URIAH HEEP

By 1976, things were not going very well in the nuclear bosom of Uriah Heep: the expulsion of Gary Thain and his regrettable death due to drug abuse at the end of the previous year, the discussions about the direction of the band between Ken Hensley and David Byron added to the growing alcoholism of the singer, and the discomfort of John Wetton in these situations, configured the unstable context in which the Brits released "High and Mighty", the ninth of their discography.

The album travels along a paved and flat road, without dangerous curves or major glimpses of venturing into routes that deeply challenge the band, and just like its predecessors "Wonderworld" and "Return to Fantasy", it has outstanding moments such as the promising beginning of "One Way or Another" with a great guitar riff and its fresh and energetic vibe, the psychedelic half-time of the excellent "Weep in Silence" and Mick Box's great solo, the elaborate structure of the intense "Midnight" and Hensley's hammond, and the crystalline beauty of Box's acoustic strumming on "Footprints in the Snow".

But the rest of the work fails to sustain a solid compositional regularity and cohesion, neither with "Can't Keep a Good Band Down", a kind of agile rock and accessible pop that welcomes a repetitive chorus, nor with the vaudevillian and simplistic "Woman of the World", nor with the disconcerting "Can't Stop Singing", which is halfway between gospel and soul, nor with the bland country boogie "Make a Little Love", songs that lack the vitality and hardock substance that at that stage of the band already seemed more part of a distant past even though it was not so much.

The brief and melancholic "Confession", starring Hensley's piano and containing an apparent confessional apology in Byron's singing, closes the irregular "High and Mighty", and sadly marks the end of the iconic singer's relationship with the band and also the departure of John Wetton.

2.5/3 stars

Following the route traced by their previous works, "Sweet Freedom" and "Wonderworld", Uriah Heep reiterates their inclination towards accessible formulas for "Return to Fantasy" (1975), their eighth album.

After a very interesting start with Mick Box's guitar riffs intertwined with Hensley's keyboards and synthesizers and David Byron's wide-ranging vocals on the eponymous title track, "Return to Fantasy" gives pride of place to melodies more in keeping with the sounds of bands like the Eagles, America, Bread and the like, where the melodic takes priority over complex and intricate developments, and is reflected in the light country rock of "Shady Lady", "Showdown" and "Why Did You Go" (a ballad supported by the Pedal Steel guitar of the guest B. J. Cole), in the spirited boogie of "Prima Donna", and in the gentle soft blues of "Your Turn to Remember", songs that inevitably lead to memorable and easily digestible choruses.

There are, however, some efforts to flesh out the sound and get closer to early Uriah Heep heavies, with Box's guitar solo preceded by the great counterpoint between Hensley's keyboards and Box's own riffs in the substantial middle section of the vigorous "Devil´s Daughter", one of the album's best, and with Hensley's cutting moog effluvia backed by Lee Kerslake's stubborn drumming on "Beautiful Dream", and not much else.

And between the keyboards, acoustic harmonies, John Wetton's accomplished bass (correct as in the rest of the work, although without much prominence), and the choruses that provide a peaceful epic aspect to "A Year or a Day", the album ends with more conciliatory will than brilliance and inventiveness.

"Return to Fantasy" is one of the British band's least appreciated works in the epilogical moments of their most renowned period, and although it is not a faded album, it doesn't add much to the band's legacy either.

2.5/3 stars

Increasingly melodic and distancing themselves from the harsh sonorities of rough and raw rock, with Ken Hensley playing an almost exclusive role in the composition of the songs, Uriah Heep deepened the tendency to make their approach more accessible with the release of "Wonderworld" (1974), their seventh album.

After a promising start with Hensley's moog and David Byron's plethoric voice in the moving "Wonderworld", the album is a hard rock of common places, lacking in explosiveness and fantasy, even though at least some doses of agility and a certain aggressiveness appear in Mick Box's guitar riffs in "Suicidal Man", in the rushing rhythm of "So Tired" and the boogie joy of "Something or Nothing", but not in the bland "The Shadow and the Wind" and Byron's excessive histrionics, the dreary "We Got We", and least of all in the inoffensive and mellow orchestrated ballad "The Easy Road".

The final section raises the level with the bluesy half-time of "I Won't Mind" and the guitar display of the always diligent Mick Box accompanied by the great bass of Gary Thain, and with the interesting approach to space rock in the conclusive "Dreams", surely among the best moments of the album.

