Among venerable UK rock institutions, with Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull dispersing, we are, perhaps, really, down to just Deep Purple, Yes and Uriah Heep left to uphold the tradition of quality original
progressive hard rock forged at the very beginning of a golden era for this music, late ‘60s into the nexus year that was 1970. At that crossroads, along with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, Uriah Heep helped invent a decorative and uniquely British form of heavy metal with their debut album, Very ‘Eavy, Very ‘Umble. The record was offered as a self-titled on American shores, but whatever the titling, it was historically massive in the invention of a music format that would rule the ‘70s and only intensify in the ‘80s.
It is from those roots, with classic, crucial slabs of nascent metal such as “Gypsy,” “Bird of Prey” and “Walking in Your Shadow,” that Uriah Heep began their ascendance both at home and in the US, culminating in their most enduring works, Demons and Wizards, The Magician’s Birthday and Sweet Freedom, all of which went gold in the States, entering the Billboard Top 40, ensuring years of concert
dominance for the band throughout the ‘70s. Furthermore, Uriah Heep have been responsible for the most elevated and intelligent use of vocals in a heavy metal context amongst the major bands inventing the genre in the 1970s. It is for this reason Heep were coined the Beach Boys of Heavy Metal, and their influence is there for all to see in other bands including the likes of Sweet and Queen. The band were also one of the forerunners with respect to the integration of Hammond organ, along with Mick’s signature wah-wah guitar, a combination that became the template for their sound.
Uriah Heep is an English rock band formed in London in 1969. Their current lineup consists of guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, lead vocalist Bernie Shaw, drummer Russell Gilbrook, and bassist
Dave Rimmer. They have experienced numerous lineup changes throughout their 53-year career, leaving Box as the only remaining original member. Notable former members of the band are vocalists David Byron, John Lawton, John Sloman and Peter Goalby, bassists Gary Thain, Trevor Bolder, John Wetton, Bob Daisley, Paul Newton, and John Jowitt, drummers Nigel Olsson, Iain Clark, Lee Kerslake and Chris Slade, and keyboardists Ken Hensley and John Sinclair.
Uriah Heep were part of the early 1970s rock scene, and have been referred to as pioneers of the hard
rock, heavy metal and progressive rock genres. The band has sold over 40 million albums worldwide with over four million sales in the U.S, where its best-known songs include "Gypsy", "Easy Livin'", "The Wizard", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Stealin'". They also maintain a significant following and perform at arena-sized venues in the Balkans, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Finland and Scandinavia.
01. URIAH HEEP - SALISBURY 1971
On their second album, Uriah Heep jettisons the experiments that weighed down Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble and works toward perfecting their blend of heavy metal power and prog rock complexity. Salisbury tips the band's style in the prog direction, containing one side of songs and one side dominated by a lengthy
and ornate epic-length composition. Highlights on the song-oriented side include "Bird of Prey," a soaring rocker that blends furious, power chord-fuelled verses with spacy, keyboard-drenched instrumental breaks, and "Lady in Black," a stylishly arranged tune that builds from a folk-styled acoustic tune into a throbbing rocker full of ghostly harmonies and crunching guitar riffs. The big surprise on this side is "The Park," a ballad-style song built on a light blend of acoustic guitars and ethereal keyboards. It has a gentle, appealingly psychedelic feel that is topped off by David Byron's falsetto vocal and some soaring harmonies from Byron and Ken Hensley.
Uriah Heep – Salisbury
Label: Sanctuary Midline – SMRCD049
Format: CD, Album, Deluxe Edition, Reissue, Remastered 2003
Country: Europe
Released:1971
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock, Prog Rock
TRACKS
01. Bird Of Prey 4:14
02. The Park 5:44
03. Time To Live 4:03
04. Lady In Black 4:42
05. High Priestess 3:41
06. Salisbury 16:17
Arranged By [Brass & Woodwinds] – John Fiddy
BONUS TRACKS
07. Simon The Bullet Freak (US Album Version) 3:27
08. Here I Am (Previously Unreleased Version) 7:50
09. Lady In Black (Previously Unreleased Version) 3:33
10. High Priestess (Single Edit) 3:38
11. Salisbury (Previously Unreleased Single Edit) 4:21
12. The Park (Previously Unreleased Version) 5:18
13. Time To Live (Previously Unreleased Version) 4:14
LINE - UP
David Byron – lead vocals (except "Lady in Black" and "High Priestess")
Mick Box – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Ken Hensley – organ, piano, slide guitar, acoustic guitar, harpsichord, vibraphone, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Lady in Black" and "High Priestess"
Paul Newton – bass guitar, backing vocals
Keith Baker – drums
Flac Size: 513 MB
02. URIAH HEEP - LOOK AT YOURSELF 1971
The third time proved to be the charm for Uriah Heep: on Look at Yourself, the group perfects its fusion of heavy metal power and prog rock majesty, and the result is one of the best albums in the Heep catalog.
