Uriah Heep - Celebration

Uriah Heep are going over to the US for a short tour in the summer which may explain the logic behind this release.
It was released in the UK to celebrate the bands 40 years in the business and is seen as an opportunity for the band to re-invent their profile for the global market.
It has been closed to ten years since the last tour of the US and the dates prior to that had been few and far between.

Heep are best remembered in America for their material between the years 1970 and 1976 when David Byron was their legendary lead vocalist.

The songs of that era feature heavily in this re-recorded compilation done by the current line-up.
The idea of re-vamping the old classics is a good in principal but in reality the comparisons can't help surfacing.

'Gypsy', 'Bird Of Prey' and 'July Morning; monsters from their heyday are all feature here and all given a make-over.

Of course we yearn for the originals and fondly think back on amazing times with extraordinary musicians. Reality has to kick in though; both David Byron and bassist Gary Thain have long been dead; casualties of rock and roll while Ken Hensley has not been a band member for 30 years.

This latest line-up of Heep with the exception of a change a few years back when long term member Lee Kerslake retired from the drum kit has been together for twenty four years. Through all that time they have been playing all the classics religiously without fail, so why not have a go at applying a modern day stamp to the old masters.

This is an ideal opportunity to catch up on some old favourites given a new slant.

Some of that original energy may be missing but the opportunity to take in what the current band is about is too good to miss.
This is an ideal release if you are planning to take in a Heep gig in the near future.

The classic anthem ‘Sunrise’ has been lovingly restored as well as the trademark number ‘The Wizard’.

‘Easy Livin’ a legend of a track is here but not a favourite of this particular set. The inclusion of the sing along ‘Lady In Black’ is accepted as a pre defined but the delivery is not that great.
Quite a few of the tracks here have abrupt endings which are unnecessary.

The album was recorded over a few weeks during a break in the Heep touring schedule in the autumn of 2009. Some evidence of a rushed job does surface when reviewing all the tracks.

Regardless this is still a solid album and does include two new tracks to compliment the old in ‘Only Human’ and ‘Corridors Of Madness’. Both songs have already been well received and included in the recent tour sets.
Uriah Heep are still alive and well performing high energy rock. There last studio album ‘Wake The Sleeper’ received wide acclaim; so the future looks good.

Celebration serves as an appetizer for the new breed getting into Heep and a long overdue statement for the older fan base that they are still committed to the classic material from the past.
7/10

Track Listing
1. Only Human
2. Bird Of Prey
3. Sunrise
4. Stealin`
5. Corridors Of Madness
6. Between Two Worlds
7. The Wizard
8. Free Me
9. Free And Easy
10. Gypsy
11. Look At Yourself
12. July Morning
13. Easy Living
14. Lady In Black