Uriah Heep | Ten Best Albums
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Join me on a trip through the Uriah Heep discography to select what I think are their ten best albums.
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#uriahheep #ranking #classicalbum - Hudba
I haven't listened to 10 of their albums yet, but I can say that their run of 6 albums from their debut Very 'Eavy Very' Umble in 70, to Sweet Freedom in 73 is absolutely stunning. 6 albums of that quality in just 3 years...hard to beat.
I always tell people who don't know the later stuff to check out Wake The Sleeper. It's HEAVY!
Heep's 2018 album Living the Dream is indeed one of their finest and ranks right up their with their 70's catalogue. I would have been tempted to include one of the three albums from the John Lawton era - Firefly, Innocent Victim, or Fallen Angel.
Agreed about the 6 albums in 3 years. In the early 70's it was quite common for record labels to require output of 2 albums per year.
Agree with much of the review as well. Good to see Sweet Freedom in there and Return To Fantasy. The opening strains of the title track have an incredible atmosphere. I remember Ken Hensley being interviewed on I think the Alan Freeman Show talking through a lot of the tracks on the album before being played. Happy days.
Personally I prefer Sweet Freedom over Magician's Birthday as I find SF to be more consistently strong throughout whereas MB a bit more patchy, I would have both in there but SF probably second only to Demon and Wizards, and MB a little bit further down the order. But that's just down to personal preference.
I guess the title of the review could be revised to be "Ten Best STUDIO albums" as if truly "Ten Best Albums" then the "Live 1973" double LP would have to be well in there.
Lastly, I agree with the inclusion of Abominog although one small error in the review - the track isn't called "Chasing Rainbows" - it is of course "Chasing Shadows". Just something I immediately noticed, sorry to split hairs on an otherwise top review.
@@SpeedKingHighwayStar Deep Purple also have a song called "Chasing Shadows" which included on Mk's1 Third self tittle-opening track!
I am a vinyl lover (and record seller) in Germany and I would like to say THANK YOU for all your videos, especially the ranking lists. You do it with calmness and precision and everyone notices how much passion, but above all competence, is behind it. Please keep it up!
Greetings from Hamburg
Wow, thank you!
Demons and Wizards ranks as 5 best classic rock album of all time of among 8000 records I have collected over the years. Look at yourself and Magician's Birthday is breathtaking also. What a great band they were in the early 1970s!!
I saw them a few times more recently as recent as 2019. My first Uriah Heep concert was on the Wonder World Tour in 1974. Uriah Heep are still a fantastic band with the current lineup. These guys rock! Guitarist and songwriter Mick Box has kept Uriah Heep going all these years
Note that Wonderworld, not Sweet Freedom, was the last album with the “classic” lineup.
With Thain on bass who died so young and replaced with the incomparable John wetton who immediately improves any group he sides with
I LOVE ALL of their 70s albums. Excellent!!
In 1975 I saw some great bands.
Saw Heep at the Shrine in Hollywood.
One of my 3 best concerts ever.
Better than The Who and Zep.
As good as the Stones and Yes.
Never saw a band have so much fun on stage playing.
Top 5:
5 Look At Yourself
4 Sweet Freedom
3 Magicians Birthday
2 Demons And Wizards
1 Uriah Heep Live
It was Gary Thain who took them from a decent rock band with a bit of British prog to something quite special. For a while.
The Magicians birthday and Solsbury are the two Heep albums i have as I am now just beginning to really like these guys
Thanks for the analysis of a band who I often think are very underrated compared to the other 70s rock giants. But they kept going maki great albums all through their career/line ups. I’m a big fan of Bernie Shaw.
There’s a terrible abscense: John Lawton’s era LPs, Firefly and Innocent Victim.
Absolutely agree with you! Firefly & Innocent Victim were also great albums, considering that fact that John Lawton had to fill the great void of the Byron era!
