Hensley & Live Fire - Live!! by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Live, 2013
4.07 | 6 ratings

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Ken Hensley & Live Fire - Live!!
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by TenYearsAfter

4 stars For me Ken Hensley is a Hammond Hero, I grew up with the legendary Uriah Heep albums Salisbury, Look At Yourself and Live, and I still love that exciting Heavy Prog music! In 2000 I witnessed a gig from Ken Hensley, with singer John Lawton, I was blown away by Hensley his stage presence: with the unsurpassed Hammond organ but also using the acoustic - and slide guitar and his pleasant vocals. So when I read about this interesting Live Fire project I was very eager to listen to their double live CD.

The setlist contains tracks from the Live Fire studio albums, Hensley his solo work and of course the Classic Heep era. Well, Hensley and his excellent band have done a great job, I did not only enjoy the Classic Heep versions but in fact all other songs. Hensley deliver his awesome work on the omnipresent Hammond organ, especially in Circle Of Hands, the epic and compelling July Morning and psychedelic sounding, extended Stealin' (in fact the only Hammond solo during this concert). But also tender piano runs, in the wonderful The Last Dance and moving ballad Rain, really very beautiful. Another strong element on this 2-CD is the guitarwork: a long and moving solo in The Cruse, exciting wah wah in the crowd pleaser Look At Yourself, Stealin' and the Heep Headbanger Gypsy (blistering sound), slide guitar (by Hensley?) in Circle Of Hands and The Last Dance and warm acoustic rhythm guitar in The Wizard and the folky Lady In Black . And the interplay with the keyboards is outstanding during the entire concert, recorded in 2012 in Switzerland and Germany. Unfortunately not in Holland. I would have enjoyed it very much, almost on the same level as last year with Uriah Heep during their Look At Yourself Anniversary tour.

So check out this 2-CD if you like Uriah Heep or Heavy Prog/harder-edged melodic rock.

 Eager to Please by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.13 | 46 ratings

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Eager to Please
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Gatot
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars The second album of Ken Hensley is not bad at all and again in some ways are very similar with Uriah Heep music as he wrote many songs for Uriah Heep. The opening track "Eager to Please" (4:51) even though it sounds like straightforward rock but there is a change of tempo in the middle of the track.. "Stargazer"(Clarke/Bottomley) (3:46) i sexperimental in nature as there is an orchestrtaed brass section throughout the song. It's not a bad idea as the music is bit becoming cheerful. As some people might say that Ken Hensley's solo is basically Uriah Heep minus Mick Box, I can agree with them as the style is Heep while the vocal is very similar with any Heep song.

Probably one of my favorites from this album is Take and Take (Hensley) (3:42) where the vocal harmony reminds me to duet Byron - Hensley that is unique Uriah Heep sound. The song has a good melody. But unfortunately the end is fading out - something that actually I do not like. "Longer Shadows" (Hensley) (3:32) is a track with acoustic guitar rhythm section while "In the Morning" (Clarke) (2:34) is a cheerful track in pop-rock style with good guitar work.

Overall, it's a good solo album by Ken Hensley. One of the reasons I enjoy playing this album is the sound quality that really represents the seventies despite good musical composition. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

 Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf by HENSLEY, KEN album cover Studio Album, 1973
3.54 | 54 ratings

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Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf
Ken Hensley Prog Related

Review by Gatot
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars For those who were there in the glory days of rock music : the seventies, it's hard to understand if this album was not well known. At least there were two songs that were major hits at that time: When Evening Comes and Rain (played by Uriah Heep as well). Some people mention that this was originally intended as Uriah Heep album. Well, I don't blame them as in some ways it has similarities with Uriah Heep.

One thing I was impressed with this legendary album was the fact that Hensley could paly guitar very well - at least during the opening track When Evening Comes. This track was really well known at that time and it became major hit in local radio. One thing I like about this song was the bluesy style it has and of course it has solid memorable melody through the voice of Hensley. The next track "From Time to Time (Hensley)" (3:37) is like Heep music; the vocal is powerful. This one lays the rhythm section on acoustic guitar and keyboards. "A King Without a Throne (Hensley)" serves like a ballad with a straightforward composition. Another hit "Rain" is a very nice one to enjoy. In some ways I prefer the one played by Heep but this one is also very enjoyable. The combination of piano and vocal line is really excellent. "Proud Words (Hensley)" is a straight rocker with nice vocal line. Well, Hensley voice is really excellent. Overall, I recommend this album to those who love straight forward rock combined with good vocal harmonies. If you are Heepmania, you must have this album. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Thanks to Alberto Muñoz & easy livin for the artist addition. and to NotAProghead for the last updates

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