Uriah Heep
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29793
Printed Date: February 15 2025 at 10:31
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Uriah Heep
Posted By: tuxon
Subject: Uriah Heep
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 15:18
|
I'm not really a big Uriah heep fan, but I enjoy most of their work, so let's discuss Heep.
personally I think (and I'm sure all will agree) their early years are almost brilliant, with such classic as Look At Yourself, Magicians Birthday, Demons And WIzards, Salisbury.
But everything after that is not up to par with those albums.
Still I enjoy every album I have from them.
albums like Sea of Light, Abominog, Raging Silence, Return To Fantasy, etc. are all very good and certainly worth a spin once in a while.
what's your opinion on Uriah Heep, regarding Heep after their classic years (which ended in 1974 for me) ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Replies:
Posted By: The Rock
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 15:37
|
Sweet Freedom is classic Heep IMHO.
Listen to Pilgrims!
 Sea of Light ain't bad either. ------------- What's gonna come out of my mouth is gonna come out of my soul."Skip Prokop" |
Posted By: akin
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 16:11
Uriah Heep is one of my favourite bands, but I agree with their best
work concentrated in early seventies. I would say everything with David
Byron on vocals and Firefly are superb, Firefly being the best of the
three after 74 (Return to Fantasy and High and Mighty). Then
Innocent Victim, Fallen Angel and Conquest are very good albuns and
although people criticize Conquest, I found it a great album (fools, it
ain't easy). Goalby albuns are interesting, but much weaker than the
previous. The later ones with Shaw in vocals are good also, being Sea
Of Light their best work since Hensley departed. Sonic Origami is
almost near, but IMO little worse. Then lots of live albuns and the
long waited new album is promised to the beginning of 2007. I expect a
triple album at least  . |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 18:06
|
Heep have long been a favourite band of mine. I must say certain eras lost their lustre for me after I played them a lot, but most of their catalogue is excellent, imo.
The debut album is a little hit and miss at times but anyway, their first 5 albums at least are umimpeachable classics. From 'Salisbury' through 'Magician's Birthday' barely a note is put wrong. I love pretty much every note of the first few Byron albums.
'Sweet Freedom' for me started a slight decline in material, though most of that album still sounds damned good, but it led to the thin sounding 'Wonderworld', half of which is disposable imo. You have some fine ballads in the title track, 'Shadows And The Wind', 'The Easy Road' and an underrated epic in 'Dreams'. The other songs aren't so hot.
'Return To Fantasy' goes to the other extreme with an over egged production of some fairly unremarkable AOR numbers- the title track is classic Heep, and 'Beautiful Dream', 'Devil's Daughter' and 'A Year Or A Day' could have been on any Heep album.
'High And Mighty' has some of their best material but also some of their worst- the first side is stunningly good, whilst 'Footprints In The Snow' and 'Confession' are truly gorgeous, moving ballads. The other songs are all pretty dreadful, really.
'Firefly' is one of their very best efforts. The sound is more AOR in tone, but 'The Hanging Tree', 'Wise Man', 'Sympathy' and the truly beautiful title track are some of the best Heep songs of all time. Lawton must be the most underrated vocalist in rock. His other albums, 'Innocent Victim' and 'Fallen Angel' are patchier, with too much Hensley pop/AOR. Still, some stunners emerge in 'Come Back To Me', 'Illusion', 'Choices', 'The Dance', 'Fallen Angel'. I quite like these albums and would take them over most of their 80s output.
After that, a slippery slope began. 'Conquest' has some great material- 'No Return', 'Fools', 'Out On The Street' and 'It Ain't Easy' stand up well, but the others are weak power ballads imo. 'Abominog' soon wore thin for me with its samey AOR production, though it's the best of their 80s output as all the other albums- 'Head First', 'Equator', 'Raging Silence' and 'Different World'- are the lowest ebb of all Heep, imo. Weak AOR material that could have been any anodyne REO Speedwagon type band. There were a few exceptions- 'Cross That Line', 'Different World' and 'When The War Is Over' are wonderful songs, the first two sounding far more progressive on 'Acoustically Driven', a stunning album.
