Uriah Heep are one of those bands that never stopped, continuing to release (what appears to be) quality music for 50 years and counting. We all know their heavy rock meets progressive sound of the early 70s. From there they started down the slippery slope of trying to "capture" the US market, a euphemism for pandering to the great FM god. Sometime during the 90's, Uriah Heep realized that their fan base was stuck in the early 70s, so why not cater to that? And off they went. At least that's what the reviews seem to indicate, because I haven't heard anything since their dreadful Fallen Angel (1978) album. And that was an anomaly as well, being the only album I've listened to past Wonderworld (1974). Based on this live album, it's apparent I should give some focus to the group's efforts of the last 30 years. Unlike Styx, this live recording sounds fresh and energetic. I was more reminded of my reaction to Birth Control's 2004 live album that I reported on a couple of years ago. The concert is taken mainly from their classic set, and includes 'Gypsy', 'Stealin', 'Easy Livin'', and the crowd participation piece 'Lady in Black'. The highlights for me were the two extended tracks from Look at Yourself, including a smoking version of the title track and the more progressive oriented 'July Morning'. And that leaves the two contemporary tracks, both taken from their current album at the time Wake the Sleeper. I found both of them were cut from the same cloth as their early 70s works, and they captured the sound of their youth quite well. Wasn't sure what to expect here, but this live album turned up aces. Further discovery is needed.
Ownership: CD: 2010 Ear Music (USA). Found at a thrift shop in 2021.
3/5/21; 12/10/21 (new entry)
No comments:
Post a Comment