www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-ultimate-collection-uriah-heep/5414939520273

Uriah Heep; is one of those bands that many people have probably heard of, but who they have never really listened to apart from the odd track on the radio. So let's remedy that, shall we?

Firstly let me say that this is a pretty big (34 tracks) collection, so perhaps just concentrate on tracks 1 to 13 on the first disc, which will give you a pretty good idea of what the band is/was about. I thought a "greatest hits" sort of thingy was the best introduction I could give you.  That being said, if you're actually enjoying it, why stop there? 

As they're still active it's not exactly up-to-date, released, as it was, in 2003, but it will suffice.

Heep have actually just announced (in September 2024) that they will be embarking on a farewell tour, titled The Magician's Farewell, in celebration of their 55th anniversary. The tour is expected to start in February 2025 and will last for two or three years, with guitarist Mick Box stating that the band "intend to play as many places as possible".

Mick is the only original member still in the lineup, but while you're listening you could do worse than have a look at the cavalcade of "past members" because some big names have passed, oftentimes unnoticed by the wider public, through their ranks.

Heep was formed in London in 1969. They were part of the early 1970s rock scene and have been referred to as major pioneers of the hard rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock genres. Worldwide, they have released twenty-five studio albums of original material, twenty live albums and forty-one compilation albums, and have sold over 40 million albums worldwide, so why haven't you listened to any of them?

The band's origins actually go back to 1967 when 19-year-old guitarist Mick Box formed a band in Brentwood, Essex called Hogwash, which began playing in local clubs and pubs.

When the band's singer left, drummer Roger Penlington suggested his cousin David Garrick (who knew the band) as a replacement.

Box and Garrick formed a songwriting partnership, and having higher musical aspirations than their colleagues, decided to give up their day jobs and go professional.

They set up a new band called Spice. David Garrick changed his surname to David Byron. Drummer Alex Napier joined, having answered a music paper ad; bassist Paul Newton of The Gods (Mick Taylor of John Mayall/ Stones fame, Greg Lake of King Crimson/ELP, and John Glascock, later to join Jethro Tull, also passed through The Gods' ranks ) completed the line-up. Producer, Gerry Bron, their producer at the time brought in Ken Hensley, a former colleague of Newton in the Gods, who was then playing guitar in Toe Fat, and Ken was really the final part of the Heep puzzle, a keyboard player, and they then decided to widen their sound.

Bron also founded Bronze Records, an independent record label which could serve as the band's label for future releases. The label would become home to many of the bands Bron was managing and more, including Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Osibisa, Paladin, The Real Kids, Sally Oldfield, Motörhead, The Damned, Girlschool, Bronz and Hawkwind.

I won't keep on boring you, all of the stuff above, and much more, is easily found on the interweb, so let's play music...

P.S.

Here's your bonus - Uriah Heep "live" at Wacken, last year.