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Sweet Freedom
Sweet Freedom in Bloomington, MN
Current price: $30.99
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By 1973,
Uriah Heep
had progressed from an English
heavy metal
band to a worldwide success. They moved on to a new label (
Warner Bros.
) and began to explore new styles to flesh out their combination of
prog
complexity and
muscle. The band's desire to break new ground is established with the lead-off track,
"Dreamer"
: while it riffs as hard as the band's past rockers, it adds a surprising element of funkiness into the band's sound. The gentle, acoustic guitar-dominated
"Circus"
is another change of pace that pushes the group's sound in a meditative, folky direction. The group also explores new avenues in the lyrical arena. Instead of the mystical tales that dominated albums like
Demons and Wizards
,
Sweet Freedom
offers lyrics designed to appeal to the listener on a personal level: The most stirring example is
"Stealin',"
a song about the regrets that come with living a self-obsessed life. These sentiments were combined with a stirring, soulful melody that helped make the song a radio favorite. Another highlight in this vein is the title track, a song that combines lyrics about the price of being free with an organ-fuelled, hymn-like melody. Despite these successful experiments, there are a few tracks that weigh the proceedings down:
"Seven Stars"
takes an exciting riff and runs it into the ground with a repetitive arrangement and
"Pilgrim"
is an over-the-top stab at an adventure tale that pushes the group's excesses to the level of self-parody. However,
is likable enough to triumph over these missteps. While it isn't the group's finest record, it remains a solid listen for
fans. ~ Donald A. Guarisco
Uriah Heep
had progressed from an English
heavy metal
band to a worldwide success. They moved on to a new label (
Warner Bros.
) and began to explore new styles to flesh out their combination of
prog
complexity and
muscle. The band's desire to break new ground is established with the lead-off track,
"Dreamer"
: while it riffs as hard as the band's past rockers, it adds a surprising element of funkiness into the band's sound. The gentle, acoustic guitar-dominated
"Circus"
is another change of pace that pushes the group's sound in a meditative, folky direction. The group also explores new avenues in the lyrical arena. Instead of the mystical tales that dominated albums like
Demons and Wizards
,
Sweet Freedom
offers lyrics designed to appeal to the listener on a personal level: The most stirring example is
"Stealin',"
a song about the regrets that come with living a self-obsessed life. These sentiments were combined with a stirring, soulful melody that helped make the song a radio favorite. Another highlight in this vein is the title track, a song that combines lyrics about the price of being free with an organ-fuelled, hymn-like melody. Despite these successful experiments, there are a few tracks that weigh the proceedings down:
"Seven Stars"
takes an exciting riff and runs it into the ground with a repetitive arrangement and
"Pilgrim"
is an over-the-top stab at an adventure tale that pushes the group's excesses to the level of self-parody. However,
is likable enough to triumph over these missteps. While it isn't the group's finest record, it remains a solid listen for
fans. ~ Donald A. Guarisco
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