Happily, 'Sea Of Light' returned them to form they hadn't seen for nearly 20 years. 'Mistress Of All Time' is maybe the best Heep ballad of all time, 'Love In Silence' is one of their all time best prog tracks and all the other songs are superbly crafted. 'Sonic Origami' has a few songs too many, but dig deep and many fantastic songs emerge- 'Between Two Worlds' is a very progressive gem and 'Heartless Land' betters almost every other ballad they've recorded, imo.
There's a potted history of Heep through my eyes.
 |
Posted By: Arrrghus
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 18:08
|
Well, I absolutely love Demons and Wizards, The Magician's Birthday is good, and I'm not sure if I should get Salisbury. ------------- 
|
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 18:54
You should! ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Arrrghus wrote:Posted By: -Minstrel-
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 19:35
|
i only have the salisbury album - but i love 'stargazer'. great! i had the pleasure of seeing them last summer as a support of deep purple. though i didn't know most of the songs, they really kicked ass! mick is a cool guy. he gave me a pick after the show xD i'm going to get more of their stuff i think. which album should i buy next? -m- |
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: October 13 2006 at 20:02
|
For me albums from Lawton era and even "Conquest" are Heep's classics too.
The 80's were hard times for Heep.
After Ken's departure Mick Box and Trevor Bolder offered David Byron to join the band, but he refused to talk about it (we'll never know why). Then Bolder was invited by Wishbone Ash. Mick Box left alone, it looked like the end of Uriah Heep. Mick recalled:
"I ... bought three bottles of Scotch. When I got to the flat, I ... sat in front of the television and drank myself into oblivion. At the end of it I had this horrific hangover. I couldn't lift my head up... But at the same time, I felt I'd kind of purged my system. I thought, "Okay, I've had my blast. Now it's time to build it all back up again."[Taken from "Wizards and Demons. The Uriah Heep Story" by Dave Ling.]
We should thank restless Mick Box for keeping Heep's flame for so many years.
There's no surprise albums from Goalby era sound unlike band's 70's classics. But they all have their moments and proved that the band is still alive.
When Bernie Shaw and Phil Lanzon came in 1986 the line-up became stable. Heep were, as usual, great live band, but the albums "Raging Silence" and "Different World" are pretty weak and don't sound like Heep IMHO. But again these albums were important, at least they reminded that the band still exists.
I almost lost the hope to hear good new songs from my favourite band, but, fortunately, "Sea of Light" in 1995 proved me that I wrong. "Sonic Origami" confirmed band's ability to create extremely good material.
Heep released lots of live CDs and DVD in 2000s. "Legend Continues" DVD (or its CD version "Future Echoes of the Past") and "Acoustically Driven" are my favourite live Heep albums.
I believe in the band and wait for their new studio album.
I think Uriah Heep is one of the few bands who created, musically and lyrically, their own world - world full of love and light.
Thanks to all Heeps, past and present, for giving us the chance to sail the sea of light. ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 01:03
Salmacis reply should give you some indication where to go next.
IMO:
the first 5 studio albums are a must have, if you like 1 of those, you will probably like the other four also.
With Sweet Freedom the decline begins, though untill Innocent Victim on each album some typical UH classics can still be found.
The eighties are only enjoyable if you are either a real fan of heep, or really like classic rock in the eighties style (Abominog is quite good, Raging Silence has some good moments) Sea Of Light is an almost return to form, though I find it very much comprable with the early 90's Queensrÿche sound, if you like Queensrÿche you will like it.
the live material released the last couple of years is generally quite good also, especially The Magician's Birthday Party really is stunning.
