Description
1995 double cd compilation in thick/fat jewelcase
To irritate snobbish rock critics in the 1970s, all a band had to do was play heavy metal or progressive rock. Imagine their horror when Uriah Heep came along and consciously fused both styles. Uriah Heep was the subject of one vicious critic’s infamous quote, If this group makes it, I’ll have to commit suicide. Well then, this critic is probably dead, because the British band did achieve widespread success. 1995’s two-cd The Best Of is a terrific compilation of Uriah Heep’s first 23 years. The 29 songs are taken from 14 of the bands first 15 studio albums: Uriah Heep (Very Eavy, Very Umble in the U.K.), Salisbury, Look At Yourself, Demons And Wizards, The Magicians Birthday, Sweet Freedom, Wonderworld, Return To Fantasy, High And Mighty, Innocent Victim, Firefly, Fallen Angel, Abominog and Head First, leaving out only the material from the 1980 album Conquest. It surely won’t inspire a serious critical re-examination of Uriah Heep, but it should. The band was aggressively experimental, and while not everything worked, during its peak years vocalist David Byron, guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist/guitarist Ken Hensley, bass guitarists Gary Thain and John Wetton, and drummer Lee Kerslake tried it all. Musically, Uriah Heep relied on Byron’s dramatic vocals, Box’s gritty guitar crunch, Hensley’s rumbling keyboards, and Thain’s (later Wetton’s) busy bass licks, and the band’s harmony vocals and background aahs and oohs were unique. Of course, Uriah Heep’s two most famous songs, Stealin and Easy Livin, are included. Most of the classics are here but some notable cuts are missing like Bird Of Prey, Rainbow Demon, Blind Eye, Sweet Lorraine, Wonderworld and the ambitious epics July Morning, Paradise/The Spell and The Magicians Birthday.But I guess this is always the case with Best Of compilation that nothing feels complete. So if you love a band then make sure you buy all their albums.
Track list:
1. Stealin-from Sweet Freedom 1973
2. Gypsy -from Very Eavy Very Umble 1970
3. Easy Livin-from Demons And Wizards 1972
4. Spider Woman-from The Magicians Birthday 1972
5. Sweet Lorraine-from The Magicians Birthday 1972
6. Firefly-from Firefly 1977
7. Love Machine-from Look At Yourself 1971
8. Running All Night (With The Lion)-from Abominog 1982
9. Return To Fantasy-from Return To Fantasy 1975
10. Love Or Nothing-from Fallen Angel 1978
11. Echoes In The Dark-from The Magicians Birthday 1972
12. Look At Yourself-from Look At Yourself 1971
13. Shadows Of Grief-from Look At Yourself 1971
14. Shady Lady-from Return To Fantasy 1975
15. Dreamer-from Sweet Freedom 1973
16. Free Me-from Innocent Victim 1977
17. Lady In Black-from Salsibury 1971
18. The Wizard-from Demons And Wizards 1972
19. Woman Of The World-from High And Mighty 1976
20. Something Or Nothing-from Wonderworld 1974
21. Sympathy-from Firefly 1977
22. Who Needs Me-from Firefly 1977
23. Lonely Nights-from Head First 1983
24. Come Back To Me-from Fallen Angel 1978
25. Stay On Top-from Head First 1983
26. Come Away Melinda-from Very Eavy Very Umble 1970
27. Chasing Shadows-from Abominog 1982
28. Fallen Angel-from Fallen Angel 1978
29. I’ll Keep On Trying-from Very Eavy Very Umble 1970