Uriah heep very eavy.very umble7/21/2023 It was June of 1970 and a new English band, with the funny name borrowed from one Posted Wednesday, Septem| Review this album | Report (Review #31430) There was better to come from the band, but this is a high quality first offering, with some excellent tracks. The remaining numbers generally fall into the " 'eavy" category, with tracks like "I'll keep on trying" and "Dreammare" setting out the band's stall for future albums perfectly. "Wake up (set your sights)" also has a lovely soft conclusion which follows an almost jazz like opening section. It's a beautiful, haunting number, with a peaceful message. Their interpretation is quite stunning, with David Byron adopting various vocal sounds to distinguish between the two characters in the song. "Come away Melinda" (also recorded by UFO) is one of the very few covers the band has done. There are however several decidedly softer moments. The opening track, "Gypsy" is indeed "heavy", with a driving Hammond organ, a thumping beat, and an early burst of Mick Box's famous wah wah guitar soloing. While the "Salisbury" version sees the track being developed well, the slightly rawer earlier version here is well worth hearing. (Despite this, it was in turn replaced on the US version of "Salisbury" by the single B side "Simon the bullet freak"). The version of "Bird of prey" included here is different to the one which appeared on the UK version of "Salisbury". Since "Lucy blues" was the weakest track on VEVU, being a somewhat out of place blues rendition, the revision does represent an improvement. The track listing is the same, except that "Lucy Blues" is dropped in favour of "Bird of prey". Instead, it was released with a different sleeve and simply titled "Uriah Heep". Presumably this was because of the Cockney/Dickensian connections which would not have been so meaningful to those outwith the UK. The American edition of this album was retitled Uriah Heep and omits "Lucy Blues" in favor of the track "Bird of Prey" from Salisbury.Uriah Heep's first album, "Very 'eavy, very 'umble" was not released in the US under that title. Those unfamiliar with Uriah Heep may want to try out Demons and Wizards or a compilation first, but anyone with a serious interest in Uriah Heep or the roots of heavy metal will find plenty to like on Very 'Eavy. Very 'Umble is a likable album that shows the promise that Uriah Heep would soon realize. Despite these occasional moments of stylistic schizophrenia, Very 'Eavy. Unfortunately, the focus of the album is diluted by some unsuccessful experiments: "Lucy Blues" is a dull, unmemorable stab at a Led Zeppelin-style heavy blues tune and "Come Away Melinda" is an overproduced, melodramatic cover that tries to marry the band's full-throttle musical style to a message song. However, the album's finest achievement is "Gypsy": this heavy metal gem nails the blend of swirling organ riffs, power chords, and leather-lunged vocal harmonies that would define the group's classic tunes and remains a staple of the band's live performances today. When this style jells, the results are quite powerful: "Dreammare" blends psychedelic lyrics and a complex vocal arrangement with a stomping beat from the rhythm section to create an effective slice of prog metal fusion while "I'll Keep on Trying" presents a head-spinning, complex tune with enough riffs, hooks, and tempo changes to fill three or four songs. At this juncture, their music falls halfway between the crunch of heavy metal and the dramatic arrangements of prog rock. Very 'Umble finds the band trying on different stylistic hats as they work towards finding their own sound. Despite their eventual hard-rocking reputation, Very 'Eavy. This album was the debut of Uriah Heep, an English band that would become one of the Titans of the '70s heavy metal sound.
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