Last September, Uriah Heep released two-CD Deluxe Editions of their first two albums, …Very ‘Eavy … Very Umble (1970) and Salisbury (1971) along with a brand new anthology, Your Turn to Remember: The Definitive Anthology 1970 – 1990.
On March 31, they return to their discography for their next three sets with deluxe editions of Look at Yourself (1971), Demons & Wizards (1972) and The Magician’s Birthday (1972).
The early-70’s were extremely prolific for the band with five albums released between 1970 and 1972. Look at Yourself was their first album to chart in the U.K. (their first two albums did make the Billboard 200 in the U.S.), reaching number 39, and was an early high point with the critics.
Their first album for 1972, Demons & Wizards, was the highest charting to date in both the U.K. (#20) and the U.S. (#23) and includes possibly their best known song, Easy Livin’ (1972 / #39 U.S.). Two new members of the band, keyboardist Gary Thain and drummer Lee Kerslake, played on a couple of the tracks and helped bring the sound of the band together on what many consider their finest album.
The Magician’s Birthday was released later in 1972 hitting 28 in the U.K. and 31 in the U.S. It was their second album with a cover by Roger Dean and two singles (Blind Eye and Sweet Lorraine) reached the lower portion of the U.S. Hot 100 while Spider Woman went to number 13 in Germany.
These re-packaged and re-mastered albums have been endorsed by the band and each have a bonus disc of un-released material. Look At Yourself was released with a unique foil front cover and this has been faithfully re-created in a lavish digipack format using foil board material which presents the entire package in a new and shimmering light. Roger Dean’s artwork for Demons And Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday captures the music (and the times) perfectly and extensive sleeve notes featuring interviews with the band are written by Joel McIver.
The track lists:
Look At Yourself: Deluxe Edition
Disc 1
Look at Yourself
I Wanna Be Free
July Morning
Tears in My Eyes
Shadows of Grief
What Should Be Done
Love Machine
Disc 2
I Wanna Be Free (Alternative Mix)
Tears in My Eyes (Alternative Mix)
What Should Be Done (Alternative Mix)
Shadows of Grief (Alternative Mix)
Look At Yourself (Alternative Mix)
July Morning (Alternative Mix)
Why Fourteen Minutes (Alternative Mix)
Love Machine (Alternative Mix)
What’s Within My Heart (Alternative Mix)
July Morning (Alternative Mix; Live)
Look At Yourself (Alternative Single Version)
Demons & Wizards: Deluxe Edition
The Wizard
Traveler in Time
Easy Livin’
Poet’s Justice
Circle of Hands
Rainbow Demon
All My Life
Paradise
The Spell
Why (Extended)
Rainbow Demon (Single Edit)
Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf (Outtake)
Home Again to You (Demo)
Green Eye (Demo)
The Magician’s Birthday: Deluxe Edition
Disc 1
Sunrise
Spider Woman
Blind Eye
Echoes in the Dark
Rain
Sweet Lorraine
Tales
The Magician’s Birthday
Disc 2
Echoes in the Dark (Alternative Version)
Sweet Lorraine (Alternative Version)
Blind Eye (Alternative Version)
Tales (Alternative Version)
Silver White Man (Alternative Version)
Sunrise (Alternative Version)
Crystal Ball (Alternative Version)
Spider Woman (Alternative Version)
The Magician’s Birthday (Alternative Version)
Rain (Alternative Version)
Silver White Man (No Vox, Alternative Version)
Happy Birthday (Alternative Version)
Sunrise (Alternative Single Version)
Sweet Lorraine (Alternative Single Version)
Gary’s Song (Alternative Version)