My List:
10) Firefly
9) Wonderworld
8) Wake The Sleeper
(this album rocks HARD and could go up a few spots at any time.)
7) Sweet Freedom
6) Abominog
(the first Heep I owned other than a hits collection)
5) Magician's Birthday
4) Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble
3) Salisbury
2) Demons & Wizards
1) Look At Yourself (a classic - not a weak moment on this one)
Can't argue with your picks. But I would have given the John Lawton era some love. I would have Firefly in my top 10.
Saw the last gig of the Return to Fantasy tour at the Apollo Glasgow in '76, they literally brought the house down, easily in my top 5 gigs of all time, they were on fire, have tickets for their rescheduled gig at the Royal Concert Hall in the autumn.
I like that you take their whole catalog in the mix (not just certain eras). Uriah Heep had their UPS and DOWNS along with that some of the later material really does deserve some light. My list would been different, offcourse, but many of the same albums. One I would squeeze in would be "Sea of Light" from 1995. Very far from the dark and heavy times of grunge and more extreme metal but it has aged very well for me.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
Have to admit I actually like conquest... If innocent victim had a less ugly cover I might have missed out on Nazareth as I bought malice in. Wonderland instead. Prattling here because sea of light is my fav heep😅
Great band! Had their records through Wonderworld. Saw them with Manfred Mann and BTO at the Spectrum in Philly in '73. A delightful blur.
Outstanding! Interesting and hard to NOT keep listening.
Glad you enjoyed it!
thanks for this - lovely video 🙂
I saw Heep last year, 42 years after first seeing them. they put on one hell of a show and this later, more stable line up is up there with the DB era easily.
I love this band!! Always have.
Check out my interview with Mick Box
Great video
HEEP FOREVER AND EVER!
Hard..but here we go. 1 the magicans birthday,2 lock at yourself,3 demons and wizards,4 sweet freedom,5 wonderworld,6 return to fantasy,7 fallen angel,8 firefly,9 abominog,10 salisbury. Tomorrow i probably has a different list🤣🤘
1973 Uriah Heep is my favorite live album by far and my favorite uriah herp album is sea of light I also request that all of you heat heads out there signed the petition to get them in the Rock and roll Hall of shame-Fame
Thanks for that Barry
That was really interesting.
I often wondered what your favourite albums were.
Uriah Heep were very popular in Australia, and charted bigger than the U.K.
As were Sabbath and Purple.
But sadly, unlike the above two, they only toured our country once during the 70's in '74
I guess Aussies love their rock
I was fortunate to see the Adelaide concert, November ‘74.
Love these rankings and top ten videos. Looking for more. Thank you!
Living the dream is just so exciting from beginning to end. And Mick Box is over 70, Unbelievable, ! Each time a so exhilirating listening experience. In my top three, along with Magician and demons.
Fabulous review as always Barry-thank you. Back in the day, I used to listen to Heep interposed between my more usual suspects like Sabbath, Purple, Tull and the Who when I felt the need for melodic goth tinged heavy prog rock with that fab Hammond organ. I played both Demons and Wizards and the Magician's Birthday enough to put grooves in both! Thanks for reviving the memories. Cheers
MICK BOX is a TRUE MASTER and a Magician..
No Ken hensley was a master Also Gary thain David Byron Mick box is mediocre
Excellent!!! A joy.
'Gothic money shot' LMFAO Marvellous review of an awesome band. Thanks Barry.
A superb review, very enjoyable. Barry, master of words.
Great list but disappointed to not see 'Head First' on it. Thats a fantastic heavy album...
Great vid. Love the references to Allmusic (an absolute MUST reference for EVERY music fan) and Martin Popov. Good ranking selection.
sweet freedom for the win...!!!
I'm a huge Heep fan and I genuinely believe their first 7 albums (up to 1973's "Sweet Freedom" and including the wonderful double "Live 1973") are masterpieces that anyone who claims to like heavy rock should listen to.
