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Rating: The Uriah Heep are like good wine. . . they get better with age.
By now, the line-up has been stable since 1987, and the solidity, as well as the cohesion, have positively impacted the group: an example of this is the extraordinary performance captured in “Magic Night,” a concert from November 8, 2003.
Not having to promote any specific album (the last being “Sonic Origami” from 1998), the quintet is free to mix their classic hits with any song from their vast repertoire, playing pieces that hadn’t been heard live in decades.
However, the start is in the name of tradition... a drum roll from Kerslake introduces the inevitable Easy Livin', probably the band’s best-known piece. It’s an energetic execution, but very traditional.
But here comes a little gem: eerie and sharp keyboards, along with a fierce guitar, kick off Shadows Of Grief (from “Look At Yourself,” 1971)... a song that, with its mix of progressive and psychedelia, elevates the entire live performance. Here Bernie Shaw proves to be the best Uriah Heep singer since the incomparable David Byron. This is followed by the honest hard rock/AOR of Cry Freedom, where the keyboards are slightly emphasized (with echo effects) to stay in theme and give the composition a more prog appearance.
Just a moment of pause, and here comes another great revival. It’s Pilgrim (from “Sweet Freedom”), where Phil Lanzon manages not to make us miss the legendary keyboardist Ken Hensley. The perfect chemistry between the members makes this version almost more exciting than the original. The next track is the newer Bad Bad Man: despite being a simple song, the arrangement used in this concert, which sees some guitar parts replaced by keyboard and piano, greatly enhances it. Then we return to the ‘70s with Devil’s Daughter... here the execution is undeniably good, but nothing transcendental. It can be found, played much better, in “Spellbinder” from 1995.
Continuing, we encounter Wise Man. The piece, soft and delicate, is performed impeccably. However, the different vocal approach between Shaw and Lawton (very à-la Byron the first, decidedly deeper and more bluesy the second), makes me prefer the original on “Firefly.”
Another small break introduces us to a delightful acoustic section composed of Firefly, Heartless Land, Free Me, and The Wizard. In particular, the latter is superbly readapted and receives significant approval from the audience.
As usual in recent years, the band invites several guests for the concert’s concluding part. The beautiful voice of Heather Findlay appears, duetting with Shaw in the tender Love In Silence.
But the highlight is yet to come... John Lawton (the group’s singer from 1977 to ’80) enters the stage amidst the ovation of all the heepster, performing the epic Been Away Too Long. With Lawton and Shaw continuously exchanging the singer’s role, the sensation of power is ensured: another track that makes this live a must-have. The two also alternate in Stealin’, another old piece that, besides being one of the band’s best known, at the time enjoyed much success among American FM radio stations.
After saying goodbye to Lawton as well, we return to the traditional lineup for the evening’s encore: the closing is the inevitable The Other Side Of Midnight, practically ever-present since 1983 onward... also played absolutely impeccably.
In conclusion, I strongly recommend this concert: it’s indeed a first-rate performance that even those who are not crazy about this band will appreciate. Moreover, the disc comes in SACD format, and owners of a Dolby system will enjoy an even more satisfying experience.
Rating: 9/10
Happy listening...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Easy Livin' (02:38)
This is a thing I've never known before
It's called easy livin'
This is a place I've never seen before
And I've been forgiven
Easy livin' and I've been forgiven
Since you've taken your place in my heart
Somewhere along the lonely road I had tried to find ya
Day after day on the windy road I had walked behind ya
Easy livin and I've been forgiven
Since you've taken your place in my heart
Waiting, watching
Wishing my whole life away
Dreaming, thinking
Ready for my happy day
And some easy livin'!
Somewhere along the lonely road I had tried to find you
Day after day on the windy road I had walked behind you
Easy livin' and I've been forgiven
Since you've taken your place in my heart
Easy livin' and I've been forgiven
Since you've taken your place in my heart
02 Shadows of Grief (06:12)
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.
04 Pilgrim (06:18)
A pilgrim at the grey of dawn
Leaving in the mist of morning
On his journey of goodness
Heaven sent, God blessed
Pilgrim laughing at the world
Spreading joy
At the touch of his hand
Wiping out all the misery
Making love and history
Those of us who don't know war
We shouldn't try to make it
So many did and even more died
Do you think you could take it?
