Abominog

Abominog is the 14th studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in March 1982 by Bronze Records in the United Kingdom, and in September 1982 by Mercury Records in the United States. It was their first album without keyboardist Ken Hensley. The album was critically acclaimed and fairly commercially successful, due in part to the band retooling and updating their sound to a contemporary style and delivering a "punchier, more pop metal era-appropriate effort.[1]

Abominog
Studio album by
Uriah Heep
ReleasedMarch 1982 (UK); September 1982 (US)
RecordedOctober/December 1981
StudioThe Roundhouse Recording Studios, Chalk Farm, London
GenreHard rock, glam metal
Length41:48
LabelBronze
Mercury (North America)
ProducerAshley Howe
Uriah Heep chronology
Conquest
(1980)		 Abominog
(1982)		 Head First
(1983)
Singles from Abominog
  1. "On the Rebound"
    Released: 1981 (Germany only)
  2. "That's the Way That It Is" / "Son of a Bitch"
    Released: 1982

It featured their last US hits, "On the Rebound" and "That's the Way That It Is". The latter was their highest-charting single of the 1980s, reaching No. 25 on the rock charts.[2]

The album was preceded by a 7" EP titled Abominog Junior, featuring "On the Rebound" and two non-album tracks, Small Faces cover "Tin Soldier" and "Son of a Bitch".

Lineup

When the previous lineup disintegrated, guitarist Mick Box briefly considered forming a new group entirely, but ultimately decided to continue with the Heep name. Abominog was the first of three albums to feature both vocalist Peter Goalby and keyboard player John Sinclair. It also marked the return of drummer Lee Kerslake to the band; his previous departure had been due to his unhappiness with the band's management, rather than the personnel. Coming along with Kerslake was bassist Bob Daisley; the two musicians had been in Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Ozz-era band before being fired by Sharon Osbourne.

Cover versions

Half of the 10 tracks are cover versions of recordings by other artists:

  • "On the Rebound" was originally recorded by Russ Ballard, on his Russ Ballard & the Barnet Dogs album (1980).
  • "Hot Night in a Cold Town" was originally recorded by John Cougar, on his Nothin' Matters and What If It Did album (1980). The song was written by songwriters Geoffrey Cushing-Murray and Richard Littlefield.
  • "Running All Night (With the Lion)" was originally recorded by Gary Farr's Lion, on their Running All Night album (1980). Lion keyboard player Sinclair brought this song with him when he joined Uriah Heep.
  • "That's the Way That It Is" was originally recorded by the Bliss Band, on their Neon Smiles album (1979).
  • "Prisoner" was originally recorded by Sue Saad and the Next, on their self-titled album (1980). The lyrics were written by D.B. (Dirty Boy) Cooper.

The album also included a remake of "Think It Over", a song recorded by the prior (and largely different) lineup of Uriah Heep. The original version, featuring John Sloman on lead vocals, was the A-side of a 1980 Heep single.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal10/10[4]

A retrospective review by AllMusic noted that "echoes of the group's old style could be heard in the drama and instrumental firepower of the new songs, but the overall sound owed a greater debt to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and harder-rocking AOR groups of the time", and concluded by saying that the album "rocks hard enough to please heavy metal addicts but is slick enough to win over AOR fanatics and this combination makes it one Uriah Heep's most enduring achievements.[3] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff defined Abominog an "intelligent, well-paced record" where the "reinvented" Uriah Heep retools the genres of each song over "a decisively strong foundation of melodic metal", evoking "the magic of the NWOBHM, tinged with the complex chemistry of the peak Byron years."[4]

Track listings
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Too Scared to Run"Mick Box, Bob Daisley, Peter Goalby, Lee Kerslake, John Sinclair3:49
2."Chasing Shadows"Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair4:39
3."On the Rebound"Russ Ballard3:14
4."Hot Night in a Cold Town"Geoff Cushing-Murray, Richard Littlefield4:03
5."Running All Night (with the Lion)"Gary Farr, Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair4:28
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."That's the Way That It Is"Paul Bliss4:06
7."Prisoner"James Lance, D. B. Cooper, Tony Riparetti4:33
8."Hot Persuasion"Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair3:48
9."Sell Your Soul"Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair5:25
10."Think It Over"John Sloman, Trevor Bolder3:42

North American version
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Too Scared to Run"3:49
2."On the Rebound"3:14
3."Chasing Shadows"4:39
4."Prisoner"4:33
5."Sell Your Soul"5:25
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."That's the Way That It Is"4:06
7."Think It Over"3:42
8."Hot Night in a Cold Town"4:03
9."Hot Persuasion"3:48
10."Running All Night (with the Lion)"4:28
1997 remastered edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Tin Soldier" (Small Faces cover, from the EP Abominog Junior)Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane3:49
12."Son of a Bitch" (from the EP Abominog Junior)Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair4:08
13."That's the Way That It Is" (demo) 4:27
14."Hot Persuasion" (demo) 4:04
Total length:58:16
2004 Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Son of a Bitch" (from the EP Abominog Junior)4:07
12."Tin Soldier" (from the EP Abominog Junior)3:54
13."Think It Over" (video soundtrack)3:17
14."Too Scared to Run" (live)4:19
15."Sell Your Soul" (live)5:43
16."That's the Way That It Is" (live)3:58
Total length:67:06

Personnel
Uriah Heep
Production
  • Ashley Howe – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Nick Rogers – engineer
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering at Masterdisk, New York

Charts

Album
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References
  1. Monger, James Christopher. "Uriah Heep Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. Ling, Dave (31 October 2011). Uriah Heep - Uncensored On the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ASIN B006286WJW. Preceded by an EP called 'Abominog Junior' that included a Russ Ballard song called 'On the Rebound', 'Son of a Bitch' and a cover of the Small Faces track 'Tin Soldier', the 'Abominog' album was an unqualified success.
  3. Guarisco, Donald A. "Uriah Heep - Abominog review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  4. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 379. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
  5. "Uriah Heep – Abominog (Album)". Norwegiancharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  6. "Uriah Heep Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  7. "Album – Uriah Heep, Abominog". Charts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  8. "Uriah Heep Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  9. "Uriah Heep Chart History: Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
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