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. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    Yeah, I think that's fair. The Purple album has some great tracks also, but I didn't buy that one either when it was released. There has to be a reason for that, as I didn't hesitate buying Demons and Wizards or Machine Head. Who do We Think We Are is in the Purple rotation for me now though. Blackmore has some serious good tone on that one.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2018
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  2. tkl7

    tkl7 Agent Provocateur

    Location:
    Lewis Center, OH
    I prefer Wonderworld to Return to Fantasy.
     
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  3. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I listened to the first album again yesterday while snowed-in the house. I love Mick's sound on that one. Classic Les Paul/Marshall amp crunch. I really like "Dreammare" that Paul Newton wrote. The drummer was Nigel Olsson on that one. I posted in another thread that I met him at his house in Raleigh, NC back in 1983. I was driving a truck, and delivered a wooden crate to him, which according to him was full of his gold record awards. Very friendly guy. I was excited to meet him.
     
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  4. Blastproof

    Blastproof Senior Member

    Location:
    Mid-Atlantic USA
    Just listened to Demons & Wizards last night. Fun stuff, especially when you consider the early teen of the 70's. Side note - for decades, I have taken my friend at his word when he told me that Gary Thain died onstage from an electric shock. He got shocked, but that ain't what killed him. Just discovered that. Shame on you, Mark!
     
  5. Wombat Reynolds

    Wombat Reynolds Jimmy Page stole all my best riffs.

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA, USA

    the Mick Box riffing near to the opening to Dreammare, about 45 seconds in... thats simple open A, G and D chords played at a probably teeth-rattling volume, and he had great control over it. Thats a fun little riff that I learned as a teenager and still goof off with sometimes, about 40 years later.

    Why was Box living in Raleigh? I'm from Charlotte... just curious.
     
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  6. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I guess we can't solve this puzzle either. That's OK. It's still fun to talk about. I've never heard "Why." I'll have to look that up. Thanks for the heads up on Wishbone Ash. Another great band that I started with the "Live" album.
     
  7. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I'm talking about Nigel Olsson living in Raleigh. He had married a woman from Raleigh, and he moved there to live with her. Not long after that Dee Murray also bought a house in Raleigh. I saw him one day on Falls of The Neuse Rd. driving a Rolls Royce with the steering wheel on the right side. Pulled up right beside me at a stop light. No question it was him.
     
  8. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I know, most likely 100 watt Marshall Plexi stacks as pictured inside the gatefold. I have a '72 100 watt half stack. You have to turn them all the way up to get that sound. Bone-Rattling but awesome. In the old days, when I was playing in bands, I would use a power attenuator to reduce the volume, with the amp cranked on 10. Killer tone.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2018
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  9. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I jumped into homework mode and gave Wonderworld another listen.

    I recall seeing the album upon release and hating the cover so much that I didn't even feel like checking it out. More than that, my interests had changed.

    So the first Wonderworld songs I heard were as s part of the A Time Of Revelation 25th Anniversary compilation. Those tracks are:
    Wonderworld, Something Or Nothing and two that weren't on the original release (but were later put on the Expanded Deluxe), Love, Hate and Fear (and why oh why they included this appalling song is beyond my comprehension) and Stone's Throw (I like this...but it's an odd one for Heep).

    I did have this oddball comp, probably unauthorized; I think it was called Power To The Rockers, that was mainly 80's Heep with two songs from Sweet Freedom and then Suicidal Man. So I knew the latter, as well.

    So title track, Suicidal Man and Something or Nothing ...I think I'm with the consensus, so far, those are what I would say are the standouts. I Won't Mind, instrumentally, is a blistering Blues but Byron's vocals (I think) doesn't pull it off. In my opinion.

    I see (based on image on Apple Music) that they've changed the cover, placing the original as a little insert on the bottom corner. Good! Once they delete it entirely it'll be even better.
     
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  10. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    OK, on the agenda today was "Return To Fantasy." This is another one I ignored upon it's release, and then bought in the 90's. I'll admit, for years since I've owned it, I've had a prejudice against it because Gary wasn't on it. That's stupid I know. I heard it today with fresh ears, and really enjoyed it. The production quality is much better than Wonderworld, and the band does sound recharged. One thing that struck me, is this is their most "American" sounding album, with songs like, "Your Turn To Remember," and "Why Did You Go." David just has so much soul in his vocal style. John Wetton plays some great bass lines throughout. My least favorite is "Shady Lady." It's OK, but the weakest in my opinion. Maybe this one will start to see more action on the turntable than it has in past years.
     
