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Quickly moving on to “Icon: Uriah Heep”, what does this strange name actually mean? And again icons, aren't those holy images? In any case, first impression: organ overkill! If you don't like the instrument, you should avoid this formation. Personally, I find it quite nice in this context, a bit like STEPPENWOLF on crack, but I begin to sense what a fuzzy-bearded Johnny Rotten must have felt when he turned on a radio. Second impression: This was surely one of the templates for SPINAL TAP. And for TENACIOUS D. These lyrics. It can't be true that they take all this pseudo-mystical nonsense seriously! This could have been something like the school band of Ronnie James Dio. Wizard, Bird of Prey, Dawn of a Revolution, La la la lah? And: Singing a love story with a gypsy woman seems, in light of today's hostility towards Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants, like a romantic idealization straight out of the 18th century. But whatever, the main thing is, afterwards there's an organ solo until unconsciousness. Verse, bass solo with two organ solos on top. It's already so balla balla that it's cool again. I can't shake the impression that these gentlemen intended to create a musical with every second song. Packing fantasy stories into songs doesn't have to be bad, here it results in something of a mix between PINK FLOYD and QUEEN with extra kitsch. And organ. Did I mention the organ?
In their best moments, URIAH HEEP skillfully drew from the trick box of (pop) rock and possibly paved the way to metal. However, all too often it comes across as so unintentionally funny and cerebral that I wonder how they couldn't notice it. For example, when they can't simply finish a straightforward rock riff but always have to attach a tail of chords until it becomes an unwieldy melodic monster. Or completely arbitrarily inserted falsettos.
It's definitely tough material that LIDL serves to its unsuspecting customers, although with some patience you can find a few nice songs here. However, it's overall so unwieldy that you have to listen intently, and you must be willing to forgive the band for some real satire of rock music of their time. They themselves probably forgave it given their money. All in all, I find it so peculiar that I'm inclined to withhold judgment, and I would like my rather poor rating to be understood in that light. Just this much: A decade in which spaced-out concept albums are the norm of rock music practically screams for primitive party music with a high fuck-you factor. And no, I don't mean carnival techno.
Part 1: Deep Purple
Part 3: Cat Stevens
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