BTW, isn't stagazer from Rainbow, for i can't recall a UH song with that name.
in short start at the beginning and continue from that. ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 04:56
There is actually a Heep related song of that name (which is not the Rainbow song). It appears on Ken Hensley's solo album "Eager to please". It was originally on Tempest's second album "Living in fear". http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=6335 - http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=6335
Hensley's version is superb.
|
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 05:24
|
Uriah Heep has always been a very special for me since I bought their 2-live LP, so dynamic, great vocals, guitar and Hammond B3 work. Compositions like Gypsy, Look At Yourself and especially July Monring are timeless !
I have to admit that after their album Look At Yourself (my favorite) Uriah Heep didn't succeed to generate much excitement on their studio albums to me, a bit too predictable or polished. But I still listen frequently to their early albums and Live (1973) is one of the best heavy progrock albums of all times
 A few years ago a dream came true when I could witness a Uriah Heep gig for the first time (I just missed their Pinkpop 1976 performance in Holland ..  ), I was blown away by their powerful, dynamic and professional presentation and their new singer is very charasmatic with a good voice. Another dream came true when (before the concert) I was allowed to make an interview with Mick Box, one of my guitar heroes. I asked him how it was to play Easy Livin' so many times, he answered: "If I look at the happy faces in the crowd, it makes my day!", what a great answer! |
Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 05:39
|
For me "SALISBURY" is the best Heavy Symphonic album of all time!!! ------------- 
|
Posted By: The Rock
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 12:40
|
They were so influential.
Iron Maiden and Queen to name a few have been obviously influenced by them.
------------- What's gonna come out of my mouth is gonna come out of my soul."Skip Prokop" |
Posted By: Andrea Cortese
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 12:44
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000001F43/ref=dp_image_0/102-0093500-5154511?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music"> Today I've bought my first Heep's record!!
|
Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 17:52
I think I agree with you
|
Posted By: Fragile
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 19:48
|
Another Uriah Heep thread and it is absoloutely great.Demons is the best but 'Look at Yourself ' is very special.Byron was the best rock vocalist alive.There's a tear in my eye' The Heep were awesome. |
Posted By: gr8dane
Date Posted: October 14 2006 at 20:40
| I love the Heepsters,but I lost track after Firefly.Everything up til then is great stuff. |
Posted By: T.Rox
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 07:28
|
I was into Heep before Zeppelin, Purple & Sabbath back in the mid 70's ... and my mates used to think I was a bit of a nutter for liking them ... but Heep just did it for me at the time.
I don't listen to Heep all that often these days but when I get 'round to spinning a disc I am always glad that I did.
I have been toying with the idea of getting Acoustically Driven. Anyone got any opinions on this album? ------------- "Without prog, life would be a mistake." ...with apologies to Friedrich Nietzsche |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 09:52
| 'Acoustically Driven' is excellent. It's a quite progressive album with some definite folky leanings. What's especially good about it is that it digs out songs from weaker albums like 'Wonderworld', 'Different World' and 'Fallen Angel' and shows how underrated some of the songs from those albums are. More often than not, these versions improve on the originals wholeheartedly, imho. |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 09:58
|
The DVD Acoustically Driven prooves what a great tune-smiths Uriah Heep were and what a good musicians they are, all have contributed to a stunning upgrade of most songs and I love the very pleasant atmosphere during the concert
|
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 11:04
|
I find "Circle of Hands" from the acoustic set particularly memorable. I posted a lengthy observation on it a while back, which I've now made into a blog.
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29875 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29875
|
Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 17:25
|
They're a bit of an odd case really - I've just bought "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble" and "Look at Yourself", mainly because they turned up in my local vinyl treasure-trove and I don't already own copies.
