MUSIC WEEK AUGUST 16, 1980 C Heavy Metal Is Enjoying an Upsurge
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MUSIC WEEK AUGUST 16, 1980 C ave„ ,about the current music scene and on pao« Heavy metal is enjoying an upsurge at present. Deep Purple and AC/DC have thefour, old iron school Maiden of HM from — the w new wave* ol^Hf HM ^ bands state^ their ^ case. Heavy Metal^ is topped the charts. Castle Donington and Reading festivals are dominated by heavy of metal acts and numerous new, young heavy metal bands arc breaking through, a very loose term anJencmnpa^esj. ^ ^ ^ spec.a| MUS,C WEEK supplement packing the concert halls and selling records. And the older bands aren't being idle what it is has never bcen cleariy fcc| fa|| into this category, either. On this page Ken Hensley, founder member of Uriah Hecp — a band from we have included a number of the bands we teet tan . s Heep's Hensley stresses energy targets, go for them, and not be "IF THIS group makes it I'll hard core of heavy metal bands them so much more easily. If those risks is that there may be a distracted by anything around them emerged in the late sixties and early anything, with our last album, drastic change in the economic have to commit suicide," situation nationally and worldwide, You've just got to follow that path stated a noted writer in seventies. Conquest, we over-complicated it. have total conviction and "Deep Purple were the band to The ingredients were right, but we A recession such as we are dedication. It's a tall order, but if i Rolling Stone magazine in which we were most closely dressed it up loo much. experiencing at present is always a can do it, anyone can." 1970. The group in question compared, because we had a very "With rock and roll you don't possibility and the good Looking to the future, Hensley were Uriah Heep. Ten years similar in fact an identical line-up. ' need to overproduce. The rawer u businessman will prepare himself for But we had a very different comes out, the better it is and the it, live through it and come out the plans always to stay in music. on, Heep are still in existence approach. We tried to stress our more effective it is. You can't other side. "I couldn't retire. I like working and have notched up three individuality. disguise it. If it's rock and roll, let it "I'm no businessman, but I too much. I've got a fairly clear platinum albums, 29 gold "Through our first couple of be rock and roll." sympathise with the guys who arc picture of my future. I don't ever albums we were searching for a suffering at the moment. I don't want to stop performing. albums and 14 silver albums. How do you define heavy metal? "But looking beyond Heep, I'll be Their worldwide sales are in footing. We went off at all kinds of What constitutes a heavy metal think in any way the role of the artist tangents. Our first album was pretty band? should be equated with the role of concentrating on writing and excess of 13 million units. much pure energy. It wasn't exactly "1 can't remember when or where the businessman. They're two production, but in a very different From the old school of British sophisticated. I first heard the expression. I've no separate functions. Now, because field to Heep. I feel my music will go heavy metal, Hecp have undergone "Vanilla Fudge were one of our idea where it came from, it's a sort they can't play with their computers in a completely different direction. I numerous personnel changes during major influences. We were of obscure epithet if you ask me. It any more, it doesn't mean I can't remember seeing Elton John on the last decade, have frequently- influenced by everything that was must relate to the strings on a guitar play with my piano. television when he said it was time changed their musical direction and going on around us then. We tried 1 suppose. It used to be called high "Eventually the world — and the for him to break away from his have come in for more than their fair the orchestral bit, the low key bit energy rock and roll. But if someone business — will sort out its financial established line and write music that share of criticism. But their track with a few slow songs thrown in was important to him. I feel much record speaks for itself. They have until round about Look At Yourself the same way. But there's no rush. more than survived through ten when we found our feet and made "There's everything to look turbulent years. our stamp. forward to. One of the schemes I Founder member Ken Hensley is "It wasn't totally accepted at the have in mind for the future is an currently planning the group's 15th time, but we felt we were going in operation which sets up, as cheaply album and has much to say about our own direction. We were in such as possible, an advisory service to the past, present and future of heavy a hurry to succeed, we didn't really musicians, because it's so important metal, of himself and of Heep. bother about refining our act. But to encourage young musicians. I "I suppose the Who were really rock and roll sets itself up for that. don't think that this should come the first heavy metal band if you It's inherently noisy; it's loud music. from the business per se, belter to look at it with ragard to what bands I think in those days people were come from another musician. are doing today. They have the same lending to criticise it as a form of "I'd like to utilise the experience amount of energy and music in a purist sense rather than an I I've gained over the last 15 years to wrecklessness. But I think the real expression which is what 1 think help young bands. I wish there'd rock and roll is, a tremendously been something on these lines when I expressive medium. first started, but then there was Cozy Quits "Playing rock music really lets much more money about and much you let out all your aggression and more freedom. your inhibitions. And that applies / •: "It's still all very exciting. Punk to the audience as well. That's why rekindled everybody's interest. New they enjoy it so much in such vast wave took it a bit further and now numbers. Over the years rock has heavy metal is re-emerging. There is tended to be overshadowed by :» a lot of life left in the business. various music trends. You can trace There's so much going on out rock and roll back as far as you like, there." but the music as we know it has Throughout his career, Hensley always been around. It's just that has stayed with Gerry Bron and sometimes it goes to sleep for a little Bronze Records. while. "We have always worked as a team. Gerry has always been like the sixth member of the band. It's a lot Appeal different to your average "It seems to go in circles. Now we band/manager relationship. He's find ourselves in the middle of a been virtually like a father to us. complete heavy rock upsurge. It's KEN HENSLEY of Uriah Heep: "We were in such a hurry to succeed, we "You don't change a winning like being back in 1970 all over didn 7 bother about refining our act. But rock and roll sets itself up for that. combination. Like a good football again." It's inherently noisy. It's loud music.'' team, if it's making progress you So what does Hensley make of the says heavy metal, you know what to leave it alone. In our case the new generation of heavy metal problems and the business will come changes have been changes in COZY POWELL expect. We never called Uriah Heep back into it. If there's any positive personnel rather than in CASTLE DONINGTON bands — the Saxons and Samsons of a heavy metal band, we've never thing in a situation that's so full of management. Monsters Of Rock Festival will this world? been that out and out crude. But if negatives, it is that a lot of good be the last appearance of Cozy "They've certainly got a lot of we have to move along with the label music will emerge. Adversity always Powell as the drummer of energy. Bands like Iron Maiden and then we'll do it. seems to bring out the best in certain Dedicated Rainbow. Saxon remind me so much of us "I like to feel that we have more people, especially musicians." Cozy has been with Rainbow when we first started. All the energy, to our music than we did in the early And Hensley's advice to young "Basically it's the band's for over five years. enthusiasm and everything else is days. It's taken us a long time to bands in the position he was in 12 responsibility to succeed and to Ritchie Biackmore commented: there. The production and the grow up, but that's the best thing years ago? material is slightly crude, but this is about music. And louring keeps you continue to succeed.