The gauntlet is thrown down on the title track, a powerful rocker that layers its relentless hard rock attack with ornate vocal harmonies and quicksilver organ runs before climaxing with a tribal-sounding drum jam. The remainder of Look at Yourself presents an effective blend of gutsy guitar rock and organ-fueled prog excursions. In the rock arena, the gems are "Tears in My Eyes," a powerful rocker driven by an almost rockabilly-style riff that stops midway for a surprising vocal harmony break supported by smooth wah-wah guitar, and "Love Machine," a short, punchy slice of hard rock built on an infectious, stomping rhythm.
Uriah Heep – Look At Yourself
Label: Castle Music – CMRCD671
Format: CD, Album, Deluxe Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Expanded
Country: Europe
Released: Oct 25, 2004
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock, Prog Rock, Classic Rock
TRACKS
01. Look At Yourself 5:11
02. I Wanna Be Free 4:01
03. July Morning 10:32
04. Tears In My Eyes 5:01
05. Shadows Of Grief 8:39
06. What Should Be Done 4:13
07. Love Machine 3:420
BONUS TRACKS
08. What's Within My Heart (Out-Take From Look At Yourself Sessions) 5:24
09. Why (Look At Yourself Out-Take) 11:18
10. Look At Yourself (Alternative Single Version) 3:19
11. Tears In My Eyes (Extended Version, Previously Unreleased) 5:38
12. What Should Be Done (Out-Take, Original Studio Version) 4:26
13. Look At Yourself (BBC Session, Previously Unreleased) 4:32
14. What Should Be Done (BBC Session, Previously Unreleased) 3:26
LINE - UP
Lead Vocals – David Byron
Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Mick Box
Bass – Paul Newton
Drums – Iain Clark
Organ, Piano, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Ken Hensley
Written-By – Byron (tracks: 5, 7, 9), Hensley, Box (tracks: 7, 9), Newton (tracks: 9)
Flac Size: 480 MB
03. URIAH HEEP - DEMONS AND WIZARDS 1972
This is the album that solidified Uriah Heep's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected heavy metal. From short, sharp rock songs to lengthy, musically dense epics, Demons and Wizards finds Uriah Heep covering all the bases with style and power. The album's approach is set with its lead-off track, "The Wizard": it
starts as a simple acoustic tune but soon builds into a stately rocker that surges forth on a Wall of Sound built from thick guitar riffs, churchy organ, and operatic vocal harmonies. Other highlights include "Traveller in Time," a fantasy-themed rocker built on thick wah-wah guitar riffs, and "Circle of Hands," a stately power ballad with a gospel-meets-heavy metal feel to it. Demons and Wizards also produced a notable radio hit for the band in "Easy Livin'," a punchy little rocker whose raging blend of fuzz guitar and swirling organ made it feel like a '70s update of classic '60s garage rockers like the Electric Prunes or Paul Revere & the Raiders. However, the top highlight of the album is the closing medley of "Paradise" and "The Spell".
Uriah Heep – Demons And Wizards
Label: BMG – BMGCAT2CD58, Sanctuary – BMGCAT2CD58
Format: 2 x CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo
Country: Europe
Released: 2017
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock, Prog Rock
CD1. ORIGINAL LP REMASTERED
01. The Wizard 3:00
Written-By – Hensley, Clarke
02. Traveller In Time 3:25
Written-By – Byron, Kerslake, Box
03. Easy Livin' 2:37
Written-By – Hensley
04. Poet's Justice 4:15
Written-By – Hensley, Kerslake, Box
05. Circle Of Hands 6:25
Written-By – Hensley
06. Rainbow Demon 4:25
Written-By – Hensley
07. All My Life 2:44
Written-By – Byron, Kerslake, Box
08. Paradise 5:10
Written-By – Hensley
09. The Spell 7:31
Written-By – Hensley
CD2. AN ALTERNATIVE DEMONS AND WIZARDS
Written-By – Hensley
02. Rainbow Demon (Alternate Version) 6:11
Written-By – Hensley
03. Traveller In Time (Alternate Version) 3:48
Written-By – Byron, Kerslake, Box
04. Paradise (Alternate Version) 5:26
Written-By – Hensley
05. The Spell (Alternate Version) 8:10
Written-By – Hensley
06. All My Life (Alternate Version) 3:09
Written-By – Byron, Kerslake, Box
07. Home Again To You (Alternate Version) 4:51
Written-By – Hensley
08. Why (Alternate Version) 13:44
Written-By – Byron, Hensley, Box, Newton
09. The Wizard (Alternate Version) 3:04
Written-By – Hensley, Clarke
10. Poet's Justice (Alternate Version) 4:40
Written-By – Hensley, Kerslake, Box
11. Circle Of Hands (Alternate Version) 8:06
Written-By – Hensley
12. Proud Words (Alternate Version) 2:52
Written-By – Hensley
13. Green Eye (Alternate Version) 4:04
Written-By – Hensley
14. Why (Alternate Single Edit) 4:45
Written-By – Byron, Hensley, Box, Newton
LINE - UP
Vocals – David Byron
Bass Guitar – Gary Thain
Drums, Percussion – Lee Kerslake
Guitar – Mick Box
Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion – Ken Hensley
Flac Size: 813 MB
Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday on Urban Aspirines HERE
