Ken Hensley & Live Fire – Live
Hear No Evil Recordings
http://www.hearnoevilrecordings.com/

Rating: B

Ken Hensley, best known for pounding the keys, strumming the rhythm guitar and writing many of Uriah Heep’s most iconic songs has a new band, Ken Hensley & Live Fire.  They have recorded and released a new double-disc in concert gem featuring many of Ken’s best Uriah Heep tunes as well as the best of his new band.

While it may be tempting to only talk about the Heep standards---this sucker includes “Look at Yourself,” “Circle of Hands,” “July Morning,” “The Wizard,” “Stealin’,” “Easy Living,” “Lady in Black,” “Rain” and “Love Machine” among others—there is some killer new stuff as well.  The concert begins with the best song Hensley has written since his Heep days in “Set Me Free (From Yesterday).”  Also not to be overlooked is Ken’s solo song from 2004 titled “The Last Dance.”

As good as the Heep classic tunes are, and they are good, one must admit that “The Last Dance” and the oft overlooked Heep song “Love Machine” are probably, along with “Set Me Free” the best preformed songs on the album.

Having Ken Hensley on stage with a group of musicians who are as excited and passionate as he is about playing these songs is a great thing.

This one leaves you wondering what Ken and Live Fire are going to come up with next!

DISC ONE

1. INTRO / SET ME FREE (FROM YESTERDAY)
2. THE CURSE
3. LOOK AT YOURSELF
4. CIRCLE OF HANDS
5. JULY MORNING
6. THE WIZARD
7. BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY
8. THE LAST DANCE
9. STEALIN’
10. EASY LIVING       

DISC TWO

1. LADY IN BLACK
2. RAIN
3. GYPSY
4. LOVE MACHINE

By Jeb Wright