[Heeplist] My Outsider review for In Rock magazine (R ussia)

Tue Jun 24 20:23:49 EDT 2014

Igor,

Nice review! Thank you kindly for sharing.

Take Care & Keep A *HEEP'n!*

On Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 2:45 PM, lethridge at carolina.net . <
lethridge at carolina.net> wrote:

> Igor, Great review.
>
> Heep On, Lannis
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Igor Shveitser" [zlenko_iv at mail.ru]
> Date: 06/24/2014 09:41 AM
> To: "Heepsters Mailing List (Travellers in Time)" <
> heeplist at travellersintime.com>
> Subject: Re: [Heeplist] My Outsider review for In Rock magazine (R
>  ussia)
>
>  Hello everyone,
> As promised, here's the review of the latest LP. Be as strict as you can,
> constructive criticism is ALWAYS better for me than indulging approval. I
> hope, musicians also feel that way, at least sometimes. :))))))))
>
> URIAH HEEP
> Outsider
> Frontiers records/Soyuz
> 9 /10
> Recording of a modern hard rock LP is similar to cooking a dish from an in
> advance known and not really various set of products. In this case products
> – certain touches, harmonies, sounds by which we actually determine the
> identity of a group. And freshness is still very much in demand. No, not
> freshness of ideas, - crucial innovations in the genre have not been
> present for some 30 years now, - but of the mood. Mick Box and Phil Lanzon
> – the main driving force behind modern Uriah Heep throughout  all those
> "not innovative" three decades – without any exaggeration managed to create
> if not a masterpiece still an album without obvious shortcomings and filled
> with mood. The mood is the drive.
> Any of the genre’s classics including Black Sabbath or Deep Purple  can’t
> afford themselves to be as crazy as modern Heep in, for example, the
> Outsider itself or tongue-in-cheek Say Goodbye. The disk is generally
> filled with fast, fervent songs. If the captious Heep’ or style’s
> connoisseur objects: “All of this doesn’t have much to do with real vintage
> Uriah Heep, tracks of the level of "that" group are still vitally
> necessary, - I will give a cutting answer: “that group” isn't around since
> mid 70-s, and copy is always worse than original. The same titled modern
> group is very good in its own way. Probably, even better than ever. And
> it’s not that certain Box-Byron-Hensley incarnation of UH could give the
> same fierce hell then as Box-Lanzon-Shaw one can now. Knowing almost by
> heart all of Uriah Heep releases, I dare to claim: in terms of  an entire
> album Mick Box ne-ver did his fretwork  with such inspiration and passion.
> Perhaps, his job on Abominog was of the same kind, but the album was not.
> And composition-wise there’s never been such variety since Byron's
> departure. Besides, regarding rhythmical aspect, the group also obviously
> opened a new page in their book.
> Let us also not forget about the state which musicians were in prior to
> recording the Outsider. It was necessary to reject sad thoughts of
> terrestrial life’s caducity, cease mourning Trevor Bolder's loss how ever
> dear he was to the band, and integrate into recording process the new
> creative link – Dave Rimmer, the bassist. As Bernie Shaw sings in the most
> recently made traditional Heep kind of shuffle, "There’s one thing in life
> which you do best, - just do it right …". Undoubtedly, these words are
> applicable to Davey. He, as the new record shows, is perfectly able to play
> music in that pulsing, walking heepy manner, with air filling glissandos.
> We won’t also take away from UH the ability to make a right choice. It
> concerns not only the one of a bass player, but also the album’ format in
> many ways. First, there’s an excellent cover art somehow reminding Storm
> Thorgerson’ works made for Pink Floyd. Secondly, there’s a variety of its
> forms – standard CD,  digipack, bonused Japanese release, download, two
> kinds of vinyl platters and even a set with a t-shirt. Thirdly, timing
> limited by 50 minutes means we are in the reign of a classical hard rock
> album. However crucial are the compositions. Sending us back to late 80-s
> Heep (which strictly speaking Mick Box& Co. still are) even if only a
> little, the songs are an example of cleverly synthesized all eras of a
> genre with various dynamics. For instance, our title track is almost heavy
> metal, The Law brings in both funky main part and progressive
> middle-section which has a place for both forte and pianissimo.
> Jessie – here’s truly a hit! - its intro is a very cunningly processed
> allusion on Smoke on the Water (same both harmony and key) while the verse
> part is rather a stadium kind of heavy pop rock of the 80-s.  Rocking and
> rolling Rock The Foundation resurrects distinct spirit of … that’s correct,
> of rock'n'rolls off Return To Fantasy, High And Mighty or even Lawton’era
> releases. Is Anybody Gonna Help Me stands out – for the first time since
> 1972 Uriah Heep decided to jam in the studio, allowing every band member to
> play the solo.
> The similar variative approach is inherent practically in each song,
> sending us either back to the roots of Uriah Heep or to time-wise less
> distant eras of the group itself and the whole genre which is classic hard
> rock. Probably, that’s exactly what Phil Lanzon meant in an interview given
> to the author of these lines in autumn of 2013 while speaking of his desire
> to make music more "progressive". Progress for  Heep, their step forward –
> synthesis and complexification of compositions. Plus the spirit, its
> freshness, cheerfulness and power.
> The album has no weak spots. That is also perfectly confirmed by its sales
> in one of the largest British online shops. Motherland never sympathized
> too much with the band, but currently Outsider is the best selling album in
> "hard rock" category. Everyone thinking differently I address to the
> beginning of this ‘umble text and repeat: Uriah Heep of 2014 is an
> absolutely different group. The music might please you not, no, we all know
> that proverb about tastes. But there are qualities, merits and, speaking
> the language of these fine musicians, you can’t take that away. Yes, Mick
> Box and the company are in many respects hostages of a glorious rock legend
> past but they handle with the heritage very carefully and surely do their
> thing good, thus augmenting the mentioned above heritage. And it is them
> who are definitely no outsiders.
> Igor Shveytser
>
>
>
> --
> Igor Shveytser
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