LOOK AT YOURSELF

Along with "Salisbury" and "Demons And Wizards", this is the third Uriah Heep classic. A hard rocking album through and through, "Look At Yourself" is one of the band's quintessential heavy prog releases.

David Byron is in great form; his operatic vocals sound as dynamic and dramatic as ever and he makes great use of his range, from a blues rock baritone to high pitched squealing and everything in between. Guitarist Mick Box delivers some of the best performances of his career, with headbanging heavy metal riffs on "I Wanna Be Free" and a blistering slide lead on "Tears In My Eyes". Ken Hensley backs the band very well on Hammond organ, contributing a very Blackmore-Lord kind of interplay.

Side one is absolute heavy prog perfection. All three songs are stand out tracks. The eponymous opener provides a driving start, climaxing to a percussion-heavy finale. "I Wanna Be Free" makes for an effective bridge to the album's epic, "July Morning", which is the album's standout masterpiece.

Side two is all that prevents "Look At Yourself" from a 5 star rating as it is generally less focused than side one. There are still strong moments, they're just further between. The tone of the album is more or less the same but with the progressive "Shadows Of Grief" and its chromatic melodies and the soft "What Should Be Done" offering slight changes of mood.

"Look At Yourself" is a prime introduction to Uriah Heep's style and is definitely a heavy prog album that almost any prog fan could appreciate.