[Heeplist] My Outsider review

[Mac Steagall]

Very thoughtful review, Igor!  There are points 
with which I would disagree with but that's to be 
expected. You say that the current lineup has its 
roots in the 80s. I can understand that 
viewpoint  but I'd say it's real roots are in the 
early 90s and the Sea of Light album is where the 
modern band really found it's mojo. I agree 
that  anyone expecting  to hear 70s Heep on 
Outsider will be disappointed but that's  an 
unrealistic expectation. I think that's Heep's 
releases since 1995 has certainly established the 
character and individuality of modern Heep. The 
first Shaw era releases not so much. The one 
regret I have for post '95 Heep was the gap in 
albums releases from 1998 to 2008. I think the 
band lost a lot of momentum  by holding out for a 
record deal. That being said,  going to Frontiers 
seems to have been a move of genius. Heep being 
on the charts in multiple countries on two 
straight releases is quite the accomplishment. I 
even found 3 copies of  Outsider in the F.Y.E. 
store in Ocala, FL this week.  I hope the band 
will do a ballad or two on their next album if there is one.

Mac


At 02:07 PM 6/24/2014, you wrote:
>  Thanks, Jay, my pleasure, but are there really 
> no points which anyone wants to disagree with? 
> Cheers, Igor Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:44:04 -0700 
> от Jay Pearson <deepheep at yahoo.com>: >This is 
> excellent, Igor! Well done! I'm almost ready to 
> write my review now! > >Jay >sp - 
> Outsider > >------------------------------------ 
> ---------------------------------- >From: Igor 
> Shveitser <zlenko_iv at mail.ru> >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 
> touchees, 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 maiin driving force behind modern 
> Uriah Heep throughout  all those "not 
> innovative" three decades ­ without any 
> exaaggeration 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 ­ 
> Daave 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, Â  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 ­ heree’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 
> corrrect, 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 Heepp 
> 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 compositioons. 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. 
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