Uriah Heep - Better than ever
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Uriah Heep - Better than ever
As unlikely as it seems, Uriah Heep has hit a new high point in their career with their last two all new studio albums. The last one was called Wake the Sleeper, and it was really, really good - and so is their new album, Into The Wild.
While Heep's albums have been wildly inconsistent over the years they did put out a lot of good material and were an early Heavy Metal influence along with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. (Although Heep's early music was very much a product of the 60's and they didn't completely shake the psychedelic element out of their music until the 80's.)
Their new album owes a lot to their early Hammond organ driven music, as well as to their contemporaries Deep Purple. There are some occasional Dio-era Black Sabbath and even recent Iron Maiden influences on the album, but the band has made it a point to make a Uriah Heep album rather than trying to fit in with current trends (which, at their age, is the only thing that would make sense).
Anyway, here are a few recent tracks...
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ilW_v6w_MTc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BRnqN6JgUC8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o27EDGgcujU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tW_rlhjwMmE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
My favorite recent track...
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iHevFoFz6Bc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XlSt0CLuSiA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Pretty impressive for a band that's been around for over 40 years (even if guitarist Mick Box is the only remaining original member - this lineup has been in place for 24 years, for the most part).
While Heep's albums have been wildly inconsistent over the years they did put out a lot of good material and were an early Heavy Metal influence along with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. (Although Heep's early music was very much a product of the 60's and they didn't completely shake the psychedelic element out of their music until the 80's.)
Their new album owes a lot to their early Hammond organ driven music, as well as to their contemporaries Deep Purple. There are some occasional Dio-era Black Sabbath and even recent Iron Maiden influences on the album, but the band has made it a point to make a Uriah Heep album rather than trying to fit in with current trends (which, at their age, is the only thing that would make sense).
Anyway, here are a few recent tracks...
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ilW_v6w_MTc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BRnqN6JgUC8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o27EDGgcujU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tW_rlhjwMmE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
My favorite recent track...
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iHevFoFz6Bc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XlSt0CLuSiA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Pretty impressive for a band that's been around for over 40 years (even if guitarist Mick Box is the only remaining original member - this lineup has been in place for 24 years, for the most part).
#3
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Uriah Heep - Better than ever
I love it when someone makes a statement like "no david byron, no heep".
I love the albums with david byron, but how long does an incarnation have to be together before it is accepted and becomes 'legitimate' ?
Another example is Marillion - so many albums made with the current lineup and yet you still get people who think the Fish lineup was the only 'real' one despite only making four studio albums and a live record.
Anyway, I have always liked the 'bernie shaw' version of heep - I have a soft spot for Sonic Origami even though it sounds a little bit like a boston/foreigner/journey mashup to me at times - which is funny since I don't really like those bands yet I love that record. I'm always eager for more Heep news and I loved their recent work too.
I think Heep probably releases more live records than any other band I've ever seen though
I love the albums with david byron, but how long does an incarnation have to be together before it is accepted and becomes 'legitimate' ?
Another example is Marillion - so many albums made with the current lineup and yet you still get people who think the Fish lineup was the only 'real' one despite only making four studio albums and a live record.
Anyway, I have always liked the 'bernie shaw' version of heep - I have a soft spot for Sonic Origami even though it sounds a little bit like a boston/foreigner/journey mashup to me at times - which is funny since I don't really like those bands yet I love that record. I'm always eager for more Heep news and I loved their recent work too.
I think Heep probably releases more live records than any other band I've ever seen though

#4
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Uriah Heep - Better than ever
Byron's been dead for 26 years. Time to move on.
The current incarnation of Uriah Heep is a very classy band. Mick Box and Phil Lanzon (and occasionally Trevor Bolder) do a very good job with the songwriting. After a couple iffy albums in the mid to late 80's the Heep has come back really strong. Starting with 1995's Sea of Light the band has put out some consistently good albums (Sea of Light, Sonic Origami, Wake the Sleeper, and Into the Wild).
The current incarnation of Uriah Heep is a very classy band. Mick Box and Phil Lanzon (and occasionally Trevor Bolder) do a very good job with the songwriting. After a couple iffy albums in the mid to late 80's the Heep has come back really strong. Starting with 1995's Sea of Light the band has put out some consistently good albums (Sea of Light, Sonic Origami, Wake the Sleeper, and Into the Wild).
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Vichy America
Posts: 13,533
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Uriah Heep - Better than ever
The Velvet Underground - John Cale = Still the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground - John Cale - Lou Reed = an affront to God
Pink Floyd - Syd = Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd - Syd - Wright = Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd - Syd - Waters = Pink Floyd
Bauhaus - Peter Murphy = Love & Rockets debut album mysteriously released as a Bauhaus record
The Doors - Jim Morrison = an abomination
Genesis - Peter Gabriel = a more pop oriented Genesis
Genesis - Gabriel - Collins = crap
Smashing Pumpkins - Iha - D'arcy = Billy Corgan with delusions of grandeur
#6
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Uriah Heep - Better than ever
I really like the Bernie Shaw era for Heep (it may be their best - I sure think it is), and I like him as a singer, but my favorite Uriah Heep singer is probably Peter Goalby.
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qlf-EavviSA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E_Vw8BoCFHM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Goalby's biggest problem was that he was charismatically challenged. He almost looked like a regular guy who got off work and went straight to the Heep gig. But he had a great voice!
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qlf-EavviSA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E_Vw8BoCFHM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Goalby's biggest problem was that he was charismatically challenged. He almost looked like a regular guy who got off work and went straight to the Heep gig. But he had a great voice!
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: behind the eight ball
Posts: 19,582
Likes: 0
Received 120 Likes
on
81 Posts
Re: Uriah Heep - Better than ever
Depends entirely upon the band and the missing member.
The Velvet Underground - John Cale = Still the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground - John Cale - Lou Reed = an affront to God
Pink Floyd - Syd = Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd - Syd - Wright = Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd - Syd - Waters = Pink Floyd
Bauhaus - Peter Murphy = Love & Rockets debut album mysteriously released as a Bauhaus record
The Doors - Jim Morrison = an abomination
Genesis - Peter Gabriel = a more pop oriented Genesis
Genesis - Gabriel - Collins = crap
Smashing Pumpkins - Iha - D'arcy = Billy Corgan with delusions of grandeur
The Velvet Underground - John Cale = Still the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground - John Cale - Lou Reed = an affront to God
Pink Floyd - Syd = Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd - Syd - Wright = Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd - Syd - Waters = Pink Floyd
Bauhaus - Peter Murphy = Love & Rockets debut album mysteriously released as a Bauhaus record
The Doors - Jim Morrison = an abomination
Genesis - Peter Gabriel = a more pop oriented Genesis
Genesis - Gabriel - Collins = crap
Smashing Pumpkins - Iha - D'arcy = Billy Corgan with delusions of grandeur
Kiss -Ace Frehley + Bruce Kulick = different but viable band
Kiss - Ace Frehley + Tommy Thayer in Ace makeup = nostalgia act with lots of explosions
Gotta say some of these newer UH tracks sound pretty decent.
#8
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Uriah Heep - Better than ever