Uriah Heep
The Magician's Birthday

THE REVIEW

TRACKLIST:
1. Sunrise
2. Spider Woman
3. Blind Eye
4. Echoes In The Dark
5. Rain
6. Sweet Lorraine
7. Tales
8. The Magician's Birthday

Probably if this album hadn't been released in the era of vinyl (fascinating but with limited grooves) it would have been composed of at least 16 tracks, which became 8 in the final production.

We are in 1972, a year of grace for Uriah Heep who, after the best seller "Demons & Wizards,” created this album that continues the trend of linking music to the world of Fantasy. Like the previous album, this one also features one of the most beautiful covers in rock history, born from the pen of the great Roger Dean.

Coming to the music, the price of the album could already be justified by the title track, which stages an epic battle between good and evil, symbolized by sudden changes in musical atmospheres, sequences of battles between guitars and drums, and, the cherry on top, Lee Kerslake (drums) playing the kazoo, giving the album a touch of irony. The track that opens the LP is one of my favorites: Like all the other lyrics, it makes use of mystical texts and fantastic settings. The vocal support given to the lead voice of the group (David Byron) by the other band members is fundamental, and the falsettos and background choruses perfectly convey the tragedy of the piece, which tells of a love now lost.

"Spider Woman" changes the album’s pace, speeding it up significantly. A rock 'n' roll ride where Gary Thain's bass takes over, excellently holding the rhythmic session, while Mick Box on guitars churns out riffs in repetition. "Blind Eye" is the track that best showcases the skill and unity that binds the group (in my opinion, this album features the best line-up in the band's history). The instruments blend perfectly, and David's voice does the rest.

Back to hell… In "Echoes In The Dark” evil and dark sounds echo in the darkness, which do not seem to give rise to hope. But hope arrives with "Rain,” a song that relies solely on David Byron’s voice and Ken Hensley on piano. It’s a slow ballad in which Byron can unleash all the sweetness his voice is capable of, while Hensley, without overdoing it, provides one of the band’s most beautiful melodies on the piano. "Sweet Lorraine" is certainly not one of the album’s most beautiful songs but perfectly summarizes the typical style of Heep's compositions and is also worth remembering for the excellent rhythmic session starring the usual Gary Thain on bass (one of the best bassists of all time, unfortunately prematurely deceased).

For "Tales,” Mick Box unplugged his guitar, demonstrating great talent even with the acoustic guitar. A perfect song to introduce the title track. We talked about the title track "The Magician's Birthday" in the opening, but I believe it’s worth revisiting, given the beauty of the piece, which is more than a song—it's a true "suite" of extraordinary length (10'23''). It includes diverse emotions and playing styles, starting from the calm and pure narration in the beginning, passing through the tranquility provided by Lee’s kazoo, culminating with an incredible "Happy birthday to you" performed ineffably by the whole band and dedicated to the magician in the story. But calm and tranquility give way, in a sudden and “PSYCHOTIC” change of scene, to "evil" and a sensational and pyrotechnic solo by Mick of almost five minutes, after which there is yet another change of scene leading to the finale and the return of "good" and calm.

Definitely one of the best albums by Uriah Heep and in the whole hard-rock scene.