Part ofthe official discography. Recorded live at the Heepvention in London 2000 (Recorded at "The Corrib Rest" London, May 6th 2000). From Ken Hensley's book Blood on the Highway: "Then, in 2000, I got an e-mail from John Lawton suggesting that he and I get together for the Heepvention in Londion as Heep was elsewhere at the time and, without them or someone qualified to represent them, it could not have been a Heepvention - but would have just been a "vention"!" "Arrangements were made for the show to be recorded... And the day came. It was a massive reunion for me, as I had been out of this scenne for so long. It was my first public gig in the UK since 1980 (...)"
And another live release from the Heep cosmos.... "Hensley / Wetton release the live albums 'More Than Conquerors' (featuring songs from Uriah Heep but also Running Blind's 'Overture: La Tristeza Secreta De Un Corazon Gitano' and 'One Way Or Another' (this album also featured songs from Asia), both recorded in December 2001 at The Forum, London." (quoted from Blood On The Highway)
Some sparse info from ken-hensley.com: "A return to the studio in 2002 saw the creation of this classic solo, featuring great some brilliant musicians like John Wetton, Andy Pyle and Dave Kilminster." . ...and from Blood On The Highway: "Release of Running Blind, Hensley's fourth regular solo album consistingof all new material" It's a pity that we went through such a mixed bag as A Glimpse Of Glory on a song-by-song base but won't go through Running Blind in more detail. In my opinion Running Blind is a significantly better (rock) offer than Free Spirit and A Glimpse Of Glory - not to mention some of the post-Byron Heep albums.
Weren’t Lawton and Hensley at each other’s throats? Isn’t that why Lawton quit Heep? I guess time heals everything.
Ouverture - La Tristeza Secreta De Un Corazon Gitano The album begins with a rather quiet and contemplative piano/keyboard driven instrumental that moves after 2:20 min into the 2nd album track. A nice album start.
Prelude - A Minor Life Also the 2nd track from Running Blind is an instrumental. It starts with a nice organ / keyboard theme with subsequent addition of guitar and drums. It is neither quiet nor contemplatuive and sets the mood for the coming hard rock / AOR songs. This is working very well and I like that track, too
I think I remember that Wetton got along well with David Byron but can't recall how it went between him and Hensley. I need to look it up again in Dave Ling's book...!
That’s a good start, divided into two song titles but essentially one song. It’s interesting that Hensley didn’t add vocals/lyrics, but I think it works well.
I was referring to Lawton and the telephone call for the Heepvention. (Yes, Wetton and Hensley got along well, iirc).
Out Of My Control First song with vocals and starting at full throttle. Hensley sounds like Hensley again. I don't really mind whether this is AOR or hard rock - I enjoy this track! The chorus works well and is catchy (Everything I say, everything I do / Never seems to satisfy you / So I'll say it again, I'm gonna let you go / It's up to you / 'Cause it's out of my control). After a brief 30 second instrumental section at 2:20 min the chorus is kicking-in again and the song finishes after another instrumental section, just passing the 5:00 min mark. Edit: I'm giving it a try but I wish I had at least some of the skills of Mark when describing how a song is built....
Plus Hensley stopped using drugs and became a born again Christian - that might have eased some things, too.
Hope you don't mind that I already started a song-by-song posting of Running Blind (I felt kind of encouraged) but I'd be so much happier if you'd take back the lead....
True. I browsed through the respective pages in Dave Ling's book but did not find anything regarding the relationship of Wetton and Hensley back then. Probably I overlooked it. Only thing I found was John Wetton saying "Whatever personal reasons that David was feeling uncomfortable for within the group, I felt the same (...) So I had to get out.".
Very interesting. Byron was dissatisfied with Bron picking Hensley songs all the time, that’s for sure. And, remember, Bron said it was a choice between Byron being kicked out or Hensley being kicked out....which implies that those two didn’t get along. But! Byron certainly didn’t leave willingly. So Wetton’s recollection is misleading, I think.
You've Got It - The American Dream The opening sounds ever so slightly like Gary Moore's Out In The Fields. We have all the instrumentation that we would want from a Hensley track. The arrangement works pretty well. Probably the only thing that surprises me a little here, is that Ken sounds a little stretched on the vocal. Not out of pitch or anything, just like he has a bit of throat damage or something. Pretty decent straight up rock song.
You’ve Got It - The American Dream: l looked up the lyrics for this and discovered that Hensley also must have written a song called You’ve Got It (without The American Dream part). The lyrics to the song being discussed speaks directly to consumerism and the pursuit of material things. One by one, two by two We all step out into the human zoo Three by three and four by four We've all got ours but we still want more Six by six and five by five It's success we want, dead or alive Seven by seven, eight by eight I'm alright jack and I ain't gonna wait It's real fright, it's real white It's in your neighbourhood tonight It ain't cheap, it's no escape It's here and now, the devil's rape ——— I think it’s an okay song. I like the bass line. Is it missing a bridge? That used to be a Hensley hallmark.
You've got it (The American Dream) A solid and catchy track but IMO not as good as the previous song (any thoughts you guys on Out Of My Control?). What I Iike about You've Got It (as well as about Out Of My Control and any other following track on this album) is that: a) Hensley sounds re-energized. It feels as if the fun in composing and singing is back and as if he is enjoying himself again b) a decreased amount of balladry / slow rock (less moping) c) no guest lead vocals I think it was sensible to emphasize the Christian Rock aspect on the revised version of A Glimpse Of Glory (2003) and the Classic Rock / AOR aspect on Running Blind (2002) by moving two rockers from the earlier to the latter album (Movin' In and It's Up To You) and by adding some other tracks to AGOG(rv).
