[Heeplist] My Outsider review

[Igor Shveitser]

 Hello, Mac,
At last I am rewarded with an opinion :))) The points you mentioned strictly speaking are not the ones where we have truly different views. The reason behind my assurance is that, yes, Sea Of Light has a touch of magic the previous ones lack but overall they are the same Box-Lanzon-Shaw-era Heep who just got rid of some 80-s spirit and came up with more dramatic and epic kind of songs :)))))))))) But at the same time I am more than sure the move was made under a serious pressure, no matter from within or from without. Yes, once they got their mojo working :))) they never really let anyone down, applyin' the same "synthetic" (I call it "We are what we are plus a touch of classic Heep" :)))) formula to one album after another. I think, it works no matter what the purists say, and the best thing about modern Heep for me is that distinct team spirit and the fact they really care for the ones who love them. Also, I must add sometimes I think being a true band is more important than being just gifted.
Cheers, Igor
P.S. A little observation on the "character" thing. Compare this "All she wants is love, she's ready..." and that "...She will try to use her sensuality, baby wants a love affair" From where I stand it looks like they are the same down to earth rock'n'roll kind of people which they were back in 1989, right upon their first studio release. Yes, they are only small extracts and not all of their lyrics are in the same vein, but that is how I feel them.

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 23:31:01 -0400 от Mac Steagall <rsteagall at carolina.rr.com>:
>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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