The Magician's Birthday

The Magician's Birthday

Artist: Uriah Heep
Label: Island / Mercury
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 042281229824
EAN: 0042281229824
ASIN: B000001F45

Release Date: 1990-10-25

Related Categories:

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

British Metal

| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General

| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)

| Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Hard Rock

| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

CDs $7 - $10

| Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music

CDs $7 - $10

| Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Music Outlet | Categories | Amazon.com Outlet | Amazon.com Stores | us-stores

All Bargain Titles

| Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music

All Bargain Titles

| Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Music Outlet | Categories | Amazon.com Outlet | Amazon.com Stores | us-stores

4-for-3 Classic Rock

| 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal

| 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop

| 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Rock

| 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music

| 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

Listmania:

the best of roger dean covers
Roger Dean Album Covers
Some of the best progressive albums ever
Greatest 3 Album Stretches Ever
Heavy, Heavy Organ
My favorite draw covers
Best Uriah Heep studio albums
Progressive & Heavy Crossover Concepts!
10 Uriah Heep Discs Everyone Should Have
Top 10 Essential Uriah Heep albums

Tracks:

Sunrise
Spider Woman
Blind Eye
Echoes In The Dark
Rain
Sweet Lorraine
Tales
The Magician's Birthday

Similar Items:

Demons and Wizards
Look at Yourself
Sweet Freedom
Uriah Heep Live
Salisbury

Customer Reviews:

Fine Follow-up Album!.......2005-12-22

"The Magician's Birthday" was the second Heep album by the classical line-up featuring Hensley, Byron, Box, Thain and Kerslake. It was also the second album with a Roger Dean cover. And moreover, it was the second album the band released in 1972.

After a long 1972 tour Uriah Heep were rushed back into the Lansdowne studios to record a follow-up to their break-through and much acclaimed album "Demons and Wizzards".

As Hensley states in the notes, they felt that were never really given the time it took to record the album, which was originally planned to be a "complete" concept album. Though it may have been rushed it nearly matches its great predecessor. The band, and especially Hensley as a songwriter, were at the peak of their creativity and many of these songs have become classics and favourites. The extensive list of bonus-tracks clearly illustrates what a great period this was for the band. Unfortunately the hard work took its toll on some of the band-members; but that's another story.

The first track, Hensley's dramatic "Sunrise", is the perfect opener, with great lead and harmony vocals.

Another highlight is the melodic rocker "Blind Eye", driven by acoustic guitars and featuring a nice twin-guitar theme; also a Ken Hensley song.

Two songs released as single A-sides were "Spider Woman" (Europe) and "Sweet Lorraine" ( America), and where the first is a rather traditional heavy-rocker, "Sweet Lorraine" has all it takes to become a classic. Great whining riff, fine breaks and a catchy chorus. Simply one of the most memorable Heep recordings; written by Box, Byron and Thain.

As the most versatile songwriter in the band Hensley also demonstrates a talent for writing melodic ballads such as "Echoes in the Dark" and the quiet piano accompanied "Rain" with great lead vocals.

"Tales" is the closest the band get to playing folk-rock on the record; another fine recording.

Though the title track has its moments, it somehow feels too longwinded with its ten and a half minutes playing time.

Among the bonus-tracks Gary Thain's "Crystal Ball" is a nice surprise; sad that his constitution was strong enough to take the strain of heavy touring etc.

Though not quite as consistent as "Demons and Wizzards" still one of Heep's finest albums.

Eclectic, Mystic-Sounding Heavy Rock/Protometal.......2005-10-19

One of the best albums from the early 70s/late 60s, back when hard rock and progressive rock were together forming an offshoot - along with influences from classical, eastern music (see Led Zeppelin), heavy blues and eclectic jazz (see Judas Priest's first album, "Rocka Rolla") and a host of other musicforms - to come up with heavy metal. Uriah Heep isn't really considered metal but 'protometal', but it's close enough to appeal to metal fans as well as fans of the late 60s/early 70s sound, hard rock & progressive rock, and quality eclectic music as well. This album is distinct mystical heavy rock, and a shining example of its type of music.

