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Product Description
Digitally remastered! Dramatic 1972 LP, reissued with 5 rare BONUS tracks.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I don't feel I can add much to what has been written by the previous reviewers about the album itself except to say this is probably the best starting point for those looking to buy their first Uriah Heep album.
However I can't believe none of them have mentioned the bonus material, more specifically the track 'Why'.
Now normally I'm not a huge fan of the duff demos, lame out-takes and single-versions(often inferior, clumsily edited versions of the original) that make up the majority of bonus material found on 'expanded and remastered' editions, but there are exceptions and boy is this one of them. Apparently this track was unearthed while compiling this version of the album and such is its obscurity no one even knows who played bass on it.
The track itself is amazing; 10 minutes of stunning interaction between guitar, organ and bass all overlayed with the Uriah Heep's trade mark multi-part harmony backing vocals. The amazing thing is it doesn't sound like any thing else on the album and yet is so definitively 'Heep'. The Bass in particular stands out, powerful and ,at times, almost funky; it drives the piece along thrillingly.
If you don't own the album but have an interest in the music of this era (Deep Purple and Wishbone Ash come to mind) then it is an essential purchase.If you already own a copy of this album without the bonus material then I suggest(and I would never normally do so) it is worth getting this version if only for 'Why'.
However I can't believe none of them have mentioned the bonus material, more specifically the track 'Why'.
Now normally I'm not a huge fan of the duff demos, lame out-takes and single-versions(often inferior, clumsily edited versions of the original) that make up the majority of bonus material found on 'expanded and remastered' editions, but there are exceptions and boy is this one of them. Apparently this track was unearthed while compiling this version of the album and such is its obscurity no one even knows who played bass on it.
The track itself is amazing; 10 minutes of stunning interaction between guitar, organ and bass all overlayed with the Uriah Heep's trade mark multi-part harmony backing vocals. The amazing thing is it doesn't sound like any thing else on the album and yet is so definitively 'Heep'. The Bass in particular stands out, powerful and ,at times, almost funky; it drives the piece along thrillingly.
If you don't own the album but have an interest in the music of this era (Deep Purple and Wishbone Ash come to mind) then it is an essential purchase.If you already own a copy of this album without the bonus material then I suggest(and I would never normally do so) it is worth getting this version if only for 'Why'.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Not knowing what to expect I bought this album on the acquaintance of 'Easy Living'. But the album has more good solid hard rock songs, although mosthave a lesser tempo than 'Easy Living'. What struck me most is the warm, catching sound of the album, without much editing, overlaying, overproducing. Here's a band that 'got it together'. Nothing outrageously rocking, screaming or bonking, no whimsical balladry; but great songs, never over the top.
The lyrics however are strictly "Fantasy" and concern demons, knights, wizzards and lots of 'wisdom'. They don't entice me, but they're no album killer either.
Bonus tracks add little; one or two good tracks in line with the album.
A jewel of seventies hard rock, never dull and great playing.
Recommended.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is simply the best cd ever produced by Uriah Heep and the one disc that got me into their music. This is not to say, that there are other cds produced by this band, that could match this one, such as "Wonderworld" (an album produced with a lot of pressure and only 6 months in betwen their last cd and tour). I dont understand how this guys got so much music and energy to create and record a new cd every 6 or 8 months: they did it (a similar case is Elton John). This disc opens with a great song: "The Wizard", a song about a better world that captures the magic of this band and gave them a musical concept for the next cds. It is a very powerful and produced song, its got a great structure and the vocal armonies along with the acustic guitar and sinthesizer played in just one note all over the song....extraordinarie!!!
"Traverler in time" is one of two songs not credited to Ken Hensley, who by then, was the main creative force in the band, and gives you the "harder edge" of the band. By the third song, UH produced a big smash hit with "Easy Living", today a rock classic. The rest of the album, combines a piano ballads like "Rain" and the superb "Circle of Hands", with slow rock like "Rainbow Demon" and the original closers. All of their time as a group, this line up, created the best of the band but with a very sad ending for two of their band members: Extraordinarie bassist Gary Thain died electrocuted and singer David Byron also died some years after he exited from the band. Other great cds from this band are: Magicians Birthday (the follow up to Demons and Wizards), "Wonderworld" (superb cd recorded under heavy pressure), and "Return to Fantasy" (with John Wetton replacing the already dead Gary Thain). This is not to say that their other cds recorded around this time are not excelent: all of them are.
Uriah Heep was (and still are) a very hard workin band, that paid the price for their music. Give them a try!!!!!!!
"Traverler in time" is one of two songs not credited to Ken Hensley, who by then, was the main creative force in the band, and gives you the "harder edge" of the band. By the third song, UH produced a big smash hit with "Easy Living", today a rock classic. The rest of the album, combines a piano ballads like "Rain" and the superb "Circle of Hands", with slow rock like "Rainbow Demon" and the original closers. All of their time as a group, this line up, created the best of the band but with a very sad ending for two of their band members: Extraordinarie bassist Gary Thain died electrocuted and singer David Byron also died some years after he exited from the band. Other great cds from this band are: Magicians Birthday (the follow up to Demons and Wizards), "Wonderworld" (superb cd recorded under heavy pressure), and "Return to Fantasy" (with John Wetton replacing the already dead Gary Thain). This is not to say that their other cds recorded around this time are not excelent: all of them are.
Uriah Heep was (and still are) a very hard workin band, that paid the price for their music. Give them a try!!!!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Worth a try
I remember listening to Uriah Heap as a kid as my dad had a few of their albums. I always thought they were ok and this album carries that opinion on. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Smartin
Couldn music in the 1970s have been better?
An absolutely exceptional album, by one of the classic UH lineups.
Okay they produced a number of 5 star albums, but this is simply one of the best. Read more
Okay they produced a number of 5 star albums, but this is simply one of the best. Read more
Published 16 months ago by ColinD
Greatly appreciated!
My Dad loves Uriah Heep from back in his younger days....from reading reviews about this album i chose this one and it appears i chose well as my Dad has loved it. Read more
Published 16 months ago by bgbaby
Fantastico!
Um dos melhores albuns dessa magica banda dos anos 70 em uma edição sensacional. Encarte repleto de imagens e textos dos principais membros da banda, além das letras das... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Vladimir
A week of constant playing
I only bought this a week ago, and haven't stopped listening. I'd not knowingly heard a track from here until then, though knew "Gypsy" from an earlier album. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Martin J. Brown
An early 70's classic!
As a teenage Uriah Heep fan in the early 70's, I liked all their albums when they were issued, but it has to be said some have stood the test of time better than others! Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jon T
cd
different class. Takes me back to when I seen them in 1976.They were a great band back then.
Published on 2 May 2010 by MRS EDITH WESTWOOD
A Classic
I am not a heavy rock fan or a fan of Uriah Heep in general, but I did buy this album, when it came out, because of its outstanding musical quality, charm and atmosphere. Read more
Published on 25 July 2009 by C. A. Kilgour
uriah heeps best!
i'd like to agree with a previous reviewer who commented on the bonus material, i think 'why' is in UH top ten songs, up there with july morning, gypsy etc, it is truly great rock... Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2009 by Mr. N. Carvallo
CLASSIC ROCK
One of the great lost albums of the 70's,two fantastic singles .the wizard and easy livin should have made this band mega stars,everthing about this album evokes the 70's,the... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2008 by Mr Blackwell
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