Uriah heep look at yourself9/20/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Seeing the writing on the wall, the band opted to pursue the more commercial approach of honing their chops into the less progressive arena rock which proved to be the right move financially speaking however on LOOK AT YOURSELF there are still plenty of progressive rock moments churning about despite no 16-minute closer with orchestral effects in sight. While prog lovers salivated over “Salisbury,” the rock world wasn’t so keen upon this bizarre musical statement so early on and has to be relegated to classic status over time rather than having achieved instant success for URIAH HEEP. He was replaced by Ian Clarke of Cressida who turned out to have the extra drumming fiery passion that was conducive to the harder rocking style the band was settling upon. The result was an album that would steer the course of the band’s sound of permanently settling into the hard rock style that would cement the band’s success beginning with the following “Demons and Wizards.” In between the two albums of 1971, drummer Keith Baker left the band not because of any dramatic altercations with the band or the musical direction but because he didn’t want to endure the extensive tour schedules. On LOOK AT YOURSELF, the band stepped back from the progressive rock influences a bit and went back down the road of hard rock with prog elements. Thanks to Pekka, cannon, Time Signature, Lynx33 for the updates Buy URIAH HEEP - LOOK AT YOURSELF musicĪfter diving first into the possibilities of progressive rock mixed with the heavy blues rock of the 60s on the band’s first album of 1971 on the utterly unique “Salisbury,” URIAH HEEP crafted yet another album the same year. What Should Be Done (live at the BBC) (3:26) Look At Yourself (live at the BBC) (4:32) 14. What Should Be Done (alternate version) (4:26) 13. Tears In My Eyes (extended mix) (5:38) 12. Look At Yourself (single edit) (3:19) 11. What's Within My Heart (out-take) (5:23) 9. What's Within My Heart (out-take) (5:23) Reissued by Castle in 2003 with the following bonus tracks: 8. David Byron / vocals - Ken Hensley / guitar, vocals, piano, organ - Mick Box / guitar - Paul Newton / bass guitar - Ian Clarke / drums, percussion - Manfred Mann / synthesizer (track 3) - Teddy Osei / percussion (track 1) - Mac Tontoh / percussion (track 1) - Loughty Lassisi Amao / percussion (track 1)Ĩ November 1971 Bronze, Mercury Reissued by Castle in 1996 with the following bonus tracks: 8. All in all, Look at Yourself is both one of Uriah Heep's finest, most cohesive albums and a high point of 1970s heavy metal.1. Special note should also be taken of David Byron's vocal performance his multi-octave, operatic style was no doubt an influence on later metal vocalists like Rob Halford. However, the best track on the album is one of the more prog-oriented ones: "July Morning" starts with a pastoral organ riff, then builds into a heavy yet symphonic rock tune that divides its time between gentle acoustic verses and emotional, organ-fueled choruses before climaxing in a monstrous jam dominated by a swirling Moog synthesizer lead. In the rock arena, the gems are "Tears in My Eyes," a powerful rocker driven by an almost rockabilly-style riff that stops midway for a surprising vocal harmony break supported by smooth wah-wah guitar, and "Love Machine," a short, punchy slice of hard rock built on an infectious, stomping rhythm. The remainder of Look at Yourself presents an effective blend of gutsy guitar rock and organ-fueled prog excursions. The gauntlet is thrown down on the title track, a powerful rocker that layers its relentless hard rock attack with ornate vocal harmonies and quicksilver organ runs before climaxing with a tribal-sounding drum jam. The third time proved to be the charm for Uriah Heep: on Look at Yourself, the group perfects its fusion of heavy metal power and prog rock majesty, and the result is one of the best albums in the Heep catalog. ![]()
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