INNOCENT VICTIM

One year after FIREFLY, URIAH HEEP came back with the same line-up,but the creative inspiration that helped make FIREFLY a rather interesting album has almost completely vanished by the time of this recording!

The first two tracks KEEP ON RIDIN and FLYIN HIGH SOUND absolutely horrible . URIAH HEEP is playing Detroit soul Motown with some gospel choir to make it sound more ''real''. The same people who came with LOOK AT YOURSELF a few years before!!!! Then, John LAWTON is trying some kind of JAMES BROWN cloning on ROLLER saved only by a more HEEP sounding in the middle of the song. What is happening to the band?? Trying hard to redefine themselves in this 1977 musical changing world, i guess!! FREE AND EASY is your classic HEEP unconsequential rocker, not bad, but that's not EASY LIVIN by any means.

After such a long suffering, things get a little bit better! ILLUSION at least stops the bleeding, that's a nice sweet ballad with some nice harmonies. It won't be featured on any UH best-of CD, but believe me , that's a relief after the abomination which precedes this song. Then comes the ''hit'': FREE ME; Very poppy song, ready to go on the top 40; music stripped down to the minimun, a melody sure to please TV shows producers, but not the old URIAH HEEP fan, the one that grew up with VERY HEAVY, VERY HUMBLE. Because there is absolutely nothing very heavy on this album; sounds like all the intruments have been almost euthanized. The horror continues with CHEAT N' LIE with the most cheesy chorus you can hear!! But what they were thinking???They completely forgot about their old fans and were trying to reach to the stars! They succeed as this album sold quite a lot and reach a new audience.

Finally, the band URIAH HEEP, shows up on the last 2 tracks of the album with THE DANCE and CHOICES, not great tunes but at least reminding me a little bit of FIREFLY. Just notice that these 2 tracks are composed by someone from outside the band, WILLIAMS who also co-signed the awful KEEP ON RIDIN , I mentioned at the beginning.I guess KEN HENSLEY creative inspiration was OFF at this time.

A very forgetable album, but there is one thing i like about it: the cover! can't go unnoticed!! I hesitate between 1 and 2 stars, but i shoul not!

1 STAR!

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