Ursa Major
Ursa Major

I will preface this by saying that this is my first review on DeBaser, almost like giving birth (I have been registered on this site for 9 months, after all...), so I decided to start with an album that I adore and have not yet seen reviewed on these pages.

I hope to do justice in describing this masterpiece, which I obviously recommend to all lovers of 70s hard rock, but generally to all music enthusiasts.

Ursa Major was an American hard rock band that, unfortunately, released only one self-titled album back in 1972 under the aegis of a major label like RCA and the legendary producer Bob Ezrin.
The power trio in question is led by Dick Wagner, singer and guitarist, who later wrote and worked with some rock legends like Lou Reed (Rock 'n' Roll Animal and Sally Can't Dance), Alice Cooper (Welcome to My Nightmare), and Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad in his solo career. Additionally, I find similarities with the voice of the latter.

The other musicians in the group are Greg Arama, a seasoned bassist already with The Gang and Amboy Dukes, and Ric Mangone, a talented yet underappreciated drummer.

I do not want to dwell too long on the short history of this group. Let's move on to the music and this gem they have left us. Here is the tracklist:

1. "Sinner"
2. "In My Darkest Hour"
3. "Silverspoon"
4. "Stage Door Queen"
5. "Back to the Land"
6. "Lay Me Down"
7. "Liberty and Justice"

There are no stylistic innovations in their musical proposal, but quality certainly reigns supreme. I have already stated that the three musicians know what they are doing, so imagine a style enriched with numerous rhythm changes and refined instrumental passages, albeit never excessive or drawn out, with touches of strings here and there. Consider that it is a record appreciated by many friends from the progressive-rock background. So, we have said that it is inspired hard rock, with guitar work that ranges from the heavier riffs in Black Sabbath style of the opener Sinner, to rock gallops like Silverspoon and Stage Door Queen that are more reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, up to the splendid acoustic passages of In My Darkest Hour, Liberty and Justice, and the masterpiece Back to the Land.

This latter is indeed one of those tracks that can rival the greatest classics of that period. I will not describe it here, except for the alternation of atmospheres it manages to create. I want to leave you the pleasure of listening to it. Notable is the intro with an elaborate guitar riff accompanied by strings that will be repeated throughout the piece. Wagner's voice, as previously mentioned when compared to the great Mark Farner, travels on high tones (the timbre more than anything else) but never exaggerates in high notes. The delicate choirs of the fellow adventurers, reminiscent of another group that I consider exceptional: Uriah Heep, complement everything. With this statement, I know I expose myself to some criticism, which I have already received in some of my previous comments. In fact, I notice that the Heep are not very appreciated by DeBaser's users. Patience. But do not let this aspect influence you.

I would like to emphasize that the aforementioned comparisons are only meant to give an idea of the stylistic variety proposed, but I feel I should add that Ursa Major had their own precise identity and in this record, they managed to perfectly blend their creativity, inspiration, and technical skill. It's truly a shame not to have further testimonies from them, and I can't understand how a product like this did not achieve the success it deserved. All the tracks on this record are indeed potential singles for that period. "But how? This guy keeps saying that it's complex music, full of rhythm changes… is he trying to fool us?". I can't explain this either. But it is even more inexplicable that the record didn't make it big. Believe me. I'll leave the judgment to the listeners.