Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Collection

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

 

 

Made in UK in 2003, Serial# SANDD-189, Playing Time 158:02

I usually despise releases like this... I've seen (and purchased) so many best of, anthology, collections, millennium, very best compilations that keep deceiving me, either because of track selection, but more generally because record labels still think that putting more than 40 minutes of music on those will hinder sales of their back catalogue, that I wasn't really looking forward to this "Ultimate Collection".

And URIAH HEEP already have dozens of retrospectives, so why would anyone pick up this one? Well, here's why:

1) This 2CD-set contains 34 tracks, with 158 minutes of music (those discs are packed!!!);
2) the remastering job is fabulous;
3) the tracks are presented chronologically;
4) all tracks are full-length versions (NO edits!!!)
5) you get all facets of the band, from the heavy "Gypsy" to the soft "Come Away Melinda", the kaleidoscopic "Magician's Birthday", the haunting "Wonderworld", the anthemic "Easy Livin'", the hair-raising "Blood Red Roses", and then some (actually, 28 more!!!)

And no, I'm not a member of the band or an unconditional fan...

This anthology covers the first 20 years of their recordings (1971-1991), and it's not focused only on "commercial" or radio-friendly material (ever heard the full length version of "July Morning" on the radio?).

To the novice, this set is THE best place to start without spending a fortune; to the initiated, over 2 and a half hours of cherished material covering a wide spectrum of genres so loved by many Heepsters.

I just HAVE to play it again...

I picked this compilation up on Amazon and am very happy with it. The 2 disc set is loaded with classic heep and it's all remastered and sounding better than ever. All the songs are full length and in cronological order too! If your not sure what albums you want to buy by the band or just want a really good wide view of them....this is the way to go. The set includes the hits as well as the deep album cuts.

A good song selection and according to the reviewers, well remastered and carefully placed in the right order. However, it should be noted that like Genesis and Deep Purple, Heeps career was divided by a change of singers. Also, Ken Hensley, the driving force behind the best Heep songs, left somewhere in the late seventies. This virtually put the band in the hands of remaining founder member Mick Box.
Almost all of disc 2 is about Heep after David Byron and the material is not half as strong as before. If that is no objection to you, this is a good overview of a band that managed to survive for more than forty years - an admirable achievement!
If you prefer the music Heep produced in the Byron/Hensley years, get Classic Heep.

I love Uriah Heep (even the newer version - I'll be attending their upcoming Atlanta show) and saw them a lot back in the day. My favorite Heep song has always been "Bird of Prey". Why, then, is the version on this CD not the original? It's pretty bad, with the vocals sounding like Mrs. Miller channelling Tiny Tim. I was pretty shocked when it came across my speakers, considering how good everything else sounds. Did they lose the original master, or was it destroyed? Anyway, you'd be better off getting "Classic Heep", where all versions are intact.

HAD ONLY HEARD A COUPLE OF THE SONGS BEFORE AND WHEN MY HUSBAND TALKED ABOUT HOW HE USED TO ENJOY IT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, I KNEW I HAD TO GET IT. YOU KNOW HOW SOME SONGS BRING BACK MEMORIES? THIS DID FOR MY MAN. I PURCHASED SEVERAL CD'S FOR HIM JUST BECAUSE HE TALKED ABOUT THE SONGS AND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HIS LIFE AT THE TIME. I ENJOY SOME OF THE SONGS AND MY HUSBAND TOOK THAT GOOD OLD WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE. GOOD TUNES.

Great music of the seventies. Uriah heep one of the best, together with Pink Floyd, Deep Purple etc!