Uriah Heep C/D

my brother bought one of their albums for me in the mid 70s thinking it might be, ya know, what i'd like. complete shit in all ways - bad songs, ridiculous singing, pedestrian playing, awfull cover, stupid haircuts...

You want the brilliantly twisted: one of my best friends knew a guy who **last year** actually drove **from CT to PA** **on a worknight** just to see Uriah Heep, and he **became a fan through their NEW stuff**.

Do fish suffer from exposure to Uriah Heep?

Yhe Rodney Dangerfield's of early heavy metal, Uriah Heep.

"For Phonograph Record, Saunders wrote Heep had produced two 'essential" albums -- Look at Yourself and Demons & Wizards -- out of five studio shots by 1973. One can also add their debut -- simply called Uriah Heep or known as the 'worm' album in the States, and recipient of the infamous review in Rolling Stone that if the band made it, the reviewer (Melissa Mills) would have to kill herself."

You get those three, you have the classics.

Original

If you're cheap, Heep Live from '73 pretty much covers the best from the three albums. Optional: The Magician's Birthday with great Dean cover.

Superior Heep thread.

Heep were one of the first heavy bands all women officially hate. (1) For that they must always be highly regarded. I introduced my brother to heavy rock concerts with a triple bill of Heep, BOC and Manfred Mann's Earth Band (ca. "Solar Fire") and there wasn't a single girl in the audience. Any woman who professes to a genuine fondness for Uriah Heep must be suspected of dissembling.

Poorly spelled Heep thread.

Uriah Heap - C/D / S&D

http://www.everythingsg.com/celebs/mickbox1.jpg

Woulda never bought a Gibson SG if it hadn't been for Mick Box!

...Gibson SG being THEE quintessential heavy metal axe, of course! Plus all the Frisco bands liked 'em too, apparently.

The ending of "Shadows and the Wind" (from Wonderwold, wasnnit?) is still one of those little things I like about them... Others? Uh, gotta think a bit...

My uncle has tons of albums by guys like Uriah Heep, Level 42, and 70s Moody Blues. All I can say is... this stuff is really, really bad.

Uriah Heep, Level 42, and 70s Moody Blues

Those three acts being oh-so-similar.

what does early level 42 sound like anyway? i only know their mtv daze stuff.

very 'eavy very 'umble is still my fave, but i like all the 70's stuff. though there are probably a couple of later 70's albums i haven't heard. never heard the 80's albums. i even like return to fantasy and firefly. as far as later stuff goes.

Me, I like everything pre-Heep Live 'cept "Salisbury" which I've always avoided (bad rep, dontcha know...)

where's the love for 'Abominog'?

Oi, Abominog was an unexpectedly listenable late-Heep alb. From the 80s too, wasnnit?

yep, 'round about the same time Judas Priest, Krokus and other metal acts were finding the lower end of the charts...

Me, I like everything pre-Heep Live 'cept "Salisbury" which I've always avoided (bad rep, dontcha know...)

Try it! Title track is a 16 minute concept piece with brass and woodwind sections, I think at least a couple of the other tracks are good too (not that I've heard it since about 1983). It's pretty ridiculous, even by their standards.

Isn't "Lady In Black" on Salisbury as well?

The strange thing is that, although not having heard that alb for some ...least thirty-odd years, like, I still do remember how the vocal melody of that marathon title track begins :)

Those three acts being oh-so-similar.

I guess they're not, but somehow they always seemed similar in being overly serious 70s prog.

Level 42 are 70s prog?

i don't think they were around in the 70's. early 80's is more like it.

b-b-but were they "overly serious"?

wow. getting a lot of heat regarding level 42 and uriah heep.

yeah I always heard that Level 42 started out prog. weren't they like Mark Sinkah's (author of the Where is the LOVE for Uriah Heep thread linked above) fave band?

Salisbury rules! "Simon the Bullet Freak"! everything rules up through the Live album. I own Sweet Freedom and Wonderworld but as big a fan as I am, that's when I got off the bus. Someday I'll undoubtedly pick up all the albums that still have Byron and Hensley on them. It's weird too because I actually own all the Byron and Hensley solo albums, the Rough Diamond lp, the Gods records, etc. Just never felt like picking up that late Heep for some reason.