I'd personally include at least 1977's "Firefly", a true return to form featuring the incredibly talented John Lawton on lead vocals, 1995's "Sea Of Light" and the solid 2008's comeback with "Wake The Sleeper".
That being said, it all boils down to personal taste and it's hard to argue with this top 10 list: all the albums mentioned are very well worth a spin and more than one in many cases.
Good job in keeping the Heep flag flying high!
Dude, you have very good taste and a decent selection, almost identical to mine!! But here are a couple of albums from your list, I would still replace. There are clearly not enough albums here: Firefly (1977) and Sea of Light (1995).
Look at Yourself, Demons and Wizards, Sweet Freedom, Innocent Victim, Firefly, Sea of Light, Salisbury, High and Mighty, Conquest, Return to Fantasy
Great reviews as ever 👍🏻 love Salisbury, then Look at yourself, Demons, RTF, Abominog and Head first are favs.
Uriah Heep is in my top two favorite bands. I came to like them from a tragic accident. In the early seventies on Long Island in New York. I was maybe 9 years old. My dad did construction and one of his workers tragically died in a car accident on Christmas morning. I found his cassette copy of magician's birthday in my father's car. And that's where it started for me. I still have that cassette today. Great review a lot of information.. my list might be a little different. 👍🇺🇲
GOTHIC MONEY SHOT🤣🤣🤣 I'll never look at that album cover in the same way again.
Still reeling at Return to Fantasy in lowly 9th place... that aside, this is a fabulous review. Thank you. Heep have always been wonderfully unfashionable, so thanks also for including those negative reviews which only help to prove that Box, Byron et al were an important band for so many of us who felt a wee bit outside of the mainstream.
Great video. My list would be quite different, but great choices and explanations here.
1 Demons and Wizaards 2 Look at yourself 3 Magicians Birthday 4 Salisbury 5 Very Eavy Very Umble 6 Wonderworld 7 Reurn to Fantasy it should ranked as number 4 but it has 1-2 lesser good tracks 8 Sweet Freedom 9 Firefly 10 Abominog or Fallen Angel
Great to see Into The Wild featured. one of their best and very Purple in places. Phil
I started getting deeper into Heep over the last 4 years. I've listened to Look at Yourself through Sweet Freedom and High and Mighty, love all of them. This video will help me figure out what i should check out next. 👍
Recently subscribed and immediately looked for your Heep review! Really great run through and has already sent me off to revisit some old favourites. Great band still doing it!
I agree with you that "Living The Dream" is one of their best albums. I also like Sweet Freedom, Look at Yourself and Abominog.
The first nine (including Live 73) plus Sea of Light.
I was lucky enough to buy Heep's 50 Years In Rock boxset a year or so back. What a great investment. I'd been familiar with them before that, had a few albums, saw them live a couple of times but the opportunity to dive into an entire catalogue at one's leisure really gives a fantastic perspective on their career...so far! For a band who have a signature sound, the colour and variety contained in their albums is startling. I'd agree with many of your choices but agree with them or not, the best thing them is that they encourage a revisit of the albums AND the albums you left out. Which begs the question, where's Firefly? Alas, 24 into 20 won't go. Great edition.
@@clowncarqingdao I really like the album. It's a shame but I think the material from the John Lawton period is a bit "variable" and I think that reflected unfairly on John. What a set of pipes the guy had. A sad loss.
Absolutely agree!
Damn, another list I see with Demons and Wizards at the top. It's the only classic UH album I never could get into. Maybe it's time to give it another shot...
My top 3 would be:
3. Salisbury
2. Look at Yourself
1. The Magician's Birthday
Hard for me to assemble a top 10 since I don’t have nearly enough of their discography but I do have that remarkable debut, containing the menacing kicker of an opening track, “ Gypsy. “ A great, formidable way of presenting themselves from the get go.
