Label: CD-Maximum (Russia), CDM 198-61
Style: Hard Rock, Rock, Pop Rock
Country: England
Time: 75:42
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 518 Mb
This
1975 album was the first solo outing for David Byron, the lead singer
for Uriah Heep. It isn't a big surprise that a good portion of the album
sounds a lot like the group that gave him his day job: sturdy
organ-driven hard-rockers like "Silver White Man" and "Hit Me With a
White One" would not be out of place on a typical Uriah Heep album from
this period. The fact that every then-current member of Uriah Heep makes
at least one appearance on this record further aids this deja vu
feeling. What is surprising about Take No Prisoners is how solid and
consistent it is for a between-albums solo venture. The album begins
powerfully with "Man Full of Yesterdays," a mid-tempo rocker with a
moody, dramatic arrangement that blends an emotional Mellotron-driven
sound with autobiographical lyrics.
From there, Byron deftly blends
his Heep-styled rockers with a variety of roots rock and soul
experiments that blend in well with the other, more traditional
material: "Steamin' Along" tackles funk with surprising deftness while
"Saturday Night" adds a likable country-rock element to its amped-up
rock & roll attack. "Love Song" proves that Byron could do a
straight ballad with surprising sensitivity and further benefits from a
lovely arrangement built on a gentle harpsichord sound. Plenty of sharp
rockers are interspersed between these experimental tracks, the best
being "Midnight Flyer," a cleverly arranged rocker that alternates
spooky, mid-tempo verses with a scorching chorus to create an exciting
burst of hard rock. Overall, Take No Prisoners lacks a breakout single
or the kind of genre-expanding elements that will win over the casual
listener, but it is a well-crafted album that will definitely find favor
with Uriah Heep fans.
(allmusic.com/album/take-no-prisoners-mw0000599761)
This
album, released around the time of Hensley's departure from Uriah Heep,
is a much different affair from his previous solo work. Instead of
going for a traditional rock sound close to Uriah Heep, Free Spirit
utilizes a ‘stylistic shotgun' approach that touches on a number of
different styles including synth-pop ("Do You Feel Alright"), disco
("Inside The Mystery"), and even pure pop ("The System"). The end result
is an album that offers some strong songs, but lacks the cohesion and
consistency necessary for a good album. Some of the experiments work
surprisingly well ("Inside The Mystery" effectively contrasts funky,
danceable verses with a stately guitar-driven midsection), but others
fall flat. For instance, the bouncy keyboard pop that drives "The
System" does not sit well with its hard-edged cynical lyrics.
The
rockers at the songs that work best on Free Spirit: "Brown Eyed Boy" is a
punchy hard-rocker built on hard-driving drumwork from Deep Purple's
Ian Paice and "Telephone" draws much strength from a well-judged
combination of poppy background vocals and chugging guitar riffs. The
ballads, usually a highlight of Hensley's work, also work nicely on this
album: the best example is "Woman," which contrasts moody
keyboard-driven verses with pulsating, guitar-fuelled instrumental
breaks. All in all, Free Spirit's lack of a coherent style will probably
turn off the casual listener but there are enough strong, well-produced
tracks on this album to make it a worthwhile listen for any fans of
Hensley or Uriah Heep.
(allmusic.com/album/free-spirit-mw0000846600)
01. Man Full Of Yesterdays (05:38)
02. Sweet Rock N' Roll (02:50)
03. Steamin' Along (05:11)
04. Silver White Man (03:30)
05. Love Song (02:58)
06. Midnight Flyer (05:56)
07. Saturday Night (02:17)
08. Roller Coaster (04:00)
09. Stop (Think What You're Doing) (04:16)
10. Hit Me With A White One (03:55)
11. Inside The Mystery (04:38)
12. New York (02:25)
13. The System (02:34)
14. When (03:48)
15. No More (04:37)
16. Brown Eyed Boy (04:05)
17. Do You Feel Alright (02:52)
18. Telephone (03:10)
19. Woman (03:23)
20. New Routine (03:27)
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