TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Abominog" - Uriah Heep (1982)

"Abominog" - Uriah Heep (1982)

     The curtains don't match the drapes on this, Uriah Heep's 14th album.  From the cover, I was hoping for some early Heep action like "Gypsy" or "Look At Yourself" or "Bird of Prey" but not even.  Instead, "Abominog" has a very 80s AOR-MTV vibe.  Not that Uriah Heep was ever an MTV favorite.  After my initial disappointment of not getting my epic Uriah Heep fix, I spun this square again with fresh ears and cranked it up.  And even if the draperies didn't match so well, they still reached the floor.  At this point, original Heep guitarist Mick Box and drummer Lee Kerslake were the last men standing, trying to push on.  The album was definitely feeling the effects of departed songwriter and keyboardist Ken Hensley.  However, Mick Box wisely enlisted ex-Trapeze singer Peter Goalby, along with keyboardist John Sinclair and bassist Bob Daisley, both from Ozzy Osbourne's band, and delivered up a completely different slice of Uriah Heep.  Different, for sure, but surprisingly tasty nonetheless. 

     For this album, the band bounces between a "Ronnie James" Rainbow and a "Stone Cold" Rainbow sound and also recalls some early Foreigner chum.  Taken all together, the square is a solid, catchy, radio-friendly spin that has been mostly overlooked.  I don't actively seek out albums of this persuasion, not my thing, but it never hurts to occasionally rotate the tires.  

    As for the "Abominog" album, if you didn't know who you were listening to or had no preconceived notions, you would be all over this.  It's a spin!  "Abominog" is no threat to displace any of Uriah Heep's classic 70s hard rock albums, but as Gunnery Sergeant Highway was wont to say, "You improvise. You overcome. You adapt."  And in 1982, when Uriah Heep wanted to take the hill...that's what they tried to do.  And to my ears, they stuck the flag.  It is what it is.  And for what it is, the album finds the sweet spot.

"Abominog" - Uriah Heep (front)

Favorites include:
"Too Scared To Run"
"Chasing Shadows"
"Think It Over"
"On The Rebound"

     "Abominog" doesn't go for a lot of money.  I found my copy open, still in the shrink for $7.00.  I've seen this one around from time to time, but I always had other purchases in mind.  I've always been struck by the cover. It is either incredibly awesome or incredibly bad.  I'm still on the fence.  However, today as I write, I would say I'm in a "diggin' it" state of mind.  Uriah Heep also does a nice cover of "Hot Night In A Cold Town," written by Geoffrey Cushing-Murray, whom I spoke with back in January.  I recently heard the song on a KSHE playlist. Uriah Heep didn't get the words right on this version either.  This was the first album without keyboardist Ken Hensley, who had left the band.  Hensley went on to work on several projects before passing away in 2020 from a short illness. "Miss him. Miss him."

Mercury label

Cat #
SRM-1-4057
SIDE A  DEADWAX
SRM-1-4057-AS-HRM  MASTERDISK HW A-2  <-->       
SIDE B  DEADWAX
SRM-1-4057-BS-HRM  MASTERDISK HW A-1  <-->

"Too Scared To Run" - Uriah Heep / "Abominog" (1982)

TRACKS:
A1  "Too Scared To Run" 3:49
A2  "On The Rebound" 3:15 
A3  "Chasing Shadows" 4:42  
A4  "Prisoner" 4:30 
A5  "Sell Your Soul" 5:22   
B1  "That's The Way That It Is" 4:09
B2  "Think It Over" 3:34 
B3  "Hot Night In A Cold Town" 4:03  
B4  "Hot Persuasion" 3:49 
B5  "Running All Night (With the Lion)" 4:22

PERSONNEL:
Mick Box - guitars, b-vocals
Peter Goalby - vocals
Lee Kerslake - drums, b-vocals
Bob Daisley - bass, b-vocals
John Sinclair - keyboards, b-vocals

Good stuff.

Follow me on FACEBOOK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview:-- Joan Staley (Actress - Classic Movies & Television)

Image
  "Elvis,  do you really want me to slap you?"  ~ Joan Staley ~     So my friends and I were talking about first crushes. First tv and movie crushes.  For me, it was easy.  It was Alma. (Joan Staley)   I broke into the double-digit age of 10 in 1993.  That was the summer I discovered my favorite Don Knotts movie while flipping thru cable one Saturday morning... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Everyone has seen it.  It was a funny haunted house story similar to an episode on Andy G. with a cast of familiar characters, trippy organ music, and the prettiest girl I had ever seen...Alma. She was beautiful alright.  I was love-stung so bad, I swear I could smell flowers coming out of the TV set.  And best of all, she was nice.  She didn't like the smart alec, the wise guy, or the show-off.  Alma was digging Luther (Don Knotts) and that just made her that much prettier.  And from then on... But unfortu...
Read more

Interview -- Henry Lee Summer (Singer/Songwriter)

Image
"I just always have played music.  For better   or worse, I banked my whole life on it." ~ Henry Lee Summer ~     It's strange how music lets you travel through time as if there truly was no time.  I played the shit out of this album growing up.  Nothing deep or complicated.  Nothing outta bounds.  Nothing to get hung about.  It's deceptively simple.  But here's the thing... Henry Lee Summer  is serving aces all over this heartland square. This is the 35th anniversary of Henry Lee Summer's self-titled album and this one falls under that sweet spot between raucous and chill.  It's a large cup of iced coffee with a nice soulful blend.  Not usually my type of go-to and yet this album easily fills a void I didn't know I had.  Let this spin be your own private Idaho.  " Check it out, Leroy!"   Henry Lee Summer... Go get you some. Henry Lee Summer Interview -- August 2023 Henry Lee Summer Casey Cha...
Read more

Interview -- Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass)

Image
"...Your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea." ~ Looking Glass ~ Elliot Lurie was a singer/songwriter for the 70s band Looking Glass . The band recorded two albums and had a couple of hits along with a handful of deep-track FM cuts.  And as many bands are wont to do... Looking Glass called it a day and handed over the keys.  However, before cutting out, Looking Glass did leave us with the #1 hit song... "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)."   Now there have been plenty of #1 songs that have climbed to the top spot faster.  And plenty of #1 songs that have stayed at the top spot longer.  But the list begins to thin when it comes to #1 songs that have had some real staying power years and years after their run.  And as the 50th anniversary draws to a close, the song  "Brandy..." still remains an ageless and endearing wonder. A song of unrequited love without all the drippy, maudlin sadness that often stains so many other attempts.  Every boy dreams ...
Read more