Love lies waiting at my back door
Such a beautiful matter of fact
Life's like an apple
With love as the core
And I'll tell you ¡®bout that
Just a man in my prime
Love was there
But I had no time
I was cheered and adored
And I thought fame
Was all the world
Battles won and victory cheers
Were the sounds
I'd heard for years
But the women I really loved
Was losing me
To all this blood
I only knew I had to win
And build a world
Where I was king
But leaders come and leaders go
And that's the truth
I came to know
Love or war I couldn't choose
And so both
I had to lose
06 Devil's Daughter (04:45)
I don't believe in
Your kind of affection
Your taking me
In the wrong direction
Don't give me none of
That holy water
Comin'on like you're
The devil's daughter
Just take me to your chapel
Show me to your leader
Take me to your chapel
I wanna meet your leader
Come on
How do you find the time to exist
I've got to keep my
Strength of mind to resist
Don't give me none of
That holy water
Comin' on like you're
The devil's daughter
Where do you come from
And where do you go
Can I touch without havin' to know
Don't give me none of
That holy water
Comin' on like you're
The devil's daughter
Come on now
Come on now take me there
07 Wise Man (04:13)
Ohh, Ohh, Ohh, ohh
I sat before the wise man
In the autumn of my youth
And I told him all
The things I had to know
He said you have the future
If you need to find the truth
And in his eyes
I saw that it was so
So I came right out
And asked him
The meaning of life
And has he smiled
I saw a twinkle in his eyes
He said with all his years
There's still so much
He has to learn
And I saw that it was so
Keep on living, loving
Waiting your turn
It's the only way to
Ease your concern
If you want to find
Your dream, be sure
You don't wake up too soon
Or you'll find it easier
Shooting for the moon
Wise man, wise man
Which way shall I run
There's so many roads
So many ways to turn
I am like a blind man
Lost in the sun
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
But I'm looking for
An easy way to learn
Wise man, wise man
Which way shall I run
There's so many roads
So many ways to turn
I am like a blind man
Lost in the sun
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
But I'm looking for
An easy way to learn
Oh, wise man
Oh wise man
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
Wise man, wise man too
Which way shall I run
There's so many roads
So many ways to turn
I am like a blind man
Lost in the sun
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
But I'm looking for
An easy way to learn
Oh, wise man
Oh wise man
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
Which way shall I run
There's so many roads
So many ways to turn
I am like a blind man
Lost in the sun
I wanna be like you
And be a wise man too
But I'm looking for
An easy way to learn
08 Firefly (01:59)
My love lives at
The end of a rainbow
One day I'm gonna
Fly there on a firefly
High above white angry water
With a love song in my heart
Someday, somehow
I know I'm gonna get there
I've been patient for so long
All my daydreams
Seem so much nearer now
And I beg you hear my song
Firefly
On your glowing wings I'll ride
Till I sit beside
This dream of mine
Firefly, high on a risin' tide
Only wanna touch
The things I've seen
Steppin' lightly from star to star
Cross a wilderness of blue
Wonderin' how much
In love with me you are
'cause I'm so much in love with you
Firefly, can you take me
I ain't had no lovin' lately
Firefly bring me love
To my new horizon
The one that I've still
Got my eyes on, my my firefly
Firefly, firefly, firefly
In my dreams you come to me
The answer to my prayer
As I begin to feel
You warm my heart
I awake and you're not there
Now and then I see your eye
As the stars begin to shine
No rain to cool my passion
No! not now!
No, now you're mine!
09 Heartless Land (01:49)
I know the world is full of light
So why can't things just work out right
Oh take me, take me
From this heartless land
It used to be so full of love
But now it's only push and shove
Oh take me, take me
From this heartless land
Just a breath of new life
Into an empty sky
From deep inside, where love must lie
No need to play the perfect fool
Stand up for love, break the rule
Oh come with me
You know that you can
I see the sky, I see the ground
What's in between must now be found
There is no life
Inside this heartless land
Just a breath of new life
Into an empty sky
Somewhere in your soul
Where love must lie
And I say ... come to the light
Everyday is getting closer
To your sweet surrender
Out of the cold
'Cause I found a way
That we can fly forever
With direction and peace of mind
The river will flow
Come to the light, my love
'Cause I need you here
I need you here tonight
The chains of love they run so deep
But the hand that writes the law is weak
Oh take me, take me
From this heartless land
'Cause it's the place the broken go
The place that we don't want to know
There is no love
Inside this heartless land
10 Free Me (03:26)
Free me
Free me
Why don't you free me
Free me from your spell
Come on and free me
Why don't you free me
Come on and free me
Free me from your spell.
