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Ken Hensley & Live Fire
CD EAN: 4029759063995 |
Born in London, 24th August 1945, Kenneth (Ken) Hensley wrote rock history with Uriah Heep. ‘Lady In Black’, ‘Easy Livin‘,’ ‘Look at Yourself’, ‘Free Me’ or ‘Stealin‘‘ – were all written or co-written by Hensley. There is little doubt that the Hammond-organist, guitarist and singer played a key role in the success story of the band he finally left in 1980, not happy with the musical directions they were choosing at the time. After trying to put a new band together firstly in the UK (Shotgun), he later moved to the USA and played a few gigs in North America with the suggestive name of Ken Hensley Band.
After joining Jacksonville’s southern rockers Blackfoot for a two album stint and having not much success in getting a new band together after that, it took Hensley a while to get rid of some personal demons. But the mid-nineties saw Ken sack all pre-retirement plans and starting to rebuild his reputation along with his lifelong passion and love for rock music again. With his latest release “Faster”, Hensley proves that he has lost nothing of his magical touch.
Live Fire is the Norwegian live backing-band Hensley has been working with for five years now and is comprised of Tom Arne Fossheim on drums, Sid Rinsby on bass, Ken Ingwersen on guitar, and Eiríkur Hauksson next to Ken Hensley as singer.
Recorded in Riga, Latvia in three weeks time with Live Fire, “Faster” offers everything you would expect from a classic Ken Hensley record – and more. “I just wanted to make a band record. Conceptually I wanted it to go back in time a little bit, to where a band plays together, plays a bunch of live shows, writes new songs and makes a record. The way it used to be“, Hensley says.
Opening up with the mystical and mesmerizing melodic rock of ‘Set Me Free (From Yesterday)’, Hensley & Live Fire deliver the goods as well as setting the tone for an album that is nothing short of strong songwriting, hooks and pure playfulness. On songs like ‘I Cry Alone’ - that has classic rock ballad written all over it - or ‘Katrine’, Hensley’s storytelling approach becomes even more observantly challenged and channelled. “Faster” also features some straight-ahead, good-time rockers like its title track. A similar energy roars its way through the closing song of the album, ‘Fill Your Head (With Rock)’, in which Hensley takes the stand for rock’n’roll in anthemic fashion. “Faster” shows that Hensley’s head and soul are still full of rock, and hopefully will be for quite some more albums and shows to come.
Volume 1
Ken Hensley
Set me frree (from yesterday)
Ken Hensley
The curse
Ken Hensley
I cry alone
Ken Hensley
Katrine
Ken Hensley
Faster
Ken Hensley
Slippin' away (The lovers curse)
Ken Hensley
The end of never
Ken Hensley
Beyond the starz
Ken Hensley
(At) the last minute
Ken Hensley
Somewhere (in paradise)
Ken Hensley
Fill your head (with rock)
Ken Hensley
Circle of hands
