Not as good as it should be.
Music fan | California United States | 03/28/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is not nearly as good as it should be considering the awesome music Uriah Heep has been putting out since the line-up stablized in the late 80's (not counting the drummer change in 2007). The 2 new songs (Only Human & Corridors of Madness), while good, are not that memorable. The remaining 12 versions are all "good" but I walked away with the feeling they somewhat ruined the already great versions on some and improved the not-so-good originals. Overall,there is no consistency and that is the problem. The best way I can describe it is as follows:
Bird of Prey, Free Me, Free and Easy, and Look at Yourself were never among my all-time favorite tracks. Now, the versions have improved and in some cases, by a great amount (Bird of Prey). On the other hand, Lady in Black, The Wizard & Stealin' were always some of my favorite Uriah Heep songs - now, they are lesser songs - almost to the point where I would not like them if this was my first listen; emphasis on the word "almost". Specifically, the vocals are what ruined it for me. This is not to say I don't like Bernie Shaw's vocals. He is actually one of my favorite singers - even when performing these same classics in concert. It just doesn't work with a studio re-recording. However, I must give credit to Russell Gilbrook who has breathed new life into all the songs.
I'd like to give this release 3.5 stars but I am not allowed to use that scale. 3 stars is too low for a CD with 12 classic songs and 2 new songs. If you are new to Uriah Heep, this is a good place to start. If you are a long-time fan like myself, might want to give it a listen before jumping in."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1