Uriah Heep
Salisbury - Vertigo 1971
Tracks: 1. Bird of Prey / 2. Park / 3. Time to Live / 4. Lady in Black / 5. High Priestess / 6. Salisbury / 7. Simon the Bullet Freak [US Vers.] / 8. Here Am I [#] / 9. Lady in Black [#] / 10. High Priestess [Single) / 11. Salisbury [Single] / 12. Park [#] / 13. Time to Live [#]
Comments:
"Salisbury" from 1970 is Uriah Heep's second album. It is an ambitious work where the group mixes the heavy metal power genre with progressive rock with elements from both folk and classical music. With main songwriter Ken Hensley at the beginning of his creative peak and David Byron on convincing vocals, it may be described as the first of the group's major albums in the 1970s ending in 1975 with "High and Mighty" after which Byron left the group.
With nine studio albums over just six years, it is obvious that there should be some unevenness in quality; but “Salisbury sits firmly on the good end; with "Demons and Wizzards" as an undisputed number one ( a personal point of view!).
The songs are generally good and well written, but if you are not exactly a fan of the early heavy metal, you may want to take the music in smaller doses; especially this expanded version may be too big a mouthful. The bonus numbers are generally fine, though, and they spoil in no way the overall impression.
The album will probably especially be remembered for the folkish "Lady in Black" with acoustic guitars and its catchy melody. Also the title track is nice; a long ambitious work that is almost symphonically structured with various musical pieces and with backing of a real string orchestra.
As mentioned, the bonus numbers are fine and you can only wonder why the Hensley number "Here Am I" was deselected; it must have been thought that one very long track ("Salisbury" 16 min.) was enough; "Here Am I" is only just under eight minutes.
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