Return to Form

1974 was not a banner year for Uriah Heep. Exhausted by years of recording while touring, it saw the "classic" lineup produce their least-inspired (although still quite listenable) album, "Wonderworld", followed by absolute disaster, when bassist Gary Thain was nearly killed by a severe electric shock while on stage during a show in Texas during the subsequent tour. Thain would never rejoin the band; always haunted by drug problems, he turned to heroin during his convalescence, which addiction would cost him his job in that year, and his life in December, 1975. He was replaced in the band by John Wetton, who had played with Family and King Crimson, and 1975 saw the first effort by the new lineup.

"Return To Fantasy", the first album of the Wetton era, is a crisp return to form. While not quite living up to the lofty standards of the 1970-73 recordings, as the band still seemed to be in the process of deciding what musical direction they wanted to take the new lineup, resulting in a less cohesive overall sound, the material and performances still shine nonetheless. Particular standouts are the title track, a long-time fan favorite (which the current lineup has played to open their shows recently), "Devil's Daughter", with intricate time changes (no doubt inspired by Wetton's stint in King Crimson) and a tasty Mick Box guitar solo, "Your Turn To Remember" and "Why Did You Go?", both aching ballads, (primary songwriter Ken Hensley specializes in songs about lost love, although the writing credits on this album are more evenly distributed than on any other) and the jaw-dropping "Beautiful Dream", with a wailing lead synth courtesy of Mr. Wetton, outstanding drumming from Lee Kerslake, and an absolutely astonishing vocal from David Byron, that with all respect to Deep Purple's Ian Gillan, could have taught him a trick or two (Byron's vocals are particularly impressive throughout the album overall; he remains perhaps the most sadly overlooked vocalist in rock history).

The bottom line: while not quite at the level of their finest work as a whole, this is still an excellent album, and is certainly worth picking up for even a casual fan on the strength of the title track and "Beautiful Dream" alone.
psychedelephant

pass: Fantasy
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