DIFFERENT WORLD

I'm afraid that "Different World" won't bring anything different to the Heep's discography. This album clearly indicates that the hard (or even heavy) side will be pursued. This was already the case in their previous album, which was too monotonous to be interesting. I'm afraid we'll get the same stuff here.

Although the opening track is a decent number (and probably one of the best here), I cannot find the brilliantness of earlier opening numbers. I just believe that the genious has gone, that no one can replace Hensley in terms of song-writing (I admit it was not an easy task). This album is a carbon copy of the previous one : same tempo, same structure. It sounds dull most of the time.

It is very difficult to take out a number that would be different, better. Most sound the same and it is not the use of a children choir in "All God's Children" that will change my mind. "All For One", sounds a bit different though : the Heep meets the electro-pop genre. Rather unexpected but I can not complain since it brings a bit of diversity on this work. The chorus is a bit mellowish but it is not too bad a song. Easy listening music. Like the title track : a pop song also "lighter" than the first three numbers. Nothing great though.

My preferred song on this album is "Step By Step". It reminds me seriously Purple Mark III. It rocks very well, I must say. This was the third track in a row that can be catalogued as a decent number. But we are brought back immediately to the heavy side with "Seven Days". There will be another attempt to pop song with "First Touch". Needless to say that it is rather weak.

This album (like the previous one) lacks in personality. Hundreds of bands must have produced such efforts in the eighties. This album is not their worse but I do not recommend it, neither to old fans of course, neither to someone willing to be introduced to the band.

The remastered edition holds the awful "Rockarama" version available on "Live In Moscow" as well as some edited versions of their previous album ("Hold your Head up", "Blood Red Roses"). Not really useful as the whole of this work. It was long time ago since the Heep did produce such a weak album ("Fallen Angel" in 1978).

I was hesitant for the rating but really, it does not deserve much than one star (maybe three out of ten). It is quite a deception since I had put many hopes in this line-up thanks to their very good "Live In Moscow". It seems that , thanks to good musicianship, they can only perform (very well) old numbers but when comes the time to write new material, the story is diametrically different. There is not a single second of prog here, of course.