Gotta love the SG. We should do a tribute thread. as played by my favorite Marin County cowboy:

http://www.rockzirkus.de/lexikon/bilder/c/copperhead/cippolina.jpg

man, I found this has-to-be-seen clip while trawling YouTube a few weeks back. Byron is *completely* annihilated. I'll try to find it.

here it is ... amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8KN1b13Trg

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKL2011382720070720

George, I have an aunt who actually had the Heep live album.

Bravo! It had wonderful big pictures and acapella versions of Blue Suede Shoes and At the Hop.

Yeah, she was pretty eclectic. Certainly had all the big doubles of a certain era, in retrospect -- not just Elton's, but those giant foldout Isaac Hayes records, too. Black Moses, Live at the Sahara Tahoe. Many trees died to package records then. She also had that Cat Stevens one that Xgau wailed about (I think correctly).

Only seemed to own Physical Graffiti on 8-track, though. A shame.

My mom had The Magician's Birthday on 8 track and several Grand Funk LPs, though most of her record collection was 70s soft rock/country. I heard a lot of John Denver when I was a kid.

Man, I tried that Wizards album and thought it was one of the most monumentally boring albums I'd ever bought. Traded it for a Hot Tuna.

Regarding that live album: I think Heep were a bit insecure compared to Grand Funk, who cheerfully filled the gatefold of their Mark, Don & Mel 1969-71 compilation with a collage of reproductions of the many bad reviews they'd received over the three years. The Heep evidently appreciated the concept, but only halfway, since they filled their gatefold with a mixture of reviews both good AND bad (including that infamous Melissa Mills suicide threat.)

On that Neil Young Fillmore 1970 disc from last year, he included a bad review of that particular show on the sleeve.

The best and only Uriah Heep humor column of all time, Inna Box with Mick Box, appears to be gone from the net. Or else something's malfunctioning. Anyway, I resurrected it from ILM search hell for placement where it now belongs.

======
IN THE BOX

with Mick Box

Last issue, Dodging Bullets proclaimed that we were going to have various unsung Gods of the hard rock underbelly deliver their two cents each issue. Last issue We gave the ink to Uriah Heep’s Mick Box. Due to the delight of our readers, we have forgone the idea to ask other heroes of the rock world to discuss their various dismay. In favor, we offered Mr. Mick Box the duties for as long as he wants them. Worms, I give you Mick Box’s own IN THE BOX…
===========
‘Ello there you ingrates. Mick Box here. I got a gripe or two about the things as they is. I mean, Th’ Heep didn’t master the art of falsetto choral prog metal only to be cast like stones into the sea.

What is this world coming to when a man can’t mix his lust to rock and roll with his lust for Dungeons and Dragons? You call them nerds, but let me tell you cunts that I was noooooo nerd in 1973. I had the birds lined up around the block and all the while I was spinning the dice. I was a Dragon Master in ’74. Why just last year me and my team The Rainbow Demons took second in the world Roll Players Cup tournament. We lost to Blackmore’s Night.

You kids today should be force fed the Sweet Freedom LP by Hensley, Byron, Box, Kerslake and Thain (aka Th’ Eep). I personally will piss in all your ale for your ungratefulness towards the vast achievements that the greatest band in rock and roll history laid forth. At least until John Lawton come along that is. Oh, Davey! I mean, Lucifer’s Friend was Germany's 10 cent attempt at being Uriah Heep and of course, the only Brit in the band, John Lawton jumped at the chance to replace Byron. What were we thinking? I need a fucking drink! Until next issue, I hope you die a bit more each day. Harsh you say? I’m Mick Box damn you!

Had to dig out a second edition from the Internet archive. Credit to Dodging Bullets fanzine, over-the-top 70's hagiography and dumb jokes.

IN THE BOX with Mick Box

You wanna know what really chaps my hide? This disposible youth culture that's what. I mean the Heep didn't spend all that time creating several early 70's satanic prog masterpieces only for time to have forgotten about us. My good friend, and the greatest singer of all-time, Mr. David Byron hung his sorry ass for you people and what thanks did he get? Nobody bought the Rough Diamond LP.

