Travellers In Time: Anthology, Vol. 1

Here's a roomy two-disc Tardis that transports you back to the center of the original storm. Castle has reissued the same rabbit from their hat so many times that you'd be justified in expecting another unnecessary trip, but you'll want to get on board for Travellers in Time: Anthology, Vol. 1. Spot-on in its selection and sound quality, this is desert-island Uriah Heep (the participation of Ken Hensley in compiling this set underscores that pedigree). Travellers goes well beyond the borders of The Best of Uriah Heep (yes, all the versions) and cuts out the fluff from the four-disc A Time of Revelation (not to mention the price). The result is pure gold, drawing liberally from their best albums (Salisbury, Look at Yourself, Demons and Wizards, and The Magician's Birthday), while distilling the highlights from some of their less-inspired efforts (e.g., salvaging only the title track from Return to Fantasy). If, in listening to these discs, you think you've forgotten how good Heep was, you haven't. They were never this good this consistently; those Mick Box guitar solos never bit so deep, their ambitious harmonies were never so unfailingly on key, the phased effects never so jarring, but good remasters have given their old material a new life. If you haven't dusted off those David Byron-era Heep records in a while, or you're a relatively new fan unfamiliar with the band's classic material, Travellers in Time is the perfect way to get acquainted (or re-acquainted) with the band's best music. Not only is the sound excellent and the price right, but the packaging is pretty good too: The double-disc set is fit into a nice cardboard sleeve and includes a mini-poster.