Someone recently told me their favorite part of The “I-Own-Every-Record-You’d-Never-Buy” CD Consumer’s Guide is the album covers. No, not the crisp writing, the insightful commentary or the intelligent criticism, but the artwork. Hey, I’m as surprised as you are. That being said, this person should most definitely get a kick out of the front sleeve for Weed, a somewhat unusual marriage between the German band Virus and vocalist/keyboardist Ken Hensley, on loan from his band Uriah Heep. This garish piece of artwork features a somewhat unusual looking woman holding out a forkful of, er, weed(s). I’m happy to report that the music itself is a bit more digestible. First released in 1971 on Philips, the band’s lone self-titled debut album is an eclectic mix of driving, organ-dominated hard rock, acoustic ballads and vicious, guitar-heavy instrumentals. “Sweet Morning Light” and “My Dream” best reflect Hensley’s influence, both awash in heavily layered keyboard orchestration, while the softer “Lonely Ship” is reflective of the era's British folk-rock movement. The album’s centerpiece, the title track, is a fantastic block of blistering, high-speed six-string mania. Ultimately little more than a one-off studio project, Weed called it quits shortly after the album’s release. I’m not sure whatever happened to Virus, but Hensley was back recording with Uriah Heep before the end of the year.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Weed
Someone recently told me their favorite part of The “I-Own-Every-Record-You’d-Never-Buy” CD Consumer’s Guide is the album covers. No, not the crisp writing, the insightful commentary or the intelligent criticism, but the artwork. Hey, I’m as surprised as you are. That being said, this person should most definitely get a kick out of the front sleeve for Weed, a somewhat unusual marriage between the German band Virus and vocalist/keyboardist Ken Hensley, on loan from his band Uriah Heep. This garish piece of artwork features a somewhat unusual looking woman holding out a forkful of, er, weed(s). I’m happy to report that the music itself is a bit more digestible. First released in 1971 on Philips, the band’s lone self-titled debut album is an eclectic mix of driving, organ-dominated hard rock, acoustic ballads and vicious, guitar-heavy instrumentals. “Sweet Morning Light” and “My Dream” best reflect Hensley’s influence, both awash in heavily layered keyboard orchestration, while the softer “Lonely Ship” is reflective of the era's British folk-rock movement. The album’s centerpiece, the title track, is a fantastic block of blistering, high-speed six-string mania. Ultimately little more than a one-off studio project, Weed called it quits shortly after the album’s release. I’m not sure whatever happened to Virus, but Hensley was back recording with Uriah Heep before the end of the year.
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