Can it be the reason why Uriah Heep never were taken seriously....

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by antonkk, Feb 8, 2015.

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  1. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    moscow
    ...is that David Byron (God rest his Soul) simply looked stupid on stage? I mean Plant looked handsome and sexy, Gillan looked wild, Ozzy looked cool and crazy but poor Byron, fantastic voice and all just looked...stupid. Am I mistaken here?

     
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  2. Well, I would argue that Ozzy never came off as particularly "cool", but...nah, it was the '70s, there were lots of doofy looking frontmen with similar presentations out there. I think it has more to do with there being fewer takers for their lumpen prog-boogie than there were for the other bands you mention.

    Nevertheless, they did pretty well for themselves relative to most bands, did they not?
     
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  3. Cheepnik

    Cheepnik Overfed long-haired leaping gnome

    The reason they were never taken seriously is because they sucked pouch. I was there, trust me.
     
  4. old time fan

    old time fan Active Member

    Location:
    EU
    Never taken seriously where? In Soviet Union?
     
  5. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    moscow
    Well, on the contrary here they were and still are huge. I mean in US/UK where they were never among the top league and now are mostly forgotten.
     
  6. Steel Horse

    Steel Horse Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uppsala, SWEDEN
    They were very popular in Sweden in the early 70's. But today they are sadly forgotten together with many great bands.
     
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  7. old time fan

    old time fan Active Member

    Location:
    EU
    Now you are contradicting yourself. What do you know about their popularity in US/UK IN THE 70's? Were you even born?
     
    old school likes this.
  8. motionoftheocean

    motionoftheocean Senior Member

    Location:
    Circus Maximus
    no idea what that means
     
  9. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    moscow

    I was born in 73 but I'm fully aware of rock history and I know that while they were big in UK circa 1972 they never became HUGE and were never among the monsters like Zeppelin or Sabbath.
     
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  10. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    moscow
    Did anyone watch the video in my OP? Am the only one who thinks that Byron kinda looked silly on stage???
     
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  11. The Beave

    The Beave My Wife Is My Life! And don’t I forget it!

    Pouch or Pooch?
    Either way, I'm in with you on this one.
    C grade band, but had a couple of killer songs.
    Just like Brownsville Station. I love the dickens out of them but in the end
    their still C grade as far as bands go in classic rock.
    But hey, UH at least got a whole career out of a couple of classic songs, '
    i'm still working 5-3!
    the beave
     
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  12. The Beave

    The Beave My Wife Is My Life! And don’t I forget it!

    I'll give them this


    this ROCKS HARRRRRRRD!
    the beave
     
    Alert, Goldy, danielbravo and 7 others like this.
  13. motionoftheocean

    motionoftheocean Senior Member

    Location:
    Circus Maximus
    Uriah Heep, as great as they were, just weren't a commercial band.

    and Byron looks like Geezer Butler doing a Robert Plant impersonation.
     
  14. old time fan

    old time fan Active Member

    Location:
    EU
    HEH. Say no more.
     
  15. fsutall

    fsutall Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    Agreed. In 2015 this footage of Byron looks ridiculous but at the time it wasn't really unusual.

    Simply put, the main reason Heep was not taken seriously is that they weren't as good as Purple, Zep and Sabbath. I've heard all of their albums, and they released a few classics but a LOT of crap in the '70s. Their most recent material is much better IMO.
     
    Finch Platte, danielbravo and zen like this.
  16. keifspoon

    keifspoon Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I'm going out on a limb, but that sure doesn't sound like a compliment! :laugh:
     
  17. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    moscow
    What does it have to do with my question? When I was 14 I was a huge Heep fan. For example I loved the Return to Fantasy title track. I've never, ever seen the promo video for it until today and now I really want to unsee it. I doubt that I will ever be able to listen to this tune without seeing this Byron's ridiculous performance. I mean he puts Spinal Tap dudes to shame!
     
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  18. Telegam Sam

    Telegam Sam Active Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON
  19. howlinrock

    howlinrock Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    There were so many, many other bands and I'll use the term better for what that's worth. Sorry I never gave these guys a chance .....

    There recordings and seeing them live left me COLD and they were always on BGP bills with other bands I saw them play the Fillmore's and at Winterland . I will say they had a few fans in the SF bay area.
     
  20. rene smalldridge

    rene smalldridge Senior Member

    Location:
    manhattan,kansas
    They molested kangaroos???? That explains a lot.
     
  21. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    I've never to my knowledge heard a Uriah Heep song, but from watching the video, the guy is no more doofy (that's a word?) looking than thousands of others of the era.

    I always figured UH should be fawning, obsequious toad-like folks, a la Dickens.
     
    Fullbug and Murph like this.
  22. keifspoon

    keifspoon Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    The only song you'll hear on the radio these days is "Easy Livin". And when they do, they always say, "we're going to the back wall" for this one.
     
    Bananas&blow and Malina like this.
  23. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    Possibly.

    Reminds me of a comment I once heard after seeing the Afghan Whigs perform once:

    "I'll bet that lead guitarist never practiced in front of a mirror".
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  24. Name three Heep songs and get a double rail shot!
     
  25. Khaki F

    Khaki F Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kenosha, WI. USA
    Yes, they were over the top. And yes, they could have served as the band upon which Spinal Tap is based.

    And they're still a heck of a lot of fun to listen to anyway. Good times.
     
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