by Mott the Dog
re-mastered By Ella Crew
4 Stars ****
This DVD goes to prove - come what may - that you
cannot keep a good band down. In the past fourteen years, although with a
steady line-up and consistent world wide touring, Uriah Heep have only
released three new studio albums, which have actually been critically well
received, but only did moderate sales, as opposed to six studio albums in
their first three formative years, added to which was the groundbreaking
double live album. But live the boys can still pack concert halls across
the globe, with their full-on stage shows and enthusiastic performances.
The Magician’s Birthday Party was recorded at the
Shepherds Bush Empire in London, England on 7th December 2001 to celebrate
thirty-two years of the monster on this planet that Uriah Heep is. They
went through five drummers, six bassists, four keyboard players, four lead
vocalists, but only one lead guitarist, quite an achievement. (Making the
“Spinal Tap” drum stool look secure.) To be fair, the current line-up
of Uriah Heep has been together (with barely a hick up) now since 1988.
The event had been sold out weeks in advance by the
loyal Heep fans, and the band itself had promised a special show. They
delivered in no uncertain terms, giving a powerful performance that belied
their mounting years. (Watching the DVD concert section of the show one
cannot help but make comparisons between the appearance of the band and
their counterparts in the spoof band “Strange Fruit” from the movie
‘Still Crazy’, with the resemblance between drummer Lee Kerslake and
his film double Timothy Spall, keyboard player Phil Lanzon and Stephen
Rea, and especially lead vocalist Bernie Shaw and the superbly over the
top Bill Nighy. It is quite hard to not expect to glance sideways and
expect Billy Connelly to be part of the road crew.) The band gives a very
energetic performance, playing songs from as far back as their third album
“Look at Yourself” (1971). With the classic song “July Morning”
Mick Box delivers a superb guitar solo to bring the song to a dramatic
climax, whilst Bernie Shaw mirrors the exacting high falsetto vocals of
sadly departed original Heep vocalist David Byron. Before that the band
plays “Between two Worlds” from their last studio album, the
wonderfully monickered “Sonic Origami” (1998).
Uriah Heep had also promised surprises during the show,
and no diehard fan of the band could possibly have been disappointed by
what they got. First up during “Between Two Worlds” Thijs Van Leer,
formally of Dutch super group ‘Focus’, gets up on stage to play the
flute parts and as a special treat gives a few of his customized yodels.
Then after a couple more songs the crowd goes totally bananas as original
keyboardist/slide guitarist/vocalist/and for a time chief songwriter (for
Heep’s ninth album “High and Mighty” 1976 he wrote all the songs)
Ken Hensley gets up on stage to play with the band for the first time in
twenty-one years. The years roll back and Ken Hensley fits musically back
into the band like a velvet glove, switching between vocals, keyboards,
and some wonderful slide guitar, especially during the epic “Circle of
Hands”.
Now
as a six piece rock band (with the edition of three beautiful back up
singers, who are certainly easier on the eye than some of the aging rock
stars on the stage) they bring the set proper to a rousing conclusion with
a definitive version of “The Magician’s Birthday”, which gives each
member of the band a solo opportunity.
Encore time brings the whole entourage back on stage
with the addition of Heep’s vocalist for three studio albums and three
years of live work, John Lawton (who had miraculously grown his hair back
for the night), for two more rockers to send the crowd home into the cold
London night deliriously happy. Of course you do not have to do that as
you can now watch it at your leisure in the comfort of your home - thanks
to the wonders of DVD.
The extras are worth the price of the DVD on their own
with a filmed visit of the band to the U. S. A, Rock vault of other bands
that have DVD on the Classic Rock Label, a bonus track in studio form, and
a documentary of a Uriah Heep Fan Convention with the band in attendance.
When you look at the set list and notice which songs
Uriah Heep could afford to leave out, you get an idea of how strong the
Heep back catalogue is. How many other bands could play a two-hour set at
a celebration concert and still leave out such classics as ‘Gypsy’,
‘Lady in Black’ and ‘The Wizard’? Most other bands would have to
build their whole set round them. It is thirty-two years on the road now
for Uriah Heep, and if this DVD is anything to go by, there is plenty of
life in the old Dog for a few more years to come.
Musicians: Mick Box/Guitars, Bernie Shaw/Vocals, Trevor
Boulder/Bass, Phil Lanson/Keyboards, Lee Kerslake/Drums
Guest Artists: Thijs Van Leer/Flute, John
Lawton/Vocals, Ken Hensley/Guitar and Keyboards.
Songs: Stealin, Return to fantasy, Tales, Sweet Pretender, Between Two
Worlds, Mistress of all Time, I’ll Keep on trying, July morning,
Sunrise, Paradise/The Spell, Circle of Hands, Easy livin’, The
Magician’s Birthday, Sympathy, Free ‘n’ Easy
To contact Mott the Dog email: [email protected]
This week’s review is the weighty biography of one of
the best recognized names in recent western culture, simply titled Dr.
Spock - An American Life, it was written by Thomas Maier. Published first
in 1998, this is the most current reprint (ISBN 0-465-04315-1) and is in
paperback format.
Mott’s CD review: 
