URIAH HEEP – Salisbury ’71 [Japan 2xSHM-CD mini LP remastered] (2026) *HQ*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ 1 /// HQ 2

Japanese label BELLE ANTIQUE has started a beautiful reissue campaign of early URIAH HEEP albums, pressed on SHM-CD, fully remastered, and adding an extra disc of rarities / previously unreleased material, all presented in a mini-LP format replica. The original album on SHM-CD 1 has been newly remastered by noted engineer Andy Pearce (Rock Candy Records).
Here’s URIAH HEEP second album in its “Salisbury ’71 [Japan 2xSHM-CD mini LP remastered]” reissue including no less than 16 bonus tracks (!)
In 1971, URIAH HEEP released two albums, their third ‘Look At Yourself’ at the end of the year, and this titled “Salisbury” at the beginning of ’71. For this second effort, the Heeps completely changed the musical focus.
Now this is a bird of a completely different color! Immediately following their mish-mash of a “let’s figure out our sound” first recording, Uriah Heep returned to the studio and went for broke, recording what is absolutely the most ambitious, progressive, creative and inspired album of their entire career.
This new remaster of ‘Salisbury’ is spot on. Crisp, clean, and Mick Box’s guitar is shoved out front, where it belongs, as ”Salisbury” also contains his most jazzy, intense and personal delicious chords and solos. It’s a joy to hear what Mick is doing in Time To Live, High Priestess and Salisbury so loud and pristine. He really shines on this. It’s as if he said to Andy Pearce, “I’m the only original member left, turn me up to 11!” And that mixing does not come at the expense of the other members.

Eeach instrument comes through clear as a bell, and David Byron’s Gothic Operetta and the (introduced for the first time) now classic “Danish Fjord” vocal passages are spine-tingling. Also, I’ve always wished for a version of The Park where Ken’s Hensley’s self-recorded “playground audio” was actually cranked up and audible, and my wish has come true.
The Park is unquestionably the most lyrically and musically lovely song in Heep’s canon. Finally, top it all off with the sensational 16 minute plus closer title track Salisbury featuring a 27-piece orchestra. Grand, glorious, and with a 4 minute wah-wah solo that melts the paint off your walls.

Now, on to Disc Two, the “Alternate Versions”. I am happy to report that these, for the most part, ARE actual, different alternative takes, many as good as the originals.
High Priestess is extended and paints fantastic tempo changes and dynamics, the new Time To Live has a slightly slowed down tempo with a completely different Byron interpretation of his own lyric. I actually prefer this version to the original! Perhaps it’s just the newness of it, but it is haunting.
There are some duds; there are better Lady In Blacks out there, and the new Simon The Bullitt Freak is a mess, doing grave injustice to the original “B” side version.

But the crème de la crème is the live version of Salisbury ; 1971 desk copy quality of course, but it still smokes. The almost 18 minute freakout jam of a song rips. Incredible stuff. One has to wonder where the Mighty Heep would be today if they had continued mining this vein.
Anyway, this CD will be loved by fans of Deep Purple, Queen, and why not, Rush, to name a few. For Heep fans, this is THE remastered version of this classic. And for fans of early 70s embryonic Progressive Rock, this belongs in your collection, period.
Highly Recommended

BELLE ANTIQUE / Ｍａｒｑｕｅｅ
B·E·L·L·E ～ 264327/28
【ＳＨＭ－ＣＤ】

＜DISC 1＞
1. Bird of Prey
2. The Park
3. Time to Live
4. Lady in Black
5. High Priestess
6. Salisbury
7. High Priestess (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
8. Time to Live (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
9. The Park (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
10. Simon the Bullet Freak (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
11. Bird of Prey (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
12. Here Am I (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
13. Lady in Black (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)

＜DISC 2＞
1. Salisbury (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
2. Salisbury (Live Version)(Bonus Track)
3. Simon the Bullet Freak (US version)(Bonus Track)
4. Here Am I (Extended Version)(Bonus Track)
5. Lady in Black (Alternative Version)(Bonus Track)
6. High Priestess (single version)(Bonus Track)
7. Salisbury (Edit)(Bonus Track)
8. The Park (Edit)(Bonus Track)
9. Time to Live (Edit)(Bonus Track)

David Byron – lead vocals
Mick Box – guitars, backing vocals
Ken Hensley – keys, guitar, harpsichord, lead vocals on “Lady in Black” and “High Priestess”
Paul Newton – bass guitar, backing vocals
Keith Baker – drums

BUY
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/BELLE-264327