Search - Uriah Heep :: Wonderworld (Dlx) (Exp)

End of an Era!

SoFlor00 | South Florida | 02/28/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Although Uriah Heep continues to perform. Mostly in Europe, from what I've read. They seem to have a constant stream of fans that are endless and loyal.

This album was one after I started to lose some interest in the band. I loved the music of every album up till Sweet Freedom. Which I really enjoyed. At this time in my life there was high school (graduated 1976) sports, girls and concerts I went to almost every week. So this album is getting a review from a very seasoned Uriah Heep fan. But more then that. I true lover, to rock and roll.

Wonderworld is by far the worst album the band put out up until that time. I can't help listening and thinking how hard Hensley was reaching for lyrics. His incredible gift which is on every album before Wonderworld could leave you so inspired. But Wonderworld is just David Byron trying to make bad lyrics sound like they actually meant something. When all these lyrics are is Hensley reaching into a bad 3rd grade dictionary for a rhyme! The music is a steady stream of one or two Uriah Heep tunes from the past. The keyboards sound worn out. I used to enjoy the Mick Box guitar in older albums. This is 5 very tired rock and roll stars who needed about a year off and away from each other. Gerry Bron should have seen this instead of the dollar signs.

Ken Hensley was always the one who stirred the drink that was Uriah Heep. With David Byron's ego getting bruised so often because of the obvious Hensley stamp on everything. It all would have been time for a break. Had they split up at that time and never looked back would have been the best thing for Uriah Heep. Then I wouldn't have to Wonder, why in the World they put out such a terrible album!"

Thanks, Mr. Hensley

P. Schlingemann | The Hague, Holland | 02/07/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"By the time Heep started work on the follow up to Sweet Freedom, the band was in a mess. There was a total lack of inspiration and the increasingly erratic and irritating behaviour of Gary Thain and David Byron, who believed that being a rock star meant doping yourself up to the eyeballs on a daily basis. Byron and Mick Box came up with a couple of miserable tunes and it looked like the upcoming album was going to be a disaster. So Ken Hensley, who by then was working on his second solo album, came to the rescue and offered two tunes he had originally intended for his own record - Wonderworld and The Easy Road. The final result is a miserable album with only two good songs on it. Without faithful Kens contribution, Wonderworld wouldn't even be worth half a star."