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Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972)

Track listing:
  1. The Wizard 3:01
  2. Traveller In Time 3:25
  3. Easy Livin' 2:37
  4. Poet's Justice 4:15
  5. Circle Of Hands 6:26
  6. Rainbow Demon 4:25
  7. All My Life 2:44
  8. Paradise 5:10
  9. The Spell 7:32
  10. Why 10:35
  11. Rainbow Demon 3:36
  12. Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf (Out-Take) 2:52
  13. Home Again To You 5:36
  14. Green Eye 3:47

Notes

Size: 134 MB
Bitrate: 256
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan SHM-CD Remaster

Demons and Wizards is the fourth album released by British rock band Uriah Heep.

The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, the front of which was designed by Roger Dean and contains a hidden erotic image of male and female genitalia. The inner of the gatefold had pictures of the band and notes by Ken Hensley, whilst the LP itself was housed in a liner on which were printed the lyrics.

The songs "The Wizard" and "Easy Livin'" were released as singles in the United Kingdom and North America, as well as many other markets. "Easy Livin'" entered the US Top 40 at #39, making it Heep's first American hit. "Easy Livin'" was also a mega hit in New Zealand and Germany, countries which were becoming a strong market for the band. It reached a disappointing #75 in Australia.

Demons and Wizards was certified Gold in the US on 27 October 1972. RIAA certification The album also served as partial inspiration for Hansi Kόrsch and Jon Schaffer's side-project Demons and Wizards.

This is the album that solidified Uriah Heep's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected heavy metal. From short, sharp rock songs to lengthy, musically dense epics, Demons and Wizards finds Uriah Heep covering all the bases with style and power. The album's approach is set with its lead-off track, "The Wizard": it starts as a simple acoustic tune but soon builds into a stately rocker that surges forth on a Wall of Sound built from thick guitar riffs, churchy organ, and operatic vocal harmonies. Other highlights include "Traveller in Time," a fantasy-themed rocker built on thick wah-wah guitar riffs, and "Circle of Hands," a stately power ballad with a gospel-meets-heavy metal feel to it. Demons and Wizards also produced a notable radio hit for the band in "Easy Livin'," a punchy little rocker whose raging blend of fuzz guitar and swirling organ made it feel like a '70s update of classic '60s garage rockers like the Electric Prunes or Paul Revere & the Raiders. However, the top highlight of the album is the closing medley of "Paradise" and "The Spell": the first part of the medley starts in an acoustic folk mode and slowly adds layers of organ and electric guitar until it becomes a forceful, slow-tempo rocker, while the second half is a punchy, organ-led rocker that includes an instrumental midsection where choral-style harmonies fortify a killer, Pink Floyd-style guitar solo from Ken Hensley. All in all, Demons and Wizards works both as a showcase for Uriah Heep's instrumental firepower and an excellent display of their songwriting skills in a variety of hard rock styles. As a result, it is considered by many fans to be their finest hour and is definitely worth a spin for anyone with an interest in 1970s heavy metal.

01."The Wizard" (Mark Clarke, Ken Hensley) – 2:59
02."Traveller in Time" (Mick Box, David Byron, Lee Kerslake) – 3:25
03."Easy Livin'" – 2:37
04."Poet's Justice" (Box, Hensley, Kerslake) – 4:15
05."Circle of Hands" – 6:25
06."Rainbow Demon" – 4:25
07."All My Life" (Box, Byron, Kerslake) – 2:44
08."Paradise" – 5:11
09."The Spell" - 7:21

Bonus:
10."Why (Extended Version)" - 10:34
11."Rainbow Demon (Single Edit)" - 3:36
12."Proud Words On a Dusty Shelf" - 2:52
13."Home Again to You (Demo)" - 5:36
14."Green Eye (Demo)" - 3:46