AtomicCrimsonRush Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

The first Heep that I owned, Sweet Freedom, was bagged at a fair selling second hand junk. I saw this in one of the bins and snapped it up, not knowing much about this band except for their brilliant tracks Gypsy, Free Me and Easy Livin'. I did not know what to expect but I did not expect such a sugar coated melodic radio friendly sound on this album. It took me a few listens to get into the music, and now having scored other great Heep I have come to the conclusion that this is one of their most inept recordings.

It is difficult to find a decent rock track, as it is all played at a low volume and even crooned in places ooo-ooh ooo-ooh stealin' when I shoulda been buyin' So we have ascertained that this is one of the softest Heeps but is it any good?

It has great moments - Stealin IS memorable and great to sing to. So is Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeet Freeeeeeeeeeeeeddddoooooooooommmm.... Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet It works for me and I saw a DVD that showed how much the crowd loved these little classics.

However the rest of the album is forgettable and not very heavy. It is perhaps one of the safest and as a result mediocre releases of the band. Side One is definitely the best because I cannot even recall how any of Side 2 tracks go.

There is some great guitar work on the album and the vocals are top notch as ever. The thing that lets it down is the song content itself - the band seem so wrapped up in themes of dreaming of a better life, or being free or trying to find meaning - yet some band members had suicided by the end of the decade. This release actually leaves me cold as I know how great Heep can be with such master works as Demons and Wizards. THAT is a great release, not this Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeet Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet attempt at rock.

2 stars for the aforementioned songs.

bonnek Seven Stars! Yeah right, dream on Heep.

If anyone was waiting for further proof of Heep’s decline, Sweet Freedom has ample of it. The opener Dreamer even returns to old-fashioned blues-a-billy in an attempt to hide the complete disappearance of song writing skills. Stealin’ is equally faceless but at least it's got a memorable melody and a fun groove. Be warned though: badly dated cheesy hard-rock alert here.

If I Had the Time is not without merit but it’s basically just rehashing some old ideas, especially July Morning comes to mind. Seven Stars is a fun little song and so is Circus, a great acoustic guitar driven ballad. With only a few deserving songs, the 7 minute Pilgrim could have lifted this album to a slightly higher level but it’s just another disappointment.

This Uriah Heep album is still high in regard with the fans of their more symphonic side but I find it very mediocre, especially considering how good they were on the first four albums.