Why should I worry that you might not love
you're not
The only love that I've ever had.
Your sweet memory will always comfort me
So why should I be feeling sad
As far as I can tell
You knew so well
I was always at the end of the line
I've loved you as much
As any man can
But not enough to make you mine
So long easy rider
I know I'll miss you for a while
But sooner or later
I know that I'll forget you
And I tell your baby
Free me
Come on and free me
. . .
We let a good love die.
We let it pass us by
Through you tried to keep me hanging on
But with all this doubt
It'll never work out
So tomorrow I'll be travelling on
And saying so long easy rider
I know I'll miss you for a while
But sooner or later
I know that I'll forget you
Free me
oh yeah
Come on and free me
Why don't you free me
Free me from your spell
Oh yeah
Come on and free me
Why don't you free me
Free me from your spell
Free me
Oh bab' come on and free me
Free me . . .
11 The Wizard (03:51)
Album: Demons and Wizards
He was the wizard of a thousand kings
And I chanced to meet him one night wandering
He told me tales and he drank my wine
Me and my magic man kind of feeling fine
He had a cloak of gold
And eyes of fire
And as he spoke I felt a deep desire
To free the world of its fear and pain
And help the people to feel free again
Why don't we listen to the voices in our hearts
'Cause then I know we'd find we're not so far apart
Everybody's got to be happy
Everyone should sing
For we know the joy of life
The peace that love can bring
So spoke the wizard in his mountain home
The vision of his wisdom means we'll never be alone
And I will dream of my magic night
And the million silver stars that guide me with their light
Show me the way
Ah ah ah
14 Stealin' (05:22)
Take me across the water
‘Cause I need some place to hide
I done the rancher’s daughter
And I sure did hurt his pride
Well, there's a
Hundred miles of desert
Lies between his hide and mine
I don't need no food
And no water, Lord
‘Cos I'm running out of time
Fightin', killin', wine and women
Gonna put me to my grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin'
Nothing left to save but my life
Stood on a ridge
And shunned religion
Thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake
Stealin', when I
Should've been buyin'
All that fightin', killin'
Wine and those women
Gonna put me to an early grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin'
Nothing left to save but my life, life...
So I stood on a ridge
And shunned religion
Thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake
Stealin', when I
Should've been buyin'
I was stealin’
When I should’ve been buyin’
I was stealin’
When I should’ve been buyin’
Stealin’, when I
Should’ve been buyin’ ..
I was stealin’ ...
15 The Other Side of Midnight (04:32)
Late at night I'll be knocking
On your door
Late tonight I'll be calling
You can be sure
I'll be waiting
Standin' in the shadows once again
Sneakin', creepin'
Howling like a tom cat once again
Oh, there'll be nowhere
You can hide
When I take you
On the other side of midnight
You know I don't love you
But I love what you can do
Some more of that hot persuasion
This time it's (? ) just like you
Oh, there'll be nowhere
You can hide
When I take you
On the other side of midnight
I'll be knockin'
The other side of midnight
I'll be callin'
The other side of midnight
Knock, knockin'
The other side of midnight
I'm gonna take you
I'm gonna make you
At midnight, at midnight
Late at night
I'll be knock knock knockin'
On your door
I said late tonight I'll be callin'
You can be sure
I'm gonna take you
Oh, it's gonna hurt so good
I'm gonna make you do
What a bad girl should
Oh, there'll be nowhere to hide
When I take you
On the other side of midnight
The other side of midnight
I'll be knockin'
The other side of midnight
I'll be callin'
The other side of midnight
On the other side
I'll be waitin', I'll be callin'
The other side of midnight
I'll be knock knock
Knockin' at midnight
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