Gary Thain, a New Zealand bass player, joined Uriah Heep in early 1972 and played on this LP. My copy is a New Zealand pressing, so that works in well. Local boy makes good.
This was meant to be a concept album. You know, one of those things that every group worth it's salt seemed to want to do in the 70's. Instead of the whole thing though, the "concept" was limited to the last track with the same name 'The Magician's Birthday', lasting for just over 10 minutes. The other tracks just sort of loosely fit the idea. Keyboard player Ken Hensley based the song on a fantasy novel he'd written about a pair of wizards having a battle - the usual good vs evil business. The instrumentation describes the battle using dueling guitars and drums, but the lyrics are a bit so-so.
My favourite track, and in fact the reason I bought the album in the first place, is 'Blind Eye'. Another Ken Hensley song, this one does it for me.
"Weaker than a moment And hot as any fire
Blinder than the blind eye This is man's desire
This is man's desire"
The two tracks released as singles from the album didn't really do much, 'Spider Woman' and 'Sweet Lorraine' although '... Lorraine' does get a bit of airplay now and then. Successful in terms of sales and concerts and influence they were never really a charting band. Variously described as hard rock, heavy metal and prog their popularity came from their core fans, not from mainstream exposure.
One nice bit of trivia - there's a power metal band named after one of their albums - 'Demons & Wizards'. A bit like the group named after one of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band's songs, 'Death Cab For Cutie'.
Uriah Heep are still playing and recording, albeit with only one original left, Mick Box. Over the years there's been a total of 25 members of the group including Chris Slade (AC/DC), Trevor Bolder (Spiders From Mars), John Wetton (King Crimson) and Nigel Olsson (Elton John, Spencer Davies).
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