Top 10: David Byron Era Uriah Heep Songs

Have you ever had the OCD urge to take a deep dive into a band’s catalog after seeing them live? That’s exactly how I’ve been with Uriah Heep since seeing them live for the first time in 5 years this past Sunday. Those who have been following Defenders from its earliest days are more than aware of my love for these metal pioneers. Matter of fact, it was a tell-all interview with founding guitarist Mick Box on the 50th anniversary of Heep’s debut album, …Very ‘Eavy …Very ‘Umble, that helped get this little webzine off the ground (Thank you Wizard!). Having already explored the band’s unsung John Lawton fronted era, today we go back in time roughly half a century ago and present to you our Top 10 David Byron Era Uriah Heep Songs!

10. “Easy Livin'”

Every band has that one song that grows into something larger than the band itself. A song that upon being heard by even the most casual of music listeners, is immediately recognizable. For Black Sabbath, it’s “Iron Man”. For Deep Purple, it’s “Smoke on the Water”. For Uriah Heep, it’s “Easy Livin'”. It’s no wonder this 2 and a half minute early metal banger catapulted the Heep to superstardom in the States. As aggressive as the song’s duel guitar/organ attack is, those five part harmonies and irresistible hooks are what pushes it ahead of the pack, arguably cementing it as one of the earliest pop metal songs. Its accessibility quickly lured in potential fans who initially might not have been as open minded to the more esoteric natured material on Demons and Wizards (1972).

9. “Sunrise”

For as often as they could crank out a rough and ready ’70s metal firecracker, Heep were (and still are) equally skilled at crafting deeply emotional and progressive suites. One such example is the opening track of their fifth album, The Magician’s Birthday (1972). On “Sunrise”, heaviness takes a backseat to haunting choir vocals, poetic lyricism, and an even balance of soft and harsh atmosphere. In an age where most hard rock bands wanted a balls out banger to attack the listener upon the needle’s drop, Heep challenged the listener with their deep, introspective heavy prog, signaling the beginning of not just another album, but a musical journey.

8. “Rainbow Demon”

One doesn’t usually associate Uriah Heep with doom metal. Even at their slowest, Heep were far from the trudging tempos and morose atmosphere of their peers in Sabbath. That being said, “Rainbow Demon” gives us a glimpse into what could’ve been had Heep been of a doomier nature. With its droning riffs and occult centric lyrics, “Rainbow Demon” sounds less like a Heep song from ’72 and more like any number of doom metal bands of the past 25 years. This was a band far ahead of their time, even if they didn’t know it in the moment. To this day, “Rainbow Demon” is a sonic rapture, enchanting us as only Heep knows how.

7. “The Magician’s Birthday”

Did Zeppelin really think they’d be able to convince us with a Tolkien nod here and Crowley reference there amidst their arsenal of sex-crazed heavy blues hymns? Look folks, I’m the first to crank up those first five Zeppelin albums, but don’t tell me there’s anything as remotely mystical on there as Heep’s 10+ minute tale of white magic vs. black magic, “The Magician’s Birthday”. What can best be described as a progressive metal prototype, “The Magician’s Birthday” is a musical rollercoaster, dazzling the listener with quirky Beatles-esque soundscapes, whimsical lyrics, and one of the finest guitar solos ever laid down on tape, courtesy of one Mr. Mick Box. Take that Jimmy Page!

6. “July Morning”

If we were ranking these songs off David Byron’s vocal performances alone, “July Morning” might just take the cake. The groundbreaking singer explores all facets of his dynamic vocal range on this 10 minute epic, from delicate whispers to haunting operatic shrieks. The intensity of his voice is matched only by that of the composition itself: A daunting heavy prog suite that only could’ve arisen out of the ashes of the post-hippie wake. Speaking of hippies, the song became adopted by the subculture in Europe, particularly in Bulgaria. It became so prevalent that July 1 unofficially became “July Morning”: An annual ritual of sorts that sees hippies from all over the world congregate to watch the sunrise at the Black Sea as this very song plays in the background. Far out!