David Byron rip
Lee Kerslake rip
Ken Hensley rip
Gary Thain rip
John Lawton rip
John Wetton rip
Trevor Bolden rip
Mick Box Long Live 🎸👊💪😎🤘
always engaging listening to Demons And Wizards. yes a truly intense, magnificent album
Wonderworld!!
1 - Look at Yourself
2 - Demons and Wizards
3 - The Magician’s Birthday
4 - Salisbury
5 - Very ‘Eavy … Very ‘Umble
6 - Wonderworld
7 - Sweet Freedom
8 - Return to Fantasy
9 - Firefly
10 - Abominog
Great list. It was good to see Abominog, Into the Wild and Living the Dream included.
The only one that I think is missing is Wake the Sleeper (2008). Their heaviest and best album as far as I am concerned.
Interesting my list would be
1 Sweet Freedom
2 Demons & Wizards
3 Look At Yourself
4 The Magicians Birthday
5 Salisbury
6 Very Eavy Very Umble
7 Living The Dream
8 Wonderworld
9 Abominog
10 Return To Fantasy
I have always flip flopped between Demons, Salisbury and Magician. I know themall, but those are the three I always go back to.. The harmones!! As a drummer, I get great satisfaction listening to the albums between 1970 and 1975. As I sais,I love all.
I would drop abominog and put chaos colors
Thanks for the insight on a few Lps I have not heard..I will be picking up Living the Dream after hearing your review..Sweet Freedom is actually the album I reach for the most..have a great day
I was really disappointed with Innocent Victim when it first came out, but I love it now.
fantastic video!..nice to see "Living the Dream" on your list, I think it's a great album. I also feel Mick Box is underrated.
Totally agree!
Great band 👍
My top 10 of Uriah Heep i own all 25 studio albums.
10 Sea Of Light 1995
9 Into The Wild 2011
8 Fallen Angel 1978
7 Chaos & Colour 2023
6 Salisbury 1971
5 Uriah Heep 1970
4 Living The Dream 2018
3 Firefly 1977
2 Wake The Sleeper 2008
1 Demons And Wizards 1972
You missed one of their greatest albums in my book. Sea of Light. Brilliant album!
Out of the ones I’ve heard:
01) Look At Yourself
02) Very Eavy…Very Umble
03) Salisbury
04) Demons And Wizards
05) Sweet Freedom
06) The Magician’s Birthday
07) Wonderworld
08) Firefly
09) High N Mighty
10) Return To Fantasy
What an eloquent reviewer!
Thank you, do check out my other videos
@@classicalbum I don't have a ton of time on my hands but I'll be sure to check out some of your videos for sure.
What a perfect list! I still claim D&W is one of the all time best rock albums! Very glad to see Living The Dream on this list as well!
My personal favorite is look at yourself solid all the way through heavy
@@mikekeeler6362 Mike it really is tough to select LAYS or D&W. Both are still amazing!
Great Review. Very hard to do because of their immense catalogue. When Ken Hensley was in the band he generally played the slide guitar parts.
That is absolutely CORRECT. He plays it on both Dreamare and Echos in the Dark.
The last album 💿 « Chaos & Colour » is fine , I would rank it really high 😊
Good choices across the years of Heep releases, can’t argue with the inclusions, perhaps slight change of order but not much.
Demons And Wizards, Look At Yourself, Live 73, Magicians Birthday, Sweet Freedom, Wonderworld, Abonimog, Very Eavy Very Umble, Salisbury, Return To Fantasy
Great list. I got into Uriah Heep as a 17 year old when Abominog came out, also a big fan of the recent material as well the classic era and that is reflected in my own top ten
1. Wake The Sleeper
2 Abominog
3. Living The Dream
4 Demons And Wizards
5 Very Eavy Very Umble
6 Outsider
7 Salisbury
8 Look At Yourself
9 Sweet Freedom
10 Sea Of Light
Increíble el poner Leaving the dream al lado del Magicians Birthday. Y no colocar ninguno de la Lawton era.
