Veteran British hard rock band Uriah Heep’s sixth studio album ‘Sweet Freedom’ was the first Uriah Heep album to be released by Warner Bros. Records in the U.S. ‘Sweet Freedom’ reached #33 in the U.S. Billboard charts and #18 in the UK. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on 5 March 1974.

This album was recorded during their European 1973 Tour in France. The album has some really great tracks, with their material varied from very heavy hard to sweet and soft rock. Besides Ken Hensley’s songwriting, bassist Thain sided some rock tunes with Mick Box coloring the band’s sound with David Byron’s monstrous vocals.

The album follows the success of its 2 predecessors ‘Demons and Waterfalls’ (1972) and ‘The Magician’s Birthday’ (1972) which remain the 2 most definitive and best works of Heeps extensive catalogue.

Moving onto the track list and ‘Sweet Freedom’ ventures into a more complex rock edge with the title track itself hitting close to a 7 minute opus with all band members offering to take their work to the top, with a special mention of the organ work on the song to produce a memorable masterpiece.

Other than this song, on Side A you have Stealin', a catchy piece with the trademark sonic Heep instrumentation of organs, guitar and operatic vocals.The album opener and guitar rocker Dreamer with its screaming guitar solos by Box and Hensley with Byron singing along is about a band fan following his idols without any other purpose in life. One Day is an odd one with Heep moving on the edge before you flip to Side B for some more rock.

Side B opens with the soaring If I had the Time' which finds vocalist Byron in full power on the word 'siiiinggggg'. Truly one of his best vocal performances on this album. The album ends with 2 great tracks, one short and one long. There’s the ballad Circus, with finger picking acoustic guitars and the aggressive heavy rock track, Pilgrim. A power classic for sure.Midway Seven Stars is also a neat piece.

‘Sweet Freedom’ is an album that is still a favorite of mine to this very day.

This LP is a must-have classic in your vinyl record library, magnificent picture record. I say that as many have taken the album cover and used it as a wall hanging. Back to the past. Here we go.

Release date: September 1973

Duration: 01: 15: 39

Recording Studio: Chateau d’Herouville, France.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira