Throwback Thursday: "The Magician's Birthday", by Uriah Heep

In 1972 Uriah Heep had just made a huge impact in the world of hard rock and metal with their classic iconic album Demons & Wizards. To date it is considered one of if not the band's best album, so they needed to make a strong follow-up. The release of The Magician's Birthday proved to be just that and showed that the previous success that they had was not just a quick fluke. This album too became part of the set of albums from Uriah Heep that would be considered their best.

The Magician's Birthday continues the organ driven heavy hitting aural aesthetic from the previous album, but of course goes in a different direction with it instead of trying to catch the same bolt of lightning in a bottle twice. This album seems to go in a bit more of a prog rock direction (as was a very common thing for bands of that era to do) while still having some tunes that are accessible to the average listener. It's since become a noticeable milestone of the genre.

Sunrise starts off incredibly strong with some high ranged choral sounds, but quickly goes into something more soft and laid back. It definitely shifts in dynamics a lot, which makes it that much more enjoyable. You're never quite sure where it will go next. It might be a soft lyrical moment, or it might be a great wall of sound from the band. Singer David Byron really put his all into his performance and it definitely shows.

The Magician's Birthday is one of the band's longest pieces, running at nearly 10 and a half minutes. What a 10 and a half minutes it is, though. From that tasty opening guitar lick it hooks you right in. Once the vocals kick in, they transform into such an enchanting melody that you can't bring yourself to leave. The song goes from happy to emotionally heavy and back again on a whim, but it flows so seamlessly. If you have the ability and patience to sit through a song that is more than three to four moments long that goes through so many changes, then you're in for a treat with this one.

The Magician's Birthday as a whole might not be for everyone, but if ever you are feeling musically adventurous then this album should satiate your hunger. It's definitely considered one of Uriah Heep's best albums for a reason. It's a must have for any fan of the band or anyone who is just a fan of 70's hard or prog rock in general. You definitely won't hear any of it on the radio ever, but that just means it's actually good.

The Magician's Birthday, by Uriah Heep receives 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Sunrise
2. Spider Woman
3. Blind Eye
4. Echoes in the Dark
5. Rain
6. Sweet Lorraine
7. Tales
8. The Magician's Birthday

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Birthday-Uriah-Heep/dp/B01KBDIG2Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1507265453&sr=8-3&keywords=The+Magician%27s+Birthday