Once "Wonderworld" was finished and showing signs of exhaustion due to the frenetic rhythm of releases and tours, the most stable of the Uriah Heep line-up (four albums in a row with the same musicians), began to dismember with the dismissal of Thain (who unfortunately died a year later from a heroin overdose), replaced by John Wetton (King Crimson/Asia, etc.) for the two subsequent albums.

3 stars

There are no more demons, magicians or symbolism in Uriah Heep's imaginary for their sixth album, 'Sweet Freedom' (1973), replaced instead on the cover by a bland and vaporous image of the musicians blurred in a reddish Martian background, for a proposal that opts for melodic and accessible structures, with a reduced but equally present contribution of the band's hard rock DNA and including some symphonic touches.

And so it is that "Sweet Freedom" unfolds between direct and neat atmospheres, like the restless guitar Funky of "Dreamer", the boogie rock of the active "Stealin'', the glam of the brief "One Day", the compact acoustic/electric ensemble of "Seven Stars", and the unexpected sonorities very close to the bossa-nova of the relaxed "Circus", whose contribution is limited, in my opinion, to the anecdotal and contrasting nature of its inclusion in the album.

But the band also gets 'serious' and dense with Ken Hensley's galloping, intense keyboards and David Byron's singing on the emotive "Sweet Freedom", despite the tiresome and unnecessary repetition of its chorus, with the mesmerising mid-tempo "If I Had the Time" and Hensley's lysergic moog, and finally also with Mick Box's affiliated guitar solos over the excellent sound carpet that Hensley's Hammond builds accompanied by Gary Thain's bass and Lee Kerslake's percussion, in the grandiloquent and epic "Pilgrim", a track that could be considered as one of the first ones that would feed years later on the still budding progressive metal.

"Sweet Freedom" may not carry with it all the magic of the band's previous works, but it manages to pull through because of the sheer quality of its performers.

3/3.5 stars

Less than six months after the successful "Demons and Wizards" and still under the echoes of its resounding general acceptance, Uriah Heep released their fifth album, "The Magician's Birthday" (1972). A work that once again uses allegories and sorcery as a metaphorical thematic vehicle to transmit profound reflections on the existential questions of the human being and that have their correspondence with the surreal graphic design of the album (Roger Dean), loaded with symbolisms such as the confrontation between the Magician and the Devil and the expectant naked woman hiding behind the plants.

And despite respecting its hard rock roots in the intense and epic "Sunrise" with its Purplelian beginnings with Ken Hensley's keyboards and David Byron's powerful voice, the album has, on the one hand, a less aggressive orientation with more agile and direct tracks like the light blues rock of "Spider Woman", the semi-unplugged soft rock of "Blind Eye" and the lilting "Sweet Lorraine" and its catchy choruses. On the other hand, it tones down its revolutions to initiate a lysergic, dreamlike immersion with Mick Box's Floydian slide guitar on the hazy mid-tempo "Echoes In The Dark", with Hensley's emotive piano chords and Byron's mournful singing on the soulful "Rain", and with the atmospheric pedal steel guitar contributions of guest Brian Cole (renowned session musician) on the acoustic vaporousness of the introspective "Tales".

Finally, the Englishmen resort to changing harmonies in the convoluted "The Magician's Birthday", ranging from energetic hard rock, verses in ironic rhythm of the traditional Happy Birthday accompanied by the Kazoo (an informal 19th century wind instrument), intriguing sound effects preceding Box's lucid and generous guitar jams in counterpoint with Lee Kerslake's frenetic drumming, to Byron's falsetto voice to pompously close the most progressive piece of the album.

The very good "The Magician's Birthday" was the break point that imaginatively marks the end of Uriah Heep's most brilliant period, after which the band's musical proposals would gradually become duller.

3.5/4 stars

Preceded by the versatile "Salisbury" and the solid "Look at Yourself", both of great quality but without so much commercial repercussion, perhaps due to their image being overshadowed by their highly successful references Deep Purple, Uriah Heep finally obtained general recognition with "Demons and Wizards" (1972), their fourth album. A work that, without leaving aside the rough edges of their muscular hard rock spiced with symphonic elements, shows a more refined proposal, already noticeable from the fanciful and surrealistic cover entrusted to the iconic graphic artist Roger Dean.

