Search - Uriah Heep :: King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents in Concert

Great band, crummy recording

Robert Dumas | Pawling, NY USA | 04/18/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If this live set from Uriah Heep was truly digitally remastered from the original then the engineers must have been in the throes of dementia because the sound here is so muddled and turgid that many tracks are, quite frankly, unlistenable.Uriah Heep was/is one of my favorite hard rock bands of all time -- particularly the line-up featured on this CD. They toured relentlessly and were known for their galvanizing live performances. But the King Biscuit Flower Hour -- the vaunted live concert radio show from the '70s -- must have caught the band on an off night. The playing is sloppy, many of the harmonies are off, and lead vocalist David Byron (one of the finest and most underrated singers in rock 'n' roll) is having a particularly tough time of it. He repeatedly hits sour notes, falling off key, and other times he gives up altogether and just kind of talks his way through it.Compared with 1973's "Uriah Heep Live" -- this King Biscuit set is an unmitigated mess. I can only cringe when I think of what it must have sounded like before it was "digitally remastered." Was this what the poor radio listeners heard the night it was originally broadcast? I remember King Biscuit as having pretty good sounding shows.Do not look to this as a definitive sounding Heep album. They are a much better band this. But the re-issuing of concerts like "King Biscuit Presents..." and the even worse "Live at Shepperton - '74" do nothing but tarnish the band's reputation.There are some redeeming qualities to "King Biscuit Presents" and that is the set list. While the old, creaky standards are predictibly present (Easy Livin', Stealin', July Morning, Gypsy, etc.), hearing songs like "Seven Stars" and "Sweet Freedom" performed lived is a nice treat for longtime Heepsters."King Biscuit Presents Uriah Heep" is for true longtime fans who need to have everything Heep has produced. But you'll enjoy "Uriah Heep Live 1973" much more."

The Inspiration for Spinal Tap

Bill J | Frozen North | 02/06/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This recording comes across as being pompous, overblown arena rock. The playing is sloppy and the singer seems drunk or high, inserting expletives in his dialog for shock value. I had the original LP of Uriah Heep Live, and hoped this performance would equal it. (I was unable to find "Uriah Heep Live" on CD when I purchased the "King Biscuit Presents" disc. Now that the "Uriah Heep Live" is available it seems to be missing some songs from the original LP release.)Uriah Heep was a great band , but this performance shows the effects of the road and substance abuse. I guess some things are best left to memories."

I Was There

Dale Fredericks | Simi Valley, Ca United States | 04/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having written a short recollection of the night this was recorded for King Biscuit,I have to say that this night may not have been one of David Byron's or Uriah Heep's better nights, but it was definately "raw" and off the cuff. Live 73 was certainly a much cleaner and polished performance for the group and will go down as the best Live recording Uriah Heep ever made. If anyone truly remembers how concerts were back in the early to mid-seventies, then they know that quite a few times groups were faced with numerous technical problems that usually didn't get sorted out until at least 2-3 songs into their sets. I have to say that this recording gets better as the show goes on and truly gives the listener an honest and true feel of how the shows were at that time. If you want a nice 'homogenized' polished concert by Uriah Heep, then buy Live 73, but if you want to really feel like you are at the show and want the feel of what numerous shows were like during the "arena rock" era, then this is the performance for you. If you have had the opportunity to read the liner notes from the CD, you will have read my "Recollections By A Fan". This is how I felt that evening and how I feel everytime I put this CD on to listen to.

Rock On !

Dale Fredericks"