Audio CD review:
Uriah Heep - Firefly

Uriah Heep - Firefly

Band: Uriah Heep Title: Firefly Rating: Release Date: 01 July, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Hanging Tree 2: Been Away Too Long 3: Who Needs Me 4: Wise Man 5: Do You Know 6: Rollin On 7: Sympathy 8: Firefly 9: Crime of Passion (Single B-Side) [*] 10: Do You Know [Alternate Version][Alternate Take][#][*] 11: Far Better Way [Alternate Version][Alternate Take][#][*] 12: Wise Man [TV Backing Track][#][*]

Customer Reviews One of the most underated albums in the bands career. This album is right up there with their classics of the early 70's. Firefly is the first album of the short lived (unforunately) John Lawton era. John Lawton is just below David Bryon as far as vocal talent and much better than any of his successors. He's more blusier than Byron,but doesn't have the range. If you are looking for the heavy side of the band, this album is not it. The material on this album is closer to the laid back tracks that dominate "The Magician Birthday". Breakdown review of the tracks. 1. The Hanging Tree - UH returns to the fantasy theme on their earlier albums with this one. Nice guitar echo effects at the songs introduction. 2. Been Gone Too Long - Start out slow and then speeds up, though not too loud. Fits Lawton perfectly. 3. Who Needs Me. - A Southern rock boogie style song. Songwritter Ken Hensley would leave Heep for Southern rockers a few year later. His interest in Southern fried rock seems to show early here. 4. Wise Man - The Wizard, part II. Nice piano ballad that continues the theme of the Wizard on Demon and Wizards. 5. Do You Know - The weakest track on the album. A throw away. 6. Rollin On - Could easily be mistaken for a Paul Rogers' Bad Company ballad. Good song though. 7. Sympathy - Nice mid temple rocker. 8. Firefly - One of the best epic UH has ever done. Song by organist/guitarist Ken Hensley. Nice soft keyboards and accoustic guitars. Has a Crosby, Still, & Nash feel to it. 9. Crimes of Passion - Another song with a Bad Company feel to it. 10 A Far Better Way - This is a bonus track that should have made it on the original album. A soft ballad that sounds like it's was song by Ken Hensley (Doesn't sound like Lawton's gritty voice). Could have been an Elton John song. . Truly a Masterpiece of Energy Both the musicianship and lyrics are all dynamic. Firefly is one of my favorite albums of all time. Right off the bat, the CD begins with the powerful "Hanging Tree" which is one of the most unique songs ever written: heavy echoing guitars and great vocals. Next is another adventure type song of note "Been Away too Long". The more mellow "Wise Man" became very popular and occurs on some "live" cuts on other albums. "Sympathy" has fabulous wah-wah guitar work - perfect rythym - and slide guitar - it is PERFECT. The song "Firefly" is another fantasy classic - perfectly arranged composition, complete with changes in tempo and slide guitar melodies. All the songs mentioned above should have been played on the radio here in the U. S. - they are all hits. And yet I never heard any of them . . . until I bought it myself. I was astounded that I never heard these songs before. This is one of Heep's most cohesive albums - as good as Demons & Wizards; Magicians Birthday, etc. This is some of the best rock music ever written - old or new. If you don't have this CD, you are truly depriving your soul of Uriah Heep's best work. . You can see a complete list of all Uriah Heep discography, or go back to the Uriah Heep tabs