Configured within a wide sonic spectrum, 'Demons and Wizards' unfolds between the exquisite acoustic guitars of Mick Box accompanied by the rhythmic base of Mark Clarke's bass and Lee Kerslake's percussion in the limpid "The Wizard", the virtuosic guitar flexibility with Box's wah wah effects in the adventurous "Traveller in Time", Ken Hensley's dizzying keyboards on the vibrant "Easy Livin'", David Byron's vocal power on the energetic "All My Life", and the thick mid-tempos that intertwine hard rock roughness with progressive overtones on the emotive intensity of Circle of Hands (surely among the album's best moments), and on the ghostly "Rainbow Demon".

And with an acoustic tuning of a certain similarity to Zeppelin's 'Friends', the lilting but very linear "Paradise" dissolves into the introductory chords of the active and hasty "The Spell", the very good closing piece in which different musical planes coexist, such as piano rock, progressive elements with Genesian tints and the vocal interaction between Byron and Hensley.

With more than 3 million copies sold and the placement of the single "Easy Livin'" at position #39 on the North American Billboard, the allegorical "Demons and Wizards" is the most successful album of the English band.

4 stars

here can be no tangible argument against the school of thought that David Byron left some big boots to fill. Although it was perhaps inconceivable that Uriah Heep soldier on without him, "Firefly" is most likely the best album of the John Lawton trilogy (the other two, though passable, were too pop-oriented in my book). Notable tracks include "The Hanging Tree", featuring some nice synthesizer textures, the ballad "Wise Man", the rollicking "Who Needs Me", the bluesy (though lengthy) "Rollin' On" and the title track, employing a long keyboard intro and melding together classical, rock and folk elements. Like the preceding "High and Mighty", "Firefly" unfortunately seems to be another Ken Hensley "solo" record as he wrote nearly the entire album. Even though Heep were in the midst of their late seventies decline, "Firefly" rates checking out as it is an enjoyable set. It just isn't a classic one and can hardly be put on the same scale as "Demons and Wizards" and "The Magician's Birthday".

4.0

Less than a year after the versatile and very good 'Salisbury', Uriah Heep released "Look at Yourself" (1971), their third album, one of the band's most solid and polished works, with a marked orientation towards heavy and raspy sounds, but without leaving aside enriching experimental nuances.

The album shows a great sense of cohesion and maturity right from the start with the frenetic and homonymous "Look at Yourself" and the rhythmic "I Wanna Be Free", hard rocking tracks that combine Mick Box's fiery riffs and awakened guitar solos that at times go a few decibels further, creating spaces for the still embryonic Heavy Metal, with the timeless sonorities of Ken Hensley's hammond protagonist, and are reaffirmed in the energetic "Tears in My Eyes", a raw road rockabilly very well coloured by Box's guitar wah wah and brief acoustic chords in between.

Without straying from the path traced by the hard rock roughness, "Look at Yourself" also incorporates elements of progressive rock to give a greater sound flow to their proposal, with the stupendous and growing "July Morning", which goes through introspective and intense atmospheres from the instrumental display of the duo Box/Hensley, the cosmic moog of the guest Manfred Mann and the powerful vocal flashes of David Byron, surely one of the best pieces on the album, and with the complex "Shadows of Grief", which after a fierce first half with the whole band in full swing, plunges into mysterious places with aromatic hints of Floydian 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun' and into an experimental and psychedelic denouement with Hensley's keyboards.

And after "What Should Be Done", a ballad that doesn't quite seem to fit with the unified feel of "Look at Yourself", the raw hardrock returns with the frenetic and concise development of "Love Machine", leading the album towards a punchy and forceful finale.

"Look at Yourself", despite its lesser impact in the mainstream than contemporary works by bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, is among the group of albums that helped define the basis of Heavy Metal.

4 stars

The Purplelian influences, among others, very present in Uriah Heep's debut album, the rudimentary and crushing 'Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble' from 1970, continue to hover over their second album, 'Salisbury' (1971), with Mick Box's gritty guitar riffs and corresponding solos, the rough textures of Ken Hensley's analogue hammond keyboards and David Byron's powerful and expressive tenor voice, very similar to Ian Gillian's, although a little more uniform, in pieces immersed within the hard-rock spectrum such as the persistent intensity of 'Bird of Prey', the aggressive and rugged mid-tempo of 'Time to Live' and the overwhelming agility of 'High Priestess'.

