Uriah Heep - Their greatest album?

Demons & Wizards

 

1.Demons & Wizards
2.Salisbury
3.Look At Yourself
4.Magicians Birthday
5.Live 73

 

Demons And Wizards

Most of Uriah Heep's albums could be a bit hit and miss, but Demons And Wizards is a very solid effort from front to back. No bad apples on this one. In this regard, only Salisbury and The Magician's Birthday give it a run for the money.

 

Magician's Birthday for me.
I really like most of them to be honest though

 

Good question.

 

Looks like most people here forgot to explain the “Why” requested by the OP.

 

one from the golden era is going to win this

however; if you're not too familiar with what they've done since the early 80s, I strongly suggest to pick up some of the more recent albums.
Sonic Origami is very strong

 

A photofinish between Demons and Wizzards and Salisbury. D&W wins with a very slight margin.

 

Salisbury wins it easily for me. Like every song on that one. Look At Yourself comes second.

 

The track listing on the U.S version is different from the U.K version of Salisbury. I'm not sure which version is referred to in the poll choices. The track listings on the first album are different as well.

UK Release

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Bird of Prey" Mick Box, David Byron, Ken Hensley, Paul Newton 4:13
2. "The Park" Hensley 5:41
3. "Time to Live" Box, Byron, Hensley 4:01
4. "Lady in Black" Hensley 4:44

Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
5. "High Priestess" Hensley 3:42
6. "Salisbury" Box, Byron, Hensley 16:20

US Release

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "High Priestess" Hensley 3:39
2. "The Park" Hensley 5:38
3. "Time to Live" Box, Byron, Hensley 4:02
4. "Lady in Black" Hensley 4:43

Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
5. "Simon the Bullet Freak" Hensley 3:25
6. "Salisbury" Box, Byron, Hensley 16:12

 

Of course I've heard of it.
I own it.
It's not even close to one of their best albums in my opinion.
But I included the option poll choice for such an occasion.

 

Look at Yourself. UH had an amazing run from 1970 to 1974, but Look at Yourself is my personal favorite.

 

I'm in full agreement with this. The first 6 albums is as good a run as anyone has done. An amazing output of 6 albums in 3 years.A bit of a dropoff with Wonderworld.
A great return to form with Sea Of Light & plenty to enjoy in the albums since. Highly recommended for fans of the early years to check out these recent albums.

Look At Yourself gets the vote

 

Salisbury fills my underdrawers.

Salisbury gets it ON!

 

Exactly & the reason being anal retentive is a requirement to be here.

 

Magician's Birthday. I'm a pop guy, but I love this album.

 

Love all the Byron era albums but they shined as a live band when Byron was not to inebriated so Live is my favorite

 

This release was my introduction to them and still is my favorite. Although Demons and Wizards and Magicians Birthday are no slouches and just a notch behind. Sweet Freedom was where I ended my listening.
Gypsy, Dreamare, Walking In Your Shadow, Bird Of Prey, and I’ll Keep OnTrying got their hooks deep into me at first listen, later on Come Away Melinda and “Wake Up (Set Your Sights)” grew on me. The 2016 remaster 2 CD contains a few extra gems I never heard before. Lucy Blues and Born In A Trunk just pushed this to the top of the Heep for me.

 

Look At Yourself

 

So happy to see latter day Heep acknowledged. I'll take anything from 1995's "Sea of Light" to the most recent "Living The Dream" any day over anything from the 1970s lineups.

You're not the only one. Well, "Equator" is not my FAVORITE but I love the hell out of it and play it often. The highly textured 80s areno rock production and the solid, melodic songs. Definitely my favorite of the three Heep albums that Peter Goalby sang lead on.

 

Dangit, this is a hard choice. I'm going to spend tonight spinning a few of these and let ya know.

 

As my personal opinion,any album from Garry Thain and David Byron Era, Great!

 

I picked "Live" because that was the first one I bought, and it still sounds great to me.
Some of the tracks on there are the definitive versions to me. Closely followed by D&W, TMB and SF.

 

I didn't write my reason, I am a bad little hobbit ...

For me The Magician's Birthday is like the peak of their early burst of creativity. I think the debut album up to Magician's Birthday are all top notch, required albums.
I think the live album is great, and sort of capped off an era in the band. They changed a little after that live album, and I like the run of albums from Sweet Freedom to High and Mighty, but they don't match the inventiveness and power of the first five, for me.
We're doing a thread on the albums at the moment and will probably be running through the Magician later this week, or perhaps early next week. I am actually looking forward to a closer listen to the post Byron era albums, as I have them, and have heard them, but I have never really had a close listen, so perhaps this would change my choice a little.... have to wait and see I guess.

 

No surprise that Demons and Wizards is way out front. I am surprised that Sweet Freedom only has 3 votes.
I love that album, but I guess when you're only choosing one the competition is just too strong.