Heavy (Iron Butterfly album)
| Heavy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 22, 1968 | |||
| Recorded | October 1967 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:45 | |||
| Label | Atco | |||
| Producer | Charles Greene; Brian Stone | |||
| Iron Butterfly chronology | ||||
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Heavy is the debut studio album by the rock band Iron Butterfly, released on January 22, 1968.
The first two tracks, "Unconscious Power" and "Possession", were released as the respective sides of a single.
Three of the group's members (Darryl DeLoach, Jerry Penrod, and Danny Weis) left the band shortly after the album was recorded, leaving drummer Ron Bushy and organist Doug Ingle to find replacements. Despite being a debut album with no hit single to provide an entry point for the casual listener, Heavy was a commercial success, reaching number 78 on the Billboard Charts[1][2] and eventually going Gold in the US.
Cover art
[edit]The album's artwork depicts the band members playing their instruments beside a large monument of a human ear. It was designed by Armando Busich (artwork) and Joe Ravetz (photography).
Background
[edit]Iron Butterfly had amassed a considerable body of material by the time Heavy was recorded, much of which was held over for later albums. In addition to the ten songs on Heavy, songs from this era include "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (later recorded for the album of the same name), "Lonely Boy", "Real Fright", "Filled with Fear" (all later recorded for Ball), "Evil Temptation" (an instrumental version of which was later used as the B-side to "Possession"), "It's All Up to You", and "Gloomy Day to Remember".[3]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [4] |
Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated Heavy three-and-a-half out of five stars. He stated that "most of the album was not particularly well written" but that "the band's overwhelmingly loud sonic attack occasionally made up for the weakness in the material."[4]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Lead Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Possession" | Doug Ingle | Doug Ingle | Ingle with DeLoach | 2:45 |
| 2. | "Unconscious Power" | Ron Bushy | Ingle, Danny Weis | Ingle with DeLoach | 2:32 |
| 3. | "Get Out of My Life, Woman" | Allen Toussaint | Allen Toussaint | Ingle with DeLoach | 3:58 |
| 4. | "Gentle as It May Seem" | Darryl DeLoach | Weis | Ingle with DeLoach | 2:25 |
| 5. | "You Can't Win" | DeLoach | Weis | Ingle with DeLoach | 2:41 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Lead Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So-Lo" | DeLoach | Ingle | DeLoach with Ingle | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Look for the Sun" | DeLoach | Ingle, Weis | DeLoach and Penrod | 2:14 |
| 3. | "Fields of Sun" | DeLoach | Ingle | DeLoach with Ingle | 3:12 |
| 4. | "Stamped Ideas" | DeLoach | Ingle | DeLoach with Ingle | 2:08 |
| 5. | "Iron Butterfly Theme" | - | Ingle | Instrumental | 4:34 |
Personnel
[edit]Iron Butterfly
[edit]- Ron Bushy – drums
- Darryl DeLoach – tambourine, vocals
- Doug Ingle – organ, vocals
- Jerry Penrod – bass, vocals
- Danny Weis – guitar
Technical
[edit]- Brian Stone – producer
- Charles Greene – producer
- Armando Busich – artwork
- Joe Ravetz – photography
Singles
[edit]- US singles
- "Don't Look Down on Me" (non-album track) b/w "Possession" (Early Version)
- "Unconscious Power" b/w "Possession"
- "Iron Butterfly Theme", "Possession" b/w "Get Out of My Life, Woman", "Unconscious Power" (Radio EP)
- International singles
- "Iron Butterfly Theme" b/w "So-Lo"
References
[edit]- ^ "Billboard 200 - Iron Butterfly". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ Joynson, Vernon (1995). Fuzz, Acid, & Flowers Archived 2011-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. London: Borderline Books.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (2014). Iron Butterfly: Live at the Galaxy 1967 (Liner notes). Purple Pyramid Records.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Heavy - Iron Butterfly at AllMusic. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
