URIAH HEEP 'DEMONS AND WIZARDS' UK 1st PRESS A-1/B-1 '72 EASY LIVIN'
£
32
$
42
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
>Archive Copy<
Uriah Heep
'Demons And Wizards'
Bronze, UK, 1972
ILPS 9193
HEEP'S MOST artistically successful album. Their fourth in a long line of winners and no losers. Retaining every molecule of pomposity, the Heep move in on their kill with precision and power drawing from a rich history of heaviousity spearheaded by Hensley's swirling Hammond Organ, Mick Box's blistering wah-wah guitar and David Byron's ludicrously operatic vocal gymnastics - and I say that with love.
At the time they were members of the big four - Sabbath Purple, Zeppelin and...the Heep. Rampaging heavy rock dinosaurs trampling from continent to continent raising concert halls to the ground and clogging the airwaves with colourful and frightening album length tracks. It was a great time and, thankfully, I saw most the above bands in their heyday including Heep and believe me when I tell you that they gave all the others a run for their money.
This time around they came up with an explosive package helping to destroy the myth that they were a a one dimensional can of noise and of limited life expectancy. Archetype Heep in so much as the lyrical themes dabble with fantasy amd mystique; another classic make no mistake. Every nuance is extremely well thought out, every riff calculated to create maximum impact and the quality of songs is just outrageous. As a working unit and forever on tour, it amazes me that they ever found time to write stuff this good.
'The Wizard' lead off track is a challenging and super intelligent slice of intent angst blessed with a simple yet effective chorus. It is world's apart from the usual Heep bluster but tracks such as 'Easy Livin', with trademark blasts of Hammond organ and flanged guitar, erupt from the speakers like rampaging elephants. It's as pompus and as diverse as you might expect yet all adding up to an incredibly entertaining package full of unexpected twists, turns and pleasant surprises.
A great Heep opus and one that should be in every early seventies hard rock collection.
Pressing: Bronze, UK, 1972
Vinyl: Super clean and shiny condition - can only have been played less than a handful of times. Can't see any spindle marks and only minor signs of any use. Two small stickers on side A the previous owners name (Colin Palmer, where he now?) and his address in Glasgow. Grades as top MINT-!
Cover: Again, virtually no signs of use. Issued in a beautifully illustrated (by Roger Dean) and richly crafted gatefold cover - retains nice printers bloom. Sharp corners, no dings, no bends, no ring wear to rear upper panel, no split seams and no creases. Spine is perfectly square, straight and uncrushed. Beautiful and impossible to find like this 51 years after release. Grades as almost shop fresh MINT-!
Inserts: Inner printed lyric sleeve with previous owners name and address on tiny (removeable) stickers
Matrix:
1st Pressing
Side One: ILPS 9193 A - 1U
Side Two: ILPS 9193 B - 1U
ALL INTERNATIONAL ORDERS SENT VIA EBAY'S GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAMME. YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY INVOICED AT THE END OF THE AUCTION WHICH INCLUDES VAT AND CUSTOMS CHARGES.
NOTE 1: PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN 5 DAYS.
NOTE 2: SHIPPING CHARGES INCLUDE REGISTERED INSURANCE: UK £5.50 Pounds
price rating