Needless to say, that band that backed him then was not Hensley, Box,
Kerslake and co. I mean do you people remember Demons and Wizards or what? You with your Strokes and your Candy Canes, do you really think it will last? "Rainbow (fucking) Demon," maaaan. What the hell? We cared about you people. Ken Hensley went to great lengths to ensure that each of our first several LPs had in-depth liners broken down from song to song so that your simple minds could more easily understand and digest our complex masterpieces. It was tough for him to write so much. He had carpal tunnel before it had a name from all the virtuosity he displayed on the keys. I can't believe the sacrifices we made and that time has left us in the dollar bin. Piss on you people. We inspired fucking great bands like Spinal Tap and Bad News and every pig friggin' hard rock vocalist that materialized after 1971 owes their very ass to David
Byron. I miss you Davey boy!  Your perm, your 'stache, your panache
and yes, even your ass! You rock god! You people need to start to
realize that the cutsie pie here today gone tomorrow trend suckling moronic ironic diseased pile of dung that you call modern music is nothing more than pure shit being squeezed by a pair of low cut hip huggers and a whore's pound of makeup. Do yourself a favour, buy a copy of Salisbury and get your fucking 'ed together, dig?

======

You thought the Dodging Bullshitters had done washed their hands of the Mighty Mick, right? I deliberately asked them to put me at the very end of this issue just to make you sweat. I know that my rants are the only reason most of you even bother to read this crap. This is my first DB outpouring of the year 2004. What kind of year has this been so far? Another year drunker and sicker of you, that’s what kind. How will this year shape up?  Will this be the year that the greatest ball squeezing heavy tolkienesque kings of rock and sorcery, Ahem...The 'Eep, get their just desserts and regain the ultimate rock band status that we truly deserve?  Judging by the universal lack of good taste and sex appeal that the masses in 2004 sport, I truly doubt it.  Oh you with your The Darkness and you with your Jets and Morning Bikes, what could you possibly know about rock and roll?  What is up with the rock and roll mustache anyhow?  Those who know the Mickster know that I took great pride in my rock and roll lip hair and the art has become truly lost.  Jack White needs to gain about 15-20 lbs and grow some fucking facial hair if he wants to dance with me.  I was listening to that series of LPs that the boys and I made circa 76-77 without Byron and I just dunno.  Pure crap, if you ask me.  It's like we got all Foreigner on your asses and for that I apologize.  Sometimes you just gotta know when to hang 'er up, like once your front man hangs himself for example.  Oh well, I played a few tasty licks nonetheless.  I truly site Hensley for the lameness of that era.  He got a Elton John complex or something.  As time went on, he'd be gone.  In fact, yours truly old Stiff Mick is the only member of the Heep that has always remained constant.  For you, the listener, a blessing.  For me...well let's just say that until this lucrative writing assignment for DB came forth, the only job I ever knew.  Next time I will share some of the Box families secret recipes.  Until then, I hope you die a bit more each day!

The parodist's memory seems to be lapsing a little. David Byron died of heart failure/organ complications due to heavy alcoholism.

"Heepster" is a term referring to fans of Uriah Heep, used among fans to refer to each other. Similar to Trekkie in usage.

Amazing what you learn from wikipedia. Also, shed a tear and light a candle for Gary Thain, the unluckiest man in rock history :

During his last tour with Heep he suffered an electric shock and was seriously injured. He also unfortunately gained an untreatable STD through a short relationship he had. Because of his drug addiction he wasn't able to turn in a good performance and was fired by the band and replaced by former King Crimson bassist/vocalist John Wetton. He died of a heroin overdose on 8 December 1975, aged 27.

"Who Needs Me" was written by drummer Lee Kerslake and is about his unhappiness at the rejection, by manager and label boss Gerry Bron, of pretty much any material by any one other than Ken Hensley. This is ultimately somewhat ironic, given the song's acceptance for recording.

The artwork was licenced from artist Chris Achilleos, although there seems to have been some alteration to the bodice: the breasts are not so exposed on the original. Whether this was done by Achilleos himself, or even with his approval, is currently unclear.