But 'Salisbury' goes a few steps further, and adds nuances that give interesting tonalities to the work and somehow help build an identity of their own for Uriah Heep, with delicate pieces such as the baroque 'The Park' and its arpeggiated acoustic guitars over Byron's falsetto voice and the choral whispers of the rest of the band including a brief jazzy interlude, and the lilting 'Lady in Black', a refined folk melody sung by Hensley, who also gives it a notable touch of melancholy with the mellotrons.

And the really disruptive part comes with the extended 'Salisbury', a symphonic suite that departs from the general mood of the album and develops its own path from the profuse wind orchestration of arranger and musical composer John Fiddy, which contrasts with the rock structures and generates huge spaces for Hensley's virtuoso performance on keyboards and above all Box's with some splendid guitar improvisations in the last third of the song and prior to the epic and chaotic closing of one of the band's most progressive songs.

'Salisbury' is a pioneering work in the creation of a new direction in which the energetic structures of hard rock converge with the sophisticated elaborations of progressive rock, and the starting point for the most fertile stage of Uriah Heep.

4 stars

Writing about High & Mighty; it reminds you about how perishable everything is. Of all five members from this recording only guitar player Mick Box is still alive. Just a historical second ago they were all touring your hometown and also sipped your beer stash. If you consider the other big three heavies Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath from this time around they are certainly more spared. John Bonham (Zep), Tommy Bolin/Jon Lord (Purple) have left this earth so there are more deceased Heep members than in all other mentioned groups together. They do belong to the same generation. It's in the mid seventies and the the world is still a habitable place to stay in. The so-called classic line-up in Heep is only one step away. However, for me and a smattering of convinced, this is the perhaps the definite composition of the band. Gary Thain has been replaced by a certain John Wetton. This wasn't undisputed, far from it. Ken Hensley's reason for recruiting him was simply to replace one great player with another. Later on though, he pointed out that it was a mistake to hire Wetton. The bass player spent 18 short months in U.H. and gave a foursquare description on the outcome: 'When their management called me I had to choose between starvation or to join them'. This mutual discord doesn't necessarily mean that the end result was less interesting. On the contrary, great art is often a made of spartan and harsch conditions. After two relatively group oriented efforts in form of Wonderworld and Return to Fantasy what we are wittnessing here is an almost completly Hensley dominated effort. At least regarding writing credits. A Heep adept knows that the Hammond player is a strong force in these contexts. But H&M surpasses all previous albums. It resembles more a successor to Eager To Please than anything else. Someone claimed that the mistake they made after Thain's departure was that muscians/vocalists without hardrock background entered the domain. That's one way of looking at it. Another, more exciting, is what happens when a heavy outfit (a competent one) delves into adjacent or related territory. Just like with the case here. In the direction the wizard happened to point his wand...The cover of HM is as striking as anything from the decade. Perhaps not that much in its details, more in totality. A great concept. Fully in line with chosen chord patterns/musical direction. You'll fly along to it. It's worth pointing out though that not even K. Hensley liked it.

Negativism is yet only one side of the story; at other times Wetton was far more positive. To take a break from the complex rhythm parts in King Crimson in order to play fair-dealing Rock n' Roll. Hensley for his part, ultimately found a wealth of ideas brought by the recruit. It is embodied in current product, High & Mighty. So what did Wetton bring that Gary Thain missed? The same Thain that obviously influenced a generation of metal bassists. It's still a redundant framing of a question. U.H. has been called 'The Beach Boys of hard rock'. So what can be more proper than enlisting Wetton to the band? Maestro vocalists Byron/Hensley are are alreadey present. Now they're joined by a third. Glenn Hughes from neighbourband Deep Purple defined his collaboration with David Coverdale as the finest vocal duo ever. Without vaunt. If that's the case then you'll find the correlative trio right here. 'The Voices of Rock l' or 'The Voices of Rock ll'. A subjective truth if it applies in general. An objective truth if it applies within the genre.