I agree with your list, but i would change No.1 and No.2. IMO Look at yourself is a Prog influencial Masterpiece.
Other than their '70 stuff I love their first two albums of the '80 and the two album of the '90. Don't like what followed because imo the inspiration is gone, so their great rythm section.
I'm a big fan of Uriah Heep I had all their albums my favorite is magician's birthday and Demons and Wizards
UH is been fantastic from the start. Have you reviewed the great April Wine? If not, when will you?
I’ve not heard a few of the later ones mentioned but I would put Sea of Light in there, somewhere near the top. Don’t know why it’s been omitted.
Irish heep super group all times
Its OK
Very good video. The first 5 albums are no-brainers (in almost any order) and the 3 "newer" albums included - "Living the Dream", "Into the Wild" and "Abominog" are good choices. I would have replaced "Return to Fantasy" (disjointed songs and terrible production - Mick Box sounds like he's playing underwater) with "Firefly" (best of the Lawton Era). "Sweet Freedom" gets a lot of love - mostly due to "Stealin'" - but to me this is where the rot began to set in. The first four songs on "High and Mighty" are spectacular and "Sea of Light" really kicked off the "current era" of Uriah Heep - so I probably would have gone with one of those two.
While it's true that "Sweet Freedom" lost something against its monumental predecessors (i.e. there are a couple of fillers to be honest), when I come back to it and hear tracks like "Stealin", "Circus", "One Day", the dramatic "Pilgrim" and the mighty title track, I just have to consider it one of their best efforts. Maybe the last of the truly classic Heep albums, sure, but still a great album.
I agree on your takes on "Return To Fantasy" and "Firefly", though.
The recored that got me into heavy metal and still my favourite all time album, Shame you didnt spend time on The spell which is epic.
Look at yourself is an epic masterpiece. Just sayin
Not an easy one. So many great records. But I will anyway give it a try.
1) The Magician's Birthday
2) Sea of Light
3) Demons and Wizards
4) Look at Yourself
5) Wake the Sleeper
6) Abominog
7) Firefly
8) Conquest
9) Sonic Origami
10) Sweet Freedom
Surprised to see Sonic Origami in your list
@@classicalbum You were surprised by Sonic Origami and not by Conquest?
What is the album Salisbury about? The timing of the release makes me think that the title at least matches the termination of Salisbury, Rhodesia. However when I read the lyrics I'm confused about that part.
Salisbury is where the British army used to practice in England.
I miss Wonderworld
🍀🍀
Look at yourself is better than demons Wizards and I like both a lot heavier and darker than demons and Wizards
I always thought that the one thing that held Heep back was that Box whilst a capable guitar player is not a lead solo player, it's the bit that was missing.
Wonderworld was the last of the classic lineup
And probably the worst album up until then.
I must admit that I never really met the Heap for no particular reason.The only track I know is the obvious one and thats still a superb few minutes of feel good music.To summarise this best to worst I cant comment on.
Question for you, Sir: in what circumstances does a band cease to be THAT band, and becomes simply a trademark instead? What sort of line-up changes does it require, what percentage of original members does it need to loose? I wonder it not just in the case of Uriah Heep's, but as I've noticed many refer to a specific band even when only one of the original members have survived, and not always the key songwriter. Sincerely interested in your take.
An interesting question that can only be asked by the person buying the tickets. Most classic bands are really just brands and trademarks. Touring corporations.
@@classicalbum ?? Why do you think it can only be asked by those who buy the tickets? I believe it is a relevant question, and I am still interested in your opinion. What makes a band THAT band, as often those who rank the albums do not seem to consider this issue, and rather rely on the band name stamped on the sleeve?
@@fabiopatane9160 There are bands that are down to one original member that are still respectable depending on what they are currently doing. That is, are they are still putting out albums and are not just an oldies touring cover band?