Tossing Gary Thain out of Heep caused a significant change in the band's sound. He had a melodic thudding style that kept the compositions by Hensley heavy. He also played better with Lee Kerslake than John Wetton, who'd only last two records before quitting. Return to Fantasy, the first with Wetton, is one of the Heap album's I just can't listen to. It just flops around like a dead fish and I blame him, mostly.

High and Mighty, after which Byron was fired -- another mistake no matter how drunk he may have been, tries to work Wetton in but the result is the band mostly abandoning things that were strengths for the sake of things that weren't -- like fancy prog playing and elegant production values. It almost succeeds in parts but there are no memorable songs on it. A few good performances and the prog feel make some of it appealing. The first tune -- One Way or Another -- is mixed loud with guitars and works as an opener. However, Wetton's bass playing is almost completely worthless. What worked for King Crimson didn't work in Heap.

I actually dragged these albums out and listened to them thisafter as a result of this thread. Now I'll skim through the entire catalog.

So do yourself a favor and get yourself a discount copy of Wonderworld, the last album with the mighty Gary Thain before he was debilitated by electrons and incurable venereal disease, dig?!

Actually, Return to Fantasy flops around like a dieing fish. Which, as it turned out, it was. The album didn't do well in the US although it was claimed to be their highest charting piece in the UK. If it was, I presume it contributed to acrimony in the band since it was so poor compared to things they'd worked much harder and more successfully on.

I've spent the last few weeks buying and downloading from bands I'd never heard looking for something that really clicked for me. I've picked up Sleep, Kyuss, Ghremdrakk, some Agalloch demos, and a bunch of other stuff, but the first thing that I put on that really made me go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was

http://www.fullandfree.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/demons_and_wizards.jpg

soooooooooooooooo great

What else do I gotta pick up

Spinal Tap, Bad News.

magician's birthday. look at yourself. maybe get you some toe fat, but they're more rough'n'gruff and not so mystical.

The title track from "Look At Yourself" is the best thing I've ever heard from these guys. That's an inspired piece of music.

But the third Blue Oyster Cult record "Secret Treaties" blows away everything these guys ever did.

that is very very true.

What else do I gotta pick up

Get the first album. In the US, it was just called "Uriah Heep" with a big sci-fi space worm on the cover. In Britain, it was "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble." It spawned the Rolling Stone review, by a woman, who famously wrote that if the band made it, she'd have to kill herself.

Actually, it's a good record. "Gypsy" and "Dreammare," two of the best cuts, are prime slices of early-Seventies hard rock going about the business of inventing metal.

You miss out a bit on the Heap experience by going digital. If you have a turntable, used copies ought to be easy to find for fairly cheap. Heap sold well in the US after Demons & Wizards. Anyway, the albums covers from the good part of the catalog are great. Look at Yourself is a good album. As above, The Magician's Birthday, while not as good as Demons & Wizards does have the OTT title track. Sweet Freedom -- which you hardly see anymore -- started a downhill slide although it had a charting tune, "Stealin'." Avoid. Wonderworld is about half good. Return to Fantasy -- which initially sold the best in the US -- is terrible.

A double live album made in '73 contributed to their success. If you don't have all the other good ones, it's a good collection of their best tunes onstage and they were very much a more than decent live band.

Anyone see Melissa Mills after that? The RIAA site shows them with four gold albums.

Sammy Davis Jr, Ozzy Osbourne: Two other folks who threatened suicide in dismay at the rising popularity of a new genre (rock 'n roll and rap, respectively.)

Yeah, I don't like Michael Feinstein. What do I do?

This is their best album, but Very 'eavy, Very 'umble has some great tracks.

I remember getting a kick out of David Tibet saying Magician's Birthday was one of his favourite albums in that choose-a-record-cover feature in The Wire. Apparently Ken Hensley is a devout Christian too, so not sure if that has anything to do with it.

10/10 clip of The Wizard from some German TV show feat dancing corduroy babes...

Do You Ever Wish You Were Dancing Onstage With Uriah Heep During An Appearance On German TV In The 1970s?

I am STILL waiting for the Abominog love, people...I DO NOT have all day!

