URIAH HEEP (feat. Peter Goalby) – Equator [Rock Candy Remastered +4] (25th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
As requested here’s the remastered version including 4 bonus tracks of URIAH HEEP‘s mid-Eighties album “Equator“. Although not credited due to legal reasons, this is a Rock Candy Records production, with Andy Pearce remastering and featuring artwork / booklet in the label’s habitual fashion.
“Equator” resulted very hard to find for years as the band originally released this album via a new record label, Portrait Records, a subsidiary of CBS. In the 90s many record companies resulted interested in a reissue, but CBS / Sony wanted an extortionate sum for the rights. So “Equator” had to way 25 years for this Expanded Edition remastered, finally released by Cherry Red UK.
Musically, this is not your classic Seventies’ URIAH HEEP. It was 1985, the sound here is slick, commercial polished melodic hard rock produced by Tony Platt (Foreigner).
Indeed, “Equator” feels like mix of ’80s Bad Company when Brian Howe was the vocalist, and Foreigner. Remastered and the 16-page booklet are excellent.
This is the 3rd and final of Uriah Heep albums with great, melodic vocalist Peter Goalby. These early 80s albums (‘Abominog’, ‘Head First’ and ‘Equator’) saw the band with a significant line-up change and style from the progressive ’70s, to sounding much more commercial and with a radio appeal (like just about everyone else in the scene).
“Equator” is mid-Eighties AOR for certain and is not lacking with melodic rockin’ songs. This is not a blockbuster of a heavy album by any means. Instead, a bunch of songs that gives off some cool vibes… vibes that I still find appealing after all these years.
This expanded edition adds 4 bonus tracks with the non-album single B-side ”Backstage Girl” as well as a live version of the Heep classic ”Gypsy”, plus single versions of ”Rockarama (Single Edit)” and ”Poor Little Rich Girl (7” Version)”
All are previously unreleased on CD and enhance this rather over-looked Uriah Heep offering.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Rockarama
02 – Bad Blood
03 – Lost One Love
04 – Angel
05 – Holding On
06 – Party Time
07 – Poor Little Rich Girl
08 – Skool’s Burnin’
09 – Heartache City
10 – Night Of The Wolf
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Rockarama (Single Edit)
12 – Back Stage Girl (Single B-Side)
13 – Gypsy (Live)
14 – Poor Little Rich Girl (Single Version)
Peter Goalby – vocals
Mick Box – guitars, vocals
John Sinclair – keyboards, vocals
Trevor Bolder – bass, vocals
Lee Kerslake – drums
BUY IT
www.amazon.com/Equator-25th-Anniversary-Expanded-Uriah-Heep/dp/B003ODL3RY