If Deep Purple had read too much Robert E. Howard, they might have turned into Uriah Heep. Sure, Heep were named after a Dickens character, but we don't recall too many demons and wizards in David Copperfield. The band's fantasy-filled lyrics and operatic prog-metal was often a cheap target for critics. But it's hard to deny the adrenaline-soaked pleasures of rave-up hits such as "Sweet Lorraine," "Easy Living," and "Look at Yourself," which are rounded out here by "Sunrise," "Gypsy," and plenty of other gaudy gems from their early '70s heyday. --Billy Grenier
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