Some years ago, I remember when Procol Harum tried to make a
return to the music scene with their album
The Prodigal Stranger. I happened to think it was pleasant
enough (though I honestly haven’t listened to that album in many
years), but it seemed to lack the edge in the music that the band
had in their days of songs like “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” and
“Conquistador”. The consumers weren’t buying it, either, and the
album, unfortunately, failed.
I got a feeling of deja vu when I got to
Sonic Origami, the latest release from British rockers Uriah
Heep. Never mind the band has gone through more lineup changes than
Spinal Tap went through drummers. If you pick this album up
expecting to hear the harder-edged music that made hits out of
songs like “Easy Livin'” or you expect to hear the sci-fi imagery
of albums like
The Magician’s Birthday or
Demons And Wizards, you’re going to be disappointed. For
guitarist Mick Box and crew put forth a more contemporary sound
that, while pleasant enough, might not be a change for the
better.
Only Box and drummer Lee Kerslake remain from the band’s glory
days, and neither members has lost a single step despite well over
25 years in the trenches. BAssist Trevor Bolder, keyboardist Phil
Lanzon and vocalist Bernie Shaw round up this lineup – which, it
should be noted, has now been together for some time.
Make no mistake, the musicianship on this disc is powerful, and
the band is as tight as ever. Tracks like “Perfect Little Heart,”
“Question” and the first single “Across The Miles” all are catchy
enough to make some people’s heads turn in disbelief. (The “limited
edition” bonus track, “Sweet Pretender,” is also a wonderful
number, and I have to wonder why it wasn’t made an official part of
the album.
But for all the radio-friendly smoothness and polish that
Sonic Origami has, it does occasionally feel like Uriah Heep
has lost the edge that made them popular in the ’70s. Now, I
recognize that music must change with the times, but I can’t help
but be a little disappointed when I hear songs like “Heartless
Land” and “Change”, and I’m left wondering what happened to the
music.
Of course, I’m willing to admit that I’m reading too much into
the album than I should be, and I should probably just take this
product at face value. After all, chances are that Generation X
will hear songs like “I Hear Voices” and be wowed by the music
coming from their radios – that is, if some stations actually have
the gumption to play this album. The older fans, however, might
have a harder time adjusting. Even after a few listens to this
disc, I still have a hard time coming to grips, though I do find
more to like on each listen.
Sonic Origami is an album that Uriah Heep hopes will unfold
into new recognition for the band and some chart success. It’s got
some material on it that suggests that this should indeed happen to
the band, and for their sake, I hope they get a warmer “welcome
back” than Procol Harum did.
