Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Uriah Heep
Label: Bronze Records
Release: 1977
Rating: 4/5
After “High And Mighty” (1976), Uriah Heep went looking for a replacement for David Byron. Tough ask! All sorts of people showed up to the audition, gathered from every corner of the music scene, including some big names with a fine ring to them, like Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), the one and only David Coverdale, who had just left Deep Purple and was in the middle of putting Whitesnake together, Gary Holton (Heavy Metal Kids) or Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople). On the recommendation of Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, John Lawton also tried out for Uriah Heep. He had previously put out five studio albums with his band Lucifer’s Friend, German by origin, and had also played on Glover’s 1974 project “The Butterfly Ball”, which featured Ronnie James Dio as well. It would be interesting to know what Glover would have decided if he and Blackmore hadn’t been friends, since after “The Butterfly Ball” Dio went from his home band Elf straight to Blackmore’s newly formed Rainbow. Lawton has an incredibly passionate, emotionally striking, erotic voice that’s powerful across the whole vocal range. On top of that, his singing carries a bluesy, gospel touch. In sheer power of vocal acrobatics, Lawton left Byron far behind. He didn’t want to copy him in any way, and for someone who had to fill the shoes of a figure as important as Byron, that took a hell of a lot of guts! The one-of-a-kind Lawton was exactly the shot in the arm Uriah Heep needed, and you could feel fresh drive and freshness in the band! Less talked about was the change on bass. Instead of John Wetton, Uriah Heep’s new bassist was Trevor Bolder, who cut his teeth in the early seventies with Spiders Form Mars, David Bowie’s notorious backing band.
And it’s true. “Firefly” carries a mystical touch from start to finish, just like, say, “The Magician’s Birthday” album (1972). Alongside “Demons And Wizards” (1972) and the aforementioned “The Magician’s Birthday” (1972), “Firefly” is one of Uriah Heep’s creative peaks of the seventies and by far the most “heep” album among the “heep” albums of the “Lawton trilogy” era. Interestingly, the tracks on “Firefly” are still written as if tailor-made for David Byron’s voice. And yet “Firefly”, the band’s tenth studio album, failed to make the UK top-selling albums chart. That hadn’t happened in a full five years. Clearly, David Byron’s popularity was beyond extraordinary. Even though “Firefly” got mostly positive reviews from music journalists, the vast majority of fans turned their backs on the band for good over Byron’s absence. They simply refused to accept John Lawton.
“High And Mighty” is a good album. It could have been great, but the songs on the second half of the record somehow speak of a band that was burnt out, out of ideas and full of itself. The friction between Byron and the rest of the band was too great, and a transformation was more than necessary. The follow-up, “Firefly”, has a huge dose of fairy-tale magic and that familiar, unmistakable “heep drama”, shining once again in all its glory. Production-wise, as the band’s tenth album, it’s by far the cleanest. The bite of the growing distorted guitar sound is felt more than ever before. For the first time, two guitars appear in the studio, and the Mellotron is noticeably more present! Alongside Mick Box, Ken Hensley now also grabbed a guitar quite often.
The opening mid-tempo rocker Hanging Tree, with the increasingly modern, sophisticated “filter” production of the time, immediately offers a trip into this wondrous Uriah Heep world. Hanging Tree stands out especially in its excellent chorus, where Lawton’s flawless lead vocal weaves together with multi-voiced harmonies! The moment Lawton opens his mouth in the first verse, you know “Firefly” is a truly special record! In terms of magic, Hanging Tree comes closest to the last track on the record. The title song Firefly! Wise Man, the big hit of “Firefly”, is classic Uriah Heep mastery. Simplicity, catchiness, musical perfection and high atmosphere blended in an ideal combination! The record hits its atmospheric peak in the closer, the title track Firefly! It has three striking shifts in atmosphere! The atmosphere builds up with remarkable spontaneity from a dreamy intro, then switches and escapes through a sparkling, poppy-flavored drive in the middle section, full of positive vibes, and back into a grand finale as the opening motif returns. The biggest contribution to this magic is a classic “heep” specialty – the brilliant arrangement of the choral harmonies! Firefly remains one of the most beautiful “heep” compositions to this day.
The duality of the song Rollin’ On is fascinating! What a refined Lawton creates through the dizzying experiments of his voice! The pre-chorus and the excellent instrumental middle section carry a mystical feel, especially through the melancholic melodies of the three-part harmonies, while the heavier chorus leans on the classic rock form. Been Away To Long has a similar double face, with a rock-sharpened little trick in the chorus shot through with Lee Kerslake’s playful drum rolls, and around it a half-ballad setup with Lawton once again front and center.
The rock’n’ roller Who Needs Me has all the bounce of tracks like Easy Livin’, Sweet Loraine or Something Or Nothing from earlier “heep” albums. Do You Know is another rock “pulsator”, densely sown with massive Hammond sound and a wildly unhinged Box solo! Of the three such tracks, though, first place definitely goes to Sympathy (released as a hit single, just like Wise Man), a rocker built on pure, classically designed lines, where Lawton’s emotions boil over with special fervor.
“Firefly” is a true Uriah Heep classic, full of fantasy, stunning shifts in atmosphere and a brilliant knack for conjuring up magic through songs that are polished to perfection. In spirit and form, “Firefly” fits much more easily alongside the albums of Byron’s legacy (and still stands there proudly and as an equal today) than next to its two successors “Innocent Victim” (1977) and “Fallen Angel” (1978). A masterpiece for the ages that sadly never got the recognition it deserved.
Lineup
John Lawton – lead vocals
Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
Mick Box – guitar
Trevor Bolder – bass
Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals
Production
Gerry Bron
Track list
1. The Hanging Tree (3:42)
2. Been Away Too Long (5:04)
3. Who Needs Me (3:40)
4. Wise Man (4:44)
5. Do You Know (3:15)
6. Rollin’ On (6:32)
7. Sympathy (4:50)
8. Firefly (6:18)
Album length: 38:05
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 1997 REMASTERED EDITION:
1. Crime Of Passion (3:37) single b-side
2. Do You Know (3:16) demo version, previously unreleased
3. A Far Better Way (5:50) Out-take, released for the first time on ‘A Time Of Revelation’ (1996)
4. Wise Man (4:48) TV backing track version, previously unreleased