For example, Uriah Heep have put out some of their best material in recent years (Wake the Sleeper (2008) and Living the Dream (2018)), even if they don't tend to play enough newer material live.
Before Lemmy's demise, Motorhead were down to one classic era member since the early 90s, but they still put out many quality albums.
Black Sabbath albums with Tony Iommi as the sole original member were a hit and miss affair (Seventh Star and The Eternal Idol were both very good), but at least Iommi kept producing new material instead of resting on his laurels.
@@jtighe7090 I have appreciated your considerations, but sorry, you seem to have missed the point here, which is not about quality of output.
@@fabiopatane9160 I didn't miss the point. My suggestion is that as long as a band still puts out quality music, and they aren't simply a touring oldies cover band with one oringal member, then they honour the name of the band and should be respected as a continuation of the same band. It isn't just a matter of percentage of original band members as you were wondering.
Have them all and flogged them to death. High N' Mighty is clearly my favorite followed by Demons.
I love Uriah Heep but I feel they “ran out of gas” after Sweet Freedom. I saw them live in May 1978 and they mostly played classic era songs.
Yep that's about the time I lost interest in their music or rather it started to diminish at that point.
Check out Wake the Sleeper (2008) and Living the Dream (2018).
They still have lots of gas left. I saw them live a few years ago, and although they did too much "classic era" material and not enough new stuff, they were still great.
The Eagles still do this and make a fortune.
What do you think of the John Lawton era of Heep?
Difficult to disagree with any of the albums in your list, and across their whole catalogue there isnt really one truely awful album - yes Conquest, Equator and Different World come in for a lot of flack, but there are days when I quite enjoy them, particularly Conquest, as I bought that when it was released and apart for a couple of songs where John Sloman is possibly trying too hard I do think there's some great material on it.
My favourite Heep albums are the ones I got into them first with - namely Return to Fantasy and then Fallen Angel - I'm also a big fan of John Lawton's voice, and personally prefer it over David Byron's, though that's not to say Byron wasn't fantastic as well. All the Byron albums are great- some greater than others, as per your list, but I really really like the music and style on those Lawton albums. I would also say that for me Sea of Light saw them really return to the more classic Hammond driven Heep sound and so I have a lot of love for that one. If they can continue to produce albums as good as Living the Dream, then I'll continue buying and loving them. 'appy days.
Cowbell is BOC?Why?Because of the Ripper?GFR were an american..?Questions:What your thoughts about "Why" the long version?And Firefly don't you like it?
During the seventies they released one album a year,which makes around ten
during this decade.
Their peak ended when bass player Gary Thane died and David Byron left.
Of course the albums contain not only great pieces but also also garbage.
Instead of 10 maybe 3 or 4 would have been enough.
But since Heep made good money for the record companies....so why not !
I think your Top 5 is a cliche... but some cliches play out. I was happy to see some new Heep albums in your list... but everybody is going to put merit into Demons & Wizards. I think some of the greatest deep cuts from Heep exist on Sea Of Light and Sonic Origami... and I understand why the first 4 or 5 albums rank high on every Heep list, but at the same time, I think there are songs post-1985 that are better than any classic era Heep tracks.
It's a matter of opinion! Which is why channels like yours are so important. It pushes casual listeners to open their eyes and seek out the cuts that have never made it to radio. I respectfully disagree with your Top 10, but at the same time, respect it for your own view.
Keep it coming. I'll watch, I'll argue, I'll dislike your opinions and agree on others.
Music is what ties us all together. Without it what do we have?
You obviously don't like the John Lawton era. Firefly is an amazing album.
There is only one group and that's the one with David Byron nowt else
It shouldnt be you who calls your work sterling, its for others
Why?
I think you are reading too much into Barry’s intro, its just to emphasise his commitment to producing content worth watching on his channel rather than “Guys, I am brilliant”.
The work on this channel is sterling. There, now someone else has said it.
It's because he puts the work and the hours in.