In honor of their fortieth anniversary, Uriah Heep have released Celebration, a collection of twelve rerecorded classic and two new songs. I couldn’t wait to pop in this album! Not only do they have one of the strongest legacies in Rock and Roll, their last album, Wake the Sleeper, was an unquestionable career highlight. That said, Uriah Heep deliver another near perfect set of songs that feel as fresh as when they were first recorded.
Celebration kicks off with “Only Human,” a balls out anthemic rocker that embodies everything that is great about the Heep. From there the band rips through a few old tunes, showing their wild improvement over the years both as musicians and as a band. “Bird of Prey” comes off the best in my opinion but the more emotional delivery of “Sunrise” gives it a serious run for its money. From there we hit the other new song, “Corridors of Madness,” another great tune but certainly darker in spirit. The song has a haunting quality that is fitting given the title and the slower pace is a nice contrast to the material that the band put out on Wake the Sleeper. The band continue to rip through their hits for the rest of the album, offering a series of recognizable songs one right after the other. I’d venture to bet that some of these songs, like “Free Me” and “Lady in Black,” will be accepted as far superior to their original versions.
Overall, I’m not a huge fan of these types of albums but Uriah Heep deliver in such a huge way that its impossible not to like Celebration. It truly sounds like a band celebrating a four decade career and sounding better than ever while doing so. Celebration is perfect for Heep fans old and new.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