From my blog a couple years ago, Heep in the context of their time. Charted up until 1974, at least.

Having listened to it just this morning, I would be willing to argue that Uriah Heep Live is the best double live album of early/mid '70s rock, beating out Aerosmith's Live Bootleg, Nugent's Double Live Gonzo!, Grand Funk's Live Album and any/all other contenders. One of the great things about it is that it was originally a live radio broadcast, so Mick Box announces the title of every song, and which album it came off of. Thus, it's your perfect introduction to Heep. If you like it, you can immediately go and pick up the studio album(s) with the songs you like, an informed consumer.

I have to agree with Phil from a personal standpoint. As a kid, I listened to it way more than Live Bootleg (lowest on my list), DLG (next) and Grand Funk's. Originally, I had Demons & Wizards first, and used the double as stated, as an intro to the rest of the catalog. Next purchase was the first album, then Look at Yourself.

I'm seeing Uriah Heep tomorrow and doing the background research I found Mick Box blogs... extensively.

http://www.heepstermusic.com/MickBox/Blog/Default.aspx

This going to be so awesome.

In the Box with the fake Mick Box still makes me laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_qokOpyBKg

Contender for best guitar riff and best organ riff in one song.

And it might be the same riff. But I still will nominate them.

I like this riff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZARIQiuxzk

VERY (PROTO-) METAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnKgvOKnIgs

I love "Bird of Prey" - bonkers though it is. I do prefer the version on the North American s/t release, though, instead of the version above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1884-Os4woM

Er, the sound quality is better here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqdmjIRDvG0

Why did Priest take these clowns on tour

Because they rule. Their 21st century albums are really, really strong if old-school heavy rock (not metal) is your thing.

Wasn't into the UH i heard in the oast but i respect your tastes so ill give an online listen

Would you like to take this magic potion with me, on a trip to a cosmic playground far beyond?

Heep absolutely slayed opening for Priest. What a joy it was to see them on that tour.

Uriah Heep are under appreciated. They still seem to have a nice fanbase for the current lineup across Europe and South America. Perhaps David Byron dying young, might have cost them a chance for the main members to have had a reunion and perhaps a higher profile in later years.

This July Morning get together that happens in Bulgaria is quite cool.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Morning

I have a friend who's a big vinylhead but he's only really into metal and the occasional old Hawkwind record (only if Lemmy's on it)...anyway he came over after scoring a copy of Demons & Wizards (maybe I shouldn't say 'scoring', its not exactly a hard LP to find) and man I never realized how much it absolutely rules

Does the lyricism improve after the first l.p.. Seems that the rhyme scheme seems to be more of a focus than the idea of art.
But gosh that first l.p. is heavy. Not sure to what extent they were used as a model for more recent stoner rock etc. Something like sabbaf with a keyboard. Purple are a bit different I think.
Not really heard the later stuff yet. Checking out some tracks from the next few lps. Not sure if I'll pick other stuff up but that first one is so monumentally heavy. In places at least.

The Heep put out a bunch of records in a short time.

The tunes that became classic rock nuggets like “Stealin’”, “Sweet Loraine”, “Easy Livin’” are on the records that followed.

It seems to me that Demons and Wizards was like their Zep IV in perhaps popularity over the decades. They had their mission outlined on that first record and if you like that one the next few are of the same ilk with bit more refinement.

At least according to what I have read about Deep Purple, they played at the same rehearsal facility in the early days as the Heep and hearing their sound also soon incorporated the heavy electric organ in their band.

Got to think the Heep was also running their Hammond through over driven guitar amps like Jon Lord in Purple to get that sound.

Means the Heap followed Deep Purple who picked it up from Vanilla Fudge.

I’d imagine English piano lessons was a reason you had much more keys and organ on many of those hard rock and prog groups of the era.

John Lord had been good in the Artwoods.

Sounds like Spice were ok pre Ken Hensley cos there's a couple of unreleased tracks by them on the CD I have.

Does the lyricism improve after the first l.p.

Marginally, since Ken Hensley started writing most of the songs, but I wouldn't be searching too hard for lyrical enlightenment on Uriah Heep albums.