It's the most advanced demo tape in music history. Leastways it feels like a strong contender. In terms of vocal delivery. As any Heep fan is aware of, opening title 'One Way Or Another' is embossed by an absent D. Byron. Rarely has a vocalist of his class chosen a more fitting time to hide in the shadows. 'One Way Or Another' in itself belongs to the upper echelons of harder music material. It exudes utmost self-assurance at a time when the genre was placed in the back seat. As if aware of its own majestic bearing. The addition of Wetton/Hensley turns it into a monster! Actually the whole track is turned upside down with a organist in form of a David Byron. You may call it a remuneration for the absent vocals. Or just as well a suitable line-up. Byron is a much more proficient keyboard player than you had any clue about. As it happens, the same singer had a sore throat and fellow band members captured his position. Albeit temporarily. When Wetton/Hensley enter the studio door they do so in order to lay a foundation for a returning Byron. It's up to everyone to size up if it had sounded differently in another reality. Where it was meant to be final product. The question is justified. Not in the slightest out of discontent with existing one, but still. The most sceptical opinions touches precisely on the subject of demo tape. It's not incorrect, it could have been done differently. But at the same time the spontaneity would've been lost. You're excused as well if you hunger for an alternative recording with permanent vocalist. There doesn't seem to exist any. Cleverly, very cleverly; Byron called off his own perpetuation of the same track. Solely on his own. The song is unique insofar as it's Wettons one and only try-out in the genre. In the wake of the end result you're just as stunned as by his magical Crimso days...The wordless outro voices transport you to levels you didn't know you were in possesion of. This is surf music, but wrapped in concrete hardness. Wetton the bass player was brought into the band. The singer came along without extra costs. Plus an array of his other talents. It wasn't only good, but too good to be true. 'One Way Or Another' is relished by the vast majority of followers. Is this the case with remaining titles?

'Weep In Silence' is eveything but second track on the long play; it's a musical monument. It reminds one of how bizarre music biz is. To be in the right place at the right time, with right offering to right recipient. 'Weep' does obviously not fulfil any of this criteria. In a reality where fashion changes with the speed of the second hand. It is and will remain a hidden album track. On the positive side, it turns into your own precious possesion. Like a golden amulet on your bookshelf, you don't need to share it with the unwashed riffraff. It's a strong contender for the pre-eminent position as the finest Heep song ever. Both musical AND lyrical conviction. Byron makes up lost ground on track 1 with double impact on 'Weep'. What Wetton/Hensley achieved together there, Byron will put across alone here. As an extra bonus you'll be washed with the all-embracing and choir like section at the heart of the song. The shining star is however Mick Box. Loud protests towers up, he's not even playing here. He is sidelined. That's true, and also the point. Back to square one, who did the same on previous song? Yes, David Byron. The turn has come to the guitar player. Cleverly, very cleverly. The generosity from Messrs Byron/Box on initial two songs is worth stopping and considering. To step aside for the good of the group, or just what's considered to be the best for the group. As well known, there are countless examples of the opposite attitude. You don't need to go far outside the domains of Heep where a simillar process would be completly unthinkable. To understand the concept of the piece one has to fully comprehend who composer Ken Hensley is. Though normally considered the keyboard player of Heep he started his career as guitar player. Not only this, his primary instrument in soul/heart remained so all along the way. The bottom line becomes that Box is fully capable to deliver what's requierd, but allows his colleague Hensley to give vent to his interpretation. It becomes even more tangible when you consider that the founders of the band did not write a single note on the record. Not only did Hensley play fantastic lead, he also did the steel part in the intro. The loyal in remembrance knows that this sortie was done by B.J. Cole on both solo/band albums before. The definition 'intro' is however scanty on 'Weep'. It's far too advanced to be left aside as a start of the song. It's rather a song within the song. An outside producer with clever vision could still have squeezed out the last drops and turned it into a 7"; some remix in intro and mid-section. The track is firmly rooted in the same league as Deep Purple 'Love Don't Mean a Thing' and 'Air-Dance' with Black Sabbath. Limitless height on one hand. Forlorn obscurity on the other. The reason for this dilemma is quite repetitive. No matter how gilded and shining; it's not traditional Heep, Purple, or Sabbath.