5. “Gypsy”

I know I’ve openly entertained the notion for years, but one of these days I’ll have to do a Top 10 First Songs Off First Albums list. If “Gypsy” isn’t on there, it sure as hell would be an honorable mention. As the song that introduced Uriah Heep to the masses 54 years ago, it does so in grand fashion boasting all the classic Heep trademarks: The duel guitar/organ attack, Byron’s virtuosic vocals, spellbinding technicality, and so forth. Considering its no frills nature, one can easily draw comparisons to Deep Purple. However, these comparisons are quickly dashed upon the entrance of yet another Heep signature, their five part choir vocals. As it has been said many times, Uriah Heep had five singers and Purple had one!

4. “Look at Yourself”

Considering this is a Byron era list, I almost hesitated to put “Look at Yourself” on here. Not because it isn’t great or wasn’t part of the Byron era, but rather because Byron himself handles backing vocals on this early metal beast, instead handing the leads over to keyboardist Ken Hensley. If nothing more, “Look at Yourself” proves that Hensley was not only a top shelf keyboardist and songwriter, but a rather muscular singer as well. His gritter delivery suits the intensity and aggression of the title cut of the band’s third album in all its over the top glory. To this day, “Look at Yourself” remains a staple of Heep’s live sets, guaranteed to gets heads banging and air guitars a twangin’.

3. “Pilgrim”

What do you do after releasing five undisputed masterpiece albums in a row? Go for six! That’s exactly what Heep did with 1973’s Sweet Freedom. As much as the crowd pleasing “Stealin'”, punchy “Dreamer”, or lush title track could’ve made this here list, the fact of the matter is on this album, they saved the best for last. While Sweet Freedom largely boasts commercial undertones that would become more prevalent on subsequent Byron fronted releases, “Pilgrim” is pure Heep: Heavy, progressive, grandiose, and epic. If any band was going to put the tale of these 17th century settlers to music, it was Heep. Furthermore, this was the song that introduced Darkthrone’s Fenriz to metal at the age of 3. That alone makes it a mandatory addition on here.

2. “Bird of Prey”

My introduction to Uriah Heep came around 5th or 6th grade roughly. Upon hearing my dad play “Easy Livin'” on some ’70s classic rock compilation that was on regular rotation in his car, I immediately had to hear more of this band. I started with the obligatory Best of Uriah Heep compilation that I picked up at my local Half Price Books for what couldn’t have been more than $4. I was already well versed with “Easy Livin'” and enjoyed the folksy breeze of “Lady in Black”. But when “Bird of Prey” came exploding through my stereo, my jaw hit the floor. I remember running downstairs to my father saying, “Dad! He (Byron) sounds just like King Diamond!” To which my dad smiled and replied, “Where do you think King Diamond got it from?” “Bird of Prey” is arguably ’70s Heep at their most metallic, boasting an arrangement and performances that lie closer to Mercyful Fate than any other act of the era. Like I said earlier, this was a band ahead of their time, this moment only being bested by…

1. “Salisbury”

As I quickly started obtaining all the Uriah Heep albums that have since received regular spins on my turntable over the past decade plus, I became immersed with each one for its own individual reasons. In the case of Demons and Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday, it was their unbridled mysticism and kaleidoscopic atmosphere. In the case of …Very ‘eavy, it was its primitive brute force. And in the case of Salisbury, it was that ambition to achieve more, this go big or go home mentality that dominates all of the compositions, none more so than the nearly 17 minute title track.

I remember sitting in my room absolutely captivated by those explosive strings and horns, the jazzy flairs, the poignant vocals. It was like if early Chicago went metal and were gifted songwriting abilities beyond human comprehension. Again, just like Zeppelin, no knock at my hometown boys. Those Terry Kath albums are a trip and a half, but even at their peak, they couldn’t have written or arranged something of this caliber, and that’s just facts Jack. For all these reasons and more, “Salisbury” is the greatest Uriah Heep song of all time.