But I've listened to "Demons and Wizards" and "Magician's Birthday", and felt a bit bitten from a Prog Rock perspective. It's great rock, with some blinding tunes and the legendary Heep choir - but it ain't Prog Rock. I note we file them under "Art Rock", which is a bit of a joke really! Great band, but shouldn't be in the Prog lounge. ------------- The important thing is not to stop questioning. |
Posted By: mina
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 17:36
| i've only heard salisbury, but it blew away my misconceptions of the band. |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: October 15 2006 at 19:47
|
Good read there Easy livin' ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: T.Rox
Date Posted: October 16 2006 at 05:55
I suppose I was a bit miffed when I first saw Heep in PA. I would have placed them more in the Proto-Prog / Prog Related areas rather than Art Rock, if in PA at all.
When I was a youngster I never considered UH, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Queen or Golden Earring to be anything other than rock or hard rock acts; whereas I always considered Yes, Genesis, Tull & Floyd to be Prog artists.
...but all of this I feel is an endless debate! ------------- "Without prog, life would be a mistake." ...with apologies to Friedrich Nietzsche |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: October 16 2006 at 06:45
|
At least I see their albums "Salibury" and "Magician's Birthday" as progressive rock.
Another case could be DEEP PURPLE which are proto prog, having three psych albums + orchestral symphonic album out of 54 releases, 50 of them being basic hard-rock.
|
Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: October 16 2006 at 07:58
Deep Purple are Proto-Prog...  http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=1969
(Sorry, hyperlink widget fluffs up in IE7). Without wishing to enter into this particular debate in this thread (start another?) I reviewed "Magician's Birthday" a while back, and found it severely lacking in the Prog department: http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31302 ------------- The important thing is not to stop questioning. |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: October 16 2006 at 08:02
Yes, but only their 3 albums out of 54 are that.
|
Posted By: T.Rox
Date Posted: October 16 2006 at 08:18
------------- "Without prog, life would be a mistake." ...with apologies to Friedrich Nietzsche |
Posted By: M. B. Zapelini
Date Posted: October 17 2006 at 06:06
What a great place to start. This album turned five friends of mine into UH fans! Hope this happens to you too.
Uriah Heep was always one of my favorite bands - I actually like all their albums, except "Equator", which is a crap (still there's a few decent pop tunes, like "Heartache City", "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Night of the Wolf"; even "Different World" has his moments. I think John Lawton is one of the most underrated rock singers of all time, and he's still doing a terrific job today, as everybody can see at UH recend videos (although he's sporting an horrible toupeé!). But his work with UH wasn't as strong as Byron's, so most fans tend to underrate him. It's a shame.
By the way, what would be your ideal UH line-up? Mine is a six piece band:
John Lawton - lead vocals
Mick Box - guitar
Ken Hensley - keyboards & guitar
Phil Lanzon - keyboards
John Wetton - bass
Lee Kerslake - drums ------------- "He's a man of the past and one of the present" PETER HAMMILL |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: October 17 2006 at 13:51
|
Well I consider myself to be a die hard of their 70s period but I found the 80s stuff quickly wore out its welcome and was basically anodyne AOR that any band could have recorded. Very little of the Heep sound was in these albums. They only found it again with the superb 'Sea Of Light'- right up there with the very best imo.
As for Lawton, I agree and posted here that he was the most underrated rock vocalist ever- close run with Samson's Nicky Moore. I think Lawton saved some of the albums he did with Heep. 'Firefly' is a classic and one of their best but the other two and the unreleased 'Five Miles' sessions are often obvious AOR missives that are a million miles away from the direction the fans liked. Lawton makes silk purses out of sow's ears like 'Keep On Ridin', 'Roller' and 'Put Your Lovin' On Me' which are all slight soft rockers.
John Wetton's contribution to Heep was mainly down his close friendship with David Byron, imo. Rumour has it he was the only member of any incarnation of Heep that attended Byron's funeral over 20 years ago. Wetton turned up at the Magician's Birthday Party event signing memorabilia etc. I think (I'm sure I can see him on the DVD), and was even due to play with them at the 2003 one but he never did. He did play a short tour with Ken Hensley, as has John Lawton.
