Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Uriah Heep
Label: Bronze Records
Release: 1972
Rating: 5/5
If ‘Look At Yourself’ (1971) was the record that laid the foundation of Uriah Heep’s musical identity, then its follow-up, ‘Demons And Wizards’, is the crown jewel of Uriah Heep, the one that shines brightest of them all. With it, Heep drove their musical perfection to its absolute peak. It’s also the breakthrough album that brought the band fame and huge commercial success, earning Uriah Heep super-group status. This record saw the birth of one of their most notorious hits, ‘Easy Livin”, where Uriah Heep used their tried-and-tested recipe (strictly their own invention) of a galloping rhythm “drive” as the rhythmic backbone.
The guys went through two lineup changes. The new bassist was Gary Thain. Gary was an innovative bassist for his time. Fast as lightning. The dude was constantly hunting for the tiniest scrap of freedom within the basic lines and then deftly twisting them into something else, which added even more contrast to the band’s music. On the one hand, this took some weight off the front line, which until then had been held entirely by guitar, vocals and keyboards; on the other, it enriched the band’s already exceptional sonic repertoire. For its day, Gary was a real revolution in bringing melodic playing to the bass guitar. The second change came behind the drum kit. Lee Kerslake, an old acquaintance of Ken Hensley from the “pre-Heep” days, when they shared a fate in The Gods, proved to be another bullseye, just like Gary. A guy with huge, full swings, he pounded the drums with everything he had, using his whole body, and the sound of the drums truly came alive. With a rhythm section this beefed up and refreshed, the new lineup came alive and started breathing fully. With Lee on drums, Uriah Heep could now sound genuinely heavy whenever they felt like it. Meanwhile, Mick Box also turned into a standout among the guitarists of his day, especially because he increasingly reached for the wah-wah effect. His typical soloing through that effect was slowly becoming his trademark.
This ambitious collaboration put down a record on tape that was truly superior in every respect. It opens with The Wizard, and with an acoustic guitar no less, which was provocative in every way at a time when everybody wanted to compete over who could sound heavier. It’s immediately followed by Traveller In Time, which kicks off with a punchy heavy riff but is expertly combined with a gentler pre-chorus. Dave Byron became even subtler and more refined, transforming into a real performer who radiated irreplaceable charisma both in the studio and on stage. Convince yourself by listening to Circle Of Hands, Rainbow Demon, or the grandiose magic he creates together with Ken through the verses of Paradise/The Spell, a song seasoned with an outstanding slide guitar motif. It’s placed at the end of the record and is its absolute atmospheric peak, proof that Uriah Heep were truly among the finest composers of the early seventies. The songs are diverse once again, and each one stands on its own as a complete piece. The mix of Dave’s emotionally immersed vocal adaptability with the band’s trademark, phenomenally executed arrangements of multi-part vocal lines worked flawlessly. Even the gigantic Queen readily admit that they drew inspiration from Uriah Heep when crafting their own choral arrangements.
Lineup
David Byron – vocals
Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, percussion
Mick Box – guitar
Gary Train – bass guitar
Lee Kerslake – drums, percussion
* Mark Clarke – bass guitar on the song “The Wizard” and the remastered version’s bonus track “Why”
Production
Gerry Bron
Track List
1. The Wizard (2:59)
2. Traveller In Time (3:26)
3. Easy Livin’ (2:36)
4. Poet’s Justice (4:14)
5. Circle Of Hands (6:34)
6. Rainbow Demon (4:30)
7. All My Life (2:46)
8. Paradise (5:15)
9. The Spell (7:26)
Album length: 39:46
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 1996 REMASTERED CD:
1. Why (4:53) edited version released as single b-side
2. Why (7:39) original unedited version, previously unreleased
3. Home Again To You (5:20) out-take, previously unreleased
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 2003 REMASTERED CD:
1. Why – extended mix, previously unreleased version
2. Rainbow Demon – edit, previously unreleased version
3. Proud Words – out-take
4. Home Again To You – out-take, previously unreleased version
5. Green Eye – out-take, previously unreleased song
