Customer Reviews

Last Dance

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been listening to this cd since early December 2003 and I have got to write that this album is Ken Hensley's best work since 1975's EAGER TO PLEASE!! It is also Ken Hensleys 43rd 'album' of his career. What truly amazes me more than anything else on this cd is Hensley's vocals. He sounds incredulous. Most aging 'rock' singers sound terrible. Not Hensley! His voice has not faltered a bit.
The cd starts very strong with the song CRYING. The two songs, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE and GIVE ME A REASON, can easily be hit songs for him on any radio station. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE has a George Harrison guitar sound happening here and it also has a very nice spanish acoustic interlude at the middle of the song. Interestingly, the cd was recorded and mixed in Alicante, Spain. The organ intro of GIVE' EM WHAT THEY WANT, sends tingles up my spine. THE VOICE OF LOVE and DANCING are two very uplifting songs. In fact, the whole cd to me feels uplifting. It definitely shows a different side of Hensley. The song, DID YOU KNOW is a beautiful song about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas. This song came to mind as I watched Mel Gibson's movie, THE PASSION. SECOND CHANCE is an excellent ballad. The final song on the cd, THE LAST DANCE, is a masterpiece! Again, all beautifully sung by Ken and his bands backing vocals.
For those of you expecting to hear anything similar to Hensley's early work with Uriah Heep or his other solo projects, forget about it!!! This is definitely NEW Hensley and at his best.

(Ignore the rating above...should have been five stars but I goofed). As a long-time fan of the early Uriah Heep and someone who had the pleasure of seeing both Heep and The Ken Hensley Band live, I eagerly await each (often difficult to find) release. Last Dance was indeed worth the wait. Hensley is a fine musician and his voice has lost none of its power over the years. On this album he has augmented his sound with technically adept background musicians and vocalists, and the writing on Last Dance is perhaps some of his most personal. The range of styles is interesting, from the initial blusey "Crying", the sing-along "Give Me a Reason", several relatively hard rockers, and the lovely "Who Knows" and "Did You Know" pieces that reflect his personal Christianity. An unexpected and surprising treat with the bonus disc of multiple versions (really only two) of his chestnut "Lady in Black". Although the original was almost Gothic in feel (and a Heep fan favorite), the initial track will catch you off guard; the best way I can describe it is Celtic Techno. Trust me, if you liked the first version, you'll really like this, although probably not the first time around simply because of its novel approach. Last Dance is Hensley's finest hour, and worth purchasing even if you're not a current fan.

Folks, this is a disc you will want to own if you like rock music! Ken Hensley was the genius behind Uriah Heep from 1970 through 1981, in the process creating at least 3 million selling releases and touring the world to sold out concerts. That Band featured a sound very similar to Deep Purple, the Euro sound with Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Heavy Keyboards; the sound also included occasional 3 guitar songs with Ken playing 3rd Guitar. Ken has released a handful of solo releases, all of which I own, and this is his brightest moment. All of the songs are very up beat, with equal parts rockers and a few ballads for those who like a little shade to go with their light. The CD builds from opener Crying which is an upbeat rocker and a perfect opening tune. The lyrics to each song are excellent, obviously very personal to Ken and an outstanding example of a man who has a gift for poetry and is not afraid to share that gift with the rest of us. Personal favorites on this release are Crying, Give me a Reason, I know who you are, Voice of Love, Who Knows, Did You Know, and the last song on the disc which is a 8 minute plus tour de fource. Really and truly folks, there is no filler present, every song being memorable and worth a listen. The last disc by Ken (Running Blind) was exceptional as well, but I am talking about Last Dance and you should be buying it as soon as you can. Great Voice, Great songs, GREAT VALUE!! In Fact, Grab both Last Dance and Running Blind, they will be 2 of the best purchases of music you make this year!!!!