Discography Uriah Heep and its dramatic twists and turns

Uriah Heep remains one of the longest-playing rock bands in history. It appeared in the late 1960s, when The Beatles still rattled on. The founder and the only permanent member of the team is guitarist Mick Box. The discography of Uriah Heep includes 24 studio albums, the last of which was released in 2014. And this is not taking into account singles, live releases, etc.

The birth of the band and the debut album

It all started with the fact that two musicians met. They were David Byron and Mick Boxing. The first of them became a vocalist, the second - a guitarist. At first the band was called Spice. Young guys gave successful concerts, after which they were noticed by producer Jerry Bron.

The manager immediately offered a promising formation a contract with the label. In addition, he advised them to change the sign. The name was changed to Uriah Heep. So the character of one of the novels of Dickens was called. Then, in 1969, all Britain celebrated its centenary.

After some castling, the band released their debut album "Very 'eavy ... Very' umble" in 1970. The sound of this album was largely innovative. The band played not only on guitars. Compositions contained lots of keyboards, organ and mellotron. And even so, all the early musicians' work influenced both hard rock and heavy metal. If at first critics and journalists scolded the record, then decades later it was put on one shelf with cult plates from Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.

Success

The second album of the band, entitled "Salisbury", was on the shop windows in 1971. The sound has shifted even more towards acoustics, folk and art-rock. There was a symphonic influence. Songs like Bird of Prey and Lady in Black became immortal hits of the band. They are performed at concerts today. The title track was recorded with the participation of 34 academic musicians playing symphonic instruments. The length of the composition was 16 minutes.

The popularity of the release allowed the band to ride with a tour of the United States, where they were waited by the huge support of overseas fans. The next album "Look at Yourself" repeated the success of its predecessor. The single July Morning became a hit on the European music market. In particular, the record sold well in Germany, where the group had a dedicated community of fans. Already in the following years, with an eye to the past 70th critics noted that the whole album was a unique combination of the emerging heavy metal and prog-rock. In addition, vocalist Byron created his own recognizable style of singing, which later influenced many artists, including Rob Halford.

Subsequent recordings of "Demon and Wizards" and "The Magician's Birthday" (1972) differed in the fact that in their concept there was a theme of fantasy. The stories about wizards and mysticism were warmly received by the public. Releases awaited commercial success. In particular, the band went on a huge tour of Japan, where she recorded a live album. Discography Uriah Heep began to contain such records.

Conflicts

The subsequent discography of Uriah Heep was not so successful, the albums scolded criticism, and sales declined. In addition, the group lost the schedule of speeches. First in 1975, bass guitarist Gary Thane was hit by electric shock and was not able to play. The planned concerts were canceled. A few months later the musician was found dead at home. A medical examination showed that the cause of death was an overdose of drugs.

He was succeeded by the experienced John Welton, who participated in the records of King Crimson and Roxy Music. According to Boxing, this gave the team a second wind. The new bass player was not only an excellent performer, but also a creative generator of ideas.

The band again released a successful record. It was "Return to Fantasy". However, immediately the problems of another plan began. The collective was shaken by conflicts. Vocalist Byron began alcoholism, which is why he was fired. Behind him went to Asia bassist Welton, and a little later - keyboardist Hensley, who stood at the origins of the team. At the time when it happened, in 1980, Uriah Heep's discography already included 13 studio albums.

1980s

On the basis of constant setbacks and conflicts, Mick Boxing started a depression. At some point, he was the only musician of the original line-up, who had to fulfill his obligations to the record label.

In 1982 he managed to survive this crisis. He recruited new musicians and released with them the album "Abominog", which is marked as the most mature in the entire creation of the band. The new drummer Lee Kersleick and bassist Bob Daisley just left Ozzy Osbourne on the eve and were able to bring a great influence of heavy metal into the record. The heavier and more modern sounding did not leave the audience indifferent. Later the band continued to successfully touring, periodically releasing studio recordings, though not with such intensity, as in the 70's. A lot of labels collaborated with Uriah Heep. Discography, photos and many other fruits of an eventful career are of interest to the public today.

Modern career

The newest discography of Uriah Heep began in 2008, when after almost 10 years of silence, Boxing with the team released an album. Today the concerts of the band successfully combine both classic hits and new compositions.

In 2014, the last album "Outsider" released by the band Uriah Heep was released. Discography and the biography of the collective - all this is filled with dramatic events and unexpected turns. Nevertheless, musicians in the seventh decade continue to please their performances of dedicated fans.