It'll be much vocals in this review. Plus more again. There's an obvious reason for this venture. Not enough has been put down on paper regarding the highly material question. 'Misty Eyes' takes the record on to the third track. There's nothing missing here that was a key part on first two songs. Byron's vocal arrangement on 'Misty' makes the whole Lp worth every hard-earned penny you paid for it (if you belong to the youth generation below 55; Compact disc). Hovering, atmospheric, schooled, saturated, pastoral. You name it. Let's put it clear; Byron makes his finest achievment ever on H&M (which is saying a lot). Despite this, and it may be unique, I wish him away from here. At least on parts and pieces, or one more track of the record. Because of the capacity kept in the background. The presence of Wetton with his strict art rock tone brought the best out of David 'davotron' Byron. That's logical; tell me who you mingle with and I will tell you who you are. Add that Byron on his maternal side has a healthy jazz background. There isn't one inhalation / exhalation from him on High & Mighty that lacks completion. The text content on 'Misty' is perhaps not brand new, but always on the agenda; Hensley's frequently returning theme deals with relationship issues. If you're missing a companion you're in for big trouble. Finally you'll reach solid ground and kiss your catch on the cheek; only to learn that the problems won't go away. They just change character. Possibly you've been through similar situations and felt betrayed by life. Then you can console yourself that you're not the only one. High & Mighty is a golden opportunity to delve deeper into the core subject. Let's praise a hitherto unmentioned member of the band. Rhythm section's Lee Kerslake. If you don't know the distinction between a tom and a tambourine one tends to place such in the background and just let 'em follow spontaneous breathing. What's the difference between a languid and very good drummer then? It's like a dwelling you live in attached to sturdy pillars or sliding on oozy mud. Kerslake keeps the Moog lead you hum along to in the correct position. Also credited as one in the opulence of vocalists. He's not on a par with other members as soloist but that's a task beyond hope. 'Misty Eyes' seems to be the first track here to be included on a collection album. As bonus on the Cd of the original 'Best of'. It's worth mentioning as the record in general is overlooked in such contexts.

There is so much vocal pyrotechnic in 'Midnight' that if you added let's say 35% it would be nothing but the fabulous abundance it already is. 'Midnight' tackles quite an original route and once again it's from the creative hands of Ken Hensley. More of the same vocalist; it's worth-while to have a look at his membership in The Gods a decade before. There was a bassist by the name of Greg Lake in the same unit. Emphasize 'bassist'. Hensley was the one and only lead singer in The Gods. Kenny is by no means a singing instrumentalist. He is vocalist, is musician. There's an enormous plethora of types who just pretend to be both of them. Good at one perhaps, hardly at the other. When Hensley felt the time was ripe to join forces with U. Heep the position as lead vocalist was already occupied. It did not hinder him from occasional rescues when the situation required so. The reason why he sings lead in Heep varies from case to case. Hensley's performances on Demons and Firefly are plain gorgeous and otherworldly. You may rightly pose the question; why do other vocalists even bother to show up? Hensley's lead share on actual album isn't big in quantity. It is big in quality.

The B-side of H&M is despite its diversity nothing but a coherent pearl rope. The splendid and lustrous writing from Hensley combined with a [flamboyant] instrumentation. We've noted it before; The former Family member now has his living quarters in U.H. If you mention 'Book of Saturday', 'The Night Watch', 'One More Red Nightmare' you're in King Crimson land. Also some of the most lordly and noble artrock ever produced. It is worth pointing out that John Wetton is the longest serving singer in the latter. More than Greg Lake, more than any other in the original version of Crimson. With a pedigree like that how can a future be other than going? Wettons genie glides as an indivisible part over the sections of H&M. That's good and less good at the same time. There doesn't seem to be a lot of Heep fans who who admire the B-side in its entirety. Except myself of course and one or two more. Plus the creator, Ken Hensley. It is allowed even for an artist to relish in his own work. In Hensley's case it has null and void to do with selfishness. He put it as a top three album. Rightly so. A record blended like High & Mighty can't touch more than a limitid cohort. Not even bandmembers. Byron called it a 'bummer' because it missed writing contribution from others. Blackmore didn't want to touch Stormbringer with nippers on account of its funky elements. Ozzy did not find the jazz piano and brass elements on Never Say Die comfortable. Fans were not late to queue up. Ken Hensley takes on a mini-Mike Oldfield role on present album and it's a fabulous sound sorce. 12-string electric guitar, slide, steel, tubular bells, plus the usual keyboard arsenal. + even more. The production and consequential crisp sound is unique in a Heep catalogue. You can start with just any song; 'Woman of the World' clicks with its witty lyrics and cabaret show sounding 20s piano. Filtered/treated vocals from Byron. 'Can't Stop Singing' is of course not a Uriah song. The fans are right. Rather a Steely Dan soundtrack to some unreleased obscure seventies movie. The pleasant problem is that it's matchless. Peppy, with top level arrangement. The guitar enters exactly where you need it. Followed by aerial tubular bells. 'Footprints In the Snow' takes over where 'Weep In Silence' dropped off. The counterpart on side B. Starting with a lovely Genesis instrument, the 12 string acoustic handled by an emerging Mick Box. It has the same spiritual and blessed timbre as 'The Musical Box'(no pun). Nothing but an eternal cascade, just as fresh every time it's devoured. You've never heard anything like it either before or after in the realm of Heep. It's not meant to be here. It's too good to be true. The acoustic guitar is however not always undisputed. The frequently mentioned Hensley picked up one onstage around this time. Some spectators responded by throwing things on him. A minority for sure. Call them music huligans. The vocal layers on 'Footprints' are as exemplary as anything. The electric guitar on final part is nothing but eerie in its Crimso garb (It's worth pointing out that close fellow Greg Lake has a similar fabulous title). Wetton is credited for co-writing here just like on 'Weep'. What most people don't realize is that he wrote more on Return to Fantasy than second effort. The usual 'contractual reasons' precluded the bassist from writing credits on Fantasy. He was promised paid compensation but god knows where this went. As a matter of fact, the management thought that his salary was fat enough. So no matter what embellishments Wetton contributed with on H&M, his offerings here are still accentuated by shortages from big selling debut album.

