Uriah Heep and the critics

Dean wrote: Svetonio wrote: Toaster Mantis wrote: (...) my own theory is indeed that Uriah Heep weren't very easy to pigeonhole into the glam-rock, prog/psych or heavy metal rival movements in the rock music of the day but I weren't there so I'm a bit cautious with laying down a thesis like that (...) In 70s, Uriah Heep were considered as a hard rock band only. *sigh* You might want to read that NME article from 1972 I linked in my previous post before making such claims. (...)

I never heard (read) in 70s about Uriah Heep as progressive rock band, although Yugoslav rock critics did do a lot "copy/paste" lifting from British rock articles at that time. And as I said, I saw them live in 1979 and they were advertized in town as "hard rock" band. I remember also that in crowd at the concert nobody mentioned that the Uriah Heep is the progressive rock band; everybody come to see an exciting hard rock band. Although I agree that Uriah Heep deserved to be in PA heavy prog rock section, they were considered as a hard rock band in 70s. I don't care what an internet article say.

Edited by Svetonio - April 27 2014 at 08:23

^ I was wrong, it was in 1977, but nevermind because it still to be five years after the item you post. It is really nice to see that someone from NME called UH prog in 1972.
However, based on what I heard at  Belgrade's 1977 concert, it was much more hard(er) rock sound than on their vinyls. As they were in Yugoslavia for the first time then, they were playing all of their triggers, and it was hard rock, & very loud. 

Edited by Svetonio - April 27 2014 at 10:02

Svetonio wrote: ^ I was wrong, it was in 1977, but nevermind because it still to be five years after the item you post. It is really nice to see that someone from NME called UH prog in 1972. However, based on what I heard at  Belgrade's 1977 concert, it was much more hard(er) rock sound than on their vinyls. As they were in Yugoslavia for the first time then, they were playing all of their triggers, and it was hard rock, & very loud.

I find it a bit strange to read about this kind of hostility towards UH. I only just got the "Magician's Birthday" album, and so far it's the only one I've heard, but I found some really beautiful songs on it, and I really liked Byron's singing, I can't imagine anyone being bothered by his voice, I find it just beautiful, one of the better aspects of the band.

Edited by Dellinger - April 28 2014 at 20:46

Again from the Logan-Woffinden book: majority of critics said John Wetton joined the band in 1975 only for the money.

...well couldn't it be for the Heep music, could it?

Edited by Andrea Cortese - April 27 2014 at 14:47

At least critics were coherent: Given that the music wasn't respectable enough one had to join only for the almighty dollar! Ahahah

dr wu23 wrote: Dellinger wrote: I find it a bit strange to read about this kind of hostility towards UH. I only just got the "Magician's Birthday" album, and so far it's the only one I've heard, but I found some really beautiful songs on it, and I really liked Byron's singing, I can't imagine anyone having being bothered by his voice, I find it just beautiful, one of the better aspects of the band.   I agree with you for the most part , and I bought  the  first album when it came out  in 1970.....Byron is not a 'bad' singer and their music is not that bad at all ......though  I did stop buying them after Magicians Birthday. I prolly should listen to those that came out in the rest of the 70's.

Edited by The Dark Elf - April 27 2014 at 20:11

Great band in the early 70's. IMHO High & Mighty was their last good album and the double live set from 1973(?) was incredible. I don't know what it is but for me I could never really separate the rock n roll element from their rock

Heep is pretty bad. Sometimes the critics are right. I can see why they didn't want rock to go in a Dungeons & Dragons direction. I don't particularly care for that stuff either. I just like music that has compositional content, which is what prog is about. It's funny that prog has that D&D image, when it was far more the realm of Zep and heavy metal. Sure it had those moments and there is a lot of general "fantasy", but it's pretty all over the place.


Edited by King Crimson776 - April 27 2014 at 22:26

Andrea Cortese wrote: From the italian version of the Logan-Woffinden Rock Encyclopedia: Uriah Heep: "one of the many bands that plagiarized without shame the heavy metal trail of Led Zeppelin. Though with the hostilityohf the whole rock critic the band made its debut in 1970..." well... wow

Edited by Svetonio - April 28 2014 at 03:52