Formed in 1969 Uriah
Heep rode the wave of Hard/Progressive
Rock that swept over the music world in
the beginning of the Seventies, changing
the face of popular music for ever. Uriah
Heep never managed to make the final leap
to the premier league of rock music during
this era, unlike their peers Deep Purple;
Black Sabbath; Led Zeppelin; the Rolling
Stones; Genesis; Pink Floyd; etc., but
every year they would make the play off's
in Division One. No matter how much the
lineup changed, they always kept a large,
ever loyal, following.
With their harmony vocals, swirling Hammond
organ, and wah-wah guitar, they soon became
known as the Beach Boys of hard rock.
When this English Quintet's debut album
was released, one journalist with a name,
American Magazine started the review with
the condemning words "If this band
makes it, I'll have to commit suicide".
Well, I do not know what happened to the
journalist, probably condemned to writing
bylines for the Jersey Knitting monthly
on dog shows, but over thirty years later
Mick Box is still leading Uriah Heep to
sold-out concert halls around the world;
although it must be admitted to diminishing
record sales.
Over the years Uriah Heep’s lineup
has changed dramatically. Five lead singers
for a kick off, and the loss of founding
member, keyboard, and slide guitar player
Ken Hensley in 1980, who also co-wrote
six of the eight songs on display here,
was nearly a mortal blow. However, there
was always the most cheerful man in rock,
and lead guitarist extraordinaire, Mick
Box to pick up the pieces and start again
with a new assemble.
Uriah Heep's first real taste of stardom
was between 1972 and 1975, when the new
rhythm section of Gary (The Thin Man)
Thain and Hard Hittin' Drummer Lee Kerslake
(ex-Tonto's Expanding Head Band, ex-Ozzy
Osbourne's Blizzard of Oz, before re-joining
Uriah Heep, who he still plays with to
this day) joined the existing nucleus
of vocalist David Byron (probably has
the largest range of vocal chords in rock),
and one of its leading frontmen Ken Hensley,
and the man still looking like he stepped
right off the set of an American professional
wrestling set, Mick Box, the man who put
the whomp in wah-wah solos. For the three
years before this lineup imploded into
a back biting paradox of egos, they released
four classy studio albums.
'Demons and Wizards' (1972)
'The Magicians Birthday' (only six months
later, also in 1972)
'Sweet Freedom' (this album, 1973) and
'Wonderworld' (1974 – with the worst
cover ever released in the history of
rock)
This line-up also recorded and released
their seminal double live album 'Uriah
Heep Live' (1973). So, if nothing else
they were extremely productive.
Although 'Sweet Freedom’ is not
really a classic Uriah Heep album, it
certainly contains some classic songs
such as Ken Hensley's rocker "Stealin'",
which is a must play in the Uriah Heep
live set to this day, some thirty years
later. With its opening driving bass rhythms
and subdued organ entrance you are immediately
seduced by its hypnotic beat. Then the
gas is turned on and the whole band come
rockin' in. David Byron's vocals are amongst
the best he ever laid down, and although
all the singers, who have taken up the
Heep's microphone since, have had a go
at bending their tonsils around "Stealin'",
none of them has ever managed to capture
the devil may care delivery of Heep's
original singer. Although this is credited
as a Ken Hensley song, you feel that David
Byron should of been given a credit for
his ad-libbed vocals at the end. Add to
that the rock solid drumming of Lee Kerslake,
and a devastating guitar solo from Mr.
Box, you have an all time rock 'n' roll
classic.
Sadly, the rest of the album does not
necessarily live up to the standards set
by the second song. The title track and
closing epic 'Pilgrim’ (clocking
in at over seven minutes) are still included
in the present day's Uriah Heep lineup
repertoire, and would make any Greatest
Hits Collection. ‘Seven Stars’
is a fine Heep rocker that takes a great
twist at the end as David Byron chants
the alphabet backwards and forwards at
his audience. So all in all perhaps not
an essential Uriah Heep album, but certainly
not one that disappoints.
Although Uriah Heep are still going today,
enjoying a new burst of commercial success,
sadly David Byron and Gary Thain are no
longer with us. However, they left behind
a fine legacy in their music.
Scrawled by Mott The Dog
Given a Dickensian touch by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
