CD REVIEW: LIVE AT KOKO by Uriah Heep

LIVE AT KOKO by Uriah Heep
(Frontier Records)

Uriah Heep, who indisputably invented Hard Rock in conjunction with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, having sold in excess of 40 million albums since their inception in 1969. From their early incarnation as Spice (joined by members of the Gods), through record breaking tours, gold and platinum selling albums, timeless chart scaling anthems and a fiercely dedicated fan base of worldwide proportions, Uriah Heep can rightly claim to be one of the greatest U.K. progressive heavy rock bands of both the 20th and 21st centuries. The band's latest offering comes to us in the form a two CD, one DVD set, 'Live at Koko'. The latest formation of the band is comprised of, Mick Box (guitar), Philip Lanzon (keyboards), Bernie Shaw (vocals), Dave Rimmer (bass) and Russell Gilbrook (drums). Disc One features songs from the band's last three studio recordings. Highlights include;  "Against The Odds", L "Overload", "I’m Ready", "Between Two Worlds" and "Nail On The Head".  Disc Two represents the cream of Uriah Heep's early career featuring band classics like "The Wizard," the fast paced shuffle "Easy Living," the Woodstock-era "July Morning," and the bluesy "Stealin'" whose rock-and-roll-as-outlaw-cowboy predates both McCartney's "Band on the Run" and Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive." Disc Three is a DVD capturing the entire performance on video. The bottom line is, 'Live at Koko' is a must have for Uriah Heep fans and for anyone appreciates great music period. You can hear the power blasting out of the speakers, the band are in top form. Great music by a band that has been underrated for many years. Every bit as good as DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPLIN. Play it LOUD! - Highly Recommended
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/ All Access Magazine