Album review: URIAH HEEP – Wonderworld, High And Mighty

BMG [Release date 26.05.23]

BMG are continuing their fine picture disc reissue campaign by Uriah Heep, and what lovely items they are too. These British prog legends have had their catalogue reissued more times than I care to imagine, but you really can’t beat vinyl, more so a quality picture disc.

Formed in the late 60s, and led by the ever grinning guitarist Mick Boz and with a sound epitomised with Ken Kensley’s keyboards and David Byron’s operatic vocals, Uriah Heep soon found success and rightly so.

These reissues have not appeared in consecutive order, but are very welcome. The first one here is 1974’s Wonderworld, by which time some might argue the heyday was over. True the band were obviously looking for a more mainstream audience, but the intro to the opening title track mixing organ and bass and moving to piano, the gentle yet powerful vocals, was just as progressive as anything the band ever achieved. Suicidal Man another strong standout.

The Shadows And The Wind a typical Hensley composition starting off whimsically and building into a hard rock cracker. This era Heep started to see shorter songs that, while were as strong as anything ever did, it’s also obvious in places that the band relied on Hensley’s songwriting too much. Excellent though the songs are, they emphasise too much “A showcase for Ken’s songwriting” rather than necessarily make the most of the band as a unit. Case in point is Something Or Nothing, a great uptempo rocker, co written by Box, bassist Gary Thain and Hensly, a track the likes of the album needed more of. The jazz fusion-esque bass line in We Got We stands out as solid prog too. Maybe lacking in flow but a much stronger album than many would have you believe.

Skip a year and 1975’s Return To Fantasy (one of the band’s best, issued as a picture disc in the last round) and to 1976’s High And Mighty. Released in the face of new trends (the rise of Punk) and David Byron’s alcohol related troubles. An even greater reliance on Hensley’s song writing, who wrote all ten tracks (2 cowritten with bassist John Wetton). Opener One Way Of Another is a strong track but even that highlights some of the issues; David Byron could still hit the high notes but just wasn’t sounding so operatic any more.

Can’t Keep A Good Band Down is another solid track, but at times the band have clearly sat back and played on a Ken solo album. Some great solid songs, but now flow, the only connection is that they’re on the same album, and during the 70s this is probably the band’s least progressive.

Without technically doing anything wrong, they just needed a change, and with Byron and Wetton leaving the band after the release, that’s what they got. Sad, but necessary.

These picture discs are lovely, in that they sound better than most (but with the paper and lacquer, the needle is 2 degrees away from the groove, the sound will never be fantastic), but there is a solid heavy feel, great art, the stickers on the PVC add, so great releases. All I would ask is a card insert that may add further info and prevent creasing of the PVC sleeve. May this campaign continue throughout the entire catalogue.

Review by Joe Geesin

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
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14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)