Uriah Heep
Living the Dream
Rating: ****
Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of UK rock band Uriah Heep. For 2018, the band have released their 25th studio album. The album, Living the Dream, is the band's first album since 2014's Outsider. While I gave it a positive review years ago, Outsider has not aged as well as their other music from the 21st century. Even when it came out, I felt that Outsider was missing something that Wake the Sleeper and Into the Wild had. With Living the Dream, this is an all around great album from the guys in Heep. Compared to Outsider, Living the Dream is a more inspired effort and is a well-welcomed new entry to the band's very 'eavy, very 'umble discography.
The album opens with the blazing "Grazed by Heaven," which also serves as the lead single for the album. Right off the bat, the band are all in fine form- firing on all cylinders on this keyboard-driven rocker. Looking down the tracking list, Living the Dream has a little bit of everything a fan would want from in a Heep album. You want more keyboard-riddled rockers? Check out "It's All Been Said" and the title track. The former has a "July Morning" feel to it while the latter features those sensational Heep vocal harmonies. Heep's vocal harmonies have been a key ingredient to the band's sound since the beginning. Many of the songs on the album rely on them to some extent, some more than others. When it comes to haunting "Knocking at My Door," the harmonies are accompanied by drummer Russell Gilbrook pounding away at the skins.
The songwriting here is also top-notch. While not necessarily a concept album, the songs on Living the Dream deal with magical and mystical themes- which a majority of their earlier work relies on. Take the chorus from the aforementioned title track for example:
"I've got the sun and the moon on one hand/The star as they're falling down in the other" sings Bernie Shaw. "You can rely on me to show you the way"
More magic and mysticism can be found on the story song "Waters Flowin'." Lyrically, the song tells the tale of an encounter with a Pied Piper-esque character. From its prog folk approach to its heavenly vocal harmonies, "Waters Flowin'" is one my personal favorites from the album. If slower tunes aren't your thing, Heep should keep you happy with some fine hard rockers in the form of fast paced "Goodbye to Innocence"and the hypnotic "Falling Under Your Spell." Both tunes utilize in what I like to call the Heep shuffle- that walking trot sound which can be found Heep classic such as "Look at Yourself" and "Easy Livin'." However of the album's ten songs, "Rocks In The Road" is my personal favorite. It's an eight minute epic, as it transitions from standard rock tune to an all out instrumental battle.
From beginning to end, Living the Dream is an impressive effort from Uriah Heep. The band have always been a fine line between keyboard-driven hard rock and progressive rock. With Outsider, I think the band leaned more towards the hard rock side. With Living the Dream, the band found that balance again between hard rock and progressive rock- which is what makes Heep stand out among their peers. If this ends up being the last album they make, this is a great way to go out: very 'eavy and very 'umble.
The songwriting here is also top-notch. While not necessarily a concept album, the songs on Living the Dream deal with magical and mystical themes- which a majority of their earlier work relies on. Take the chorus from the aforementioned title track for example:
"I've got the sun and the moon on one hand/The star as they're falling down in the other" sings Bernie Shaw. "You can rely on me to show you the way"
More magic and mysticism can be found on the story song "Waters Flowin'." Lyrically, the song tells the tale of an encounter with a Pied Piper-esque character. From its prog folk approach to its heavenly vocal harmonies, "Waters Flowin'" is one my personal favorites from the album. If slower tunes aren't your thing, Heep should keep you happy with some fine hard rockers in the form of fast paced "Goodbye to Innocence"and the hypnotic "Falling Under Your Spell." Both tunes utilize in what I like to call the Heep shuffle- that walking trot sound which can be found Heep classic such as "Look at Yourself" and "Easy Livin'." However of the album's ten songs, "Rocks In The Road" is my personal favorite. It's an eight minute epic, as it transitions from standard rock tune to an all out instrumental battle.
From beginning to end, Living the Dream is an impressive effort from Uriah Heep. The band have always been a fine line between keyboard-driven hard rock and progressive rock. With Outsider, I think the band leaned more towards the hard rock side. With Living the Dream, the band found that balance again between hard rock and progressive rock- which is what makes Heep stand out among their peers. If this ends up being the last album they make, this is a great way to go out: very 'eavy and very 'umble.
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