Abominog

Abominog
Studio album by Uriah Heep
Released	March 1982
Recorded	October/December 1981, The Roundhouse Recording Studios, Chalk Farm, London
Length	41:48
Label	Bronze (UK) Mercury (USA)
Producer	Ashley Howe
Uriah Heep chronology
Conquest (1980) Abominog (1982) Head First (1983)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Abominog was the 14th album for British rock group Uriah Heep. 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 heavy metal style. It featured their last U.S. 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]

Lineup

When the previous lineup disintegrated, Mick Box briefly considered forming a new group entirely, but ultimately decided to continue with the Heep name.

With the ever-present Box on guitars, it 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 him.

Cover versions

One of the most noticeable things about "Abominog" is that half of the 10 tracks are cover versions of recordings by other artists:

• "On the Rebound" was originally recorded by Russ Ballard, from his Russ Ballard & the Barnet Dogs album (1980).
• "Hot Night in a Cold Town" was originally recorded by John Cougar, from his Nothing Matters and What If It Did album (1979). 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, from 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, from their Neon Smiles album (1979).
• "Prisoner" was originally recorded by Sue Saad and the Next, from 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.

Track listing

UK/European version

1. "Too Scared to Run" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 3:49
2. "Chasing Shadows" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 4:39
3. "On the Rebound" (Russ Ballard) – 3:14
4. "Hot Night in a Cold Town" (Geoff Cushing-Murray, Richard Littlefield) – 4:03
5. "Running All Night (with the Lion)" (Gary Farr, Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 4:28
6. "That's the Way That It Is" (Paul Bliss) – 4:06
7. "Prisoner" (James Lance, Cooper, Tony Riparetti) – 4:33
8. "Hot Persuasion" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 3:48
9. "Sell Your Soul" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 5:25
10. "Think It Over" (Sloman, Bolder) – 3:42

North American version

1. "Too Scared to Run" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 3:49
2. "On The Rebound" (Ballard)- 3:14
3. "Chasing Shadows" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair)- 4:39
4. "Prisoner" (Lance, Cooper, Riparetti) – 4:33
5. "Sell Your Soul" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 5:25
6. "That's the Way That It Is" (Bliss) – 4:06
7. "Think It Over" (Sloman, Bolder) – 3:42
8. "Hot Night in a Cold Town" (Cushing-Murray, Littlefield) – 4:03
9. "Hot Persuasion" (Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 3:48
10. "Running All Night (with the Lion)" (Gary Farr, Box, Daisley, Goalby, Kerslake, Sinclair) – 4:28

Abominog was remastered and reissued in 1997 with four bonus tracks:

11. "Tin Soldier" (from Abominog Junior)
12. "Son of a Bitch" (from Abominog Junior)
13. "That's the Way That It Is" (Demo)
14. "Hot Persuasion" (Demo)

It was reissued again in 2004 with the following bonus tracks:

11. "Son of a Bitch" (from Abominog Junior)
12. "Tin Soldier" (from Abominog Junior)
13. "Think It Over" (Alternate Version)
14. "Too Scared to Run" (Live)
15. "Sell Your Soul" (Live)
16. "That's the Way That It Is" (Live)

Abominog Junior EP

1. "On The Rebound"  – A-side
2. "Tin Soldier" – non-album B-side (Small Faces cover)
3. "Son of a Bitch" – non-album B-side

Personnel

• Peter Goalby – Lead vocals
• Mick Box – Guitars, vocals
• John Sinclair – Keyboards, vocals
• Bob Daisley – Bass, vocals
• Lee Kerslake – Drums

Charts

• Norway #30
• UK #34
• US #56

References

1. Guarisco, Donald A. Abominog review allmusic.com. Retrieved on 2011-06-27.
2. Dave Ling Uriah Heep - Uncensored On the Record "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."