The Magician's Birthday
| The Magician's Birthday | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Uriah Heep | ||||
| Released | November 1972 | |||
| Recorded | September–October 1972 | |||
| Studio | Lansdowne Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:34 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Gerry Bron | |||
| Uriah Heep chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[2] |
The Magician's Birthday is the fifth album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. The concept was "based loosely on a short story" written by Ken Hensley in June and July 1972.[3]
The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, the front designed by Roger Dean. The inner fold had pictures of the band, with the album itself housed in a liner on which were printed the lyrics.
Two songs charted in the United States, "Blind Eye" (No. 97) and "Sweet Lorraine" (No. 91). "Spider Woman" reached No. 13 in Germany.
In a retrospective review, Sputnikmusic praised The Magician's Birthday, saying, "Though probably not as cohesive as it could be, it still offers plenty of highlights, earning its place among Heep's finest albums". Reviewer Daniel Dias singled out "Sunrise", noting that it was "a highlight in Heep's catalog and one of the band's finest progressive rock ballads".[4] AllMusic noted the album's prog elements as well, and said, "The Magician's Birthday never quite hits the consistent heights of Look at Yourself or Demons and Wizards but remains a solid listen for Uriah Heep fans".[5]
The Magician's Birthday was certified Gold by the RIAA on 22 January 1973.
Sunrise is
Track listing
All tracks written by Ken Hensley except where noted.
| Side 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Sunrise" | 4:04 | |
| 2. | "Spider Woman" | Mick Box, David Byron, Lee Kerslake, Gary Thain | 2:25 |
| 3. | "Blind Eye" | 3:33 | |
| 4. | "Echoes in the Dark" | 4:48 | |
| 5. | "Rain" | 4:00 | |
| Side 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 6. | "Sweet Lorraine" | Box, Byron, Thain | 4:13 |
| 7. | "Tales" | 4:09 | |
| 8. | "The Magician's Birthday" | Box, Hensley, Kerslake | 10:21 |
The 2004 remastered version by Castle (UK) added nine previously unreleased bonus tracks:
| 2004 Bonus Tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 9. | "Crystal Ball" (Out-take) | Thain | 4:08 |
| 10. | "Silver White Man" (Vocal Out-take Version) | Byron | 3:40 |
| 11. | "Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf" (Alternate Version) | 3:24 | |
| 12. | "Echoes in the Dark" (Single Edit) | 4:23 | |
| 13. | "Rain" (Single Edit) | 3:16 | |
| 14. | "Happy Birthday" (The Magician's Birthday Single Edit) | 4:44 | |
| 15. | "Sunrise" (Single Edit) | 2:49 | |
| 16. | "Gary's Song" (Crystal Ball Alternate Version) | Thain | 4:25 |
| 17. | "Silver White Man" (Instrumental Out-take) | Byron | 3:43 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from album liner notes[3]
- Band
- David Byron – Lead vocals
- Mick Box – Guitars
- Ken Hensley – Keyboards, guitars, moog synthesizer
- Gary Thain – Bass guitar
- Lee Kerslake – Drums, percussion
- Additional personnel
- Brian Cole – Pedal steel guitar on "Tales"
Production
- Produced by Gerry Bron
- Engineered by Peter Gallen
- Assistant engineer – Ashley Howe
The 2004 remastered version by Castle (UK) as CMRCD771, team:
- Remastering by Robert Corich
- Remastering by Mike Brown
- Assistant remastering – Pavel Salgado
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| Worldwide sales: | 2,500,000 | |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
Chart performance
| Country (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norway | 5 |
| Denmark | 5[7] |
| Australia | 10 |
| Finland | 1 |
| United States | 31 |
| United Kingdom | 28 |
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Robert Christgau review
- 1 2 3 4 The Magician's Birthday LP jacket (US Edition). Mercury Records. 1972.
- ↑ http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/15199/Uriah-Heep-The-Magicians-Birthday/
- ↑ Donald A. Guarisco. "Uriah Heep The Magician's Birthday". AllMusic.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Uriah Heep – The Magician's Birthday". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ↑ http://danskehitlister.dk/?song_id=6413