Live January 1973 by Uriah Heep was the very first album I ever bought with my own money. Having saved for weeks and weeks I chose this album because it came as two albums priced a little bit more than a single one, which to me sounded more like "great value for money" in my ears than the music itself! Ever since I listened to the band's Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble album on a lousy turntable in my French cousin's bedroom, I was mostly impressed by Hensley's organ playing. I tried to find his Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf solo album but couldn't locate it for years until I found a secondhand copy a couple of years ago. But I never came around giving it a spin because in my household CD has taken over completely, although I still have tons of vinyl around me. Knowing of the sudden interest in Uriah Heep, it was with pleasure that I received the new solo album by Ken Hensley, certainly one of the major attractions within the immortal Uriah Heep. I remember I felt sad when Heep bass player Gary Thain passed away. I felt even worse when singer David Byron died. Now that Hensley has decided to turn his back on Heep and continue under the moniker of Ken Hensley's Free Spirit, again I find it difficult to accept. But here comes a brand new album called Running Blind starting with an absolute masterpiece in the form of the instrumental "Overture: 'La Tristeza Secreta De Un Corazon Gitano'/Prelude: A Minor Life." It has the power of a real symphonic arrangement before the immortal organ takes over and introduces a pure rock structure. And strange as it may seem, rock will be the majority on this album, although personally I would have thought to expect a bigger solo impact. Because Hensley also lends his backing voice to songs such as "Lady In Black", "July Morning" and "The Wizard," to name but three, his voice sounds familiar, making the immediate link with Uriah Heep as one can witness during the rocking "Out Of My Control." Written in the same kind of way "You've Got It (The American Dream)" continues with the same drive. Great organ and fierce guitars introduce "The Final Solution" which has your hair stand up in the back of your neck! Sometimes the songs have a mellow feel to them, which doesn't really tie in with the idea one has of Hensley the true rocker. Listen to "It's Up To You" and then think of Steve Miller and you understand what I'm on about. "Finney's Tale" could even be from the likes of Brotherhood Of Man what with its main acoustic feel and slight country-ish flavour. "I Don't Wanna Wait" then again is the kind of pop material one could easily associate with the likes of Smokie. A wonderful acoustic song filled with brilliant string arrangements is offered by means of "I Close My Eyes." One can clearly hear these are real strings here, the beauty of which is emphasized by means of the splendid rendition by guitarist Dave Kilminster. Ken continues in the same atmosphere by means of the ballad "A Little Piece Of Me (Julia's Song)" where his voice slightly sounds like a younger version of Willie Nelson! Then all energy is put back in the right place during the steaming track "Free Spirit," including some great slide guitar. One of the Hensley trademarks is to have his organ play together with the guitars thus creating a much fatter sound, as is apparent during the intro for "Movin' In." The album closes with the fierce rocker "Tell Me" in which it's "all systems go" for the final time. To my surprise Running Blind is a great collection of rockers and ballads instead of the pure keyboard oriented album I was expecting. Therefore I'm sure it'll please Uriah Heep fans as if it was an album by their favourite band anyway. Knowing Hensley has written some classic Heep tunes over the years, no doubt with the combination of this material and some heavy Heep stuff, Ken Hensley's Free Spirit will be an act surely not to be missed! Reviewed by: John 'BoBo' Bollenberg |
||||
|
Do
I need to introduce this man ? I
don’t think so. The now
grey-haired eminence on the cover still shows us some kind of archaic face and
solid nose; at that time so typically hidden between long brown hair and
waving dresses. These last ones
are gone in a mist of time but Ken Hensley hasn’t changed in mind and faith. As a matter of facts not in a musical way. Since
I had 14 years of age I was a huge Uriah Heep fan.
I remember my grief when I couldn’t go to a concert in Brussels in
1973. This problem was solved in
1975 when I first saw them on stage in my hometown.
Because Hensley and Mick Box are the names that will be linked to that
group forever, I also bought the three solo albums of Ken Hensley. ‘Proud
words on a dusty shelf’ was not only a beautiful title but became a
favourite one : calm, sensitive and full of reverence those songs filled my
room many times. Ken
Hensley is an artist doing his own thing through the years because at this
time he’s making songs like he did on former albums, even if those were
recorded about 20 years ago. Although
other musicians surround him now the man with the noble Indian-look still did
a king-size job : he wrote all the songs. We
also can conclude that he loves to pick an (ex)
bass player of Uriah Heep to guide him : once Gary Thain, then Trevor
Bolder and now John Wetton is willing to play the bass on some of the
compositions. Andy Pyle, another
bass-player once played in the Kinks. Give
some attention to the fine guitar-sounds of Dave Kilminster (Lemmy’s brother
???) too ‘cause he can produce some Box-alike wall of sounds when needed. Really
overwhelming are both instrumentals on the beginning on the CD.
It sounds like some finger exercises of Ken, peaceful yet imposing, but
it streams into a wall of sound we all recognize : an astonishing experience
right from the start ! Days
of the past return to life in straight-hearted rockers (Out of my control, The
final solution, It’s up to you, Tell me), light-hearted nothingness
((You’ve got it, Finney’s tale), and slow ones (some too much syrup, other
ones straight to your heart like ‘A little piece of me).
He has been living quite a while in the United States. This results into the sarcastic view in the commercial song
‘You’ve got it(the American dream)’. ‘Free
spirit’ is the triple alliance that Hensley presents to the world : it’s
his band now when he hits the road, it’s the last solo album he made before
this one (in 1980!!!) and it’s a brand new song on this album.
It’s a fair rockin’ song in the tradition of ‘Easy livin’’.
But kickin’ ass with those guitar and organ parts ! The
best songs are in the second part of the album.
Through ‘Movin’ in’ wanders the spirit of ‘Lady in black’; by
the time of the chorus it reminds me to some good ol’ Bad Company with some
southern influences I can always appreciate.
Not so far from the truth, because in the mid-eighties Ken Hensley
joined that American southern band Blackfoot for a while.
He made 2 great albums with them : Vertical smiles (1984) and Siogo
(1985). The
only minor point I can think about is that the man became sedate, but that’s
only a natural thing. Enough
‘free spirit’ is rising to enjoy listening to this record.
He still got that gift to charm you with easy melodies free of ego
tripping, and this is timeless art. Reviewed
by : V |
||||
