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.
Uriah Heep
David Byron - Vocals
Ken Hensley - Keyboards, Slide Guitar and Vocals
Mick Box - Guitars and Vocals
Gary Thain - Bass Guitar and Vocals
Lee Kerslake - Drums and Vocals
Songs
Introduction
Sunrise
Sweet Lorraine
Traveler In Time
Easy Livin’
July Morning
Tears In My Eyes
Gypsy
Circle Of Hands
Look At Yourself
Magician’s Birthday
Love Machine
Rock ‘n’ Roll Medley including
- Roll Over Beethoven
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Mean Woman Blues
- Hound Dog
- At The Hop
- Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On
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.