'Can't Keep a Good Band Down' tenses the muscels against the music industry. Rightly so, as Heep were one of their main targets to dump on. An easy listening and jolly song despite its theme. A slightly edited and even more catchy version was planned for single release but kept back due to internal turmoil. It could have saved the album from slipping from Premier- all the way down to National League on home ground (compared with Fantasy). There was no more top 40 for the remainder of the 70s in Great Britain. 'Make a Little Love' is a traditional rocker with Ken on slide guitar. Single release in Nordic countries (it's yours for a mere $160). If you wonder why it's because sales figures here per capita topped everything else by far. Despite this there was no more touring in arctic land. Hensley alone at the grand piano, what could be a more proper ending? Not another instrument in sight only lined up vocalists with sheet music in hand.

The album was recorded intermittently from late -75 up to March -76. In parallel with the ongoing Return to Fantasy tour. This was a hectic period in the history of the group. The H&M tour begun with a lengthy US streak of concerts. Their second long visit there in a very limited time. Understandable as it's the most important record market in the world. Almost 80 gigs in 75-76. That was even before the actual record release. Unfortunately their diligence didn't really pay off. The neglected record company boss Gerry Bron not only deprecated H&M. He made a rod for his own back, and for some unfathomable reason reined in a US release (not everone understands the role a Peter Grant in Led Zeppelin had). Bron refused to take part in the recording. Not only this, the band too yearned for a fresh turnover on the producer's chair. Bron had been sitting there since debut. Album issue was set to late May/early June with some sporadic European dates. In other words, tour was over when record was out. First of all; it's wrong to call it H&M tour. Rather 'U.H. tour'. Simply because of the meager inclusion of material from the latest album. Only 'One Way Or Another', 'Midnight' and 'Make a Little Love' reached the stage. A conscious strategy, as the band obviously feared for its limited commercial potential. None of these would ever be played again by later line-ups. However, Hensley/Wetton would play both 'One Way Or Another' and 'Confession' during the early 2000s. It goes hand in hand with Stormbringer/Never Say Die. What else did you believe?

Final date in Bilbao (Spain) has a special meaning. That was the last chance to enjoy both Byron/Wetton. The lead singer got the boot due to his pub crawls that became too numerous. The bassist and pard of the front man followed soon in his footsteps. Had Byron stayed there would've been a better chance to see Wetton on at least one more album. Or an Asia (or UK) line-up in Heep? That could've meant 'Wise Man' without Lawton, John but with Wetton, John. The latter had proposed a six months break from all touring duties to fully concentrate on writing new material. Not an unwise idea. Should've been a direct hit. It's worth pointing out that on Byron's funeral a decade later there was only one present musician; John Wetton. Exit David, whiskey bottle in hand, German wife in the other. Enter David, whisky bottle in hand, German wife in the other. The second Dave is Coverdale. He auditioned (with Denny Ball on bass) but finally got solo contract and a Whitesnake career. The Deep Purple associations are many from Wetton/Hughes; reluctance of both to join, uncredited writing on debut(Hughes got his later on), top notch vocalists & bassists, strong influence on second efforts, limited stay after that. It doesn't stop there; both steered the ocean liner into uncertain waters. You could just as well add Don Airey's ingenious keyboard playing on Never Say Die. All engine rooms are running smoothly. There's only one problem; it's not Heep, Purple or Sabbath. It's something entirely different. It wasn't only good, but too good to be true. An irreversible ride into a cul-de-sac.