KEN HENSLEY – My Book Of Answers (2021)
Last November, Uriah Heep keyboard player and chief songwriter KEN HENSLEY passed away peacefully following a very short illness. But he already finished his last album, “My Book Of Answers“, now posthumous released by Hear No Evil / Cherry Red Records.
Hensley was one of the most important Rock musicians of the past half-a-century. His work with Uriah Heep in the 1970s helped to make the band hugely influential. He also collaborated with bands such as Blackfoot, W.A.S.P. and Cinderella, as well as building a very successful solo career. As a writer he was responsible for such classics as ‘Lady In Black’, ‘Easy Livin”, “July Morning” and ‘Look At Yourself’. Few artists can claim to have had a musical career and pedigree as long, varied and impressive.
With music set to the translated poems of Russian super Hensley fan Vladimir Emelin, ‘My Book of Answers’ brings together hard rock, blues, AOR and balladry in one perfect and classy whole.
From the widescreen and dusty highway-song rock of opener ‘Lost’ onwards you’re taken on a sublime journey that really acts as travelogue and a high watermark of what’s possible when two like minded individuals have the shared language of music to draw from.
‘Right Here, Right Now’ dips its toes into more polished and propulsively melodic waters, the keyboards giving it a real FM radio feel as the guitars ring out in perfect harmony, the extended solo on the fade giving the knock-out punch.
That six-string mastery heralds the beginning of the show stopping, atmospheric rocker ‘Cold Sacrifice’ and it’s this great mix of the instrumentation along with Hensley’s unique and soulful vocals that bring the words to life perfectly.
Whilst rocking out on ‘Silent Scream’ or pouring out his heart on the tender ballads ‘Cover Girl’ and ‘Light the Fire in My Heart’ there’s always a deep spirituality at work here that rather than bombarding you with bluster or manipulation, washes over the listener in a gentle, but undeniable wave.
It’s hard to pinpoint a highlight of the album, the quality so uniformly high, but ‘Stand’ is a big and glorious gospel-tinged wonder that makes you feel ten feet taller, and ‘Suddenly’ is achingly beautiful and heartbreaking.
With two versions of the shimmering ‘The Darkest Hour’ – including one bonus acoustic take, completing the ten songs herein, ‘‘My Book of Answers’’ is a fitting tribute to Hensley and closes this last chapter of his remarkable career.
01 – Lost (My Guardian)
02 – Right Here, Right Now
03 – The Cold Sacrifice
04 – The Silent Scream
05 – Cover Girl
06 – Light The Fire (In My Heart)
07 – Stand (Chase The Beast Away)
08 – The Darkest Hour
09 – Suddenly
Bonus Track:
10 – The Darkest Hour (Alternative Version)
Ken Hensley – vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums
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