What's your opinion about these giants of hard rock music? Personally, i love them! The David Byron era of course but also the John Lawton era. I believe that they've produced some great music and have released some of the best 70's albums in general.
Salisbury, Look at Yourself, Demons and Wizards, The Magician's Birthday and Firefly are my favourites but i also like Wonderworld.

Oh man, you are talking about one of my favorite all-time bands. Personally I put them right up there with the very best bands of the 70's. Their first 6 albums are all timeless classics, Look At Yourself is my favorite followed by Very eavy, Very umble and Demons and Wizards. The live album is one of the very best live albums ever recorded too. They did go downhill after the Wonderworld album in my opinion but they still came up with some great tunes. In fact, their last 2 albums are their best albums they have done since the early 70's. Ken Hensley is the most underrated organ player ever in 70's rock and Mick Box is a killer guitarist even though he is a little obsessed with the wah-wah pedal ha ha. I have seen them live what must be close to 10 times by now but never got to see them with Byron, he got kicked out of the band just as I first started buying them albums in 1976.

I agree, Ken Hensley is a great keyboard player and a great composer but Mick Box isn't that good guitarist (technique-wise) especially in comparison with other guitarists of his age (Blackmore,Schenker,Roth etc). Uriah Heep's style was unique and the atmosphere on their albums was amazing! Byon was one of the best vocalists too, but his drinking problem was huge. I admire Gary Thain a lot, he had a very innovating playing and great sound on their records. I believe that Uriah Heep "died" when Ken left the band after the (good for me) Conquest album.

Mick Box isn't technical but he has a great feel about his playing and I have always loved his solos even though they are kind of basic. Byron's drinking did destroy his career and his voice. If you watch the 1976 Pinkpop Festival footage on Youtube, his voice is really pretty bad by that point and he is obviously very drunk on stage. He actually passed out on stage once when he went solo.

And the band was never the same after Hensley left but I don't blame him for leaving. The band was in a mess at the end of the 70's but I always wish he would re-join them now, that would be awesome.

Man I love these guys My favorites were Salisbury,the self titled one,and magicians birthday, Demons and Wizards. I really loved Ken Hensleys solo effort Proud words on a dusty shelf this was excellent in my opinion !!

Uriah Heep had a series of albums that are at least very good (the first 5), Deep Purple never had that. But both are giants of the genre, though Heep are my favourite 70's band after Black Sabbath.

It's true, i like both Sweet Freedom and Wonderworld but all the previous albums are masterpieces. Return to Fantasy is mediocre and High And Mighty is bad, even there are 1-2 good songs in it. Also, Uriah Heep had many songs that were very "emotional" with a special atmosphere...

Ed, how do you like the latest and other Shaw era Heep albums?

Well, i believe that Uriah Heep "died" when Hensley left the band...I know that the Lawton era was not that good (though i enjoy Firefly and some songs off of Innocent Victim) but there was still that Heep element all around. After Ken's departure the band turned into an average hard rock band with no imagination at all. The last albums with Berniew Shaw are just good but none of them can be compared to the ones with Byron (even the last 2).

I've only heard a few of their songs and they're not bad. I felt as though I was listening to a heavier Deep Purple and that was a bit of a deterrent. Not that a heavy Deep Purple is a bad thing in the least. I just prefer bands to sound like themselves and not their influences. I'll give them a fair chance one of these days.

Since you put it that way I'll be more objective the next go around.

i get tired of deep purple way faster than i get of uriah heep, magician birthday is a classic

Demons and Wizards has to be, as I see it, one of the great rock albums of all time.