From all the early seventies live double hard rock
albums, most people would reckon that Deep Purple’s ‘Made in
Japan’ comes out top of the heap. But to this old dog Uriah Heep’s
live album just pips it at the post.
Both
were released by their record companies within six months of each other;
Deep Purple’s effort coming in December of 1972, while Uriah Heep’s
came in May of the following year. Both came with the same mass
marketing including the special price tag of two LPs for the equivalent
of one. Both albums pushed their respective bands into the superstar
division. And, remarkably in similar fashion, both bands would fire
their lead vocalist and bassist within a couple of years.
Deep
Purple’s ‘Made in Japan’ consisted of a complete concert, only
seven songs, drawing heavily on their last album, at the time ‘Machine
Head’, but missed out on the encores (until they were later added on
when the album was re-mastered for CD, and a very worthy addition they
are, too). ‘Made in Japan’ also included ‘The Mule’, which is
basically a 10-minute drum solo. No matter how good Mr. Paice is, how
many times do you want to listen to a drum solo? Final track on ‘Made
in Japan’ is ‘Space Truckin’, which, at twenty odd minutes, took
up the whole of side four in the days of vinyl. Although it starts out
in fine rockin’ style, the final fifteen minutes of everybody soloing
against everybody else was very exciting if you were actually at the
concert, but gets just a bit tedious with the sound but no visual.
Whereas the Uriah Heep Live came in with a total of
twelve songs, including three encore numbers. Sadly though, to make
space for these encore numbers, four concert numbers played on that
night in Birmingham, England, had to be cut and have since been lost. We
shall never hear the whole concert with ‘Lady In Black’, ‘Bird Of
Prey’, ‘The Wizard’, and ‘Come Away Melinda’ in their rightful
place in the set. The selection that we did get had songs from four of
Uriah Heep’s five albums to date. Nothing from second album,
‘Salisbury’, made it to the live album.
Opening with a brace from latest album, ‘the
Magician’s Birthday’, ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sweet Lorraine’, where
the rhythm section of Kerslake and Thain show that after a year together
in the band they have really jelled, propelling Heep into another realm.
Thain, originally from New Zealand, was one of the
new breed of bass guitarists who, as well as putting in plenty of bottom
end, also used his axe as a lead instrument, never happy to be submerged
in the mix.
Lee Kerslake, one of the nicest men to have stepped
onto a rock ‘n’ roll stage, did not so much use his arms and wrists
to beat the skins, but seemed to use his whole body and every inch of
energy in it to put the power into Heep.
The band then continued with two songs from ‘The
Demons and Wizards’, ‘Traveler In Time’, and ‘Easy Livin’. It
seems strange now to hear ‘Easy Livin’ so early in the set, as today
it is usually kept back for a final blast to bring the Heep’s concert
to a dramatic rockin’ climax.
‘July Morning’ from Heep’s third album ‘Look
At Yourself’ is the first epic hauled out by the band, showing off all
the band’s assets, especially the talents of David Byron, who in 1973
was at the peak of his powers, both as an entertainer and a vocalist
with a quite extraordinary range. Add this to the five-part harmonies
the rest of the band was able to put in, and ‘July Morning’ gets the
stamp of a rock classic.
For a change of style, but certainly not pace, Ken
Hensley comes from behind his bank of keyboards to play a slide guitar
duel with lead guitarist Mick Box on ‘Look at Yourself’ and ‘Tears
in My Eyes’, and quite a battle it is, too. Then it’s back behind
the keyboards for Ken Hensley for his keyboard solo number ‘Gypsy’,
which comes from Uriah Heep’s first album ‘Ever So ‘Eavy Ever So
‘Umble’. Clocking in at 14 minutes, there is plenty of space for Ken
Hensley to go through his antics using all the organs and Moog’s at
his disposal.
Then there is time for one more epic in the ‘Demons
and Wizards’ song, ‘Circle of Hands’. It starts off with some
lovely interplay between Hensley’s piano and Byron’s vocals before
the band gradually builds the song to a rousing conclusion. Then ‘Look
at Yourself’ charges out as Mick Box brings the house down with a
crushing guitar solo.
That leaves only encore time, a snippet of ‘The
Magician’s Birthday’ before the volume is cranked to 11 for a run
through of ‘Love Machine’, which just rocks. Then, as was tradition
in those days, something for band and audience to really let their hair
down to - the Rock ‘n’ Roll Medley. By this time it is difficult to
tell who is having a better time, the band or the audience.
So, for best heavy rock live album of the early
seventies, Mott gives it to Uriah Heep by the shortest of noses. Deep
Purple definitely came an honorable second though.
With
the bookshelves laden recently with publications on every aspect of George
Bush, his policies, history and family, it was a welcome change to spot a
local publication. Thaksin - The business of politics in Thailand was
published this year by Silkworm Books (ISBN 974-9575-55-5) and was
co-written by Pasuk Phongpaichit, the professor of Economics at
Chulalongkorn University, and independent writer Chris Baker. It is the
first study of Thaksin in English, according to the back cover.
Mott’s CD review: Uriah Heep – Live