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"I see you runnin' - don't know what you're runnin' from
Nobody's comin' - what'd you do that was so wrong?
Look back and turn back - look at yourself.
Don't be afraid just look at yourself"
Look At Yourself
I will never stop repeating it, Uriah Heep have always been an underrated band in the English hard rock scene of the 70s; always compared to the Purple sound, (although in my opinion unable to fully match their technical peaks) they even prompted a Rolling Stone magazine critic to say "if this band makes it... I'll kill myself!" judging by the results, did he really do it?
Fortunately, the initial critics' slams do not affect the band, Uriah have no qualms: fascinated by Jon Lord's Hammond (Deep Purple played in the room next door!) they recruit the excellent organist Ken Hensley, who, as a true leader, will totally revolutionize the future group: he will become the band's main songwriter; just think of the subsequent Salisbury of 1971 (Lady in Black, High Priestess, just to mention two songs that are entirely his own...)
In the same year LOOK AT YOURSELF is released: it is, in my opinion, a hard rock masterpiece (which many compare to In Rock by Purple) which I will attempt to analyze track-by-track:
It starts with the legendary title track, over 5 minutes of outstanding hard rock fired at full throttle, a song with impeccable solos and vocals... truly a fiery start where Hensley's Hammond rides the track like a fury, constantly followed by Byron's wonderful voice...
the second track, I Wanna Be Free momentarily refreshes the listener by offering guitar riffs and arpeggios justly mixed with Byron's high notes and Hensley's keyboards...
Then comes July Morning, a wonderful song of more than 10 minutes, which pales only slightly in comparison to the legendary Child in Time by Purple. Here Byron's voice moves the listener, and Hensley with his Hammond aims for the heart of even the toughest audience. The song ends with probably overdubbed guitars... and with it ends the first side of the vinyl: there is no doubt, July Morning is the compositional peak of the album!
Flip the LP, and here we are with another surprising track: Tears In My Eyes! an initial riff so modern it makes you forget the release year of the album. Surprise within the surprise are Byron's choral interludes! The song fades out and gives way to another strong piece: Shadows Of Grief! a perhaps not very original riff opens up the dance, but then the track evolves and it's great music... Kinsley sparks... and the piece ends in an unusual way, leaving you truly amazed!
Next is What Should Be Done, perhaps the least important track of the album, a guitar-piano ballad that provides a particular atmosphere.
As the final track, we find Love Machine, another hard rock romp with a determined and sparkling taste (here Byron's voice is practically identical to Gillan's)
The album couldn't end with any other kind of piece...
I highly recommend anyone who has never listened to "Look At Yourself" to get a copy, you will not be disappointed at all! Of course, this also applies to those who have never heard anything by Uriah Heep!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Look at Yourself (05:08)
I see you running, don't know what you're running from.
Nobody's comin', what'd you do that was so wrong.
Look back and turn back, look at yourself.
Don't be afraid, just look at yourself.
If you need assistance, or if all you need is love.
There's no point in hidin', tell me what you're frightened of.
You got a friend, just look at yourself.
Don't be afraid, just look at yourself.
03 July Morning (10:24)
Album: Look at Yourself
There I was on a July morning
Looking for love,
With the strength of a new day dawning
And the beautiful sun
At the sound of the first bird singing
I was leaving for home
With the storm and the night behind me
And a road of my own
With the day came the resolution
I'll be looking for you
La la la la...
I was looking for love in the strangest places
There wasn't a stone that I left unturned
I must have tried more than a thousand faces
But not one was aware of the fire that burned
In my heart, In my mind, In my soul
La la la la...
In my heart, In my mind, In my soul
La la la la... La la la la...
There I was on a July morning
Looking for love,
With the strength of a new day dawning
And the beautiful sun
At the sound of the first bird singing
I was leaving for home
With the storm and the night behind me
And a road of my own
With the day came the resolution
I'll be looking for you
La la la la...
04 Tears in My Eyes (04:58)
I thought noone could keep us from sharing the rest of our lives.
Like a fool I believed you were true and had no disguise.
There's a clear blue sky outside and the summer is fine,
but with tears in my eyes I'm no longer pretending you're mine.
It's the same ugly story of a woman abusing a man.
So I have to forget you though I'm not even sure if I can.
There's a clear blue sky outside and the summer is fine,
but with tears in my eyes I'm no longer pretending you're mine.
It's the same ugly story of a woman abusing a man.
So I have to forget you though I'm not even sure if I can.
There's a clear blue sky outside and the summer is fine,
but with tears in my eyes I'm no longer pretending you're mine.
05 Shadows of Grief (08:36)
You're looking at me like I must be mad,
but I've been through all this before.
You'll kick and kick until I'm down,
so don't think of comin' past my door.
Oh No!
You think love is such a pain.
So the more it hurts the more you laugh.
Just take it and shake it up and down,
till you think you've had enough.
But you won't get enough of my love.
If you want to carry on the same old way,
treatin' everyone like a piece of dirt.
Just take it and break it and throw it away.
There won't be anyone left to hurt.
North, south, east and west,
wherever you go you'll find the same.
And the only way you'll ever learn,
just realize that you're to blame.
06 What Should Be Done (04:11)
So you think you found a way of living
that prevents you losing any sleep.
Well, my friend, take this that I'm giving.
It's your piece of mind you aught to keep.
You'll run into trouble, for sure,
by living behind a locked door.
Well, you run the risk of being taunted
by doing what you want to do.
Or do you prefer to have your whole life haunted
by the ones who choose to care for you?
Where are their motives, my friend?
Take care your still there again.
Watch out for winter, it'll bite you with cold.
Black spirits trying hard to bribe you with gold.
Would you steal a nickel from a blind man?
Well right now, I do believe you would.
It's not the thought of you doing it that hurts me,
it's the mind behind it that's no good.
If this is your way, I don't want to know.
There's only so far I can go.
I won't go no further - not for you or anyone.
I have my own ideas of what should be done.
What should be done.
What should be done.
What should be done.
07 Love Machine (03:36)
Lovely little lady, you've got me on the run.
You're a love machine and you say that I'm your gun.
But I don't care, cause I've got to know...
You said you were a loser, the kind that came up rusted.
So I had to try hard to satisfy your thirst.
But I don't care, cause I've got to know...
The only time she's happy is when the bullets fly.
and she'll make you feel you're better than any other guy.
But I don't care, cause I've got to know...
Lovely little lady, you've got me on the run.
You're a love machine and I'm trying to be your gun.
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Other reviews
By BeatBoy
"Look At Yourself is a wheel that spins very quickly, leaving us dazed and confused when we come down."
"The title track’s keyboard gallop and goosebump-inducing vocal polyphony set the pace for an adrenaline-inducing hard rock journey."
