Sold Date: November 25, 2023
Start Date: November 18, 2023
Final Price: £20.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 1
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>Top Copy<

Uriah Heep

'Wonderworld'

Bronze, UK, 1974

ILPS 9280

IT WAS always going to be a tough task following the monsterous 'Sweet Freedom' album and all eyes and ears were on Heep to see if they could pull a rabbit out of the hat.

W-E-L-L...

The answer is not so clear cut I'm afraid as the content drifts in and out of focus at an alarming rate. I've lived with this album for over 40 years and I still can't make my mind up whether its a truly great Heep moment or not. Certainly there are some undeniably great tracks including the all time Heep standard 'Suicidal Man',  the Deep Purplesque 'So Tired and 'Something Or Nothing'. 'The Shadow And The World' has the potential to be a classic but sadly the track doesn't lift itself clear of the norm.  Elsewhere there are some real epics including the six minute each of 'Dreams' and 'I Won't Mind'.  

This was the last album to feature bassist Gary Thain who would leave the band following a lengthy tour, subsequently dying of drug overdose in 1975.

Slightly more commercial than previous efforts which is actually a very good thing indeed.

Tough to score - I would say this is one of the hardest Heep albums to find these days as their popularity had waned considerably since the early seventies hey day.  Its also hard to find in decent shape - especially the cover which is normally worn and trashed. This one is in really good shape.

Pressing: Bronze, UK, 1974

Vinyl: Nice clean and shiny condition. Displays one or two spindle marks on side two label. A smattering of microscopic scuffs only visible under a bright light - primarily due to sliding in and out of the heavy cardboard inner sleeve. Grades as near shop fresh MINT-!

Cover: Again, no signs of use. Issued in a beautifully illustrated cover. Sharp corners, no dings, no bends, no ring wear, no split seams and no creases. Spine is straight, square and stiff with original unworn top and bottom pinches. Grades as shop fresh MINT!

Inserts: Cardboard lyric inner sleeve

Matrix:

Original 1st Pressing

Side One: ILPS 9280 A3

Side Two: ILPS 9280 B2