The Magician's Birthday

Performer: Uriah Heep
Engineer: Peter Gallen
Producer: Gerry Bron
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: David Byron (vocals); Ken Hensley (guitar, keyboards, Moog synthesizer); Mick Box (guitar); Brian Cole (pedal steel guitar); Gary Thain (bass); Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion). Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, London, England in September and October, 1972. Includes liner notes by Ken Hensley. Uriah Heep's 1972 release, THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY, followed in the same direction as its predecessor one year earlier, DEMONS AND WIZARDS--mystical lyrical themes are merged with heavy guitar riffs and prog-rock organ/synth explorations. Sonically, THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY is a tad more rough around the edges than DEMONS (keyboardist Ken Hensley is given more of a free reign on this album as well), but it's still unmistakably Uriah Heep. The album closing, ten and a half-minute title track is a bona fide Heep epic (with many mood shifts), while "Sweet Lorraine" catches the band at their most rough and rocking.

Despite a Spinal Tap-like inability to secure a drummer, British band Uriah Heep has continued to roll with the punches since 1969. Their eclectic approach to rock folds Tolkeinian dragons-and-dwarves imagery into grand musical themes that draw on prog, metal, acid rock, and pastoral folk. The band were fairly popular in the U.K. in the '70s, and their albums charted respectably in the U.S. during this time as well. As the musical landscape shifted in the later '70s, the band's popularity died down, but they have continued to release albums (their live discography is rather lengthy) and tour, and remain popular in Eastern Europe and Japan.

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