EQUATOR

It's sad to say something bad about one of your favourite bands. The plain truth is: this album is only for Heep fans who wants to complete their collections. Rockarama (the opening track) was the single culled from the album, but is a poor track (and also has a ridiculous videoclip). Following Rockarama, there are three awful songs: Bad Blood, Lost One Love and Angel (which ranks among 1980's worst rock'n'roll music!! And the Eighties simply sucks!!!). Things get a little better with Holding On, still a little better with Party Time (which is simple and fun, although a lot commercial - should have been a single), and then comes the album's masterpiece, Poor Little Rich Girl (okay, lyrics are awful, but the music is beautiful), a great ballad which, with different arrangement, could have been part of any Uriah Heep's release in the seventies. The next tracks, Skools Burnin' and Heartache City are good 80's heavy metal, and could have been part of Abominog and Head First without any problem (Heartache City is more inspired than the other). The last track, Night of the Wolf, is the second best piece of work at this album, a great hard rock tune with stunning keyboards (Gee, John Sinclair knew how to play!!). So, we have three great tracks out of ten - a very bad balance. The major fault is: this Uriah Heep version (Bolder, Box, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) was hot on stage (when you watch the Gypsy DVD, you can only agree with me), but didn't work on studio; also, live versions of Rockarama and Heartache City (included as bonus tracks on Live in Moscow) showed the material wasn't all that weak. This album was a commercial failure, and the band was fired from CBS shortly after. Goalby and Sinclair left, and the "wilderness years" of Uriah Heep begun. They're still rocking today, although only playing live (I am waiting for another set of new material), but this album is something to forget. Warning: some CD editions does not complain the bonus track (Backstage Girl) - but mthis fact makes no difference, this song makes no difference.