Audio CD review:
Uriah Heep - Ultimate Collection

Uriah Heep - Ultimate Collection

Band: Uriah Heep Title: Ultimate Collection Rating: Release Date: 14 July, 2003 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Gypsy 2: Come Away Melinda 3: Bird of Prey 4: Lady in Black 5: Look at Yourself 6: July Morning 7: Wizard 8: Easy Livin' 9: Sunrise 10: Magician's Birthday 11: Sweet Lorraine 12: Stealin' 13: Sweet Freedom 14: Wonderworld 15: Something or Nothing 16: Return to Fantasy 17: Prima Donna 18: One Way or Another 19: Wise Man 20: Free Me 21: Free 'n' Easy 22: Come Back to Me 23: Fallen Angel 24: Feelings 25: Too Scared to Run 26: On the Rebound 27: Think It Over 28: That's the Way That It Is 29: Other Side of Midnight 30: Stay on Top 31: Hold Your Head Up 32: Blood Red Roses 33: Blood on Stone 34: Different World

Customer Review The Best Of 20 Years Made in UK in 2003, Serial# SANDD-189, Playing Time 158:02 I usually despise releases like this. . I've seen (and purchased) so many best of, anthology, collections, millennium, very best compilations that keep deceiving me, either because of track selection, but more generally because record labels still think that putting more than 40 minutes of music on those will hinder sales of their back catalogue, that I wasn't really looking forward to this "Ultimate Collection". And URIAH HEEP already have dozens of retrospectives, so why would anyone pick up this one? Well, here's why: 1) This 2CD-set contains 34 tracks, with 158 minutes of music (those discs are packed!!!); 2) the remastering job is fabulous; 3) the tracks are presented chronologically; 4) all tracks are full-length versions (NO edits!!!) 5) you get all facets of the band, from the heavy "Gypsy" to the soft "Come Away Melinda", the kaleidoscopic "Magician's Birthday", the haunting "Wonderworld", the anthemic "Easy Livin'", the hair-raising "Blood Red Roses", and then some (actually, 28 more!!!) And no, I'm not a member of the band or an unconditional fan. . . This anthology covers the first 20 years of their recordings (1971-1991), and it's not focused only on "commercial" or radio-friendly material (ever heard the full length version of "July Morning" on the radio?). To the novice, this set is THE best place to start without spending a fortune; to the initiated, over 2 and a half hours of cherished material covering a wide spectrum of genres so loved by many Heepsters. I just HAVE to play it again. . You can see a complete list of all Uriah Heep discography, or go back to the Uriah Heep tabs