Uriah Heep
Very 'eavy, Very 'umble
1970 Vertigo
Oggi ci tengo a fare una retrospettiva di una band leggendaria, gli Uriah Heep.
Non hanno certo bisogno di presentazioni, in quanto fanno parte della storia del rock / hard rock.
E pensare che con questo loro disco di esordio, all' epoca furono stroncati e vi fù un' affermazione
da parte di una giornalista, che scrisse che difficilmente avrebbero avuto successo.
Non si può tuttavia definirlo capolavoro, ma neanche bistrattarlo e io vorrei fare un' analisi giusta
senza pregiudizi.
Del resto una band come loro ha una discografia alle spalle lunghissima, che arriva ai giorni nostri.
Nel corso degli anni hanno sfornato vari capolavori, meritatamente riconosciuti un po' ovunque.
Ma vorrei addentrarmi in questo primo album storico della band, che parte con il brano Gypsy.
Pezzo ipnotico e ossessivo, strutturato su di un riff di chitarra minimale, il tutto completato
dall'organo di Ken Hensley, che lo rende epico.
Walking in your Shadow ha un suono più rock blues abbastanza standard, però l'ho trovato un buon
pezzo e mi piace come canta David Byron, una voce intensa e molto melodiosa.
Come Away Melinda è una ballad molto soft, che mette in risalto la stupenda voce di Byron.
Forse Lucy Blues è il brano meno convincente, si tratta di un tipico blues standard, senza grandi sorprese.
Arriviamo ad una grande traccia, Dreammare.
Grande pezzo rock incisivo, con una ritmica di chitarra trascinante, ottimi anche i cori.
Real Turned On e I'll Keep on Trying, proseguono con il discorso rock blues, brani comunque con
buon groove e qualche trovata niente male sui cori e sulle parti strumentali.
Wape Up è l'ultima canzone, che ho trovato interessante nella sua struttura quasi jazz.
Questo disco ha un suo fascino, quel suono anni 70 grezzo, imperfetto, ma dannatamente rock.
Mick Box alla chitarra sà il fatto suo, la sua peculiarità è l'equilibrio e Ken Hensley con le sue
tastiere colora il tutto.
La menzione d'onore và alla voce di David Byron, cantante a tratti operistico e comunque grande
performer.
Il mio è un buon giudizio su questo disco,anche se come ho scritto prima i loro capolavori arriveranno
qualche anno più tardi.
recensione di Angelowar6
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Gypsy (06:39)
I was only seventeen,
I fell in love with a gypsy queen.
She told me - hold on!
Her father was the leading man,
said "You're not welcome on our land."
and then as a foe, he told me to go.
He took me to a little shack
and put a whip across my back
then told her - leave me.
I was out for quite a time,
came back with her on my mind.
Sweet little girl - she means all the world.
Though I want my gypsy queen,
will she still be torn between
her father and mother?
One day I will go to him
strong enough to fight and win.
The kind of a man that he'll understand
03 Come Away Melinda (03:51)
Daddy, daddy, come and look, see what I have found
A little ways away from here, while digging in the ground
Come away Melinda, come in and close the door
It's nothing, just a picture book, they had before the war
Daddy, daddy come and see, daddy, come and look
Where there's four orfive little Melinda girls
Inside my picture book
Come away Melinda, come in and close the door
There were lots of little girls like you
Before they had the war
Oh daddy, daddy come and see, daddy hurry do!
While there's someone in a pretty dress
She's all grown up like you, won't you tell me why
Come away Melinda, come in and close the door
That someone is your mummy, you had before the war
Daddy, daddy tell me if you can
Why can't things be the way they were, before the war began
Come away Melinda, come in and close the door
The answer lies in yesterday, before they had the war
04 Lucy Blues (05:12)
Well, the very first time
I saw you darling
Not one single word
Would come to my lips
Yes, the very first time
I saw you darling
Not one single word
Would come to my lips
You see, I was so afraid
You wouldn't love me
I wanna tell you right now
I was frightened right down
To my fingertips
So baby, when you went away
That unlucky day last september
I was like a little lost boy
In the wilderness
Baby baby baby ...
When you went away
I was like a little lost boy
In the wilderness
And I've just been sitting here
Thinking of everybody
I've ever known
Well, you know
I still love you the best
Yeah, the best
05 Dreammare (04:42)
Grinning demons, smiling sideways
Laughing in my face
Here within my troubled sleep
There's such a lonely place
Running fast but never moving
I can't get away
Strange but realistic objects
Making me that way
Then it's gone as fast as it came
Evil dream
Changing like the sun turn to rain
It would seem
La la la la la …
Dining with the gods of beauty
On a distant shore
Tasting fruits of untold sweetness
Never seen before
Dancing stars with crystal voices
Beckon with their eyes
Unicorn of many colours
Rides to paradise
Then it's gone as fast as it came
Peaceful scene
Changing like the sun turns to rain
It would seem
La la la la la …
Sleepless nights that last a lifetime
Crucify my head
Dreams of peace and then disaster
Wish that I were dead
Looking for the end of darkness
Seeking out the day
For escape with speed of thunder
Bearing me away
Then it's gone as fast as it came
Peaceful scene
Changing like the sun turns to rain
It would seem
La la la la la …
Come into my dream
07 I'll Keep on Trying (05:29)
You came to me with all of your lies
and I was taken in so well.
Took me quite a time to see the disguise,
you made it very hard to tell.
Now here you are again but you're beggin' in vain
cause I really don't want to know.
You came to me with a little bit of charm,
you had me down on my knees.
I didn't really think there was any harm,
but all you ever did was tease.
You took all the love that I ever had to give
and there was nothing left to show.
Well I remember everything,
everything around me.
The long dark winter till the breath of spring
came close enough to drown me.
So I'm gonna keep on trying - till I feel like dying
and I lay down and pass away.
But that wont happen till tomorrow - and by then I can borrow
another day. So I'm gonna keep on trying.
You came to me with a little bit of charm
and you had me down on my knees.
I didn't really think there was any harm,
but all you ever did was tease.
You took all the love that I ever had to give
and there was nothing left to show.
08 Wake Up (set your sights) (06:30)
Wake up! Set your sights! For never shall we fail.
Stand up for your rights and justice will prevail.
You're listening through endless nights
and decision is your goal.
So wake up! Set your sights! For the time is right for your role.
Yeah - for your role.
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Set your sights!
Never, never, never shall we fail.
Stand up, stand up, stand up for your rights.
Justice, justice, justice will prevail.
There in the morning, flying over the hills.
While men are yawning they are crushed by our wheels.
Never have I witnessed people in fear.
Not like today, not in many a year.
Go kill another, there are more close behind.
No screams of mother, are you out of your mind?
Though they are shattered they just don't seem to yield.
Bodies are scattered in all parts of the field.
Oh No! Did I tell you what would happen if you tried?
"Oh God, stop this killing!" said a young man before he died.
Wake up! Set your sights! For never shall we fail.
Stand up for your rights and justice will prevail.
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di vellutogrigio
All'uscita del disco, un critico disse che, se il gruppo avesse avuto successo, si sarebbe suicidato.
Si tratta di un album godibilissimo per tutti gli amanti del rock duro, a torto definito come poco originale.
Di BugMeNot
"Se questo gruppo sfonderà, io mi suiciderò" – una profezia smentita.
Il ticchettio del cucchiaino di Mick Box che entra nella registrazione è un dettaglio unico e affascinante.
