Uriah Heep is one of my all-time favourite bands. Sure – they were formed some years before the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal came along and might not be strictly a heavy metal band however they are one of the most successful and influential British groups ever and many a NWOBHM-era combo owe a thing or two to Mick Box and his boys.
Here’s a quick potted history of the Heep…….
Formed in the late 1960s, the band released a lot of successful albums in the early 1970s.
Uriah Heep’s debut album is entitled Very ‘eavy… Very ‘umble, which is a self titled album in the United States. It includes a heavy organ and guitar driven sound with the vocals of David Byron and thunderous sonic background. Acoustic and jazz are also one of the genre played by the band. The title of the album came from the signature phrase of the Dickens character Uriah Heep or “very ‘umble”. It came from the novel David Copperfield and that is where they get the name of the band.
The second album of Uriah Heep is entitled Salisbury. It was more focused on the progressive rock genre. It includes a 16 minute title track that features a 24-piece orchestra. Their third album was released at the end of 1971 that was entitled Look at Yourself. It includes one of their famous songs “July Morning”.
As the band continued to release albums, the line-ups of the band tended to change almost as frequently with drummer, bass players and singers coming and going. Perhaps the most notable exit was poor bassist Gary Thain was found dead in his Norwood Green home at the age of 27 because of heroin overdose.
The charismatic vocalist David Byron went in 1976 to be replaced by John Lawton which saw Heep turning into a more straight forward hard rock sound on albums such as Firefly and Innocent Victim which spawned a surprise hit “down under” with Free Me a top 40 chart hit in Australia and the number one spot in New Zealand.
The less said about Fallen Angel the better……….Lawton departed and in came John Sloman to record Conquest. Another change of direction to a more “funky” sound split fans and critics alike when Conquest surfaced which proved too much for Ken Hensley and he walked which almost destroyed Heep.
Conquest is up there with my favourite Heel albums and I recall seeing them on that tour. Sloman was (and is) such a stand-out vocalist with a great range as shown on Lone Star’s second album – but back to Heep.
After Conquest a few years in the wastelands ensued though they fought back under Mick Box with yet another new line up with Peter Goalby at the microphone for the excellent (yet under rated) Equator, Abominog and Head First.
Guess what – Goalby went and in came Bernie Shaw around 23 years ago and the line up since then has been stable (Box, Shaw, Trevor Boulder, Phil Lanzon, Lee Kerslake) and that team put out some cracking stuff such as Sea Of Light which a bit of a prog rock thing going on.
Ill health caught up with Kerslake and he vacated the drum stool which was filled by Russell Gilbrook for the most excellent Wake The Sleeper album which was issued in 2008. This is as finer release as Heep have ever made and harks back to the glory days of the 1970s in a not dissimilar way to The Magicians Birthday though with a modern , hard rocking edge.
Here’s a video of them performing Free and Easy earlier this year (2010). What a riff!
Seeing them on that tour, some 30 years after Conquest, was a touch of magic. Those boys can still play and know what it’s all about. Box is a sublime player – simple but so effective with deceptively complex solos, Trevor Boulder punches out busy and frantic bass playing – surely up there with the best and Shaw belts out the songs in his distinctive style.
Uriah Heep still rock – no mistake.
As I type you can pick up Wake The Sleeper from Amazon for a ridiculously cheap £4.99 – for less than a fiver you can get your ears around this gem and see for yourself how it should be done. Five star reviews galore and a real steal at the price.
Here’s what one happy fan had to say in this review of WTS.
Wake the Sleeper awakes the fans
Well, what I have been waiting to see and hear for ten years finally arrived in my mailbox today. Now after four plays, I will say this, WTS from the opening chord grabs you by the b*lls, squeezes them tight and doesn’t let go until the last note ends.
Everyone kicks bloody ass on this album from start to finish.
Bernie’s vocals really stand out on this album, reaching the stratosphere. Bernie, your vocals have always been powerful and emotive with each album and you have always done the classic Heep songs true justice, but this, you have outdone yourself. I’m proud to see a fellow Canadian fronting my favourite band and showing the world how a true rocker does it.
>> Read the rest of the review – and more Heep reviews – on Amazon here <<
Here are some more excellent Uriah Heep albums – do check them out and pick a few up for your CD collection as they a steal right now.