URIAH HEEP - LIVE

The Heep produced five (yes FIVE) studio albums in less than three years. From very good to great. Due to an extensive tour it was obvious that the band would need some time to produce another one; so the record company which wanted to capitalize on their growing fame, seriously pushed the band to get this live album out.

It was planned to tape most of their concert and select the best moments out of it to produce a live album. But there were so many technical problems during this tour that if the Heep wanted to record one, it would be from their last concert. The Birmingham one.

Hensley said : "We ended up at Birmingham Town Hall,. It was one of the biggest challenges that we ever faced. We all just looked at the shape of the building and believe it still wasn't going to happen. AND THIS WAS OUR LAST DATE. So we put it out of our minds that we were recording, and just got on with doing our regular show.

Box added : "When we arrived for the sound check at the Birmingham Odeon, the stage was so small we almost didn't record that night foreseeing lots of techical problems. We decided to go for it and I remember Gerry Bron, our manager, saying that from the very first notes played he knew we had it in the can, and that's the way it stayed".

And the Heep just recorded one of the best live rock album of all times.

Their record company produced the Birmingham concert in a... record time, and this double LP (almost at the price of a single one, 3,99 £) sold very fast over a million copies. It was voted one of the best 1973 albums by the music press.

IMO, as far as live albums are concerned during that far away era, there are five references : The Who - Live At Leeds (1971), Slade Alive! ( 1972), Made In Japan (1973), Rock and Roll Animal (1974) and this one. Although two out of the five have been reviewed on this site, one must honestly admit that none belongs to the prog genre. But they are god damned great live albums. In terms of true prog, I would add Genesis Live and Keys To Ascension from Yes of course. I would definitely bring those ones if I ever had to live alone on a island.

On "Uriah Heep Live", the track list is fabulous. Well balanced amongst their studio albums. Most of the highlights are here : Sunrise, Easy Livin', July Morning, Gypsy, Circle of Hands (one of the best track here, absolutely devastating) & Look at Yourself.

Only one track features a long (and at times boring) keyboard solo. These extended soli, were the usual stuff at the time for hard-rock concerts. On this album, only one is not too bad. It will be played during "Gypsy". It is the only negative critic I can honestly write about this effort.

The traditional medley is just superb and is a great tribute to the rock'n'roll legends (Berry and Perkins amongst others). Sound is good and all the band is at its best.

Although cheap as such, this album turned out to be an expensive exercise for me. I purchased the original vinyl album in 1973, then the "remastered" CD version which fits on one CD. A few days ago, I was in London and I saw a "definite" version featuring two CD's. The original Uriah Heep Live and a bonus CD with four tracks from a US radio show and what is called "Film Mixes Used For Radio". This is the recording that is known as "Live At Shepperton". I just think that they should have mentioned this on the album information to avoid misleading fans. Anyway, you can read my detailed review for "Shepperton" in its appropriate section if you want to.

Five stars to this fantastic moment of live music history.