  11. thematinggame

    thematinggame Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    Only just discovered this thread , but haven't looked at the whole 30+ pages. Just let me say in Germany Uriah Heep were very poular at the time and most definitely not a "C-band"(whatever this is is) as some poster stated - they were on the same level as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath , and had two big hits with Lady in black and Easy livin'. I was never a fan but I really like the Demons and wizards album .As to the original question -when it came to rock/hard rock I don't think it mattered that much how you looked at the time , it was more about the music
     
  12. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I agree, in those days it was all about the music. If it were about looks, then most of the legendary artists of the time would have never made it. That is the damage that MTV did to music. In the early 70's you had whatever pictures were on the albums, if any, or rock magazines. You hardly ever saw live footage, unless you were lucky to catch the Midnight Special, or Don Kirshner's Rock Concert late at night. No VCR's. There was much more mystery and imagination in those days, and I miss them dearly.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2018
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  13. Wombat Reynolds

    Wombat Reynolds Jimmy Page stole all my best riffs.

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA, USA
    I've never used more than a half stack in a studio... ever sat inside a bright box while that sucker is cranked to 10? Holy Cow.

    but hey. yer right, the 70s.... who knows how they recorded it.
     
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  14. Wombat Reynolds

    Wombat Reynolds Jimmy Page stole all my best riffs.

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA, USA

    pardon my confusion

    thats still pretty great, why were two of Eltons old band living in North Carolina?
     
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  15. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Olsson, by the way, played on just two tracks on 'umble: Lucy Blues and Dreammare

    Keith Baker on one: Bird of Prey (though I never had this version. Never heard the song until A Time Of Revelation).

    And the rest (6 tracks) by Alex Napier.
     
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  16. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    [QUOTEus="Wombat Reynolds, post: 20142845, member: 43166"]pardon my confusion

    thats still pretty great, why were two of Eltons old band living in North Carolina?[/QUOTE]
    Well, The story at the time was Nigel married a woman from Raleigh, and they had a house there. I never got the story on Dee Murray. I just know I saw him in that Rolls because he was about 5 feet from me at the traffic light. As a long time Elton fan, I felt honored to deliver those gold record awards to Nigel. He had them shipped over from England. I saw Elton in concert twice during that time at Reynolds Coliseum at NC State, which is not a venue he normally played. Usually it was Greensboro and Charlotte Coliseums.
     
  17. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    I prefer this original version to the redo they recorded for Salisbury (UK release). That first one sounds a bit more otherworldly, and I think David nailed it best that initial go round.
     
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  18. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I have the original US LP with Bird Of Prey. I've never heard Lucy Blues. At the time I met Nigel, I didn't yet have the first Heep album, and that would have made meeting him twice as awesome as it already was. At the time I had no clue he had played with Heep for a short time.
     
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  19. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I had the spider web cover very 'eavy, very 'umble and the strange looking skeletal figure Salisbury. Just happened that way. Neither included Bird of Prey. I grew up with Lucy Blues and Simon the Bullet Freak instead.
     
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  20. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    Believe it or not, I didn't get Salisbury until about three years ago. I have the US LP. It has Simon on it. I can't believe I've missed out on this all these years. High Priestess. Wow!
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2018
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  21. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Yep, High Priestess is a terrific song. And I like Simon the Bullet Freak. I grew up in Japan, so US/British, no difference to the retailers. I'd never even seen that tank cover until decades later.
     
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  22. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Here's Lucy Blues:

     
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  23. scoutbb

    scoutbb Senior Member

    Location:
    LA
    There was a reissue on RSD earlier this year. Can still find on eBay.
     
  24. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Continuing my efforts to keep two Heep threads on the front page ... :D I've been reviewing and physically inputting (and correcting) the composer credits on my iTunes.

    Every single Heep member has songwriting credits, and they're in all sorts of variations. In other words, it appears that they really took into account how much input an individual had in writing the song. It's not alphabetical, it's not a brand (Hensley/Box/Byron for example), the name order is all over the place when it comes to songwriting.

    I was startled to see how many credits Lee Kerslake has. And think that Paul Newton doesn't get enough recognition (and not just for songwriting).
     
  25. steve phillips

    steve phillips Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    I agree, Lee and Paul don't get enough credit, in a band that doesn't get enough credit. Paul plays some really strong and solid bass on the first 3 albums, and I know he has sole credit for Dreammare. Lee is just a great musician also, and not many talk about his great harmony vocal contribution. It's very difficult for a drummer to pull that off, but Lee did it with ease. Amazing band on so many levels.
     
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