I agree that 'The Magician's Birthday' isn't a progressive album as such- songs like 'Blind Eye', 'Echoes In The Dark' and 'Tales' have a sort of folk prog tinge that came out more in the 'Acoustically Driven' project. I always found the title track to be more excessive than progressive, particularly the gratuitous guitar solo section...However, I think their first 4 albums have a fair bit of prog here and there- never more so than 'Salisbury', their most progressive album.
|
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 03:01
Welcome Mina.
If you liked Salisbury you should try "Look at Yourself" it's the fisrt really Prog Heep album, still Gary Thain and Lee Kerslake hadn't joined the band for their best lineup (They had 30 changes in 10 years
 ) but the album is pure platinuum.
If it was only for this three songs, the album would be worth already, but it's much more. Iván ------------- 
|
Posted By: mina
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 03:04
| ah, my first recommendation. exciting! thank you, ivan. i will definitely check that album out. |
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 03:54
|
Welcome Mina, always good to have another Heep fan on board!
I wouldn't read too much into the fact that only Wetton attended Byron's funeral. The rest of the band all had their own problems at the time, and had pretty much lost touch with David. It wasn't a deliberate snub as such.
|
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 05:34
| Yeah I know that Mick Box was shocked and took to drinking for a short period after it, and I think it was one of the catalysts in Ken Hensley cleaning up his act. I think anyway... |
Posted By: baldy flapstick
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 19:31
|
I'm not really
a fan of Uriah Heep and never considered them to be a prog band. I had
a compilation of their early material when I was a kid including July
Morning on it and I just considered it to be rock music, no more
adventurous than Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin, neither of whom I
classify as prog either. Firefly was an acceptable album but the only
other album I'm familiar with is Conquest which is ok in places but at
times almost embarassing. John Sloman's vocals didn't help. There are
any number of bands who have prog moments without really being prog but
how we classify what is and isn't prog I guess will be a debate which
rattles on forever.
------------- Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: October 18 2006 at 19:36
Yes Salmacis and remember thay had already passed for that same situation a few years before when Gary Thain almost died electrocuted on stage and his addiction to heroine rised so fast they had to kick him despite being probably the best bassist ever.
A short time after Gary Died woith OD so David Byron's situation was more of the same in a short lapse of time, it's understandable they were shocked.
Iván -------------
|
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: October 20 2006 at 06:31
|
This is one of my fathers' fave bands!!!
I grown up with the sounds of "Weep in Silence","Sunrise","Lady in Black","Illusion","Sympathy","July Morning","The Park","Choises","The Dance" and other legendary Heep tracks.I don't consider them to be Prog,but they're excellent anyway.Fave albums - "The Magician's Birthday","Innocent Victim","Demons and Wizards","Salisbury" etc |
Posted By: kev2307
Date Posted: October 20 2006 at 13:18
|
I was lucky introduced to Uriah Heep by my first girlfriend back in 1972 - I tried to educate her about Deep Purple and failed.
But I must admit I love the 'Live' album. The whole tuning bit at the beginning and Dave Byron telling everyone it was going out live, pure musical theater.
I was lucky enough to have an instructor in the army who taught us to type to Uriah Heep - he felt they had good rhythm.
One song no one seems to mention is 'Illusion' - I am a great fan of the early stuff but I did think this was an acceptional song from the late 70's
|
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: October 20 2006 at 17:54
Well, post thee here ye ratings:
 http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31249 - URIAH HEEP - Very 'eavy...Very 'umble http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31433 - URIAH HEEP - Uriah Heep  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31266 - URIAH HEEP - Salisbury http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31280 - URIAH HEEP - Look at Yourself  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31298 - URIAH HEEP - Demons and Wizards http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31313 - URIAH HEEP - The Magician's Birthday http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31323 - URIAH HEEP - Sweet Freedom http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31341 - URIAH HEEP - Return to Fantasy  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31333 - URIAH HEEP - Wonderworld http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31352 - URIAH HEEP - High and Mighty http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31375 - URIAH HEEP - Fallen Angel http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31366 - URIAH HEEP - Innocent Victim http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31361 - URIAH HEEP - Firefly http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=50362 - URIAH HEEP - Conquest http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31370 - URIAH HEEP - Head First http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31390 - URIAH HEEP - Different World http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31397 - URIAH HEEP - Sea of Light http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=31404 - URIAH HEEP - Sonic Origami |
Posted By: Zoot Allures
Date Posted: October 20 2006 at 22:06
I'm not really familiar with much of Heeps post classic era material so I can't be much of a judge. 
