![]() Byron offers up some banshee vocals, while Box brings a T-Rex Stomp and razor sharp guitar to the party. Box’s power chords open “I Wanna Be Free,” which is a sort of template for American prog-lite heroes Styx. I could do without Clark’s drum solo, but at least it has the common decency to further the proceedings instead of stopping them dead in their tracks. ![]() Rarely do they let their progrock inclinations run away with them, but there are exceptions-“Shadows of Grief” and the absurdly titled “Love Machine” being the chief offenders.ĭrummer Iain Clark introduces Hensley’s driving keyboards on the mad dash of a title track, while Box plays speed metal and David Byron waxes histrionic on vocals. Look at Yourself-the band’s third-was Uriah Heep’s breakout album, and it’s not hard to figure out why most of these songs proceed at a breakneck speed, and the two that don’t (“July Morning” and “What Should Be Done”) are both classics in their own right. He was a rock and roll guy through and through. Hensley didn’t write a single piano concertos. What separated them from your average progressive rock band were their driving tempos, heavy metal inclinations, unwillingness to write complex five-part songs, and the fact that Hensley wasn’t some pompous Keith Emerson clone with classical pretensions (although he has his brief moments). ![]() Uriah Heep–or just the Heep, as we serious Heepheads call them–were powered by Ken Hensley’s omnipresent organ, Mick Box’s fantastic guitar, and David Byron’s operatic vocals and ability to out-shriek a Tiger Pistol Shrimp. But the most important reasons to keep a copy of 1971’s Look at Yourself on hand is its cover.īecause it’s a real mirror! True, what you’ll see is a distorted fun house reflection of yourself, but how do you know that isn’t what you really look like? Could the fact that you look like one of Francis Bacon’s portraits be the real reason you never get dates? (And here everyone tells you it’s because you’re obnoxious!) Are your friends only hanging out with you out of pity? Could you be the Elephant Man of your social set? Would it be better for all concerned if you simply disappeared into some dark forest, where you’ll be able to bag all the game you need simply by staring at them? It’s a slightly marred musical masterpiece, one that melds heavy metal and progressive rock without ever letting the latter dominate the proceedings. 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.I can think of a whole bunch of reasons to own this album. 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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