Uriah Heep tends to tread a lot of welcome fantasy-type ground, which is also covered here, but there are other themes here, like the vibe capturing the exhiliration of romance on "Sweet Lorraine" and the fearful doomy lyrics of "Tales". "Sunrise" is an alltime gem, fitting well into the beloved realm of fantasy-esque lyrics but in this case, for me, resounding even more powerfully with its combination of the 'missing love'/'undying love' themes. Great intro to the song and tremendous (and influential) musicianship all throughout. Title track "The Magician's Birthday" jumps from musical style to musical style within itself - including a part featuring what sounds like a kazoo! - although, regretfully, the coolest guitar parts on the whole album wind up representing the 'evil' part of the tale. Still exuberantly cool though. Musicianship and vocals great all through the album, with some of the best quirky-sounding synthesizer sounds ever laid down, doing exactly what a synthesizer generally does Best - not imitating other instruments but creating brand-new, usually bizarre, sounds you don't get off traditional instruments.

I should note that I noticed in the search engine there are new versions of this with bonus tracks out, which I couldn't review because I haven't heard them. Most of these bonuses are 'alternate versions' (sometimes 'single edits') of other Heep tracks but you still may wish to hunt down audio samples of the tracks represented on the expanded editions before deciding which version you want to buy. Now Hopefully, someday there'll be a big grand boxed set collecting All of Heep's rare tracks, but until then....

Whichever version you end up going with, you can't really go wrong with this. Great, emotion-spanning and inventive album whose vast influence will, unfortunately, probably never be acknowledged by professional critics but is no less vital for it.

The best Heep.......2005-09-25

This cd is their best of their old ones. It encompases what they were. They were almost progressive and very much hard rock. They
sounded like Deep Purple and Sabbath at times. If they would have kept on like this album they would have gone extremely far.
After this they release some mediocre albums which didn't hold up to Sabbath or Purple. Then they got really bad.

But this cd rocks out totally. It brings back good memories
and all rockers must have this one in their collection. Heep
continues to rock but not like this album does, too bad Byron is gone because his voice inspired many metal vocalists like Dickinson ,John Arch and Rob Halford, what a shame

Great Uriah Heep Album.......2004-12-14

THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY is a great Uriah Heep album. It's standouts are "Sunrise" and "Sweet Lorraine", but the other songs should not be counted out, either. The group would make one more great album, SWEET FREEDOM, before problems with bassist Gary Thain would derail them musically and commercially. Here, though, it looks as if they could go on forever.

Mellower Than "Demons & Wizards".......2004-09-19

I'm a metal head & most of my music perspective comes from that viewpoint. "Salisbury" rocked, "Look At Yourself" rocked, "Demons & Wizards" rocked (although a little less than "Look"). On this effort, however, other than the opening track "Sunrise", there is not one really hard rocking track to be found. Yes "Sweet Loraine" rocks minimally, but Hensley's screaming organ really overshadows nearly everything on this song. This album is far, far from "heavy".
If you like your music laced with keyboards, acoustic rhythm guitars & with no memorable guitar solos, you could maybe up this album to 3 1/2 stars. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad album. It's a must have for any Uriah Heep fan. But newcomers would be better served to start with the twin purchase of "Look At Yourself" & "Demons & Wizards". Heck add the "Live In 1973" album to your cart if you have the extra cash. Soak in those purchases for awhile before you opt on this one to mellow out.

Music CD:

Music CD

Rhymes With Orange ~ Gordon Stone

Cocked & Loaded ~ L.A. Guns

Sun of Tipareth ~ Absu

History of Logic System ~ Logic System

Balafons of Bobo Diou ~ Sababougnouma

Farewell ~ The Dent

Best of Remastered

Son of the Pink Panther

Talkin ~ Jimpy Featuring Sarah