INNOCENT VICTIM

Uriah Heep

Heavy Prog

2.88 | 241 ratings

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Easy Livin
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Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Choices to be made

Once you get past the rather grotesque and somewhat inappropriate cover picture (the US version had a more appealing collage of the band members), Uriah Heep's second album with John Lawton on vocals is a pleasant, if rather lightweight offering.

The songs are pretty straightforward, leaning more towards melodic rock than prog. Once again, Hensley favours his synthesiser over the Hammond organ sound which laid the foundations of the band's early work, creating a more orchestral backing. There are a couple of good ballads in "Choices" which has great power, and the softer "Illusion. "Free me" is a catchy pop tune. It's not exactly challenging but should have been at least a minor hit in the UK, as it was in several other countries.

"The dance" is almost funky, a style which suits Lawton's voice far better than it would have Byron's. Finally, there are a number of more traditional rock tracks such as "Keep on ridin'", "Flyin' high" "Free'n'easy" and "Cheat'n'lie"

Ultimately I am left with a feeling that the band's inspiration, and especially Hensley's, is drying up rapidly. This is perhaps further evidenced by the fact that non band member Jack Williams wrote two of the songs, and co- wrote a third with Hensley.

The fade out at the end of "Illusion" was always intriguing, as the pace quickens, and the tune changes completely for a brief moment. This is explained on the 1997 remaster, which includes an eight minute two part track "Illusion/Masquerade". The two were apparently intended to form a single piece (in the way "Paradise" and "The spell" did on "Demons and Wizards"), but the latter was dropped from the album, appearing only as a single B side.

Easy Livin | 3/5 | 2004-7-4

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