Innocent Victim [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Uriah Heep | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 3, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Castle Classics
• ASIN: B00001ZT00
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,197 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Keep on Ridin'

2. Flyin' High

3. Roller

4. Free 'n' Easy

5. Illusion

6. Free Me

7. Cheat 'n' Lie

8. The Dance

9. Choices

10. Illusion/Masquerade [Full Unedited Versions][*]

11. The River [*][Outtake]

Editorial Reviews

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heep starts down the commercial path, September 27, 2004

By 

A reader from NY (Roseboom, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Innocent Victim (Audio CD)

Innocent Victim was the followup to Firefly and the 2nd of 3 John Lawton era albums.

This album takes a more commercial approach than Firefly. One can't deny the success of such of move as this era of Uriah Heep was the biggest in many non - English speaking countries. This album had a more guitar oriented rock sound than Firefly.

Despite the commercial direction of this album, there is still a couple of gems traditional Heep fans will enjoy (Illusion/Masqueraide, The Dance, The River, Free 'n" Easy)

Song by song review.

Keep on Rollin - Sounds like the Doobie Brothers of the early 1970's. Not bad, but doesn't stand out.

Flying High - See above. Very similar to Keep on Riding.

Roller - The first Trevor Bolder song in his long career with Heep. This has a reggae feel to it. More experimental than the first two.

Free 'n' Easy - Uriah Heep released the wrong single with the word "Free" in the title in late 1977. This song should have been released instead of Free Me. This is the hardest and fastest song on the album. The twin guitar attack on this track is one of the highlights of the album.

Illusion - The most progressive rock sounding track on the album. This has a soft spacey feel to it. The only thing that is lacking is that the second part of the song is cut off. That is retified with the complete version of Illusion/Masquerade later in the album.

Free Me. - The biggest hit for Uriah Heep in many non English speaking European countries. Has a country rock sound and feel oot it that is similar to the early 7's Eagles.

Cheat 'n' Lie. - A southern rock song. Sound like it was recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hacket, Blackfoot (the group song writer Ken Hensley would join once he left Heep).

The Dance. - A return to the mystical lyrics of the early 70's. This has a reggae feel to it like Roller. One of the better tracks on the album. John Lawton sounds like Ronnie James Dio on this and several other tracks on this album.

Choices. - One of the best tracks on this album. This song has it all. It starts out slowly and then rises high in its crescendal with Lawton's vocal's and Lee Kerslake's drum work. Great lyrics as well.

Illusion/Masquerade - Why this song was never included in it's entirity on the original album is beyond me. This song combines two different songs like "Paradide/The Spell" on Demons & Wizards. Masquerade is a progressive track featuring accoustic guitars. Very nice competition.

The River - The best song on the album. Wonder why this was left off the original album as well. This song could have been performed by the Dio era Rainbow. It has a similar sound. The bass playing of Trevor Bolder is the highlight of this song. The guitar work in this song has to be heard to believe.

Put Your Music Where Your Mouth Live - A hard guitar oriented rock song that is not polished enough for an album. A practice session demo.

There is also live versions of Cheat 'n' Lie, "Free Me", and "Free 'n' Easy" The highlight is "Free Me". The live version has much more life to it than the studio version.

Overall not a bad album. It starts the irreversible commercial direction of Heap, but has enough jems on it to compensate for that.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Uriah Heep's finest, March 17, 2003

By 

L. B. Ivarsson (Rock City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Innocent Victim (Audio CD)

John Lawton recorded three studio albums ("Firefly", "Innocent victim" and "Fallen angel") with Uriah Heep, and they are all very good. Lawton's voice is powerful and they way he's singing is perfectly suited for hard rock. The material on "Innocent victim" is strong, melodic and sometimes influenced by gospel. This album is clearly not the world's most known record but it is certainly a gem for all of us who like hard rock from the 1970's. The approach is different from the bands early days when they often had a tendency to be too loud, too noisy, too rattling.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Heep Album, March 2, 2003

By 

Azlan Mohammed (Trinidad.West Indies.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Innocent Victim (Audio CD)

John Lawton's Strong and Powerful voice on this his second Album with Uriah Heep was distintive from a more Melodious and Hamornic David Byron, but the change did make this a Fantastic Uriah Heep album.CHOICES, is the greatest song I've ever heard in my life was written by Jack Williams (not a band member). Free Me ,is by far Uriah's biggest chart topper. 1977 Firefly and this one are underated albums but go down as Classic Heep.