From all the early
seventies live double hard rock albums,
most people would reckon that Deep Purple's
'Made in Japan’ comes out top of
the heap. But to this old dog Uriah Heep's
live album just pips it at the post. Both
were released by their record companies
within six months of each other; Deep
Purple's effort coming in December of
1972, while Uriah Heep's came in May of
the following year. Both came with the
same mass marketing including the special
price tag of two LPs for the equivalent
of one. Both albums pushed their respective
bands into the superstar division. And,
remarkably in similar fashion, both bands
would fire their lead vocalist and bassist
within a couple of years.
Deep Purple's ‘Made in Japan’
consisted of a complete concert, only
seven songs, drawing heavily on their
last album, at the time ‘Machine
Head’, but missed out on the encores
(until they were later added on when the
album was re-mastered for CD, and a very
worthy addition they are, too). ‘Made
in Japan’ also included ‘The
Mule’, which is basically a 10-minute
drum solo. No matter how good Mr. Paice
is, how many times do you want to listen
to a drum solo? Final track on ‘Made
in Japan’ is ‘Space Truckin',
which, at twenty odd minutes, took up
the whole of side four in the days of
vinyl. Although it starts out in fine
rockin' style, the final fifteen minutes
of everybody soloing against everybody
else was very exciting if you were actually
at the concert, but gets just a bit tedious
with the sound but no visual.
Whereas the Uriah Heep Live came in with
a total of twelve songs, including three
encore numbers. Sadly though, to make
space for these encore numbers, four concert
numbers played on that night in Birmingham,
England, had to be cut and have since
been lost. We shall never hear the whole
concert with ‘Lady In Black’,
‘Bird Of Prey’, ‘The
Wizard’, and ‘Come Away Melinda’
in their rightful place in the set. The
selection that we did get had songs from
four of Uriah Heep's five albums to date.
Nothing from second album, ‘Salisbury’,
made it to the live album.
Opening with a brace from latest album,
‘the Magician’s Birthday’,
‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sweet
Lorraine’, where the rhythm section
of Kerslake and Thain show that after
a year together in the band they have
really jelled, propelling Heep into another
realm. Thain, originally from New Zealand,
was one of the new breed of bass guitarists
who, as well as putting in plenty of bottom
end, also used his axe as a lead instrument,
never happy to be submerged in the mix.
Lee Kerslake, one of the nicest men to
have stepped onto a rock 'n' roll stage,
did not so much use his arms and wrists
to beat the skins, but seemed to use his
whole body and every inch of energy in
it to put the power into Heep.
The band then continued with two songs
from ‘The Demons and Wizards’,
‘Traveler In Time’, and ‘Easy
Livin'. It seems strange now to hear ‘Easy
Livin' so early in the set, as today it
is usually kept back for a final blast
to bring the Heep's concert to a dramatic
rockin' climax.
‘July Morning’ from Heep's
third album ‘Look At Yourself’
is the first epic hauled out by the band,
showing off all the band's assets, epecially
the talents of David Byron, who in 1973
was at the peak of his powers, both as
an entertainer and a vocalist with a quite
extraordinary range. Add this to the five-part
harmonies the rest of the band was able
to put in, and ‘July Morning’
gets the stamp of a rock classic.
For a change of style, but certainly
not pace, Ken Hensley comes from behind
his bank of keyboards to play a slide
guitar duel with lead guitarist Mick Box
on ‘Look at Yourself' and ‘Tears
in My Eyes’, and quite a battle
it is, too. Then it's back behind the
keyboards for Ken Hensley for his keyboard
solo number ‘Gypsy’, which
comes from Uriah Heep's first album 'Ever
So 'Eavy Ever So 'Umble’. Clocking
in at 14 minutes, there is plenty of space
for Ken Hensley to go through his antics
using all the organs and Moog’s
at his disposal.
Then there is time for one more epic
in the ‘Demons and Wizards’
song, ‘Circle of Hands’. It
starts off with some lovely interplay
between Hensley's piano and Byron's vocals
before the band gradually builds the song
to a rousing conclusion. Then ‘Look
at Yourself’ charges out as Mick
Box brings the house down with a crushing
guitar solo.
That leaves only encore time, a snippet
of ‘The Magician’s Birthday’
before the volume is cranked to 11 for
a run through of ‘Love Machine’,
which just rocks. Then, as was tradition
in those days, something for band and
audience to really let their hair down
to - the Rock 'n' Roll Medley. By this
time it is difficult to tell who is having
a better time, the band or the audience.
So, for best heavy rock live album of
the early seventies, Mott gives it to
Uriah Heep by the shortest of noses. Deep
Purple definitely came an honorable second
though.
Rocked By Mott the Dog
‘n’
Rolled By Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