I own all the Heep albums with Byron on vocals and Firefly with Lawton singing which is not a great album but not bad. Nothing after that.
------------- The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. - Hunter S. Thompson |
Posted By: MegaMoog
Date Posted: October 20 2006 at 22:50
|
I just got a DVD of the early 70's it was great even though it had a few sound problems It is really the only chance to see the best time in Heep history
|
Posted By: IVNORD
Date Posted: December 14 2006 at 10:16
They are not a Prog band, more Hard rock/Heavy metal. It's rather nostalgic to me, 30+ years ago. Rarely listen to them nowadays. Demons and Wizards is their best album. |
Posted By: Progger
Date Posted: December 14 2006 at 14:20
|
I play Heep more often than any other 70's band except YES and ELP!
Sweet Freedom still sounds fresh and is my favourite Heep album!
|
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: December 14 2006 at 15:06
| Mmm...to me they are very definitely a prog band. 'Salisbury', 'Wake Up', 'July Morning', 'Shadows Of Grief', 'Circle Of Hands', 'Paradise/The Spell', 'Echoes In The Dark', 'Pilgrim', 'Midnight', 'Firefly' etc...lots of prog tracks, though I think the heavy rock in their music throws people. I love the mix. |
Posted By: ozzy_tom
Date Posted: December 14 2006 at 15:20
|
Uriah Heep is my 2nd favorite band (just after ELP). I especially like their 5 first albums and above all I prefer "Look at Yourself" and "Salisbury". But their first album consists their best song ever - "Gypsy" where is this famous cacophonic organ solo made by maestro Ken Hensly, really great. But after this "classic 5" they played a lot of good songs in the next records, like "Pilgrim", "Dreams", "Return To Fantasy" or "Beautiful Dream" and many others. I like even their albums with diffrent vocalist than Byron but definitely they aren't so good. -------------  
|
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: December 14 2006 at 15:22
|
Yes, I like John Lawton's vocals a great deal, but the material was quite weak on some of the albums. I'd say the current line-up's albums 'Sea Of Light' and 'Sonic Origami' (with a bit of editing on that one) could stand up to most albums.
For me, I always preferred the live version of 'Gypsy' on the 1973 Live album. Got to love that Moog workout from Ken! |
Posted By: IVNORD
Date Posted: December 15 2006 at 08:06
Progger, salmacis, ozzy_tom, No offence intended, JMHO. Heep’s tunes are straight-forward, main-stream rock. The musicianship is good, but again criterion rock, nothing extraordinary. Their use of guitar, organ and percussions suggests more leaning toward Heavy metal (at that early stage Heavy metal was much more “music” than today, that’s why the association could be confusing). And finally, the bass guitar line is more of a background and rhythm support than of an independent instrument. |
Posted By: Chus
Date Posted: December 15 2006 at 10:53
|
I have VEVU, Salisbury, Demons & Wizards and The Magician's Birthday and, to tell you the truth, they sound more to me like a good hard-rock/metal band (Salisbury is the closest to prog)... than a prog band (sometimes they do long songs, but I find them to be overlong really... plus long songs do not necessarily equal prog)... IMO they're not prog, but I find the music enjoyable at times (I still haven't heard Look At Yourself yet, so I wouldn't know about that album's "progginess")
------------- Jesus Gabriel |