BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (LIVE IN LONDON 2004) (DVD)

When I visit threads about live albums I always mention Genesis Live, Yessongs, Rush with Exit Stage Left, ELP's Welcome Back, Pink Floyd At Pompeii, Deep Purple's Made In Japan and ... Uriah Heep Live. Especially the latter one still evokes so many pleasant and exciting feelings and for me July Morning is no less than a progrock masterpiece! Unfortunately I have never seen the David Byron Uriah Heep era and I had to miss their Pinkpop Festival performance in 1976 because my father judged in all his wisdom that 15 years was too young to travel to the other part of Holland. But in 2000 a dream came true when I witnessed an Uriah Heep gig in De Boerderij in Zoetermeer, very near to my hometown The Hague, and another dream came true when Dutch #1 Uriah Heep fan Louis Rentrop arranged a meeting and even an interview with my guitar hero Mick Box two hours before the show, I was in Heavy Prog Heaven! But what about that new Uriah Heep?

Well, I am not very up to their music after Return To Fantasy and to most of the songs on this DVD but I am impressed by Uriah Heep on stage: after all those years they still succeed to present a good and inspired rock show. Especially singer Bernie Shaw is the archetypical rock singer with his strong voice and a very enthousiastic and dynamic approach but it is Mick Box who steales the show with his 'cheek-in-tongue-guitar-hero-stage-antics' (like imitating Jimi Hendrix with a big smile on his face) and his legendary guitar riffs. The first 10 songs are up-tempo melodic rock songs with a fine 'keyboard touch' but for me this DVD starts with the final three tracks. First Gypsy with the super-propulsive guitar riff and very compelling atmosphere, loaded with powerful Hammond organ waves. Keyboard player Phil Lanzon does a good job by adding own ideas like an orchestral brass sound and Bernie Shaw delivers a very good performance, both musically as visually. Then the stage favorite Look At Yourself with the exciting wah-wah guitar and halfway a big surprise, Osibisa! Within a few seconds it's like Uriah Heep on the Brasilian carnival or Uriah Heep on Peter Gabriel his WOMAD festival, what a great blend of African percussion and Lee Kerslake on drums, supported by a sea of clapping hands, audience and band members, music unites! Finally my favorite Uriah Heep composition July Morning, it features biting wah-wah guitar and lush Hammond organ, pleasant keyboard arrangements by Phil Lanzon and the focus is on Mick Box who shows that you can still have pleasure on stage after 30 years of rock and roll!

Highly recommended to every Uriah Heep fan although I use the programm function for song 11,12 and 13. My rating: 3,5 stars.